Court Jester

With his votes against veterans, children and their healthcare, Native Americans, unions, public education, voters’ rights, and lack of support from his own party the question remains, “Why do the Arizona and National Democratic Party organizations continue to support Republican fundamentalist, Trent Franks by refusing to fund viable candidates that oppose him?” This seems to make no sense. His ties to Tom Delay and Jack Abramof are well documented, his useless and ineffectual anti-abortion rhetoric has accomplished nothing, and his recent vote against ten vital water projects for Arizona is a matter of congressional record.

Thirty years ago in West Virginia, the Republican Party refused to put any candidate up against perennial Congressman Ken Heckler. Look at his record. As a political science teacher with no money he went door to door and got himself elected. He voted for every spending bill that came across his desk unless it involved the military. He championed every liberal cause regardless of cost or impact. Yet he never faced a challenge organized by the Republican Party. According to sources in West Virginia at the time, “Ken Heckler’s outspoken opposition to fiscal responsibility and extreme liberal views were the Republican Party’s best asset. Why would we want to remove someone from office who makes us look so good?”

Sound familiar?

The Democratic Party protects Trent Franks for the same reason; he’s an example of everything negative in the Republican Party. His opposition to minorities, obvious support of corporate interests at the expense of his constituents, and total inability to make any progress on his personal ideological agenda make other Democratic Party candidates look good. All Trent Franks needs to make his value to the Democratic Party more obvious is a pointy hat with bells and a clown suit.