Former NFL player to run for Congress

[madinmaryland]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former professional football player Jay Riemersma announced Monday that he is running for Congress in Michigan in 2010.

The GOP candidate is running for the seat being vacated by Rep. Peter Hoekstra, a Republican vying to become the next governor of Michigan. Riemersma set up an exploratory committee in June, but made it official on Monday with a speech in Holland, Michigan.

Comparing Congress to the National Football League, the former Buffalo Bills tight end promised to "never vote to raise your taxes."

"I'm announcing my candidacy today because we need a Republican renaissance – a return to our conservative principles of governance – and I'm ready to help lead this movement," Riemersma said, in remarks released by his campaign.

Since retiring from professional sports, Riemersma has been working for the conservative Family Research Council and coaching high school football. In November 2008, he penned a letter to the editor in the Holland Sentinal entitled "How could Christians vote for Obama?"

Highlighted text is my emphasis.

Stick to football, Dude. Keep your Family Research Council crap out of our government.

[Octafish]

1. Nutter SCAMWAY Pol

Guy's anutter toady for Erik Prince and his lovely sister, Betsy DeVos, Dick D's smarter half.

[babylonsister]

2. Erik Prince? Oi. That's all we need in the gummint. nt

[Buzz Clik]

3. Never heard of him.

Starter for Buffalo; last few seasons with Pittsburgh. Tight end.

:shrug:

[madinmaryland]

4. I vaguely recalled the name. He must have been at least decent

to have stuck around for a few years. Now his politics are another thing.

[rurallib]

9. I remember him from Michigan.

[tanyev]

5. Any Michiganders with an opinion on whether this guy has a shot at winning?

[charlie and algernon]

6. eh, the smartest thing he's doing is running for a republican congressional seat

unlike boneheaded Lynn Swann who challanged a popular democratic governor of a democratic state. With his entire platform essentially "I'm a popular Steeler, vote for me!!" Once people figured that out, Rendell crushed him.

[LiberalFighter]

7. I bet he wouldn't have a problem with raising the price of football tickets

if it meant he received a bigger salary in football.

[dugaresa]

8. be wary of any of the folks that are in that group. Riemersma is probably a Dutch Christian Reform

member and those folks live in a different world than the rest.

They literally believe that it is the divine hand of god that makes them successful in life and that they need not be grateful, they just deserve it. (kind of like the old divine right of kings bullshit but watered down to their level)

The ones I know are the kind of people that make you shudder, hypocritical christians who have racist views.

I know someone personally who is part of this "inner circle" of special christians and the last time I spoke to her she was defending Erik Prince, who she knows personally.

Personally I am wary of people who create little enclaves where they feel comfortable, it creates a false and dangerous view of the world and those folks in that part of Michigan have done that.

[Myrina]

10. too many hits to the head ...

:wtf: "How could Christians vote for Obama?" :wtf:

[Toasterlad]

11. Worst Fantasy Football Tight End Ever

He wouldn't get my vote for that alone.