Quote of the Day

"Well you would have thought I was high a few weeks ago when I announced my run for Congress District 11. I have a very unscientific poll on my site that has me leading Kathy Castor by 60%-40%. That is about the margin of victory that Paul and I are expecting."

Tim Fasano, on how he will beat Castor in the 2008 election. Fasano's website is down and no longer linked on Fasano's blog. I wonder what are the latest internal Fasano polling numbers.

No Democrat or Republican is going to beat Castor for her seat. It's her's for as long as she wants it. Castor has the backing of Pelosi, her mother Betty's political connections and is in one of the safest Democratic districts in the country. Fasano publicly touting his polling numbers showed that he was either seeking publicity or is utterly clueless about how formable a candidate Castor is?

Castor could be the next Mayor of Tampa, if she decided to run. No other Tampa resident has the name-recognition and fundraising ability. It is not a stretch to imagine Castor running for the Senate or Governor. What does Fasano have besides racist blog posts and a politically killing side job as a pornographer? Fasano could at least have the decency to announce he was dropping out after reitterating that he was in to stay and would beat Castor.

Progressive Blogosphere Covers Candidate Fasano

The progressive blogosphere backlash against Congressional candidate Tim Fasano has started. Pam Spaulding and Kenneth Quinnell are pointing out Fasano's xenophobic and misogynistic rantings.

Pam

Well, I don't think it's the whole cab driver matter. Fasano's writings might have been the problem.

Kenneth

As if you needed a reason to donate money to Kathy Castor, the Democrat who will demolish Fasano in the general election (if Fasano makes it).

There is a good chance Fasano will get the GOP nomination. No one else is stupid enough to run against her. But then this is really about Fasano promoting his porn photography and giving himself a platform to spout his batshit insane views. Because he isn't running anything resembling a real campaign.

Fasano has a problem with people quoting his own words and pointing out how hateful his views are. Welcome to politics, Tim. The DCCC will put you through a grinder before your campaign is through.

My question is will the conservative blogs Peer Review and The State of Sunshine endorse a porn photographer and vocal supporter of genocide against all Muslims? Jim Johnson has run favorable posts on Fasano. I'm betting they would rather swallow their pride than endorse Castor. Tommy Duncan constantly tells the media that the main goal of Sticks of Fire is to get readers interested in politics. (That would explain his post on lesbian cheerleaders.) Why hasn't he blogged about a local blogger who is a candidate? Duncan has Fasano on his Myspace friends' list. He has no problem attacking the Tampa Tribune for firing his friends. He has never taken Fasano to task for his bigoted and sexist posts.

It will be interesting to see how certain bloggers try to weasal around the Fasano issue. It's humorous to see bloggers acting like politicians ducking tough questions.

The Backlash Started

If there is one thing Tim Fasano can't be faulted on it is his predictablity. I knew he couldn't help himself. He would have to diss me for winning a Loafie.

I call for the annihilation of his ilk and the Blog Hussy compares me to Hitler and says I suffer from xenophobia..." fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign" ...NO I just have a respect for those that want to kill me. If they are strange or foreign that is their problem.

When Wayne Garcia wanted to go to press with an article about my blog, he emailed me, sent me his phone number and talked to me BEFORE he went to press. Mr. Hussy just went off and used pejoratives about me but not his asshole buddy Ahmadinejad.

Now he wins an award from THE Creative Loafing which will never run a negative article about Ahmadinejad (Hussy's love partner). They even mention my blog as they give him the award as if it was some Goddamn big deal to call out a CAB DRIVER!

1.) Fasano accuses me of being gay buddies with a man I never met. He fails to mention that I ran a negative post about Ahmadinejad's denial that gay and lesbians exist in Iran. It's interesting the homophobic Fasno would link me to the equally bigoted Ahmadinejad.

2.) Fasano is a Republican candidate for Congress. He is more than just a cab driver. Voters have a right to know that Fasano publicly stated, "I really believe the answer to this war is to kill all Muslims on Earth and destroy any written or computer record of this horrible religion."

Fasano kicked out the white sepremist talking points against Martin Luther King.

Was MLK really color blind? I know his followers are not. Why is it that a racial separatist holiday that can only really be celebrated by one race has been rammed down our throats?

Fasano is a amateur porn photographer who is a major misogynistic heel. One does not title a blog post "Show Me Your Tits!" because he is a fan of Blogher. He refers to female passengers as "bitch."

It must be torture for Tim to have his own xenaphobic words against him. He is left to run posts with no links to the accusations he levels. That shows poor debating skills. But then this wasn't suppose to be an exchange of ideas. Tim feels he should be allowed to say what he wants. If anyone disagrees with him, they support a tyrant. That spiel works on Free Republic or Little Green Footballs. Rationale people find that laughable.

One of the problems, I had with the Tampa blogosphere, was the hatemongering. I took Tim and Rachel Moran to task for advocating assaulting the homeless (Moran) and racism (Fasano.) The progressive blogosphere got wind of Moran's post and there was a huge backlash. Hatemongering was no longer something Tampa bloggers could get away with. Fasano misses the bad old days. I don't.

Fasano thinks Garcia "had nothing to do with that fucked up decision." Garcia is the political editor and interviewed me about the blog before I knew I won. It's doubtful music critic Wade Tatangelo got up during a meeting and declared, "Hussey must win a Loafie or I will go on a hunger strike." Then Wade mysteriously started singing, "The blood is on the table and their mouths are choking." If that's the case, I got to attend one of these staff meetings.

I wish we could treat Fasano as a joke. The sad truth is their are people that take his blog and political ambitions seriously. Fasano is against the Democrats increase for SCHIP, equates all Muslims as terrorists, cites Michael Savage and does not believe global warming is influenced by mankind. Fasano is a politician and cab driver that has been profiled in the media. He does not get a free pass.

Update: Fasano faces the fury of Tas here and here.

Who Is John Ubele?

Tim Fasano isn't the only racist running for higher office. Window cleaner John Ubele is running for Florida House District 46. His website links to SOLPAC. (No, it's not a soul music festival.)
Their about page is an unmistakable Aryan message.

Through political activism, organized to educate the citizens of Florida, we intend to cause the change of our political and social institutions to the extent that they are actively respecting and promoting the interests of European Americans’ heritage, on at least a basis equal to that of any other heritage, race, or ethnicity represented in the State of Florida.

Ubele is running against incumbant John Legg. The Republican Party of Florida will do to Ubele what they did to Randall Terry. The GOP wants extremist nuts voting for the party, not in it.

Ubele is the President of the Nationist Coalition. They have been putting these flyers around St. Pete.

"WE WANT YOU! To die so Israelis don't have to," the flier said. "Now American soldiers are being killed so that Israeli soldiers won't have to fight their enemies for themselves."

That is such a simple-minded view of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Pro-white groups aren't patriotic. They have a paranoid distrust of democracy and worship Timothy Mcveigh. These people are radicals with a poor grasp of reality. If they were Muslims they would be strapping bombs to themselves.

In related news: the Fasano for Congress stats counter shows only 157 total visitors. Ever. I have 1,339 visitors today. Maybe I should run for Congress.

Sick Joke Part 2

An update on my previous post about Tim Fasano's candidacy. He has not filed to run for the district 11 seat. That means he is breaking the law by having a campaign website. Good work, Tim. Below is a list of candidates that have filed.

Hat tip to Gene Smith.

Representative District Candidate Status Primary General

001 Roberts, Joe (DEM) Active

002 Boyd, Allen (DEM) *Incumbent Active
Flowers, Mark (REP) Active
Ortiz, Robert (REP) Active

004 Crenshaw, Ander (REP) *Incumbent Active

005 Brown-Waite, Ginny (REP) *Incumbent Active

006 Stearns, Clifford (REP) *Incumbent Active

007 Tart, Louis Jack (CPF) Active

008 Kroehler, Corbett M. (DEM) Active
Van, Quoc (DEM) Active

009 Mitchell, Bill (DEM) Active

010 Simpson, Samm (DEM) Active

012 Putnam, Adam H. (REP) *Incumbent Active

013 LaFevers, Michael S. (DEM) Active

014 George, Jeff (NPA) Active

015 Blythe, Stephen Lee (DEM) Active
Rancatore, Paul (DEM) Active

016 Harrell, Gayle (REP) Active
Rooney, Thomas Joseph (REP) Active
Valeche, Hal R. (REP) Active

021 Diaz-Balard, Lincoln (REP) *Incumbent Active
Santoro, Dean (REP) Active

022 Flagg, Marc (REP) Active

023 Hastings, Alcee L. (DEM) *Incumbent Active
Sanchez, Ray Torres (DEM) Active
Thorpe Jr., Marion D. (REP) Active

024 Curtis, Clint (DEM) Active

025 Diaz-Balard, Mario (REP) *Incumbent Active

Update: Jim Johnson has an interesting comment about election laws.

Michael... Florida campaign finance law does not apply to federal offices. He can spend money without officially filing with the Federal Elections Commission, until he spends $5,000 at which time he has to file.

The interesting question would be how much Fasano has spent? Properly not much. Fasano will have to pay $5,000 to officially declare his candidacy.

Another question is does he really believe that he can raise more money than Kathy Castor. She raised $1,373,273 for the 2006 election. Much of it she gave to other Congressional candidates. She crushed her opponents in the primary and general election.

Fasano posts this rant on his campaign web site.

I will be running for Congress Of the 11th District in 2008. I am a Republican and unlike Jim Davis, the former Congress Person who Kathy had no political difference with, there are profound differences with Kathy Castor and myself. The differences are staggering and her positions are clearly a danger to the welfare, safety and security of our community, as well as, our nation. Her "Extreme" liberal agenda is unknown to most residents of Tampa. I will, however, expose her.

Good God. He sounds like Michael Savage.

If you want a good laugh, check out the campaign site guestbook.

Kyle Thursday, 7/26/07, 8:30 PM

Buddy, not only are you a lunatic, but you're a lunatic who will get worked by Kathy Castor on Election Day. Keep crazying around, but when all is said and done, you'll be back in the cab where you clearly belong.

This campaign comes across as a desperate cry for attention.

Update: Here is the text of the law.

If you are running for the U.S. House, Senate or the Presidency, you must register with the FEC once you (or persons acting on your behalf) receive contributions or make expenditures in excess of $5,000. Within 15 days of reaching that $5,000 threshold, you must file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2 [PDF]) authorizing a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds on your behalf. Within 10 days of that filing, your principal campaign committee must submit a Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1 [PDF]). Your campaign will thereafter report its receipts and disbursements on a regular basis. Campaigns should download the Campaign Guide for Congressional Candidates [PDF] for more information on the laws that apply to them.

Hat tip to Jennifer.

Sick Joke

This is too bizarre for words. Tim Fasano is running for Congress. Aiding him is Freeper poster Paul Meagher as his campaign manager. I almost wish that Fasano's campaign will get media exposure. He would have to explain the constant xenaphobic and misogynistic material on Tampa Taxi Shots.

About Time the Local Media Pointed This Out

Wayne Garcia writes a must-read blog post. This is the kind of blogging that other Tampa bloggers are afraid to touch. Garcia targets the bigotry of the local blog scene. I'm glad someone in the local media is pointing out this stupidity.

Rachel Moran has the less-than-brilliant brainstorm of filming homeless people getting assaulted by her friends.

We are thinking about proving this nuisance and need for civil action by making a short film called “Eddie Rolls on the Homeless,” whereby Mark secretly videotapes me and Lil Sis in a variety of situations to see how many homeless people approach us and, then, how many of these situations escalate into harrassment. Then, he’s gonna videotape Eddie in the same scenarios, only Eddie is going to beat up every homeless person who escalates the contact after being told that his panhandling is illegal and annoying.

Let's make this clear. What Moran proposes is illegal. This isn't funny. It's a crime and should be treated as such. Feel free to contact the St. Petersburg police department about this post.


District I
(southern
St. Petersburg)
551-3181

District II
(north and northeast
St. Petersburg)
551-3182

District III
(western
St. Petersburg)
551-3183


Tim Fasano laments the fact that Martin Luther King has a national holiday.

Was MLK really color blind? I know his followers are not. Why is it that a racial separatist holiday that can only really be celebrated by one race has been rammed down our throats?

MLK was not a separatist. He talked about blacks and whites living together with dignity. King was jailed and assaulted fighting for civil rights. Yet, he still believed in the path of nonviolence. That is not something Moran is preaching.

Fasano mocks King by writing, "MLK was not a perfect man." It certainly takes an imperfect man to spot the imperfections in another. As it takes a racist to call another man a "separatist."

Update: Sine.Qua.Non saved the Rachel post. Now it is forever on the internet.

Jill, Lindsay, and Roxanne posted their own thouhts on the Rachel post.

Jill:

You’re planning on beating up homeless people on video and it’s panhandling that’s illegal and wrong?

I suspect that Rachel and her friends are under the impression that beating someone up in response to verbal harassment is self defense. She may have a problem demonstrating that in court, though, when her idea to attract as many homeless people as possible and then physically assault them is published on the internet, and the crime is videotaped.

Lindsay:

You got that..right? He was probably going to touch Rachel's sister's hair. Probably. So Rachel ordered him to back up. He froze. An argument ensued. Long story short, Rachel and her friends kicked the shit out of a guy for probably being about to touch her little sister's hair.

Roxanne:

Save Tokyo (because most of the homeless are squared away in the "shame-free" zone of Ueno Park), I haven't lived in a single city where aggressive panhandling wasn't a concern. Yet, somehow, it never occurred to me that the way to combat this horrid scourge upon our nation was to beat up the perpetrators on film.

Alex Pickett has written several articles about the homeless for Creative Loafing. He finds this comment by Miss Moran amusing.

“How many girls in their twenties are afraid of walking alone in the well-lit areas of suburban Des Moines?”

Pickett writes this in the Blurbex comments.

When I volunteered for a Des Moines youth shelter five years ago, the director told me that Des Moines has the largest population of homeless youth in the country. As far as homeless in suburban Des Moines? Check out the Jan. 19, 2006 issue of their alternative weekly on the rise of homelessness in the city’s suburbs.

http://www.dmcityview.com/archives/2006/01jan/01-19-06/cover.shtml

Facts — they are such pesky things.

Aren't they?

Update: here's another saved version of the Rachel post. I'm not expecting it to stay online.

Update: Rachel defends her post in the comments of Progressive Gold. I'm not surprised.

Money quote:

The real point - agressive homeless people require aggressive action.

My God - she sounds like Dirty Harry.

Update: Gene Smith has a post and is urging people to call the St. Petersburg police department.

Update: I have a list of Sticks of Fire advertisers. Feel free to contact them about Rachel Moran's post.

Sticks of Fire Ad List

Update: Attorney and homeless advocate Jackie Dowd has a post up on the subject.

Update: Paul the Spud has a great post. He notices the similarities Rachel and Scrooge.