RANDALL TERRY IN THE FLORIDA SENATE? NOOOOOOOOOOO!

Great post in Florida News Thursday regarding the probability of Operation Rescue co-founder and general right-wing idologue jerk Randall Terry to challenge former Florida Senate President Jim King next year for his northeast Florida seat.

Seems Terry's passion to challenge the GOP incumbant is leftover from the Terri Schiavo case. Anyone who watched much of the news coverage will remember his taking on the reins as chief spokesperson for the Schindler family (Terri Schiavo's parents) during all the legal wrangling surrounding wheather Terri's feeding tube would be reinserted. During a news conference this week, which basically was done to seek contributions which will help determine if he will run, Randall Terry said that the decision of King and several other GOP lawmakers to block legislation which would have mandated the reinsertion of Mrs. Schiavo's feeding tube was "unforgivable in the minds of many Republicans" and that King had "betrayed the core values of the Republican Party".

Terry was and remains a hero to many in the evangalical Christian community for his activism, which includes more than 40 arrests mainly during protests at abortion clinics. However, in recent years that support has waned after it was noted that in 1999 he left his wife of 19 years and children to begin a relationship with a woman who he met while a candidate for Congress in his former New York home. He later married the woman, but was censured by his former church, Landmark Church of Binghamton, NY for what it called "a pattern of repeated and sinful relationships and conversations with both single and married women".

Randall Terry has also said that his son, Jamiel, is not welcome in the family home after he wrote in the May, 2004 issue of Out magazine that he was gay. And, according to an April, 2004 feature in the Washington Post:

Their four children say they still love their father but the relationship has frayed. Terry recently barred one of his adopted teenage daughters from his house after she got pregnant out of wedlock for the second time. Another adopted daughter also became pregnant as a teenager and later converted to Islam, a religion Terry has described as composed of "murderers" and "terrorists." (The couple's lone biological child, a daughter, is in college.)

Mr. Terry has been actively soliciting contributions from supporters --- those he has remaining --- to "help restore to Randall Terry what the enemies of life 'stole'." The donations are being sent to "The Terry Family Trust" so that they cannot be taken as the results of past or future lawsuits. He had previously filed bankruptcy after being ordered to pay $1.6 million to the National Organization for Women and Planned Parenthood. The solicitations came as he was preparing to move into a $432,000 residence in a gated community of South Pointe Verde Beach (according to an article from 2003 in the conservative World magazine, no longer available at it's online site but reprinted on the Web site for First Freedom).

And this is the fellow that some Republicans in northeast Florida want to represent them in the Florida House of Representatives?

Jacksonville attorney and Republican James Post told the Florida Times-Union for it's story that ran Friday:

"With Jim King, we might as well have elected a Democrat to the position. I'd rather have someone in there who will act consistent with Republican principles."

And Duval County Republican Executive Committee member Kay Durden told an Associated Press reporter (story is courtesy the Tallahassee Democrat):

"Randall Terry, to me, is like Ronald Reagan in many ways. He is witty, kindhearted, articulate and very courageous"

Now, c'mon! That is simply going too far! I was by no means a fan of Ronald Wilson Reagan's politics, but to compare him to Randall Terry tells me this woman has been smoking A LOT of hippie weed (scarcasm intended).

Terry winning a GOP primary against Senator King --- which would be highly unlikely to begin with --- would certainly open the door for a good Democratic candidate to take the seat, and that's allright by me!