Stephen Harper and the "G"-Man. Even His Nonsense is Imported.

I love book sales and spent hours at one this morning, picking up a great selection.

One that I was happy to unearth was a 1995 copy of Dalton Camp's Whose Country is This Anyway?

I always enjoyed his columns and the book offers a great selection.

However, I was drawn to a piece on Preston Manning and the neocons, and Camp writes about Manning going to Washington, after he helped Newt Gingrich and the boys get elected.

I'm going to share some of those later, but there was an offhanded comment that caught my attention about Republican James Inhofe, a man who has proven that idiots can make a good living. Camp speaks of how Inhofe ran a successful campaign on "g" words.

"The Reform agenda includes a host of issues with American analogs—opposition to abortion rights, gun control and gay rights"—and lower taxes, less government, fewer rights for consumers, and "family values."

This does remind me once again of Senator James M. Inhofe (R. Oklahoma), who has said he campaigned last fall, and won, on "God, gays, and guns." No doubt Preston could arrange through Newt to meet with Inhofe, who is a great admirer of Jesse Helms who is a good friend of Al D'Amato who knows Dick Armey who needs no introduction to Ralph Reed of the Christian Coalition warmly supported by Pat Buchanan who knows Pat Robertson. Knowing our man Manning has direct access to those guys makes you feel warm all over. Doesn't it? (1)

As it happened, Manning and the Reform Party became quite involved with Inhofe. In fact, Rob Anders was once a professional heckler for the man, being outed during a campaign stop.

But what was compelling about this was the "g" words that brought Inhofe to power. I had heard that before and after a bit of a search found it.

In an opinion column of March 21 1995 Stephen Harper defined his Reform Party as being based on three issues, to be more specific, he defined it as being based on three "g-issues"- guns, gays, and government grants. (2)

He replaced "God" because he wasn't pretending to be an evangelist yet. But he was clearly tapping into Inhofe's "genius".

Does Stephen Harper say or do anything that doesn't come from the Republicans? And the worst of the Republicans no less.

"Knowing our man [Harper] has direct access to those guys makes you feel warm all over. Doesn't it?"

Sources:

1. Whose Country is This Anyway? By Dalton Camp, Douglas & McIntyre, 1995, ISBN: 1-55054-467-5, Pg. 185