Heartache: Tea Party candidate in Texas a 9/11 truther; Update: Medina responds

Six days ago, the big news out of Texas was that Tea Party activist and gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina came within the margin of error with Kay Bailey Hutchison, who barely clung to second place against incumbent Rick Perry. Today, Glenn Beck suffers heartbreak when Medina more or less cops to being a 9/11 Truther as well as a “constitutional conservative” candidate. “I think some very good questions raised have been raised in that regard,” Medina replies when Beck asks whether she believes that the American government was in any way involved in bringing down the World Trade Center towers on 9/11. Medina says she won’t take a position on a question where “good questions have been raised and haven’t been answered,” even though they have been answered for years. Beck and the others in his studio can’t quite believe their ears:

This is the same way Ron Paul has played footsie with the Truthers for the last few years as well, and it’s not uncommon among Paul followers. Given the fact that conservatives demanded that Barack Obama remove Van Jones for essentially saying the same thing — something Beck doesn’t hesitate to point out — shouldn’t conservatives rebuke Medina for the same thing? Beck jokes about french-kissing Rick Perry after hearing from Medina and calls him a “good-looking man” in comparison, so he’s already given his answer to the question.

I’d say that Medina’s hit the apex of her political career today.

Update: Medina has issued the following statement:

I was asked a question on the Glenn Beck show today regarding my thoughts on the so-called 9/11 truth movement. I have never been involved with the 9/11 truth movement, and there is no doubt in my mind that Muslim terrorists flew planes into those buildings on 9/11. I have not seen any evidence nor have I ever believed that our government was involved or directed those individuals in any way. No one can deny that the events on 9/11 were a tragedy for all Americans and especially those families who lost loved ones.

The question surprised me because it’s not relevant to this race or the issues facing Texans. This campaign has always been about private property rights and state sovereignty. It is focused on the issues facing Texans. It is not a vehicle for the 9-11 truth movement or any other group.

The real underlying question here, though, is whether or not people have the right to question our government. I think the fact that people are even asking questions on this level gets to the incredible distrust career politicians have fostered by so clearly taking their direction from special interests instead of the people, whether it’s Rick Perry and his HPV mandate or Kay Hutchison and voting for the bank bailout. It is absolutely the right and duty of a free people to question their government. Texas does not need another politician who tells you what you want to hear, then violates your liberties and steals your property anyway. I fully expect to be questioned and to be held accountable as Governor, and that’s the underlying issue here: should people be questioning their government. And the answer is yes, they should be.

No, the question wasn’t whether people “have the right to question our government.”  No one is locking up Truthers for asking foolish questions and spinning conspiracy theories.  Play the audio again, and you will hear Beck ask a specific question: do you believe that the government was involved in the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11?  Medina’s answer was “I think some very good questions raised have been raised in that regard.”

If Medina believes that, then she hasn’t paid attention to the answers that have long been in the public domain.  If she doesn’t, then she’s terribly inept at handling media interviews.  Either way, Medina’s responsible for her answers and their implications, not Glenn Beck or anyone else.  Any candidate who thinks that a nutcase conspiracy theory about the US government destroying the WTC is within the realm of reasonable speculation is a candidate that richly deserves the obscurity she will shortly enter.

• Bobby Jindal: Paternalistic, big-government liberalism is the biggest loser here
• Chris Christie: “I’ll be here to welcome” Obama when he comes to tour the NJ coast again next week
• MSNBC consensus: Obama’s speech was historic, amazing, “one of the best of his presidency”

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