9/11 a hoax, says G.O.P. candidate

As readers know, the so-called 9/11 "truth movement" leaves me feeling queasy. In a forest of official lies, the leading revisionists instinctively pick the the wrong trees to bark up. Still, a Dem reviewing this movement from a tactical standpoint must confess that even the goofiest 9/11 stories have the salutary effect of reducing support for the Bush administration.

The 9/11 revisionists speak to the same people who traded in scare stories about Bill Clinton. In other words, the movement appeals to hard-core conservatives, to Jesusmaniacs, to people impervious to any anti-Bush arguments mounted by centrists or progressives.

Consider the recent statements of Republican Mary Maxwell, of New Hampshire, who is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives:

Republican Mary Maxwell of Concord told The Telegraph said the government was complicit in the attack so it could make Americans hate Arabs and allow the military to bomb Muslim nations such as Iraq. She also says the attacks were meant to make Americans more willing to accept laws that restrict civil liberties.

More:

In turn, the Sept. 11 attacks “made the ground fertile” for more stringent laws, such as the Patriot Act, and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, Maxwell said.

Near the end of the interview, Maxwell pounded her fist on the table and asked editors of The Telegraph why they weren’t publishing more stories about the government’s role in the terrorist attacks or proliferation of nuclear weapons.

She believes that the U.S. attacked Iraq under false pretenses. Yes, she is only stating the obvious, but how often do you hear the obvious from a Republican? Or even from a Democrat? Moreover, she has attacked Cheney with a vehemence far exceeding anything I've seen from any Democratic politician.

Some may wonder why Maxwell stays within the Republican party. I like her right where she is -- speaking to a Limbaugh-tomized audience we could never hope to address.