'What makes a good Muslim? Not you.'

Rhetoric increases in Michigan Congressional race

YPSILANTI, Mich. (RWN) - A hard and ugly race for a seat in Congress got harder and uglier last night when candidates resorted to name calling during a debate.

Jali Kalal, a fundamentalist candidate from Ypsilanti, began the fireworks when he called his modern opponent, incumbent Jack Gant, "an apostate in prayer garb."

"At least I don't have an unquenchable thirst to rule over people's lives," Gant, from East Lansing, fired back.

The debate fit with the tone of the Congressional race. Both Kalal and Gant have made use of attack ads, misrepresenting their opponents' positions. Kalal's ads have portrayed Gant as being a Christian, while Gant's ads have portrayed Kalal as wanting to force moderns to be subject to the rules of religious, Black Robe courts.

While uglier than most, the tone of the race is being seen around the country, as the nation's Congress is up for grabs. A quirk in the calendar and an oversight while setting up the nation's constitution have collided and resulted in every seat in Congress being up for grabs.

"It's an unprecedented opportunity to reshape the political landscape," said Cal Kaller, a professor of political science at Michigan Martyrs University. "If one side or the other can 'run the table,' then they'll be assured of controlling Congress for another 20 years." The result has been well-funded dogfights around the country.

In northern California, fundamentalist candidate Ibn al-Sur and fundamentalist incumbent Joe Azia have been fighting a battle of who is more pious.

In northern New Jersey, young up-and-coming cleric Stanley Kamal has challenged the military exploits of modern incumbent Stephen Jasser, a war hero during the battles of Newark and Philadelphia.

And in perhaps the nastiest race in the country, the race for the seat representing nearly 25 percent of Iowa's population, Marc Hardway, the fundamentalist candidate, referred to his modern opponent, Michael Evans, as "a Jew-loving bastard."

"What's notable in all of these races," Kaller said, "is not just the tone, but the money. The moderns are using the money they've raised from technology corporations to fund their ad campaigns, hoping to woo the middle, but the fundamentalists are choosing to ignore the middle and are concentrating their money on 'get out the vote' tactics."



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