I read, with some amusement and not a little horror, the story of Vernon "The Black Jesse Helms" Robinson's campaign for the House seat in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District:

"Brad Miller even spent your tax dollars to pay teenage girls to watch pornographic movies with probes connected to their genitalia."

That’s from a TV campaign ad by Vernon Robinson, who’s trying to unseat incumbent Democrat Miller for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 13th District of North Carolina. In the process, he’s created some of the most amusing campaign messages in recent memory. . .

His current campaign is wonderfully absurd and offensive, which makes it a joyful slapstick take on national politics. One radio ad uses a Mariachi soundtrack while claiming, “If Miller had his way, America would be nothing but one big fiesta for illegal aliens and homosexuals.” And another, with banjo music in the background: “Hey all you illegals, put your shoes on. Go home. Don’t come back now, y’hear?”

Beyond ads, Robinson pulled an old trick of his and suggested that since Miller is middle-aged and childless, he must be homosexual. Miller then felt he had to explain that his wife is unable to bear children due to the fact she had a hysterectomy and suffers from endometriosis.

Then I Googled the relatively recently-formed 13th Congressional District, and found, to my horror, that it includes my parents' house, where I grew up.  Called my mom.  She informed me that she'd already given money to Brad Miller, has a Miller sign in our front yard, and is working as hard as she can to defeat Robinson.  (She's no dummy.)

The truly horrifying thing is that he actually seems to have a chance -- the black ultra-conservative thing might pull some votes from both sides of the aisle, and the Republican Party in North Carolina is certainly not above some dirty tricks (see "Gantt, Harvey.")

(Oh, and by the way, as if I had to point it out -- the ad quoted above is full of lies.)