The Hindu : International : White supremacist runs for Congress

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Sunday, Aug 08, 2004

International

International

White supremacist runs for Congress

By Suzanne Goldenberg

WASHINGTON, AUG. 7. An unabashed racist who runs a website claiming the genetic superiority of the white race will contest a congressional seat in Tennessee for the Republican party.

The party had urged voters to support a late contender for the nomination to keep James Hart off the ballot.

But Mr. Hart, a real estate agent, won more than 82 per cent of the nomination vote against Dennis Bertrand, a financial analyst and a member of the national guard who served in Iraq.

Mr. Bertrand was too late to get his name on the nomination ballot and had to stand as a write-in candidate. Mr. Hart, who has been repeatedly thwarted in his attempts to enter public life, said he was surprised by his victory.

``I did not expect to win,'' he told reporters. ``I thought their network would beat my ideas.'' He is unlikely to win the seat in November.

His Democratic party opponent, John Tanner, has spent 16 years in Congress, and was re-elected two years ago with 70 per cent of the vote. But the very idea of conferring a degree of respectability on a known racist caused widespread disgust in Tennessee.

The local newspaper described his views as ``odious, disgraceful, and racist''.

Eugenics

On his website, Mr. Hart, who calls himself an ``intellectual outlaw'', is an enthusiastic promoter of eugenics.

He refers to ``favoured'' and ``less favoured'' races and calls for an increased birth rate among couples with a university education.

He conducted his campaign wearing a protective vest and carrying a pistol.

Despite the security measures, and losing his job this week, he claimed that the voters had given a sympathetic hearing to theories of race associated with Hitler.

— © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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