AND IN OTHER NEWS

There is the old bit of advice which is often credited to Mother's, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all".
This is advice which I have not made much use of. So, it is seldom that, after doing some research on a candidate, I have nothing, nice or otherwise, to say. However, in the case of this story which appeared on the Baltimore Sun's website I am simply speechless.

Paging Dr. Death: Kevorkian planning House run
by Matthew Hay Brown

Now that he’s agreed to not assist in any more suicides, Jack Kevorkian has hit on a new way to get attention: He’s running for Congress.

“We need some honesty and sincerity instead of corrupt government in Washington,” the 79-year-old pathologist, on parole after serving eight years in the death of one of his subjects, told the Oakland (Mich.) Press.

The right-to-die advocate, released from prison last year after serving the minimum sentence for second-degree murder, told the newspaper he is planning to run as an independent in the Michigan’s Ninth District.

The seat is now held by Rep. Joe Knollenberg, an eight-term Republican who is running for re-election. A spokesman for Knollenberg said the congressman had no immediate comment.

If he follows through, Kevorkian is likely to bring more attention to a race already being closely watched. Once considered reliably Republican, the Ninth is being targetted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee this year after Knollenberg’s margin of victory fell from 18 percent in 2004 to 6 percent in 2006.

Several Democrats have emerged as possible challengers; the primary is scheduled for August.

Kevorkian says he assisted in the suicides of at least 130 people from 1990 to 1998, when he was charged in the assisted suicide of a 52-year-old man with Lou Gehrig’s disease that was filmed and broadcast on 60 Minutes. As a condition of his release, he agreed not to assist in any more suicides.

Oakland County Prosecutor Dave Gorcyca, whose office prosecuted Kevorkian, compared his candidacy to Ron Paul’s presidential campaign.

“It's probably more of a publicity stunt,” Gorcyca told the Press. “To call attention to himself is standard protocol for Jack when he doesn't have the limelight focused on him.”

Kevorkian said he would have more to say next week. “Everything’s in a formative stage,” he said.


Posted by Matthew Hay Brown on March 12, 2008 1:15 PM | Permalink
chless.

Source:http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/paging_dr_death_kevorkian_plan.html