About 25 percent of U.S. adults have a mental illness, according to the CDC

[Douglas Carpenter]

9. Some people might take offense at the notion of sarcastic comments about mental illness

Many people regardless of their political persuasion or philosophy might genuinely suffer some form of an illness in which they have no more control over their situation than someone suffering from asthma or diabetes or muscular dystrophy and is just as real as any of those ailments and may likely cause just and much suffering and in some cases more. In fact it is quite likely that most mental illness has a strong biological and neurological component.

If one wants to call the Republicans crazy or insane. I personally don't see a problem with that. I think people understand what one means in that context. But to refer to Republicans as mentally ill or retarded or whatever can sound a bit insensitive to those who genuinely suffer very real conditions that are just as real as Asthma, COPD, or diabetes.