In one of the first talk show interviews that I ever did, a woman called in and asked me how it felt to be a "baby killer." I asked her how it felt to be rude.
Now Congressman Keith Ellison is getting the same treatment, on local TV, from primary challenger Gary Boisclair. This is the text of Boisclair's revolting TV ad:
[Pictures of babies and a pregnant woman.] "This is beautiful, beautiful beyond words." [Pictures of dead fetuses.] "This is ugly, ugly beyond description. Who would do this? Who would kill an unborn baby? Congressman Keith Ellison, for one." [Photo of Ellison standing next to an Arab sheik.] "Ellison has voted repeatedly to fund the slaughter of babies by the criminal syndicate Planned Parenthood, who kills a thousand babies a day, and throws their mangled bodies in sewers and landfills." [More dead fetuses, followed by poorly shaven candidate with a bad haircut who looks like he just got out of bed.] "I'll fight to make it a crime to kill an unborn baby. I'm Gary Boisclair, and I approve this message."
Believe it or not, Boisclair actually got this dreck on TV. The local TV stations initially refused to air it, but Boisclair pointed to an FEC rule that requires stations to air ads by candidates, unedited, 45 days before an election. At least one station aired this warning before the ad: "The following political advertisement contains scenes that may be disturbing to children. Viewer discretion is advised."
So there you have it: a vote for funding Planned Parenthood now means that every right-wing nut can put pictures of dead fetuses in front of the voters' faces, and bleat about "the slaughter of babies" and "mangled bodies in sewers and landfills." Which proves that free speech does extend to, and encompass, demented gibberish.
I leave it to others to decide whether Keith Ellison belongs in the US House of Representatives. I think so. But I'm absolutely certain that Gary Boisclair does not. Please support Keith Ellison in his primary race against Gary Boisclair.
Courage,
Alan Grayson