Man in Capitol gyrocopter stunt to challenge DNC chairwoman

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Florida man who landed a gyrocopter on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol as a political protest says he will run for the congressional seat held by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

Douglas Hughes, a Democrat from Ruskin, Florida, said earlier this month that he intended to run for Congress but only indicated he would challenge a South Florida Democrat. In a court filing Wednesday, he says he will run in Florida's 23rd District, which Wasserman Schultz represents.

Hughes was arrested April 15 after flying through restricted airspace over and around the Capitol. He agreed to plead guilty to a felony and will be sentenced next year. His lawyers argue that the conviction does not make him ineligible to run for Congress.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/89c609d415c74756bcc74e7a8675be71/man-capitol-gyrocopter-stunt-challenge-dnc-chairwoman

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As soon as he is on Act blue I see some $ going his way.

[bigdarryl]

1. Come on really

[BlueJazz]

2. He has Integrity and that's what Little Debbie will never own. She's a con-person with the morals..

...of a cockroach.

[Android3.14]

3. Be nice

Cockroaches aren't that bad.

[BlueJazz]

8. Sorry. My blood rises when I hear that name..and worse, she's ruined the word "Cupcake"

[840high]

10. ...+1

i prefer cockroaches to Debbie.

[Buzz Clik]

31. ... and criminal history!

(I see that "integrity" has been given a new meaning)

[Recursion]

32. How can you possibly know that about him?

Seriously, that's an absurd claim based on his having done a flashy protest.

[BlueJazz]

35. He had the guts to protest in the the most news-worthy way plus not hurting anybody but himself.

That's my take on it.

[Recursion]

36. But you said "He has integrity"

Are you saying everyone with "the guts to protest" must have integrity?

[BlueJazz]

37. No. I mean that that's one factor in the meaning to me. His being a mailman with a great recond ..

..is partly a factor.

[Recursion]

38. I'm lost now

Is this about his integrity or not?

[madokie]

4. Awesome

This old navy Vietnam postal clerk likes this news

[Renew Deal]

5. I'm sure we can find someone other than a guy that's about to go to prison.

He's facing 9+ years.

[Blue State Bandit]

11. For an act of conscious? I could overlook that.

[Renew Deal]

12. I could too if he's not in jail.

Last edited Wed Dec 23, 2015, 10:29 PM - Edit history (1)

[Buzz Clik]

33. "An act of conscious (sic)?" Yeah, baby! Let's all go to Oregon and occupy a bird sanctuary ...

... as an act of conscience!

One thing I love about DU is its consistency -- always hypocritical.

[Blue State Bandit]

39. No clue what you're talking about. Neither me or you.

A retired postalworker with a box full of letters landing on the capitol lawn is not the same as yahoo's with assault rifles occupying federal property and threatening violence against public officials.

Putz.

[Omaha Steve]

13. Debs got over a million votes for POTUS in jail

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/wilson/peopleevents/p_debs.html

After leading the American Railway Union in a confrontation with federal troops sent to break up the Pullman strike of 1894, Debs was jailed for six months for contempt of court. It was then that he came to a set of beliefs that roughly mirrored the socialist tenets of the European labor movements. Upon his release, Debs became a featured speaker for the Socialist Party, and ran for president in 1900 as their nominee. He lost, but continued to be the partyís candidate in several subsequent elections.

Debs found his greatest success in the 1912 Election, when he campaigned against Democratic nominee Woodrow Wilson, incumbent President William Howard Taft, and former President Theodore Roosevelt. Debs received almost a million votes - six percent of the ballots cast.

[Cassiopeia]

19. He faces 3 years max

with an unenforceable agreement of 10 months or less. You're probably right though, I'm sure we have a better option. Either way, I live 2 hours from DWS district. I'll be knocking on doors there for anyone that attempts a primary challenge of DWS.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/11/20/gyrocopter-pilot-campaign-protest-douglas-hughes-district-court/73571784/

He pleaded guilty to flying without an airman's certificate, a felony carrying a maximum three years in prison and $250,000 fine, for altering the aircraft to be heavy enough and travel far enough for the FAA to require a pilot's license. Hughes also agreed to forfeit the aircraft to the government as part of the plea deal.

U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for April 13, 2016, which is nearly a year to the day after his flight. She said the government agreed to cap its sentencing request at 10 months, but she will be free to set any term up to three years because the case is so unusual.

[aspirant]

6. Good, down ticket candidates are coming forth

[Fuddnik]

7. Unfortunately, Florida law is against him.

I'd donate to him in a heartbeat, but a felony conviction wipes out his right to vote or hold public office in Florida. We're one of those backward states that has to have the Governor restore your voting rights.

[Nailzberg]

21. Can't run for Governor, but can run for Congress.

The Florida law does not apply, as its a federal office. For a congressional seat, the specified qualifications in the Constitution apply exclusively.

[Recursion]

34. A state can't set requirements for Federal office

That's the reason term limit laws never work.

[onehandle]

9. Can a prisoner serve as a Congressperson? nt

[tk2kewl]

14. I doubt it, but...

there a quite that should be in prison

[Cassiopeia]

15. Only a 2 hour drive to her district.

I'll be knocking on doors for ANYONE that tries to primary Dino DW (HRC) Shultz!

Sign me up!

[jalan48]

16. he couldn't be much worse-go for it!

[rpannier]

17. I'll throw inseveral dollars for him

[George II]

18. Didn't Katherine Harris have 65,000 people deleted from the voting roll back in 2000 because....

....they were convicted felons?

Has the law in Florida been changed?

[Freddie Stubbs]

25. He won't be able to vote for himself, but

he can still run for federal office. The US Constitution set the qualifications for Congressmen, Senators, and Presidents.

[Jack Rabbit]

20. Good luck, Mr. Hughes

!!

[murielm99]

22. Florida man i running for office!

[davidpdx]

23. Good for him on the stunt

But given his legal problems he's not the best we can do in that district. I hope someone does primary her. In fact, there are a lot of D's we need to primary. Finding sane people who will do it may be a problem.

[dembotoz]

24. so corporate shill or tinfoil hat with a propeller....oy my head hurts

[djean111]

26. Here ya go -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251982244
FINALLY! A Progressive Is Primary-ing DWS in #FL23!

Tim Canova.

I live in a different district, but I will be sending him some support.

[Omaha Steve]

28. Democratic Underground for Tim Canova

Donate here: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/du4timcanova

[djean111]

29. Thanks!

[DinahMoeHum]

27. Sorry, but this guy is a vanity candidate. . .

. . .compared to a fella named Tim Canova, who has just announced his candidacy for
District FLA-23


http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251982244

https://twitter.com/Tim_Canova?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

http://timcanova.com/

[Buzz Clik]

30. Yes, sir! Let's donate to the lunatic in the helicopter. That'll show who's nuts .... errrr... angry