UPDATE: Bruce Wilson has unearthed more Crackpot Kim quotes HERE.

Weekly Column

Just yesterday, it seemed that Maryland-based anti-gay activist, Bishop Harry Jackson, was a shoo-in for providing the nutty quote of the week. On a right-wing radio show he said that attempts to win LGBT marriage equality were “a satanic plot to destroy our seed.”

Unfortunately for the bishop, Kimberly Daniels, who Jackson once glowingly called his “comrade in war,” easily upstaged him. For the unacquainted, Daniels is a former drug dealer, prostitute and military veteran turned preacher who is now running for Jacksonville City Council as a Democrat. (Yeah, that’s not a typo – she plays on the Donkey team)

However, it is her recent quotes and not her distant past that is most disconcerting. Her bizarre beliefs include the notion that Halloween candy can be tainted by demons:

“I do not buy candy during the Halloween season,” Daniels told Charisma magazine on October 27, 2009. “Curses are sent through the tricks and treats of the innocent whether they get it by going door-to-door or by purchasing it from the local grocery store. The demons can’t tell the difference.” (Pretty dumb demons, I’d say)

Of course, the big question we all want to know is whether the hard shells of M&M’s make them demon-proof?

Not surprisingly, Daniels is known as a “demon buster” who gives exorcisms to rid people of various maladies.

“We have experienced much success in one-session deliverances,” Daniels wrote in her book, Clean House, Strong House…“However, there have been times when I have personally walked homosexuals, ex-witches, and drug addicts through sessions that took place over a couple of years.”

There is no word on whether former Delaware U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell was among the witches miraculously saved by Daniels.

Researcher Bruce Wilson dove further into Daniels’ treasure trove of quotes this week and discovered some new gems that will likely (or should) end her political career. For example, Wilson discovered a video of Daniels saying, “You can talk about the Holocaust, but the Jews own everything.”

Jews own everything? This is news to me, because I had no idea that Bill Gates, Sam Walton, Warren Buffett, and Donald Trump were Jewish. Now that I know, I hope they enjoyed Passover!

Perhaps, the most shocking quote from Daniels, who is African American, came when she portrayed slavery as a heavenly gift.

“I thank God for slavery,” preached Daniels, in a sermon that was captured on video. “If it wasn’t for slavery, I might be somewhere in Africa worshipping a tree.” (And who would be here in America to warn us about the danger of Satanic Skittles?)

On her campaign website, Daniels writes, “If I am elected, I will work with my colleagues to seek solutions to problems in our city that trouble the hearts of the people.”

One can only imagine what “solutions” this deeply disturbed woman might have in store for Jacksonville residents if she wins.  Incredibly, on March 17^th she received 43-percent of the vote and forced a May 17^th runoff with Republican David Taylor.

Daniels’ realizes that city council races usually have a low voter turnout. Her strategy is to run a stealth campaign and flood the polls with fundamentalist voters, while avoiding reporters who will ask tough questions. She will likely use the Christian media and a network of churches in heavily religious Jacksonville to disseminate her message and get voters to the polls. The Examiner website opines: “If you are running for office, you need to be available to talk to voters and reporters. This is something Ms. Daniels apparently is not able to do.”

Given her offensive statements and crackpot views, Duval County’s Democratic Party needs to step in and take a stand before it is too late. They ought to demand that Daniels immediately quit the race and apologize to voters.

If she refuses, the Democrats ought to endorse Taylor or at least make a strong, unambiguous statement distancing themselves from Daniels’ views. I’m sure the Democrats want to win, but at what cost?

The local and state Democratic Party should not allow their name to be associated with such blatant bigotry. The Party has to make it clear that Daniels outrageous views’ are anathema to its core principles and values. If not, they are no better than craven Republicans who pander to the Religious Right for the sake of raw power.

The thought of Daniels on the City Council is scarier than a Halloween haunted house filled with Reese’s Demon Butter Cups. Voters must be made aware of the radicalism and ridiculousness she will bring to Jacksonville if elected.

Video and research via Bruce Wilson

If you’ll remember, Bishop Harry Jackson, who doesn’t seem to really live in the District of Columbia, has his panties in a wad because the DC City Council won’t allow a popular referendum on their equal marriage law, arguing that it violates the District’s Human Rights Act.  The appeals court agreed.  Now it’s up to the Supreme Court to decide whether the case is even worth hearing:

According to the court’s public docket, the nine justices scheduled a private conference among themselves for Friday to discuss the case known as Jackson v. the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics. Under longstanding court rules, the justices usually announce a decision on whether to accept or reject a case on the Monday following such a conference.

“Generally, if a case is considered at a conference, viewers can expect that the disposition of a case will be announced on an Orders List that will be released at 10 a.m. the following Monday,” the court’s website says.

[...]

Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of a Beltsville, Md., Christian church, and other same-sex marriage opponents filed a petition with the Supreme Court Oct. 12 asking the court to consider hearing the case in a process known as a petition for a Writ of Certiorari. The case consists of their appeal of a lower court ruling that rejected their contention that the city must allow voters to decide the marriage question in a ballot initiative.

The D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the Board of Elections and Ethics’ decision to bar Jackson and his supporters from organizing a ballot initiative on grounds that, if approved, the initiative would violate the city’s Human Rights Act. The Human Rights Act bans discrimination based on sexual orientation.

If the SCOTUS rejects the case, the lower court’s ruling will stand and Harry Jackson will probably start crying, but he will live through the ordeal.

(The Awakening Conference was sponsored by the Freedom Federation and held April 15-16 at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA. Truth Wins Out’s founder Wayne Besen reports live from the event )

If the Religious Right fringe one day establishes a theocracy in America, no one will be able to credibly claim that they did not explicitly broadcast their dubious intentions. Having just spent two days at “The Awakening” conference at the late Rev. Jerry Falwell’ Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, one message was unmistakable: Many key Religious Right figures vehemently reject separation of church and state and believe America is a fundamentalist Christian nation.

“The Bible is the government of the people, by the people and for the people,” thundered Cindy Jacobs of General’ International from the stage. “I believe there is an awakening to do just that.”

What’ frightening is that many leaders on the Religious Right hold a basic belief system that is seemingly incompatible with democratic forms of government. Their central tautological argument is that liberty originated from God and so the only way to be truly free is through a theocratic system that honors the creator of freedom.

Huh? Exactly.

According to this mindset, God has ordained the faithful to be in positions of leadership, rendering any form of government that does not elevate these “chosen ones” or reflect their extreme views as illegitimate.

The Saturday night rally began with a surprising controversy. Lou Engle (pictured), the constantly rocking, intense, mustachioed cleric of The Call with the booming voice of a professional wrestler declared, “We are here to honor all denominations. There will be no tongues tonight.”

This left many in the audience offended, and well, tongue-tied. In a huff, several people stormed out of the main chapel. Sensing a gaffe, Engle soon reappeared on-stage and happily declared, “I apologize, we can speak in tongues!”

At this heavily advertised event, there was no shortage of the paranoid and prejudiced. But, one pleasant surprise was that attacks on LGBT people were on the decline. The crowd was more riled about President Barack Obama’ healthcare plan, which the Family Research Council’ Tony Perkins referred to onstage as “a socialistic time bomb.”

The big news at the conference came from Engle. While sitting in the audience during the “LGBT Agenda” breakout session, he spoke up and conceded that the next generation of evangelical Christians is largely supportive of LGBT rights (but not abortion). Engle said that when he preaches against gay people, the Christian youth often “rage against him.” Engle, a giant in right wing circles, said that the far right has lost on this issue barring a miracle, such as an intercession at a 500,000 strong youth rally. When he floated this idea to the activists on-stage, The Liberty Counsel’ Matt Barber said they should privately discuss such a rally after the forum.

Good luck with that idea, considering the breakout session at Falwell U. drew only 15 people. Virtually everyone in the small crowd was a hardcore anti-gay activist from groups such as Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX). Clearly, gay bashing was an issue that was not motivating many young people, as it has been in the past. (Although, it seems Engle’ group, The Call, may already be testing his intercession plan in Uganda) (Read More)

This is Cindy Jacobs of “Generals International,” closing out the “Convergence 2010: A Cry to Awaken a Nation” conference, which also featured Pastor Jim Garlow, Bishop Harry Jackson, and known nutcase Janet Porter as speakers. All are Religious Right leaders of varying influence, but I think when you watch this video, you’ll agree with me that Cindy Jacobs needs to be handed the reins of the entire movement, because she communicates their true, utterly insane beliefs, more clearly than any I’ve ever seen.

Seriously, though, you might have to start and stop this video several times, because I was busting a gut laughing by 0:35.

(h/t Right Wing Watch)

Keep talking, Cindy! A nation starved for humor needs you!