Texas GOP elects criminal as county clerk

I think the Republican Party has just sunken to a new level of stupid - again. Unfortunately, the Democratic establishment has been happy to help.

In Lamar County, Texas, incumbent County Clerk Russ Towers just lost the Republican primary to Ruth Sisson. Towers had been appointed to that post when the previous clerk retired. Many believe Towers lost the GOP primary because he is openly gay. Because the Republicans hate gays, it wouldn't be surprising if that's why he lost.

But Ruth Sisson - who ran on a "family values" Tea Party platform - is quite a character. Court records reveal that Sisson has been busted for theft at least 12 times. In 9 of these cases, charges were dismissed after she paid restitution. She was convicted in the other 3 cases. She also wrote a series of at least 44 bad checks, totaling $2,544. And in 2010 she was accused of making harassing phone calls full of racial slurs.

This is the person who Republican voters in Lamar County are placing in charge of an office with an annual budget of $500,000. The GOP raises such a stink when someone accidentally writes one single rubber check to a corporation - but 44 bad checks is no accident. Bouncing 44 checks is a deliberate act of deception. Plus, Sisson's bigotry makes her unfit for public office.

Oh, and guess what? Sisson has effectively won the general election too. That's because the Democrats - in all their wisdom - refused to field a candidate. That's right, peeps: It's now an open seat, and the Democrats won't even have a candidate!

Once again, a party that's unfit to govern gets a free pass.

(Source: http://www.texasobserver.org/lamar-county-clerk-sisson-towers)