If Trent Lott deserved to lose his leadership role in the Senate for his stupid comments in praise of Sen. Strom Thurmond, surely Patty Murray should be drummed out of the upper house for her comments in praise of Osama bin Laden.

When I read the words about Osama bin Laden attributed to Sen. Patty Murray in an address to high-school students, I was almost certain it was a joke. It had to be some kind of parody, a spoof, a satire. Surely no one – certainly not a U.S. senator – could be that stupid.

In case you missed it, Murray, D-Wash., explained to Columbia River High School students in Vancouver why bin Laden is so popular around the world with his constituents.

Bin Laden, she said, has been "out in these countries for decades, building schools, building roads, building infrastructure, building day-care facilities, building heath-care facilities, and the people are extremely grateful. We haven't done that."

SEATTLE – A potential Republican challenger to Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., in 2004 is calling for the lawmaker to apologize for telling students last week that Osama bin Laden's nation-building tactics should be emulated by the United States.

"I think the statements she made about bin Laden are shocking, and they're bizarre, and they're uninformed," said Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash., in an interview with WorldNetDaily. "To try to suggest that bin Laden has a history of generosity and kindness that outweighs his hatred for America and his vows to destroy our country is just nuts."