GOP's Scott Rigell to Sign Kool-Ad Drinking Tea Party Pledge

I have been arguing for some time that Scott Rigell (at left in the photo), the GOP candidate for the 2nd District of Virginia seat in Congress is a far right religious extremist - based both on Rigell's own statements, my knowing his involvement in the Christian Right element of the GOP for many years, his involvement in an anti-gay church, and having known him when and his wife when we lived in the same Virginia Beach neighborhood. Now, Rigell is adding additional insanity to his repertoire: he will be signing onto the Tea Party movement madness. Glenn Nye may not be every Democrat or moderate's favorite candidate - LGBT voters need to know that he has supported DADT repeal and has co-sponsored ENDA - but he is not a fire breathing extremist like Rigell who might be described as the "Mini Me" to Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia's lunatic Attorney General. Rigell supports the continuation of DADT, bans on any recognition of same sex couples, and religious based discrimination. He would take the nation and Virginia backwards. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot on Rigell's latest of swerve to embrace far right insanity:
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Republican congressional candidate Scott Rigell agreed to sign a seven-part pledge today that was developed by local Tea Party activists and includes promises to vote against any tax or fee increase, to oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants and to work to overturn the recently approved health care overhaul legislation.
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Tea Party leader Karen Hurd said Wednesday that their goal is to boost Rigell's candidacy and limit the chances of independent candidate Kenny Golden, who they believe could split the conservative vote and help reelect U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Virginia Beach.
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Included in the pledge are promises to support an audit of the Federal Reserve System that would be made public; an amendment to require a balanced federal budget; "any type of legislation that would increase transparency and accountability" in government; and protecting the Internet from taxes, fairness doctrines or efforts to control access. The document also calls for Rigell to "champion American exceptionalism by fighting any measure that subverts U.S. sovereignty" including granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. Not included in the pledge is an endorsement of Tea Party activists' desire to dismantle many of the government entitlement programs of the past century, including Social Security and federal welfare and education programs.
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Hurd said Tea Party members still believe in dramatically scaling back government but know that trimming programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid doesn't have enough popular support.