I don’t believe it was said but if it was it wasn’t a Republican.
If it was true it was probably Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) who said it.
She is trying to imply it was a Republican from the south.
I believe it, and it definitely wasn’t a Republican. The comments came from Democrats. How do I know? If it was a Republican the headline would have screamed that it was. If it was a Republican from anywhere on the planet, there would be no attempt at subtle implying. That is only reserved for Democrats.