Southern Gothic

Amazing Washington Post profile of Ed Buckham, a character more outlandish than anything dreamed up by Robert Penn Warren: Evangelical minister, former chief of staff to Tom Delay, head of Alexander Strategy Group,organizer of US Family Network.

Amazing tidbits:
Even after he stepped down from DeLay’s staff, Buckham “continued to serve as DeLay's spiritual adviser and prayed frequently with him, the former aides said,”and “if an individual called DeLay's appointments secretary saying they wanted to talk to DeLay about overregulation, the appointment secretary would say go speak to Buckham,”

Expenditures and activities of the US Family Network:
*1/3 of the $3.02 million collected went to Buckham and his wife
*Collection of Salvador Dali and Peter Max prints for the HQ offices
*Skybox at MCI Center
*$20,100 vase from Royal Doulton
*Lobbying against cigarette regulations (paid for by RJR)
*Radio ads in the districts of vulnerable Democrats
*Radio ads calling for President Clinton’s resignation

Right wing evangelical minister cum political operative cum tobacco lobbyist uses donations to US Family Network to buy psychedelic and surrealist art?? Only in “Ammuhrica” as our president might say.