Who Elects These People?

Via Steve Clemons: Did you know that there is a sitting member of Congress who has:

Said the Congressional Leadership (in 1992) "ought to be lined up and shot"

Said, of protesters against the war in Vietnam, "I would have no hesitation about lining them up and shooting them," he said. "Those people should be shot for what they did to us over there."

Said that Bill Clinton was a KGB dupe

Said that some members of Congress "will tell you openly that they're both Communist supporters and socialist supporters" who want "your kids and my kids ... to fall under a socialist, Communist regime"

Said that a rectal procedure he had undergone was "just not natural, unless maybe you're Barney Frank."

Besides all this, this Representative -- Randy Cunningham of California's 50th District -- was on the board of the Tailhook Association in 1991, the year of the Tailhook Symposium at which 83 women and 7 men were sexually assaulted. In the aftermath of the scandal, the armed forces undertook various efforts to combat sexual harassment; at a House Subcommittee hearing in which the acting Army Secretary described these efforts, "Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham called the efforts "B.S." and asserted that "our kids don't like . . . political correctness."" What makes this particularly relevant now is that, as a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, one of the Committees that might investigate the abuses at Abu Ghraib. As Steve Clemons asks, "How can a guy who thinks Tailhook was just all good fun be counted on to responsibly legislate or investigate matters related to Abu Ghraib?"

As I've said before, there are jerks and idiots in both parties, and we shouldn't criticize either party for the views expressed by their more, um, peculiar members. That being said, however, we should also try to make sure that such people don't end up as members of Congress. I have voted for Republicans with whom I deeply disagreed when their Democratic opponents seemed to me to be out to lunch, on the grounds that it was better to be represented by someone who was wrongheaded but sane than by someone who seemed to live in an alternate universe. If the universe you live in is not one in which it's OK to line your opponents up and shoot them, and in which preventing sexual assault is not just "B.S.", take heart: Cunningham is not running unopposed.

On the subject of the GOP's fringe: Vernon Robinson, who put out the amusing Twilight Zone ad, lost his runoff in North Carolina. The Republican voters of North Carolina's 5th District deserve our gratitude.

Note on sources: Many of the quotes I cited are taken from a website that links to transcribed articles from various papers in the San Diego area. I don't have the ability to check these transcripts for accuracy myself, but I have contacted people who can, and they tell me that the transcripts check out. (The transcribed articles are from the dark days before newspapers became available on the web.) This seemed important since the site itself is pretty clearly anti-Cunningham.

Comments

[Josh]

Several of the links in your post are pointing back to Obsidian Wings...

[hilzoy]

Yeah, I know. But it should be fixed now.

[Gromit]

On the subject of the GOP's fringe: Vernon Robinson, who put out the amusing Twilight Zone ad, lost his runoff in North Carolina. The Republican voters of North Carolina's 5th District deserve our gratitude.

But... but he promised to stand between our children and the homosexuals!

And since every homosexual is by necessity someone's child, I guess that would involve some manner of dismemberment, which wouldn't be entirely inconsistent with the tone of his campaign.

[Vida]

The most "fringe" Democrat in the House or Senate is probably Jim McDermott, no? Turned out Bagdad Jim's view of reality was a lot closer to the truth than our president's. I don't think the nod to "moral equivalency" was needed here.

[Blue]

I agree who elects some of these people:

Gray Davis: "The Republicans took this position: they would not raise taxes at all cost. They would rather shoot their mother than increase any taxes."

Hillary Clinton says "This administration is waging war on poor children,"

"Republicans are men of narrow vision, who are afraid of the future."
Jimmy Carter

"I think the president would mislead the American people."
Jim McDermott

"On March 19, 2004, President Bush asked, 'Who would prefer that Saddam's torture chambers still be open?'" said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. "Shamefully, we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management: U.S. management."

"I feel that George Bush's actions are desecrating the America that I grew up in and believed in. He is making us an imperialist government. He is choosing to replace heads of state and government he doesn't like."

Deeply Saddened Daschle, March 2003:

"I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again. I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time-never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people."
Bill Clinton

[Slartibartfast]

I agree with practically all of hilzoy's post and very little of what followed.

[Slartibartfast]

Clarification: I thought the comments rapidly degraded, following (but not including) Gromit's post.

[Gromit]

Hope I didn't set off the downward trend. I just thought Robinson's ads were repugnant, and felt like doing a little dance on his campaign's (and hopefully his political career's) grave.

[hilzoy]

Thanks, Slartibartfast. Blue: I really did not mean for this to be a partisan thread. I believe, as I said, that there are idiots in both parties, and that if we're ever going to reestablish civil discourse in this country, we have to work against them. I don't defend Democrats reflexively (at least, I try not to), and one of the reasons I got on this blog in the first place was because there are thoughtful people here who disagree with me, and who can therefore help to keep me honest.

If you really think that the quotes you've posted are as far beyond the pale as Cunningham's -- that saying the President misled us about Iraq or that we reopened Saddam's torture chambers under new management are equivalent to saying that the leadership of Congress should be lined up and shot -- then all I can say is that I really disagree. But I suspect your comment was just a sort of reflexive partisan response. Making such responses doesn't teach you anything, and there is, I think, a lot to be learned here, especially from the people you disagree with. I suspect your reflexive responses aren't all that enlightening to others either, though of course I can only speak for myself.

[praktike]

Blue, just be cool, bro.

This is a chill place, and I suspect we'd all like to keep it that way.

[Blue]

Hilzoy,

"I don't defend Democrats reflexively"

"But I suspect your comment was just a sort of reflexive partisan response. Making such responses doesn't teach you anything"

You don't defend reflexively, but you suspect I do. And I need to be taught something! How interesting?

The arrogance at this site by many is so blatant... it might surpise you to know that I would categorize myself as a Zell Miller Democrat. We went to the same small school in Georgia. In my opinion the Democratic Party has been subverted by the far left. Many people like myself are being alienated from the party because of the arrogance and superiority complex of many in it.

I can assure you that my repsonse was calculated. It wasn't a reflexive response. If you were sincerely trying to give equal time you would have gotten some outrageous quotes from both sides to really drive your point home. But, you really only went after a guy who was a Republican that made some stupid comments. And yes, I can read that you put a caveat in there in the middle.

Yes, it seems that this is a chill place where you can quote a Republican that says things that are... over the top.

And yes, I think accusing one of being willing to shoot their mothers, waging war on the poor, desecrating America, becoming an imperialist nation and comparing U.S. soldiers to Husseins gaurds at a time of war is WAY WAY over the top.

As bad as saying line up and shoot people... maybe not... but still outrageous and uncalled for.

Kennedys' comments from U.S. soil may not have sounded so bad to you, but the email that I got from friends in Iraq expressed to me that it is far far worse than anything this guy has said.

From your comments you seem to want all of this over the top comments to stop. Even more reason to point out that both sides do it. Why is it bad to point out other over the top statements? I wonder what the response would have been if somone had posted a bunch more over the top comments by Republicans?

Like you said their is much to learn from those who disagree with you. It's a two way street.

Democrat Charles Rangel said of Republican reformers of the Social Security system: "Don't you believe that they don't want to dismantle the Social Security system. They are afraid to come out from under their hoods and attack us directly."

Al Gore:

The former vice president also said the administration works with ``a network of `rapid response' digital Brown Shirts'' that pressure reporters and editors, a reference to Nazi supporters of the 1930s.

I couldn't agree more that this rhetoric needs to stop!

[hilzoy]

Blue -- I didn't say you needed to be taught something; only that there's a lot to learn here. An opportunity, not something someone needs to do to you. And learning is something I think almost everyone needs.

[Blue]

I guess it was easy for me to come away with that impression:

"Making such responses doesn't teach you anything, and there is, I think, a lot to be learned here, especially from the people you disagree with."

[Lex]

Uh, Blue, you just lost me. And I'm a Republican. hilzoy said what he/she SAID he/she said. He/she did NOT say what YOU said he/she said.

If you follow. :-)

Seems to me like y'all have enough substance to disagree over w/o resorting to putting words in one another's mouths.

[Jake - but not that one]

This is FASCINATING!!!! Blue's comments, which were meant as proof that LOTS of people are unhinged, have almost all turned out to be totally appropriate! Is that weird or what?

The Republicans are working on tax breaks for the rich by taking money from the poor.

Torture R US.

Bush sold the whole war thing by fearmongering.

Bush DID mislead the people.

Bush DID decide to replace a head of state he didn't like.

And of course, Bill did have relations with Monica. The idiot.

Jake

[vidkun]

Wow, it's touchy-feely here. Zell Miller Democrat -- that means stroked-out, all crabby with forebrain damage, right?

That was inappropriate. I would like to apologize.

Oh and it's not a complex, it's just superiority.

That was inappropriate. I would like to apologize.

[Zell]

Blue, is that you? Long time! Those were great times, weren't they? hookworm, pellagra, lynching postcards, methanol poisoning, potted meat, whippins, Uncle Pa's lapbone, and courtesy.

[John Ross Hendrix]

Believe it or not, this Robinson character is at it again. He has entered the 13th district race for Congress in North Carolina. No, he doesn’t live there, but he thinks he’s our best representative.
Rest assured, my friends, that Vernon Robinson does have competition, although his antics have attracted media attention and caused Charlie Sutherland and myself to fall by the wayside in news coverage.

Although I do not claim to be a liberal, some in the Republican party have accused me of not being conservative enough. Maybe its my respect for the Constitution that Robinson supporters don't like. The more fascist elements want me to promise to amend the Constitution to eliminate every little thing that offends them. (I refuse) I guess they are just to lazy to work on finding real solutions.

What really frightens me is the fact that a Republican WILL win the 13th district race for the Congress, and it may be Robinson. Mr. Miller has screwed up enough by failing to support private property rights, the Second Amendment right to protect yourself, and voted against legislation that would stop the overweight crowd from suing McDonalds after too many super sized fries caused them to have to buy two seats on an airplane. If I can't stop Robinson in his tracks, we are in for dark times ahead. The party will throw everything into the contest against Miller. His days are numbered. Your choice will be Hendrix or Robinson. This choice must be made now, not in November.

Robinson's tactics, taken straight from Adolf Hitler's campaign manual, sets one group against another, uses empty headed ones for base support, and uses the more capable ones (with brains) who want to ride on his back to power and riches. The media likes him because he has the capability to turn the Republican party into a joke. But the joke has a possibility of becomming a horror and reality.

In the interest of our Nation, we all need to do everything we can to expose Mr. Robinson's "character" and see to it that he doesn't get past this primary. All the information you need in on my web page:
www.hendrixcampaign.com

This is not only a run for office for me, it is a war in which reason, sanity, and our very freedom are at stake. I welcome any and all questions and comments.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.
John Ross Hendrix
Republican
Candidate for Congress
13th District
[email protected]