Video: In 5th CD Debate, Right-Wing Republican Tom Garrett Says Some, Uh, “Interesting” Things

I started watching last night’s Virginia 5th CD debate (see video below), because I was curious what loony and/or ignorant stuff right-wing Republican (don’t believe me? check out Project Vote Smart and see his ZERO – or close to zero – ratings on women’s reproductive health/freedom, LGBT equality, the environment, etc) Tom Garrett would spew out. To put it mildly, I was not disappointed. Just a few examples include:

Minutes 11-12:45: Asked how he’d balance the federal budget, and SPECIFICALLY what programs he’d cut to reduce the deficit, Garrett goes on a long, rambling, nonsensical soliloquy in which he completely fails to specify what he’d cut (note that buy FAR the largest shares of the federal budget are Social Security, Medicare, the military and interest on the debt), but does manage to go on a tirade against NPR and the National Endowment for the Arts (an infinitesimally small – as in not even a rounding error – of the federal budget, by the way, wouldn’t make the slightest difference in the deficit even if you completely eliminated both NPR and the NEA) – “I think it’s incredible when somebody receives a grant for $50,000 or $250,000 and then urinates in a jar and puts a crucifix in a jar…” Well, alrighty then!

Minutes 16:20-18:20: On reducing gun violence, Garrett claims that “the question is fallacious on its face, because homicides and suicides aren’t caused by gun use, they’re caused by people, that’s like saying that home construction is caused by hammer use.” Garrett claims that “no fly no buy” is “one of the most racist policies ever put forward in the United States.”

Minutes 24:33-25:49:  On climate change and energy, Garrett is wildly wrong about everything, goes on a weird rant about the supposed “war on coal,” about how climate change agreements are a “redistributionist scheme,” how it’s all meant to benefit China, blah blah blah. Yeah, the guy’s completely unhinged.

Minutes 38:05 – 39:45: On health care, Garrett lies and lies some more about the Affordable Care Act, then trots out…nothing, basically, other than “the Affordable Care Act needs to go.” #FAIL

Minutes 53:20- 55:04: Here, we get Garrett’s profound – profoundly wrong, anyway – views on guns, including the brilliant concept that “if guns are outlawed, outlaws still get guns.” So there you have it.

Minutes 55:30 – 57:03: Garrett really, really doesn’t like “Common Core” educational standards – they “can do nothing but bring us down.” Uhhhhh….no.

Minutes 1:01:02 – 1:01:42: On American sovereignty, Garrett says it’s the right to “zig when other nations zag,” and “that the laws and circumstances of our nation will be determined by Americans and not by international law nor the United Nations.” I mean, where to even start with this answer? I’m just surprised he didn’t mention “Sharia Law” while he was at it. Ugh.

Minutes 1:08:32 – 1:09:30: Garrett gives a rambling answer about Trump’s crazy claims about the election being “rigged,” about “voter fraud” (essentially non-existent), about “dead people” voting, blah blah blah.

Anyway, those are just a few “highlights” from Tom Garrett’s answers at the 5th CD debate last night, and great examples of why he would simply add to the dysfunction and right-wing extremism in Congress. In short, Garrett is THE LAST thing our country, or the 5th CD, needs at this point. Jane Dittmar is an infinitely better choice!