2 p.m. Wednesday. It’s fair to say that Michael Ray Ellisor and his primary opponent have a lot in common.
Both have been radio hosts. Both have been willing to at least think of themselves as Republicans. (In fact, Mr. Ellisor says he helped found the Republican Party in Lexington County. But he says his life experiences, particularly as a criminal defense lawyer, have changed him.)
Both oppose amending the constitution to prevent gay marriages.
Both are now Democrats.
But there are important differences. Mr. Ellisor, who describes himself as an "old-school," New Deal Democrat, seems to me more like a new-school, Howard Dean Democrat. He says he’s "more passionate" about certain issues than his opponent, particularly with regard to the war.
"I agree with John Murtha‘s position," he asserts more than once. There’s another thing he wants to leave no misunderstanding about: "my intense dislike for George Bush."
He does like one decision the president has made — his new treasury secretary, whom Mr. Ellisor hopes will stand up to the president and tell him how he’s fouled up the economy. But he feels compelled to preface even that faint praise by saying, "Now I don’t like President Bush; don’t get me wrong."
He believes the Iraq war was about oil, and has hardened his position since 2004 (when he was the unopposed nominee against Rep. Joe Wilson) from merely wanting our troops pulled back to a safe position in the desert to bring-the-troops-home.
He says his candidacy was fated to be. As a criminal defense attorney ("I represent poor crooks, quite frankly."), he is not accustomed to getting a lot of remuneration from his clients. So when one walked in and gave him $3,200 as a fee, "I considered that an omen, an Act of God."
So he took the money and went right down to file to run in the primary. The rest is history yet to be written.
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But what god?
Good one, Lee. Quick, to the point, and witty.
But what god?
How many are there?
b U.S. Troops Cleared in Ishaqi Raid Probe
Investigation Into Civilian Killings by Marines in Haditha Remains Open –
KIM GAMEL, AP
BAGHDAD, Iraq (June 3) – A military investigation into allegations that American troops intentionally killed civilians in Ishaqi, a village north of Baghdad, has cleared them of misconduct, the U.S. said – even though it acknowledged the deaths of up to 13 Iraqis in the March raid.
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060601032209990008&_ccc=1&cid=842