One of America’s most militant antiabortion activists plans to launch a primary challenge against a longtime moderate Republican leader of the Florida State Senate. Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, and “spokesman” for the parents of Terri Schiavo was publicly asked by two locally prominent Republicans to challenge incumbent Jim King in the GOP primary. The announcement came in a series of press conferences in Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Daytona Beach. Terry says he will run if he can raise $15,000 in the next three weeks. But given the high profile announcement, it seems likely he will run no matter what happens.
The Associated Press reports that “King is one of the nine Republicans who helped block a bill in the last legislative session aimed at keeping Schiavo alive…. King, who has served in the Legislature since 1986 and was Senate president in 2003 and 2004, did not return phone calls Thursday for comment. He has said he would run for another four-year term in 2006, his last chance before term limits would block another run.”
Terry who has a knack for news, is a Christian nationalist and a theocrat and one of the most polarizing men in American politics. Jim King epitomizes the moderate, business wing of the Republican Party. He has been a top leader in both the Florida House and Senate. The race will likely be one of the highest visibility races in the nation and throw into sharp relief the difference between the theocratic Christian Right and and mainstream Republicanism. Among other things, King is pro-choice, was a leader in promoting death with dignity legislation in Florida, and is a supporter of public education.
There is much I could write about Randall Terry, (and I did in my book Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy) but as the campaign begins, it is worth noting that in the 1990s, Terry was a national leader in The Constitution Party (formerly the U.S. Taxpayers Party) and in a 1994 op-ed in The Washington Post, went so far as to denounce Pat Robertson’s Christian Coalition as “the mistress of the Republican Party.” Now that Terry is a wannabe Republican office holder, it will be interesting to hear how he explains that one.
[Crossposted from FrederickClarkson.com]
I’m pretty much speechless. This man is too dangerous for words, and way too crazy to be allowed on the public streets, let alone in the government.
as being a marriage between the Fundy Christians bent on remaking America into a reflection of its narrow theolgy and Corporate Warbucks bent on making America into a reflection of its laissez-faire capitalism, then a divorce is in the works.
And here’s the first exhibition of undeniable marital strife — irreconcilable differences.
As divorce destroys a marriage, maybe we on the Left should be optimistic, stand back, and NEVER suggest that either partner seek counseling!
I think this is a good opportunity to helpfully point out the irreconcilable differences.
It’s not so much even that Terry is one crazy, sick (and criminal)bastard as the fact that he will no doubt be covered by the media as a legitimate candidate. As they basically ignored his criminal and disgusting history during the whole Schiavo mess.
Especially given the climate right now I have no doubt he’ll get lots of vote..just like david duke did.
Then again maybe in another year the right wing repugs and their spokespersons like Dobson etc will have done a lot more crazy things or made statements that are so far out of the mainstream that the public will finally starting getting the picture of what these people really want…their religious theocracy..
We still have to figure out a way to get the media to pay attention to us and cover this kind of thing in the true fair and balanced way.
I’d like to see the media really cover for instance how Mr. Moonie has so infiltrated and paid for so much of the republican platform now…and how many ‘moonies’ bush has hired to be in his administration. That’s a scandal in itself.