Sam Stein reports John Boehner plans to campaign this weekend with Rich Iott, the Toledo-area congressional candidate who is better known for dressing as an SS officer uniform during Nazi reenactment ceremonies in which he participated.
John Boehner To Campaign With Rich Iott, Candidate Who Dressed As SS Officer
WASHINGTON -- House Minority Leader John Boehner will campaign this weekend with Rich Iott, the Ohio Republican congressional candidate who found himself embroiled in controversy several weeks ago when photos surfaced of him dressed in a Nazi SS uniform.
The Iott campaign confirmed to the Huffington Post that the two will appear together at the Lucas County Republican Party headquarters. It is, if nothing else, a risky stop for Boehner to make just days before the election.
Iott's chances at winning the seat were seemingly downgraded after photos of him dressed in Nazi garb surfaced. But Boehner's visit suggests that Republicans feel the seat is within their grasp. Iott claimed that he was merely partaking in a historical reenactment and not out of latent sympathies for the Third Reich. Still, his candidacy became somewhat symbolic for the extremities of the GOP.
I have to figure Boehner will find an excuse to back out of his obligation once word spreads about his plans, but how on earth did it get this far to begin with? Campaign with a guy who used to dress up like an SS officer? Seriously, what the hell is wrong with these guys?