The much-watched special election for the U.S. House seat in Alabama’s District 1 ended with a victory for Bradley Byrne, the far-right Republican who was not a tea bagger. After losing the race by just a few points, the tea bagger, Dean Young, demonstrated the sort of juvenile behavior that has become the trademark of the tea party lately:
DEAN YOUNG: The entire nation focused on south Alabama. The established Republicans did everything they could, they poured their money into it and they barely, barely beat you guys. … I will brag about you and will continue to brag about you and this is sending that shot. This is the first warning shot that goes out across the nation that people in the United States are tired of where our government is going and I thank God for all of you…
I cannot bring myself to vote for someone who would mislead the people of south Alabama like Bradley Byrne has. You reap what you sow and that will follow him, what he’s done and how he mischaracterized who I am and who I’m about.
During the campaign, Young, who had the full support of the tea party apparatus, took positions on social issues that defined himself as a run-of-the-mill bigot and right-wing ideologue — disproving once again the notion that the tea party is about economic issues, not social issues.
Here is a list of topics, compiled by Dave Weigel, that Young discussed during a radio interview with hate group talker Bryan Fisher:
How Dean Young met “Ten Commandments judge” Roy Moore. “The day that the ACLU walked in his courtroom, I happened to be there. To this day he’s my best friend on the planet.”
– His beef with the business class: “The Chamber of Commerce last week sided with Barack Obama in wanting to give amnesty to 12 million illegal immigrants in this country.”
– His dream of a first House speech: “I will stand on the floor of the House and say that we are a Christian nation, we are a Christian people.”
– His proud opposition to Speaker Boehner’s renomination in 2015: “My opponent will not say where he stands on that issue.”
– His stance on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act: “I would be against them putting that into the employment whatever you call it.”
– And what will happen if his ilk loses: “Romans Chapter One talks about the end of a nation, and we don’t need to see the end of a nation.”
