A Tale Of Three Men (And One Kick-Ass Woman)

The three men are:

> Paul Raushenbush an openly gay Baptist minister for the past early three decades, married with two kids — whose great-grandfathers, just so you know, were Mr. Justice Louis Brandeis, of the United States Supreme Court, on one side, and prominent Baptist theologian Walter Rauschenbusch on the other.  (The ‘Cs’ got dropped from Rauschenbusch somewhere along the line.)

> Senator Dr. Roger Marshall of Kansas, running for reelection, who recently gained national prominence for ‘unbelievably aggressive’ lawsuits against 700 of his patients over unpaid bills on which he charged 18% interest, 81 of whom he had arrested.  (And who as a senator voted to cut the medical insurance subsidies that make it possible for struggling patents to pay doctor bills.)

> Reverend Adam Hamilton, who married his high school sweetheart LaVon the week after graduation 44 years ago; founded with just four congregants 36 years ago what has grown to be the largest United Methodist church in the country, with 25,000 Kansans); and who is running to unseat Marshall.

So now you know the cast of characters.

Here’s what Paul Raushenbush posted on Facebook after attending a Hamilton fundraiser in New York Tuesday night.  (They had not met before.)  David Letterman is the one with the beard.

Nice, no?

And here’s what Senator Marshall released the next day.

Apparently, his team constantly surfs the web for any reference to his opponent.

For the record:

The fundraiser was not in Washington; Raushenbush was not the host; he is not “crazy”; he is not “a maniac.”

He is, rather, the widely-respected president of the Interfaith Alliance — though it’s true that he supports what he calls “the God-given dignity of all people, including Americans who are trans and members of the drag community.” 

“I find inspiration and joy from my friendships with people who are different from me,” he says.  “Advocating for their equality and dignity is a reflection of my own deeply-held faith.” 

Is that crazy?  Or is it profoundly American: advocating for the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness however you find it, so long as you’re not hurting anyone else.

Marshall rarely exposes himself to everyday Kansans.  When he did recently — in a “ruby red” county — his constituents booed and shouted “shame”.

Hamilton, by contrast, is hugely accessible, decent, and comfortable to talk to.

He’s going to win.

The kick-ass woman, meanwhile — if you’ve not yet seen this clip — is Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who sits on the Kennedy Center board. 

The first minute or two will delight you.