Once, this would be of interest only to citizens of the 182nd Pennsylvania house district, which contains Center City’s Gayborhood, and who were represented by Brian Sims, whom I had supported.
I didn’t know a lot about him in 2012, but I knew he wasn’t goniff Babette Josephs, the incumbent liberal icon who joined a midnight raid on the budget to give herself a raise, along with most of the Harrisburglars.
We got rid of the goniff and elected a narcissist, who has announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor.
First, let me say this about that: Running for lieutenant governor is a little like running for vice president, except you don’t run for vice president, you have to be chosen and embraced by the presidential candidate. It’s more like the harem eunuch.
Running for lieutenant governor shows you are too timid to go for the Big Prize. It’s a weasel move to position yourself for the future, which is what Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman (a.k.a. Lurch) has done, now (perhaps) leading the Democrats for nomination to the U.S. Senate to replace Republican Pat Toomey, who is retiring.
Sims is not running on his record of achievement, which is anorexic. According to Ballotpedia, he has sponsored a handful of bills, which died in committee. Sims’ scant campaign website doesn’t even mention those failed attempts.
He spends a large portion of his time pushing the gay agenda — he was the first openly gay person elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. That has led some people, including me, to see in him an aspirational Harvey Milk — the first openly gay man elected to a post in California.
Sims also is passionate, perhaps too passionate about women’s rights. More of that in a moment.
In 2016, Sims sensed an opportunity for greater things. He declared himself a candidate for Congress in the 2nd district, aiming for the seat which was being hung onto by Chaka Fattah, then on trial for racketeering, bribery, fraud, etc.
After declaring, Sims sensed a fight, and backed out, which led to the election of Dwight Evans, a state rep, perennial candidate, and not a legislative giant.
Perhaps not learning his lesson in 2016, Sims this year is running for lieutenant governor, and is upsetting the Democratic apple cart.
Why? Gov. Tom Wolf is term-limited, the governor’s seat is open and ripe for the taking, despite some inconvenient history.
The inconvenient history is that Pennsylvania has this peculiar habit, stretching back decades, of electing a Democratic for two terms, then a Republican, and then returning to blue.
But there is an asterisk.
Tom Wolf beat an incumbent Republican governor, Tom Corbett, after only a single term. Wolf had a colorful Jeep commercial, millions of dollars to spend, while Corbett was colorless and inept.
Is the alternating tradition over?
Democratic candidate Josh Shapiro, the popular attorney general, has a clear path to the governorship — he is the only brand name Democratic candidate. Because he is from the Philadelphia suburbs (and much of Pennsylvania hates Philadelphia), Shapiro has chosen State Rep Austin Davis, of Pittsburgh, to be his running mate for lieutenant governor. That is known as geographic balance.
But Sims is unbalanced.
I don’t expect much from my elected representatives, just modestly better behavior than my own. It’s not a very steep hill, but one Sims seems unable to climb. Perhaps because he’s wearing a diaper.
I am not easily shocked, but I had to ask myself just how much virtue signaling is enough when I saw the above picture that Sims proudly posted.
It was his way of “welcoming” Vice President Mike Pence before a visit to Pennsylvania, where you have a friend, as an advertising slogan once said.
My state rep.
What a joke, but his behavior is even worse.
We have to go back to May 2020 for a report on his awful, juvenile, unconstitutional behavior.
A jackass on steroids.
Sims is pro abortion. That is his right.
Other people oppose abortion. That is their right.
An older woman was quietly and peacefully picketing a local Planned Parenthood office. That was her right.
But not in Sims’ district, apparently.
The self-appointed Social Justice Warrior started screaming at the “old, white women,” as he called her, which is both ageist and racist. “Shame on you,” he repeatedly shouted at her.
With a total lack of self-awareness, he accused her of “shaming” people coming to Planned Parenthood, as he shamed her.
Not content with age and race bullying, Sims then played the race card.
“If you’re a white person like I am,” he said, practically sweating guilt, “we have a lot of catching up to do. We have a lot to apologize for. We can start by apologizing for this woman.”
What she is doing is “disgusting” and “racist” (of course), he said, while belittling her “Christian faith.” Sims is so low he could walk under a snake without removing his hat.
On the charge of racism, just for clarity, more Black babies are aborted than any other race. Sims seems to think he is Sojourner Truth, but he is more like Margaret Sanger, the Planned Parenthood founder who has been accused of racism and Black genocide.
Sims’ harangue went on for eight minutes, and he later abused a woman and two teenage girls who also peacefully protested outside Planned Parenthood. He went so far as to ask viewers of his assault if they could identify the women, and furnish their addresses. For what purpose?
His job is to protect people’s rights, not deny them.
This is not about abortion. It is about the right of peaceful protest and the out-of-control behavior of an elected official.
Enough is enough. Send Brian Sims home for a diaper change.
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