Quran burning pastor Terry Jones, last seen protesting Sharia law outside the White House and accidentally setting off his gun during a trip to Michigan, is getting ready to light up the presidential race.
A press release from Jones’ Stand Up For America Now announced his bid for the White House on Wednesday.
The kicker: stopping Sharia law — or anything anti-Muslim related — didn’t even make his platform. In fact, his views would be pretty mainstream in the GOP presidential field:
1. Stop overspending immediately. We are now overspending by 4 billion dollars a day.2. Balance the budget. If this is not done, then we will experience a total collapse of our economy and way of life.
3. Reduce military spending. All military on foreign soil should be brought back immediately and all future involvement of military on foreign soil should not be engaged until our country has become economically strong again. The security of our nation must be reexamined and our military spending must be cut by several billion dollars.
4. Deport all illegals. We must immediately begin the deportation of the 20 million illegal aliens living in our country. This would be an operation similar to what Eisenhower did to provide jobs for the soldiers who were coming home after the war.
5. Also saving us 400 billion dollars per year.
6. Reduce corporate taxes. Our corporate taxes are the highest in the world. Corporate taxes must be reduced immediately in order to encourage people to start new businesses and existing corporations to expand, thus producing the jobs that are needed.
7. Reduce bureaucracy. We must reexamine the bureaucracy of our government and businesses. We are dying and drowning in bureaucracy, rules and regulations. Companies must be held accountable for the consumer’s protection, but the over-control and overkill that we have is destroying our companies.
But don’t worry, Jones hasn’t sold out. “Please financially support us as we continue our stand against radical Islam,” the press release states.
So far Jones hasn’t filed any paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. He’s got 15 days from when he becomes a candidate, which doesn’t happen until he raises $5,000.
Ryan J. Reilly
Ryan J. Reilly is a D.C.-based reporter for TPM. Prior to joining TPM, he worked for a news website covering the Justice Department and was a researcher for Bloomberg News. His email address is ryan(at)talkingpointsmemo.com.
Hahaha, is he the next bubble candy-date?
Know ye all who question the freedom of citizens to behave as they choose... follow this story...
The upside is that if he actually runs, his finances get examined and dissected publicly. I can't imagine that will be pretty.
Dear "Pastor" Jones,
"Illegal" is an adjective, not a noun. Please cease and desist from using it as such. If you're going to live in this country, then please do us the courtesy of learning to speak the language - correctly."
Thank you. You may now return to your latest Islamophobic delusion, already in progress...
He might also want to reread his Bible, especially those many, many verses commanding us to treat the "native" and the "stranger" equally. Chesire
What's the over under on this assclown's write in vote total? I'll go with a low double digit number like twelve and that includes his own vote.
williwaws Think his cult has a few more members than that. However, it is Florida, and they might have trouble voting...
It amazes me how so many people are calling for massive reduction in government spending, but then in the next breath call for deporting all illegals. You know despite the reality that doing so would require a massive increase in government spending
thatguydarrell Not a massive increase at all. A one time expense of a bus trip vs years of welfare, free housing (section 8) free schooling, reduced college tuition (that even other Americans do not qualify for). California alone spends over $1.1 Billion annually (http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/immigrationnationalization/a/caillegals.htm) on illegal aliens. I don't think it would cost that much to deport them. Heck, quit giving them welfare and they would leave on their own.
Topper01thatguydarrell "one time expense of a bus trip?" What a fascinating immigration enforcement plan you have!
Of course you leave out the cost of locating the person in question, determining definitively their immigration status (which is not always a simple matter, believe it or not), and then processing them through the system. It is not remotely possible for a cop to say "papers please," not find them in order, and then drive the person over to a bus station and send them back to Guatemala City, which seems to be what you are looking for (if you want to create a fascist state then, sure, we could probably make that work, but for now we still have a semblance of due process). If you knew anyone with any experience in immigration law you would recognize how ridiculous your "plan" is.
Furthermore, the notion that illegal immigrants receive a ton of welfare and this is why they stay is just wrong. I know you don't care much about facts, but if you want to learn more about this topic check out http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/cost-of-illegal-immigrants/ , a piece responding to one of those idiotic, factually challenged chain e-mails, the like of which might well inform your view on these matters.
gsj2001Topper01thatguydarrell Always amazed these people think the first thing illegal immigrants do in the US is walk right into a government office which asks them about their immigration status and asks for documentation.
Topper01 Easily the most simplistic comment I've heard all year.
Topper01thatguydarrell Check out the apple growers in Washington state.and the farmers in Georgia. Because of fear from threats against them and the law they passed in Georgia, the apple orchards in Washington are going to waste and the crops in Georgia are laying in the fields. White people they hire quit the first day. They can't get enough workers to do the job. The growers are probably going to lose a great deal of their apple crops and their fields of vegetables..So look for higher prices on much of the produce and apples in the coming months. What is left in the field or on the tree means higher costs for us. When the producers and the consumers realize that the pendulum has swung to far one way- watch it swing back.
Topper01thatguydarrell Sorry for the incorrect punctuation above. Hard to see the periods without my glasses and this new system tells me I have exceeded the character limit when there were less than 100 words so I had to revise until it would go. Missed some of the periods. Can anyone say Discus? Please? It worked much better. Can't even use Google spell checker- all the words disappear! And no edit! Hate that.
thatguydarrell Such an operation would make D-Day look like a round of Candy Land.
Finally someone who dares to propose the drastic measures that will have to be taken if we want to save this beautiful country!!! Without the politically honey... The people who came to America risked everything to have Freedom...what are we willing to do to keep this nation free & strong?
AmyAtDove
"So far Jones hasn’t filed any paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. He’s got 15 days from when he becomes a candidate, which doesn’t happen until he raises $5,000."
If you are so enthusiastic, you might want to provide Terry Jones with the $5,000 he needs to be considered a candidate.
bearclawAmyAtDove
the check is in the mail.....i just wanna put the head ...oh nevermind.
AmyAtDove Oh, wait . . . "AmyAtDove." This is your first post at TPM. And you are "at Dove." That wouldn't happen to the "Dove World Outreach Center," aka, the church Terry Jones pastors? How cute. You logged on just to defend Terry.
bearclawAmyAtDove
i'm with you bear...trolls should better hide themselves.......like me, you never know what 'ill say.
AmyAtDove How are the people you guys want to take "drastic measures" against any different than "The people who came to America [and] risked everything to have Freedom"? What major threat do they pose? How are they making this nation "captive & weak"?
William Quixotexist MethvenAmyAtDove Don't hold your breath waiting for a response from Amy. It appears she likely is a member of the "church" Terry Jones pastors. If so, it is doubtful she is allowed to think for herself. Was she given access to the internet only so she could post fanmail for her pastor? Inquiring minds want to know . . .
Is there any particular reason this person - who will get votes numbering in the mere dozens - is worthy of such prominent mention in national news publications???
joeyalphabet62 TPM probably wasn't getting enough "hits" on the "Amish jihadists" story.
bearclawjoeyalphabet62 Touche bearclaw.
bearclawjoeyalphabet62
TPM NEVER GETS A LOT OF HITS UNLESS I'M ON IT.
Wow ... there is a troll called Topper below who is pretty amazing. And claims to be a Viet Nam veteran.
I was a USMC combat vet in Viet Nam (III MAF, I Corps, CAG). Topper doesn't provide details.
Vets of that conflict call it Nam or The Nam or Viet Nam. Topper adds another designation, 'nam.
Topper claims he was booed and spit on and called a baby killer and so on. Sorry, dude ... urban legend.
And now he is worried to death about imposition of Shariah law in the US, like the nutcase from Florida.
As several have pointed out, this is against our Constitution.
My concern with freaks like this pastor who demonize Islam, desecrate mosques, burn Q'urans, or use heated anti-Muslim rhetoric on cable or in Congress, tend to discourage moderate Muslims from, for example, providing human intel that helps disrupt terrorist plots in the US and helps out troops target and eliminate al-Qaeda and other extremists through the Predator and Reaper drone program.
liam foote As an Air Force vet, I can only sigh and nod in agreement, brother.
liam foote Detail are below, I really don't give a rats behind if you believe me or not. As for the Constitution - since when has this been followed by either party? Obama readily admitted that if he could not get something through congress, he would simply execute an "executive order"; thereby, making the Legislature Branch totally irrelevant. I do appologize for not using one of "your" designation for Viet Nam, and I do realize that the later vets (1970's) did refer to it differently than the earlier vets.
Topper01liam foote "Obama readily admitted that if he could not get something through congress, he would simply execute an "executive order"; thereby, making the Legislature Branch totally irrelevant."Can we get a citation on that Topper, and an explanation as to why he didn't employ this tactic when he couldn't pass a jobs bill, or an end to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, or cap and trade, or EFCA, or any of the other legislation the Democrats have been unable to pass? You know, there is a point where your right-wing conspiracy theories should actually be tested against stuff that has actually happened.
gsj2001 Topper should be mentioning the Rothschild's in about 3, 2, 1...
Topper01liam foote Horse feathers! The president is only using executive orders on those things that he can use them on. If he were really going to go around the Congress that has been held hostage by the Republican terrorists masquerading as Congressmen and women and some Senators too, he would have ordered a better health care reform, already had a jobs bill and would have never allowed the country to get so close to default that S&P downgraded. That was precisely what S&P said. The pendulum will be swinging back in 2012 because the voters can readily see that the nations business isn't getting accomplished and a bunch of legislators are really not deserving of their pay. Of course most of the worst are millionaires already.
liam foote I was a track vehicle mechanic (63H20) assigned to the 188th Maintenance Battalion, attached to the 11th Armoured Calvary; however my primary duty was operating a M88 (pre M88A1E1) recovery vehicle. (That's a M60 with a tow bar instead of a cannon.) I would 'recover' vehicles that were broken down or otherwise disabled in the field. I did not realize that anyone would question my vet status, even though I realize my point of view is 'other' than the excepted norm on this site. But, if EVERYONE thought the same, there would be no need for a site such as this.
liam foote
hey liam, just so you know, i was not spit on........but i was called a baby killer, by former friends from high school who wanted nothing to do with me when i got home. also, just because you were in country does not make you the authority on the matter. i often refer to it as 'nam. in fact the only thing you know is what you saw, not what others saw. as a combat veteran you should well know that if i were standing ten feet away from you i would've seen something different. so stop with the 'i was a marine i'm the expert' talk. you were a freaking jarhead who was expendable. john kerry tried to set himself up as the expert on 'nam, after i think 3 months of being there. i had more time in the latrine then he did in country. and by the way i can still give you the ratio of karosene to gasoline when 'cleaning' the latrine, it is a smell that never quite goes away. you were in I corps, you were way up north, pretty close to me over in da nang, well actually monkey mountain. shape up marine, topper was there, and just because you don't agree with him don't try to lessen his service, after all, you aren't 'chesty' are you?
jjdjjd Hey, jjd,
Thanks for the note. Not trying to claim expertise or denigrate anyone ... well, perhaps poking at our friend, Topper, just a bit. As I said in the initial post I had never seen (quote) 'nam (unquote), i.e., with an apostrophe and a small n, so that raised a flag. As it turns out Topper managed to provide sufficient detail to assure me that he is a brother in arms, as have you.
CAG (Combined Action Group) was a "village pacification" outfit of specialists working with PF and PSDF locals. Our HQ was in Hoi An, just south of Da Nang. My company was based in Dai Loc in the middle of Quang Nam Province. Actually, you can find a lot of info on-line by searching with the unit designation, above.
Sorry to bring a minor squabble among vets to this particular site. I'm getting old and cranky and sometimes show no patience at all for those who appear to be posers. Cheers and best regards to all who have served.
liam foote Semper fi.
i can't see anything in his platform i disagree with. sure, he's a fruitcake, but if either major party adopted his platform i'd join up. the only thing i disagree with him on is corporations........they should have no loopholes and should pay a flat tax, this way GE would be paying something on their billions in profits.
jjdjjd I see your point, but I'm reminded of what the director Billy Wilder said aboot working with the notoriously unprofessional Marilyn Monroe: "I could have cast my Aunt Minnie and saved myself a lot of trouble. My Aunt Minnie would always be punctual and never hold up production, but who would pay to see my Aunt Minnie?"
jjdjjd "i can't see anything in his platform i disagree with. sure, he's a fruitcake[.]"
And this is where I stopped reading.
Hobbes83
yeah...i get into some big words.
And while he's at it, he should run for Pope, too?
Oh, and if for some strange reason he doesn't become president, he would definitely be perfect for the part of Angelina Joli's love interest in her next movie.
Muldoon0 Or Jolie's dad?
Muldoon0 No doubt he believes the Pope is the Anti-Christ.
I'm more worried about the American Taliban preaching from the pulpit and planning terror attacks on soldier's funerals, than I am about "Sharia Law"
dwitkowitz Have you studied sharia law? Would you want your daughter raised in a country that practiced sharia law? WOW! I think that muslim law is equally as bad if not more so. One wants to kill 'infidels' the other wants to dominate the whole world through mass violence.
Topper01dwitkowitz You're missing the (rather obvious) point that dwitkowitz is making, Topper. There is no danger--absolutely none--that Sharia law will come into force in the U.S. For one thing, 99% of the country would be opposed to it, which rather militates against it. Even more so, establishing a state religion--which would include making laws based on a religious text--is forbidden by the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, a basic constitutional fact with which conservatives terrified of Sharia law seem astoundingly unfamiliar.
So, there is nothing to worry about AT ALL with respect to Sharia law in this country since it will never, ever, ever, happen. Far right Christian extremists like Jones, some of whom seem to at times implicitly or explicitly advocate violence, are indeed cause for concern. Of course they won't be able to establish their preferred theocratic state any more than a radical Islamist would, but as hate groups masquerading as religious organizations they are something to worry about.
gsj2001dwitkowitz Oh! Not so! Saria law has entered our courts and soon into our laws. Some interesting articles to support this: sariahinamericancourts.com or creepingsaria.worpress.com. There are many many other such examples in US including one that 'prohibits' muslim women from marrying non-muslim men.
Topper01 You are a nutjob. I haven't seen one relevant posting by you yet. If you want Ten Commandment Law, go to Israel.
Topper01dwitkowitz Good god you are clueless Topper. I don't know what "Saria law" is, but the fact that you ignore the basic points about the First Amendment and the overwhelming opposition to Sharia Law in this country means you prefer to bask in your feverish nightmares rather than thinking in a semi-rational fashion. You have every right to post here, but it's a huge waste of your time since you obviously are incapable of a reasonable conversation.
how long do you suppose it take him to raise that $5,000, a quarter at a time?
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