Earlier this week we reported on a UK lawmaker who was suspended after claiming that floods were the result of the government's legalization of same-sex marriage.
Welcome to Chicago, where a Republican hopeful in a Congressional race for the 9th District feels the same way. Susanna Atanus, a twice-failed candidate for the office, gave her views in an interview with the Daily Herald:
"I am a conservative Republican and I believe in God first," Atanus said. She said she believes God controls the weather and has put tornadoes and diseases such as autism and dementia on earth as punishment for gay rights and legalized abortions.
"God is angry. We are provoking him with abortions and same-sex marriage and civil unions," she said. "Same-sex activity is going to increase AIDS. If it's in our military it will weaken our military. We need to respect God."
Atanus's Republican opponent David Earl Williams III has views that are a bit more to the left.
Williams responded that AIDS is spread by unsafe sexual practices in all people, not just homosexuals, and said that as a veteran he was offended by her comments.
"I've served with people who were gay during, 'Don't ask, don't tell' and you aren't worrying about if someone is gay or not, you're worrying about if you're going to live the next day," Williams said.
Williams said he believes marriage should remain between a man and woman, but adds that the government should stay out of the marriage business and leave it up to churches.
Yet Williams has his own issues. He's a U.S. Navy veteran who won't say where he works because he hasn't told his employer he is running for Congress, and has a domestic violence order filed against him stemming from a long-distance relationship.
(via raw story)
