Rep Young apologizes for irate retort to female colleague

Veteran Alaska Rep Don Young has apologised after he lashed out at a freshman lawmaker during a House floor debate and said she "doesn't know a damn thing what she's talking about."
Young, 84, a Republican in his 23rd term as Alaska's sole House member. He was offering an amendment about wildlife management on national preserves in his state Thursday night when Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington spoke in opposition.
Clearly angry, Young said that Jayapal, a freshman from Seattle, "doesn't know a damn thing what she's talking about." He accused her of parroting "nonsense" from a special interest group and said, "You may not know me, young lady, but I'm deeply disturbed."

Jayapal, 51, objected immediately and asked that Young's words be stricken from the record. Young later apologized, saying he has tendency to "get very defensive about my state."
Jayapal said she accepted the apology and told Young, "We have obviously some work to get to know each other, but I can tell you that I care about my state as deeply as you do.