So, glad as I am to be a resident of the Sunshine State, I was pretty sickened to learn that Randall Terry of "Crazy Anti-Abortion Nutjob Who Revels in The Deaths of Others" fame was running for office here.
I'll bet there are some New Yorkers who know just how I feel, because he's done it before, and it was pretty disgusting. The context of this run can only mean one thing: low-budget campaign videos and hyperbole so thick you could cut it with a knife. This freak is scary, even for the party of McCarthy. I'll tell you why below the fold.
(read on, if you dare)
Back in 1998, Randall Terry launched a challenge for a seat in Congress from an unfortunate New York district, the 22nd, held then and now by Democratic Rep. Maurice Hinchey. He ran his own slate of 5 candidates in races in 3 states that year, calling themselves the "Patrick Henry Men" and running on an uber-right platform. A 4/12/98 Sean Scully piece for the Washington Times said:
The five "Patrick Henry Men" come from the pro-life movement, largely with the militant organization Operation Rescue, though abortion is not the centerpiece of their platform. Their planks are:
* Passing a constitutional amendment banning property taxes of all sorts.
* Repealing the 16th Amendment, which authorizes Congress to levy taxes directly on American citizens.
* Privatizing Social Security.
* Curbing the power of activist federal judges.
The reason he gave for running this slate was that he thought the Republican party had given up on conservatives and he was hoping to lead a new wave of Conservative Republicans into party leadership (Don't you love how this was four years after the freaking Contract With America?).
But don't let the platform fool you--these guys saved their REAL hyperbole for the VIDEOTAPES they gave away during the campaign.
I shit you not. Complete with horrible renditions of some of the most stirring speeches in American history. The video is called "FREEDOM" (all caps), and is some of the worst propagandal crap I've ever seen. College kids should get stoned and laugh at this, like they did for "Reefer Madness" back in the day.
"America, America!" is sung, with a waving flag overlain with images of liberals and radicals...look, I can't describe this and do it justice. It's that bad. Visit http://www.barf.org/articles/terry-campaign-video.html, and see it for yourself. Don't just watch the clips--you HAVE to see this whole piece of shit to truly appreciate it. And it features a brief appearance by that bastion of reason and sanity, Rick Santorum, looking like a psychopath, lying about methods of ending pregnancy on the Senate floor.
The guy, politically, is crazier than even Kossacks give him credit for. He really has no concept of American government. He calls the New Deal "Government-As-Saviour programs." The vast majority of black mothers are on welfare, too, because "insane government programs" encourage immorality. (Did I mention that words cannot do this tape justice? Think "totalitarian infomercial.")
I guess my question is: considering the direction of American political rhetoric, When is it acceptable to call an extremist, nationalist, fascistic, anti-democratic, overbearing, shit-brained demagogue an extremist, nationalist, fascistic, anti-democratic, overbearing, shit-brained demagogue? Just this once, can we call it like it is?
In any event, a reality-lacking article on the Schiavo tragedy from the "invade your privacy" crowd had this to say about Terry's Primary opponent, Senator King:
"Senator Jim King: Remarking on the passage of Terri's Law, which he originally upheld, Sen. King said, it was "probably one of the worst votes that I've ever done." King opined he wouldn't want his "legacy" (of passing death-enhancing laws) to be ruined by the Schiavo case. The Hemlock Society applauded Hospice board member King.
"Follow the money: Sen. King's campaign contributors include Richard M. Jerger Jr., of the same name and address as listed on Jerger & Centonze Insurance. Jodi Centonze is Michael Schiavo's live-in girlfriend, and the mother of his two illegitimate children. Why were Jerger and Centonze contributing to Sen. King when they live in another district?"
Presumably, the author will not be contributing to Terry's campaign, as I don't believe she lives in Sen. King's district. The whole nauseating piece is at http://www.catholicmediacoalition.org/endgame.htm. I recommend it as a way of getting a better idea of what alternative universe these people inhabit, and to learn what they consider the "facts" of the whole sorry affair (shorter version: George Soros did it. Really, she blames Soros. Go read the thing)
For those of us in Florida, it's time to start planning. We've got to be certain that Florida doesn't become the next haven for hate in America, even if that means backing King, who is a moderate Republican by the standard of almost every Southern state. If by some fluke of nature (and I mean a biggie, like on par with J. Danforth Quayle becoming Vice President) Randall Terry should be elected to the Forida Senate, the ensuing wave of nausea and shame that sweeps the state could cause irreparable harm.