New York Times Story
Mr. McCotter was running for re-election in a race that didn’t seem to be much of a contest, especially since he has carried the district since 2003. But his front-runner status quickly evaporated after 1,563 of the 1,830 signatures he turned in to get his name on the primary ballot were found to be fraudulent. Only 1,000 were required.
Longtime Michigan elections officials called the level of fraud “unheard-of,” and the state attorney general’s office announced a criminal investigation into the petitions.
. . . Mr. McCotter’s resignation has left his party without an obvious candidate in a Congressional district that would otherwise have been a Republican stronghold. One G.O.P. candidate who will be on the ballot for the Aug. 7 primary is Kerry Bentivolio, who, according to his official biography, raises reindeer “trained to pull Santa’s sleigh.”
From the Detroit News
As U.S. Rep. Thad McCotter's short-lived presidential run fizzled last year, the Livonia Republican turned to another aspiration: writing a TV show.
"Bumper Sticker: Made On Motown" starred McCotter hosting a crude variety show cast with characters bearing the nicknames of his congressional staffers, his brother and a drunk, perverted "Black Santa." They take pot shots about McCotter's ill-fated bid for the White House while spewing banter about drinking, sex, race, flatulence, puking and women's anatomy. It features a cartoon intro and closing snippet with an Oldsmobile careening through Detroit and knocking over the city's landmarks. The double-finned car has a Michigan license plate reading: "Made on MoTown."
The News obtained a copy of the script from a former staffer
McCotter told The News the work was unfinished and was given to a reporter without his permission. He said the show was a "cathartic" creative outlet that helped him through the humiliation of the presidential campaign flop.
McCotter maintains he didn't write the show on the taxpayers' time: "Most of my writing is done in my garage … where I can smoke."
Complete Resignation Statement Via Huffington Post
"Today I have resigned from the office of United States Representative for Michigan's 11th Congressional District.
After nearly 26 years in elected office, this past nightmarish month and a half have, for the first time, severed the necessary harmony between the needs of my constituency and of my family. As this harmony is required to serve, its absence requires I leave.
The recent event's totality of calumnies, indignities and deceits have weighed most heavily upon my family. Thus, acutely aware one cannot rebuild their hearth of home amongst the ruins of their U.S. House office, for the sake of my loved ones I must "strike another match, go start anew" by embracing the promotion back from public servant to sovereign citizen.
I do not leave for an existing job and face diminishing prospects (and am both unwilling and ill-suited to lobby), my priorities are twofold: find gainful employment to help provide for my family; and continue to assist, in any way they see fit, the Michigan Attorney General's earnest and thorough investigation, which I requested, into the 2012 petition filing.
While our family takes this step into the rest of our lives, we do so with the ultimate confidence in our country's future. True, as at other times in the life of our nation, we live in an Age of Extremes that prizes intensity over sanity; rhetoric over reality; and destruction over creation. But this too shall pass, thanks to the infinite, inspired wisdom of the sovereign people who, with God's continued blessings, will again affirm for the generations American Exceptionalism.
Truly, it is a challenging and fortunate time to live in our blessed sanctuary of liberty.
In closing, to The People of Michigan's 11th Congressional District, I can but say this: Thank you for the privilege of having worked for you
~ Thaddeus G. McCotter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fun fact: 80% of signatures submitted by GOP's Thaddeus McCotter to get on GOP primary ballot were fake or duplicates. #p2 #tcot
— Gabe OrtÃz (@TUSK81) July 6, 2012
To everyone who said Thaddeus McCotter's amazing resignation sentence couldn't be diagrammed --> #willpower maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/…
— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) July 7, 2012
Thad McCotter quoted "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" in his resignation statement. Much respect. ow.ly/c4uIw
— The Fix (@TheFix) July 6, 2012
Just when you think this story is out of amazing things, you get to the last bit, abt reindeer-man (via @jim_newell ) nyti.ms/KZ9wcN
— Josh Fruhlinger (@jfruh) July 7, 2012
Thad McCotter Interrupts Tragicomic Midlife Crisis To Conquer Hollywood With Terrible Teevee Pilot bit.ly/OuzuJZ
— Wonkette (@Wonkette) July 5, 2012
This is what Thad McCotter was up to instead of, you know, properly filing his re-election forms. bit.ly/OttJfq
— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) July 5, 2012
The Thaddeus McCotter Statement re His Immediate Exit from Congress... I had no idea folks still talked like that nyti.ms/RvNYJs
— Burns Strider (@BStrider) July 7, 2012
G.O.P. candidate Kerry Bentivolio raises reindeer “trained to pull Santa’s sleigh.” thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/mcc…
— Christopher Cadelago (@ccadelago) July 7, 2012
Congressman thinks he can be a screenwriter after THAT farewell? McCotter's a goner reut.rs/M9Q7GO #GOP
— Margot Roosevelt (@margotroosevelt) July 7, 2012
Thaddeus McCotter's Weird Goodbye and Ode to Sovereign Citizens politicususa.com/thaddeus-mccot… via @politicususa
— Steve Wallace (@Stwallace23) July 7, 2012
When all is known, I suspect that Cong. McCotter's epic resignation letter will be more far impressive than the underlying cause.
— Josh Elliott (@elliottjosh) July 7, 2012
#RepublicanSongs Na, na, na, na.Hey, hey!Goodbye #McCotter huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/tha…
— Erik Shelley (@EWShelley) July 7, 2012
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