Republicans choose criminal to run
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| Mon, 08-09-2004 - 7:45am |
GOP Picks 19-Time Inmate for State Race
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040808/ap_on_el_st_lo/candidate_criminal_record&e=5
TACOMA, Wash. - Republican leaders in Washington state were happy to have a contender for state auditor when they accepted Will Baker's last-minute offer to challenge a popular Democrat.
They didn't worry too much about who he was or how he spent his time — until they realized a considerable amount of his time was spent in jail.
Now party leaders are scrambling to remove him from the ballot, days after naming him as the Republican choice to oppose Democratic incumbent Brian Sonntag's bid for a fourth term.
"We didn't check him out," state GOP chairman Chris Vance said. "If I could, I would withdraw the letter putting him on the ballot as the Republican candidate — but it's too late."
On Friday, state election officials denied the party's request to remove Baker from the ballot, saying that would require court action.
Baker, a 41-year-old roadside flower salesman and self-styled political activist, has been arrested at least 19 times since 1992, mostly for refusing to stop speaking at Tacoma City Council and Pierce County Council meetings. He was last released from jail less than two months ago.
Baker declined to be interviewed by the Tacoma News Tribune, but when asked about his candidacy he said, "No one's asked me to withdraw."
When no Republican candidate emerged for the state office by the July 30 deadline, Vance said Baker called GOP leaders and volunteered.
In haste, the party accepted Baker's offer without thoroughly examining his background.
"He told us that he was a conservative activist," Vance said. "We did just a minimal amount of checking."

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http://www.jameshartforcongress.com/
"Our cities are being destroyed by dysgenic welfare and immigration. Why does Detroit look like it was hit by a nuclear bomb and Hiroshima look like it was on the side that won the war? Everyone knows the answer but is afraid to say. Because genes have a more devastating effect on civilization than nuclear bombs, and the reason for Detroit's decline is that there are less 'favored races' in Detroit with an average IQ of 85 and more 'favored races' in Japan with an average IQ of 104."
To read more you'll have to visit the site.
~mark~
I read about this in my local paper this weekend.
It is not my fault this state was just looking for anyone to run. Before agreeing to anyone, they should do a thorough background check not after.
In your eyes, maybe, but it shows that he refuses to listen to authority. He maybe in a position to accept the answer no in his job, but would he truly accept it? Who knows, maybe next time he may threaten the meetings with a bomb or something. We do not know anything for sure, as day in and day out we are always surprised at what people could do. I do not think the unabomber woke up one day and decided to mail bombs. Didn't he have a problem with authority?
You are known by the company you keep, Mark.
"Who knows, maybe next time he may threaten the meetings with a bomb or something."
Sure, lets see what we can come up with that him or someone else "might" do. We can play that game forever and resolve nothing.
~mark~
~mark~
Or we can overlook this, do nothing, and when/if something bad happens we could have said should of could of would of. Isnt that what we have been doing since 9-11?? If the warning signs are there, you proceed cautiously. I thought that was what the Patriot Act was about. As long as someone is coming from a Muslim country, they are to be treated as potential terrorists. If someone is speaking in Arabic, could be that they are planning an attack, so we must call the police. Or is that just another double standard?
What does that have to do with Muslims, Arabic-speaking individuals and the Patriot Act?
~mark~
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