Hoke County’s Scary Candidate
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Republican U.S. House candidate Tim D’Annunzio of neighboring Hoke County would not like this editorial. But then, he considers the media to be “demon beasts” anyway.
He has also called himself the Messiah, once traveled to New Jersey to raise his stepfather from the dead, claimed to have found the Ark of the Covenant in Arizona, and has expressed the belief that God was planning to drop a 1,000-mile-high pyramid on Greenland. Or so his ex-wife claimed in divorce court records.
But don’t take her word for it. D’Annunzio himself has said on his blog, called Christ’s War, that incumbent Rep. Larry Kissell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are “anti-Constitution liberal leftist God-haters” and that President Barack Obama is gay. He has called the federal government the “anti-Christ” and called for the abolition of whole departments’ worth of government programs, including Social Security and Medicare.
Not only that, but he has a jail record. Among other things, according to court records, he failed to pay child support, was found guilty of criminal trespass, smoked marijuana daily and was once in treatment for heroin dependence.
Embraced by Tea Partiers
In short, the guy clearly has — shall we say — issues. But none of that has kept the tea party movement in the 8th District, some of whose members apparently put far-right ideology ahead of personal character, from embracing his candidacy. And therein lies a serious problem for leaders of the Republican Party in both Raleigh and Washington, who find themselves walking a very shaky tightrope.
State GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer showed some guts when he felt compelled to take the highly unusual step of going public with a denunciation of D’Annunzio as unfit for office at any level. “Mr. D’Annunzio has disqualified himself by his background, his record and his behavior,” he declared. All five of North Carolina’s Republican Congress members endorsed D’Annunzio’s opponent, Harold Johnson.
None of this fazed D’Annunzio, who told a press conference on Monday that the “power brokers in Raleigh and in Washington” fear they’re losing control of the party to “people like me who ... have refused to leave the party and decided instead to reform it and bring it back to its roots.” This must have left many traditional, family-values Republicans wondering what using heroin, ducking out on child support and doing time behind bars had to do with their party’s roots.
Afraid to Speak Out?
The bothersome thing about the reaction of the Republican establishment is summed up by national GOP spokesman Andy Sere, who said: “The issue isn’t his ideology, it’s his long criminal record and the obvious electoral challenges it represents.”
Hmm. So if the fellow hadn’t had so many brushes with the law, it would be perfectly OK for him to go around on the campaign trail urging the dismantling of Social Security, calling the federal government, of which he wants to become a part, the “anti-Christ,” and taking any number of other extreme positions?
This careful tiptoeing around an embarrassing situation speaks volumes about the fix in which the party now finds itself. Though many moderate (pardon us for using that dirty word) Republicans no doubt feel grave misgivings at the antics and excesses of the tea-partiers, the party establishment dares not alienate them for fear they’ll split off and go rogue.
It’s practically a hostage situation.
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Comments
CC 2 years, 11 months ago
Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Tim may have stepped over the line 25 years ago (just when was his first divorce?), and he may have crawled up the gutter with some unscrupulous characters, but he did what many Americans haven't done. He turned his life around. He put his past behind him and busted his butt to become the successful businessman that he is today. Prior to selling his very successful business, he employed over 250 tax-paying North Carolina citizens. That's 250 families that he provided with an income, shelter, food, clothing, transportation, and a meaningful life. You don't do that when you're doing what he's being accused of doing. The Pilot doesn't want Tim elected for the same reason the MSM is protecting the Teleprompter Reader of the United States - it's what you do.. I sincerely hope Tim wins the election next month, and I hope he continues on to Washington.. He may not be perfect, but then only one man was perfect, and he was crucified for being so..
Hembloche 2 years, 11 months ago
It's amazing that all of the past President's have made it through their entire careers without having to use teleprompters. Anybody see Bill Maher on Friday? D'Annunzio's craziness has gone national. Things are lookin good for Larry Kissell.
jamjam 2 years, 11 months ago
my,my,my, this guy is scary. if you can think of Muslims as insane, here's one for the Christians.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 11 months ago
In regard to the TelePrompter silliness, here's an excellent round up of things that have long been regarded as unremarkable but which the TPers are now shocked, SHOCKED, I tell you, to find out the "Democratic Usurper President" is doing:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_05/024030.php
I'm also wondering how long it will be before one of these ninnies shows up to crow that the fact you're pointing out that their chosen candidate is as crazy as a rat in a coffee can means you're "afraid" of him.
GeorgiaMan 2 years, 11 months ago
Considering The Pilot's stellar track record of endorsing the loser of most elections I am not worried for Tim. Why is a Moore County people give a hoot for what goes on next door in Hoke County. Lets have The Pilot report of some of its Democratic candidates and other elected officals who are on its wall of shame. Does a strong independent political organization like the Tea Party folks scare you that much.
Hembloche 2 years, 11 months ago
No doubt there are many democrats out there just as bad as this guy, but ya gotta admit this dude is bat #($* crazy.
Hembloche 2 years, 11 months ago
"I'm also wondering how long it will be before one of these ninnies shows up to crow that the fact you're pointing out that their chosen candidate is as crazy as a rat in a coffee can means you're "afraid" of him."
2.5 hours after you posted Dusty.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 11 months ago
You'd think being right all the time wouldn't be so depressing.
xanallen 2 years, 11 months ago
Here is another example of God's people being attacked. It's a good thing I'm not running for any public office. I have an ex that probably wouldn't say many nice things about me, and I have sinned. It is a good thing we have a forgiving God because all men want to do is hurt each other.
GeorgiaMan 2 years, 11 months ago
Tell you what Dusty - If you are so happy with the current situations in both parties. That some not all of our elected officals are in it for the power, the future payoff, or just some grand political scheme then enjoy your happy life. Just be sure to point out all the crazies on the left hand side of the equation when you write your columns.
Part of the Tea Parties's message to both parties is enough is enough - Government is not the answer to everything. Government cannot pay for everything. Government cannot assume responsibility for every social ill or injustice. Government cannot tax, and tax, and tax there way out of every situation. Winston Churchill once said " We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man stading in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."
jamjam 2 years, 11 months ago
I would say that this thread is about the extremism of one Christian. Lets agree that insane religious figures are dangerous and hurtful for this Nation. what makes people so fearful that they hate without thought?
chaallen 2 years, 11 months ago
The Pilot obviously consists of articles based on hearsay, allegations, half-truths and whatever else they think will make a good story. And I thought 'yellow journalism' was a thing of the past. This story is based, largely, on allegations that came out decades ago during an ugly divorce. Just because something is said during divorce hearings, does that make it true? I hardly think so and you'll find two parties in just about every divorce hearing that do not believe everything that is said. Tim D'Annunzio has openly discussed his past, bad decisions and good decisions, failures and successes, on his blog and with Tom Fetzer and the NCGOP. Tim is not Tom Fetzer's 'choice', so he decided to attack Tim D'Annunzio to discredit him and ruin his campaign. Was this attack out of fear that Tom's choice would not win the primary? Certainly! The Pilot does not want Tim to represent the 8th district either. I would rather see an article, based on facts and open for discussion, on reasons The Pilot does not support Tim D'Annunzio. Equally, The Pilot should state which candidate they are supporting and why, also based on facts and open for discussion.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 11 months ago
I for one am loving the spectacle of the Republican Party rending itself into tatters over these Tea Party nutballs.
TheNeedle 2 years, 11 months ago
I would invite all of Mr. D's defenders to read his blog. It's quite entertaining.
TheNeedle 2 years, 11 months ago
"He has also called himself the Messiah, once traveled to New Jersey to raise his stepfather from the dead, claimed to have found the Ark of the Covenant in Arizona, and has expressed the belief that God was planning to drop a 1,000-mile-high pyramid on Greenland. Or so his ex-wife claimed in divorce court records."
And he admits either having or once having many of these beliefs on his blog, while claiming he's being "taken out of context."
Of course IN context, he sounds even more insane.
http://christswar.blogspot.com/
artgeek 2 years, 11 months ago
I just really want to know the answer to this question-- is there ever any GOOD reason for why newspapers and media sources have to get tied up in supporting or beating down politicians and candidates? Folks, why can't we just have the NEWS, without a bias? Is that really so hard to do? And if so, if it's really an impossible thing to ask for, then dear Pilot Newspaper, where's you'r balanced approach?
I don't care WHO the candidate is, or WHAT he believes, let me make my own assumptions, don't spoon feed them to me. Please. K. Thanks.
TheNeedle 2 years, 11 months ago
artgeek, I'm terribly sorry if the facts about Mad Mr. D are so inconvenient that you feel the need to complain that the paper is "running him down." How, may I ask, are you to make any decision about a candidate without knowing who he is or what he believes? Is all you really want from the newspaper to hear that "Mr. so and so is running" and everything else is "spoon feeding"?
AnimalLover 2 years, 11 months ago
The thing that I find most amusing is, the people that back this nutjob and can overlook what he did in the past are the same people that condemned Barack Obama for his ties to William Ayers. The only bad thing about this is Obama's ties to Ayers were from many years ago. Why is it OK to condemn Obama, but forgive D'Annunzio? They declare that he is a changed man, he asked forgiveness from his creator, blah, blah, blah. He is currently blogging about some of these things like Obama being gay, our government is the devil, etc. But, that's OK because he is a God-fearing, elitist Christian Fundamentalist (with emphasis on MENTAL). Do I detect a double standard? Could it be that this fringe group within the GOP is a little slanted in their thinking? Also, from reading his blog and other entries on his Timvote.com website, Madman D'Annunzio chooses to publish "facts" from The Heritage Foundation. That group wouldn't recognize a "fact" if it jumped up and bit them.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 11 months ago
Animallover: IOKIYAR!
AnimalLover 2 years, 11 months ago
Dusty- Thanks for that clarification. I did not know that the Reps had a free pass when it comes to standards! BTW, I checked out the blog as suggested by another commentor in this thread. He really is a frightening individual. But, he certainly has a grasp of the party line, because he continuously spouts off about how everyone is against him and they are all liars who take his words out of context. The only problem is, I couldn't wade through all the scriptures he quotes to decipher what he is actually saying. He uses a LOT of words to say very little. (sort of "Palinesque")
dustyrhoades 2 years, 11 months ago
Very Palinesque, which is why he attracts the same class of perpetually aggrieved drama queens and disciples of the Cult of Victimhood.
SCCstudent 2 years, 11 months ago
Nutcase...he will assimulate well into the tax and spend culture of Washington. He will work well with the psychos who are mentally deranged. Congress! Just another nutcase!
recondo 2 years, 11 months ago
I have known the man personally for 20 years and while some of his antics and views are unorthodox and out there what the story fails to mention is the man is a self made Millionare whos inventions have saved countless US Soldiers Lives in the two current wars and who instead of putting his company Paraclete Armor in an area that would have been much easier to market his products like DC Or Langley Va chose to put them in Raeford and Robeson county creating hundreds of jobs in the two of the states most economically depressed area so he has already created more jobs and economic stability to our region of north carolina than Larry Kissell.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 11 months ago
Good. Let him keep doing what he's doing, in Hoke County.
recondo 2 years, 11 months ago
like i said he is out there but anybody who can go from a small amount of personal money and all by himself grow that pile into millions in cash and assets may be just what this country needs i can overlook crazy personal opinions and quirks as well as past problems like the pot smoking (see he already has something in common with at least the last three US Presidents wait Clinton didnt inhale so he might not count) if someone anyone can turn the economy around
JK 2 years, 11 months ago
Really…is this the best The Pilot can do, parrot a story that has been going around the national media for the last two weeks (check Keith Olbermann)? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines news as “Information about recent events or happenings or New information of any kind”; my local newspaper has failed its customers in both cases. I have known and considered Tim a friend for over 20 years and this information is not new or recent. What concerns me though are not the “scary” revelations the Moore County paper went to press with, but instead that not a single Pilot journalist nor editor appears to have conducted any original analysis, independent thought, recent interviews or offered Moore residents the “so what” for the piece.
In this instance The Pilot took the easy road by regurgitating old information and linking it to both the Tea Party Movement and Republican Party to serve their agenda. I’ve accepted The Pilot as a liberally biased newspaper, but at least try and give your readership the appearance that you are duly diligent when putting together “hatchet pieces” for the Democratic Party instead of trying to pass it off as “news”.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 11 months ago
"I have known and considered Tim a friend for over 20 years and this information is not new or recent."
Nor, apparently, is it untrue, since you don't even bother trying to deny it. Thanks for the confirmation, I'm sure your pal appreciates it as well.
teufelhunden 2 years, 11 months ago
I think we have a scary president...
JK 2 years, 11 months ago
Mr. Rhoades, My commentary was in response to the apparent lack of original thought applied to the writing of the editorial and not a defense of Tim D'Annunzio. But reminiscent of your column, you cherry picked a singular sentence while simultaneously ignoring, avoiding or completely missing the actual point.
For you to rely on my comment as “confirmation” demonstrates a lack of intellectual vigor and not what I would expect from someone of your profession. If you are in fact looking for some form of substantiation of Mr. D'Annunzio's beliefs, political or otherwise I encourage you to contact him and do what The Pilot did not…ask for the facts and report a firsthand account.
AnimalLover 2 years, 11 months ago
JK-The only "facts" that spew from Mr. D'Annunzio are denials and declarations of the "liberal media" taking his comments out of context, and dredging up facts about him that are "past mistakes". He is spouting the same jibberish that Sarah Palin did, about so-called "gotcha journalism". That's just plain bogus! The only thing the journalists brought to light were exactly the kind of deceptive morons they actually are. She was ignorant about current events and world affairs, and blamed the media for her shortcomings. Mr. D'Annunzio is screaming the same thing. I agree that past "mistakes" are on thing, but to call drug abuse, and potential current drug abuse "mistakes" is just plain wrong. It is a mistake if you do it once, it is intentional if you do it over and over. And once again, those of you on the far right seem to think that our president should be condemned for his PAST associations, but it's OK for this man to be a past, and probably current drug abuser. And, if you read his blog, as one poster suggested, you might truly be frightened by him too. I know that it frightens me when anyone starts spouting extreme religious beliefs. Their extreme beliefs can be compared to extremist Muslim beliefs, but hopefully they won't use the same tactics. My real fear is if they do.
JK 2 years, 11 months ago
AnimalLover, I got it...you do not agree with Mr D'Annunzio and I fully support that (let us remember he is not running in our district though) . But my indictment of The Pilot was in regards to the unoriginality of the editorial and not a defence of Tim's believes or fitness for Congress. I hope you can agree that we should expect the highest standards from the press...