Charles Taylor is most commonly associated with a crazy bloodthirsty dictator, but the Republican congressman who shares his name in Pennsylvania adds another notch of infamy to that name.
For emotional wallop, there are few rivals to the windswept, grassy field outside of Shanksville, Pa., where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11, 2001.
But for three years, that field has made do with a makeshift monument while one member of Congress, Rep. Charles H. Taylor (R-N.C.), has blocked a $10 million request to buy the land for a permanent memorial to the 40 passengers and crew members who overpowered hijackers bent on crashing their jet into the Capitol or the White House.
What an ass. Heath Shuler, the former UT and (barely 
Redskins QB is challenging Taylor this fall.
Family members say they can show why about 1,200 acres [52271350 sq. ft.* - fd] are needed for access to the site and to show the drama of an airplane slamming into the earth at more then 500 mph.
I think they should get the money just to see how they pull that off…
What do they plan on doing, having a daily re – creation?
I wonder who will volunteer?
* About 316,796 average living rooms.
Actually Charles Taylor was a great Redskin receiver of times gone by, but really the coincidence of names is your most telling criticism. Lets see, is Taylor an ass for not authorizing the federal governemnt to go out and seize $10M from working men and women to funf a monument in Pa?
For that matter why not $100M for the monument? I say $100M and all who don’t support that want the terrorists to win!!
Dugger, What $99.9M! ? Terrorist sympathizer!!!
Though I disagree with some of his reasons, I’m with Rep. Taylor on this one. There is a great deal of doubt about just what happened on Flight 93. There is a great deal of doubt about what happened leading up to 9/11. The rush to canonize the passengers of Flight 93 dovetails nicely with the rush to execute Zacarias Moussaoui: these pursuits (some sincere motivations notwithstanding) are serving to divert attention and resources away from more important issues.
Rep. Taylor is right on at least one point: the last thing this historically challenged nation needs is another misguided and ill-informed monument. I think his original idea of scholarships is far more practical; at least we might get a few educated citizens out of the deal, instead of a ridiculously expensive locus of jingoism and emotionalism.
Hmmm…to what political party does Heath Shuler belong? You sure have a HARD time finding it on his site.
You can tell a man by the company he keeps:
Under endorsements:
North Carolina AFL-CIO
National Education Association
North Carolina Association of Educators
Western North Carolina Central Labor Council
Must be a Democratic…
“He is, but he SUUUUUUURE doesn t go out of his way to tell you that, does he?”
No, he doesn’t. And it looks like those issue papers are “coming soon.” Sigh.
“Must be a Democratic& ”
He is, but he SUUUUUUURE doesn’t go out of his way to tell you that, does he?
Perhaps our esteemed host missed this, from the very article he linked:
It seems that Mr Taylor is standing on what for him is an established principle, and the principle on which he is standing sure seems like a good one to me. Heck, I’d say that the best thing the federal government could do is to sell some of that government land back to private citizens!
And heath Shuler couldn’t even beat out Gus Frerotte, the Redskins quarterback who showed us how brilliant he was when he celebrated some play or other by headbutting a concrete column — and injuring his neck.
Charles Taylor is holding back a $10 million dollar land deal while promoting the porkiest projects in America, and you want to tell me about his principles?
When he on his principles, you can know that his political advisors told him it was time to get a new principle. Taylor has been utterly disingenuous regarding his relationship with Team Abramoff, he’s trotted out the lamest excuses regarding his botched vote on CAFTA, after sticking his finger into the political wind, he’s lied to the constituents of his district about shooting down the forest selloff plan.
He’s got Russian banks, American banks, and a trail of near-miss felonies as long as the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Heath Shuler is a Democrat. He’s honest, capable, pro-environment, pro-universal health care, pro-labor, pro-education, and pro-life. If you want him to advertise more as a Democrat, then get the national party moving.
Here’s lots more info on Charles Taylor
TPM
Scrutiny Hooligans
BlueNC
Taylorsucks.org
Yes, a democrat who opposes abortion rights and gun control, and has endorsed social conservatives in the past. It will be fun watching “progressives” support his candidacy.
“Politics make strange bedfellows” — Charles Dudley Warner
Don’t worry, JWG: Mr Shuler never could complete any passes in Washington.