The visibility of veteran GOP political organizer Peter Waldron has risen a good bit since The Atlantic broke a story today about Waldron’s 2006 detention in Uganda on allegations of illegal gun possession. Waldron has a lengthy resume but now includes work for GOP Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann. Specifically, the campaign acknowledged that Waldron helped deliver the Iowa straw poll win last weekend.
According to The Atlantic’s Garance Franke-Ruta, Alice Stewart, Bachmann’s press secretary, said about Waldron: “Michele’s faith is an important part of her life and Peter did a tremendous job with our faith outreach in Iowa. We are fortunate to have him on our team and look forward to having him expanding his efforts in several states.”
Apparently the next state is South Carolina. In a comment on his Facebook page, Waldron said he would soon be in Columbia and cover the state. We get a hint in one comment about what he might tell evangelicals he hopes to win over to Bachmann. In one comment, Waldron compared Rick Perry to King Saul and Bachmann to King David. If you have been to Sunday School, you know that Saul was a tall, good looking guy who eventually had a bad end because he fell out of God’s favor. God placed His blessing on King David instead. Here is the comment:
In another comment on his page, he says Bachmann “fights with the anointing of God upon her.” Waldron has some ties to the Christian Reconstruction movement, having co-authored a bookwith Reconstructionist George Grant. In the above comment, he seems to see America as a covenant nation with God much in the same way the Old Testament depicts the Jewish people as having a special covenant with God.
I posted first on this here and then have a three part video interview from YouTube here.
Tag: michele bachmann
Bachmann staffer Peter Waldron tells stories of arrest and high level connections
He says President Bush got him out of a Ugandan jail with a call to Yowari Museveni. The man at the middle of Michele Bachmann’s victory in Iowa Saturday has lots of stories to tell. Here is an interview in three parts from the Herman and Sharron Bailey Show.
Part 2
Part 3
In this video, among many other things, he accuses Museveni and his wife of maintaining death squads to eliminate enemies. Then he says they are born again Christians and good friends?! I am quite interested in the views of my Ugandan readers on this interview.
UPDATE: Richard Bartholomew has a lengthy background piece on Mr. Waldron – What do Christian Reconstructionists and Moonies have in common?
Bachmann staffer has history of arrest in Uganda
This is a strange story but one worth watching.
An staffer for Michele Bachmann is an international man of mystery according to the Atlantic. The same Peter Waldron who helped Michele Bachmann win the Iowa straw poll on Saturday was arrested in Uganda in 2006 for illegal possession of rifles. And he boasted a familiar Ugandan pastor as a friend:
Mugenyi could not say what Waldron’s Contact America Group is involved in or whether it is registered in Uganda. “We suspect that it could be either an NGO or a lobby group,” he said. Despite Mugenyi’s attempt to link Waldron to Besigye, Waldron says he has close relations with State House.
In an article titled Evangelicals v. Muslims in Africa: Enemy’s Enemy and published in the US news magazine The New Republic in August 2004, Waldron says he had met President Yoweri Museveni. The American doctor also says he is a friend of the first family and a friend of Pastor Martin Sempa, according to the article, written by one Stuart Price.
Waldron liked Uganda according to a New Republic report because it was so conservative and Christian:
“They embrace Americans here,” he said enthusiastically. Indeed, as we sat together, a steady stream of young admirers who had seen Waldron in church came up to greet him. They made complicated handshakes, the way Ugandans do, and Waldron boasted to me that he had met privately with President Museveni and his born-again wife.”
“It struck me that, for many Americans of faith, Uganda – a country where homosexuality and abortion are outlawed, where politicians freely mix church and state, and where outward displays of religious devotion are the norm – represents a kind of haven.” Waldron is said to have talked to several high-ranking government officials on arrest including some powerful ministers.
Quite an interesting guy, perhaps he is the inspiration for the man in the Dos Equis commercials.
Stay thirsty, my friends.
UPDATE: Andrew Rice, the author of the New Republic article mentioned in the Uganda paper, brings us all up to date on his contacts with Waldron. He also reminds us that as recently as 2004, Ssempa was a hot deal for US evangelicals.
UPDATE: Peter Waldron says on his Facebook wall that Michele Bachmann has the annointing of God on her.
HOW CAN ANYONE STAND ON THE SIDELINE? I am simply amazed that some folks are waiting for Saul-like characters who look everything like a king while Michele fights with the anointing of God upon her. She is fearless, fierce in battle, and focused on winning the nomination and securing the White House. Thinking about running, waiting to throw their hat in the ring – foolishness. The battle rages now and Michele needs an army.
Bachmann says potential First Gentleman off limits but current First Lady fair game
I noted earlier that Michele Bachmann declared today that her husband and their business were not running for President and thus, she would not answer questions about his policies or practices.
However, earlier this year, Bachmann thought Michelle Obama’s views were fair game. Mrs. Bachmann criticized Mrs. Obama about Obama’s recommendations that women should breastfeed their babies as one means of preventing childhood obesity. Bachmann accused the First Lady of promoting a “nanny state.”
As an aside, since nannies bottle feed, wouldn’t that be a “mommy state?”
Bachmann avoids ex-gay therapy questions again
Today, at the National Press Club, Michele Bachmann was asked about her husband’s clinic. She avoided the question again.
This time there was no shoving or tossing mics, but she again dodged the issue.
Of course, these are fair questions for people to ask. She will get these questions until she can come up with some narrative about the clinic that will satisfy the media. Obama had to deal with his church, his business dealings (Bachmann is co-owner of the clinic), his family, his birthplace, etc., etc., and so will she. When he didn’t answer questions, his opponents insinuated he had something to hide. None of this is strange or new. What is remarkable to me is that after three weeks she still has no coherent reply.