THERE WAS A CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION YESTERDAY-- AND AN UPSET

Last month there was an election to fill the rural Georgia congressional seat of dead right wing extremist Charlie Norwood. Two far right-wing Republican loons, state Senator/tire salesman Jim Whitehead, the establishment candidate, and Paul Broun, a doctor, wound up in a run-off. Yesterday the two pro-war, anti-choice, anti-gay, reactionary maniacs faced each other again. Their platforms were as extreme as you'll find anywhere in America. Broun, for example, advocates building a wall entirely around America.

Although not every vote has been counted, it looks like Broun, the crazy insurgent, beat Whitehead, the crazy establishment hack. The margin is razor thin with only 394 votes separating the two Republicans. Broun reached out to Democrats to help him upset the Republican establishment, although his platform is just as heinous to any normal person as Whitehead's. His campaign's treasurer said "If Democrats want to stick their finger in the eye of the Republican establishment, sending Paul Broun to Congress would be one way to do that."

With no substantive choice in this election, less than 10% of the eligible voters-- 46,500 of them-- bothered to turn up and vote. Broun has 50.4% and Whitehead has 49.6%. Since there were no real policy differences between the two, (although Broun wants to abolish income taxes) the race probably hinged on Whitehead's comments about blowing up Athens, home of a university and some hippies. That part of the district overwhelmingly supported Broun, 5,122 to 601. This morning's NY Times still says the election is too close to call.

Here's the probable new congressman talking about Muslims wanting to cut off your head and about his Christian beliefs.




UPDATE: THE NUT WON

The other nut lost.