We've heard about Dick Cheney vs. Rand Paul, now let's introduce you to Michelle Malkin vs. Adam Kokesh, the anti-war, pro-Tea Party candidate for Congress in New Mexico. Former Reason intern Jeremy Lott has some details, over at The Guardian:
Malkin wrote that the organisation that Kokesh is part of, Iraq Veterans Against the War, had a membership that included "bomb-threat bullies and death-threat nutballs who threatened to assassinate me," as well as "fake army vet Jesse MacBeth". She charged that Kokesh was "arrested for defacing signs and travelled to Germany to urge soldiers to abandon their posts … He is an anti-war smear merchant in GOP clothing."
Kokesh, a retired marine who was involved in the first battle of Fallujah, denied the charges. […]
[H]eading into the New Mexico state GOP nominating convention last weekend, Kokesh refused to give an inch. "I'm running for office to continue my oath to the constitution that I swore when I joined the Marine Corps," he said. He aims to "take all the powers" the federal government has "taken on illegally" and "at very least, restore a republican form of government."
Some polling indicates that Kokesh has a shot to win the seat currently held by Democrat Ben Ray Luján, but first he has to get the nomination and that could be a problem with prominent conservatives like Malkin pushing against him. "Obviously I'm not a party line Republican," said Kokesh, in the understatement of the week.
The aforementioned GOP nominating convention has now taken place, and so far the Republican Party is refusing to place Kokesh on the ballot, because he received 19.5 percent of the vote, and state law requires 20. But wait! Democratic candidate Joe Campos, who received 19.7 percent of his party's vote, has earned a slot on the ballot, by virtue of the party choosing to round up. More on the subject, including Kokesh/truther accusations, from Reason Contributing Editor David Weigel.
