Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Mudslinging Opponent Drags Former Romance Author Through the Dirt

Fred Head, what are you thinking? This Democratic candidate for Texas comptroller apparently couldn't come up with enough substantive issues, so he stooped to calling his Republican opponent, Susan Combs, a pornographer for having authored a 1990 Meteor romance.

To make his point, Mr. Head has even posted out-of-context, "dirty" excerpts at http://www.votefredhead.com/susan.html.

Hmm. Every hear of copyright infringement, Fred? Or how about angry and offended readers and writers? Plenty are visiting his site and venting their wrath.

And guess what. Lots of them are Texas voters.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Colleen,

I swear, when I first read this, I thought you were joking. So I clicked on the links. Un-freaking-believable.

Please tell me that this guy won't get elected.

Faye

Nancy Morse said...

With a name like that, is it any wonder? Dead Head is more like it. Something in his brain must be dead to make comments like that. As if there weren't enough crucial issues nationally and internationally to grapple with, he has gone after a romance author. We all know that romance is responsible for all the insurgencies, extremists, wmd, plagues, genocide, diseases, natural disasters, corrupt politicians, school shootings, baseball bat beatings of the homeless, pedophiles and all the other ills of the world. NOT! Sounds like Mr. Dead Head can use a little romance in his life. Is there a Mrs. Dead Head, I wonder?

Anonymous said...

What a jackass. Makes me weep anew for what a desperate joke the Democratic party has devolved into.

Here's what I said about in my Houston Chronicle blog:

http://blogs.chron.com/bookwoman/archives/2006/10/porn_to_run.html

Colleen Thompson said...

Sadly, yes, it is for real, Faye. But then, nobody could make up stuff as sordidly juicy as what passes for Texas politics. Not that I'm picking on my home state. It seems like all fifty of them have crazy moments, although this is the first case of romance author bashing I've seen.

And yes, there is a Mrs. Head. There must always be a well-coifed helpmeet and the usual two-three well-adjusted (looking) kids for the family values photo when you're going to call the other candidate's morals into question.

Loved reading your blog post, Book Woman! Thanks for sharing the link!

Anonymous said...

I think everyone is missing the bigger picture, Susan Combs wrote a book with sex and then Susan Combs took a public position during debate on a sex education (ABSENCE ONLY) bill while she served as a State Representative. The point, Susan Combs is a hypocrite.

Fred Head is clearly stating the facts.

Please debate how you can write a book of this nature and then took a public position of sex education (ABSENCE ONLY) bill. Can't have it both ways.

Colleen Thompson said...

I'll presume you meant "abstinence," anon, just as I presume Fred or his webmaster meant "extract" or "excerpt" on his website.

I'm afraid I don't see your point. How is promoting abstinence for minors at odds with offering adult readers the choice to read about a developing, loving, and committed relationship between (here's that word again) adults?