Campaign Billboard Depicts Fire Cloud Over Houston

[Robbien]

Source: Local 2 - Houston News

HOUSTON -- A billboard went up along the Southwest Freeway depicting the Bayou City as a terrorist target. It is a bright orange fire cloud over Houston.

It's a campaign billboard for Brian Klock, a Republican candidate for U.S. Rep. District 22.

"I don't want people scared. I don't want anyone upset. I want people to be aware," said Klock. Spending roughly $10,000 on the billboard, the reserve navy commander stands by his platform that Houston is a target for terrorism.

. . .

The billboard depicts Houston's economic heart under attack -- the ship channel, refineries and the skyline all seen through the scope of a gun.

"It's a depiction of a worse case scenario I want people to know it's out there," Klock said.

Read more: http://www.click2houston.com/news/15407246/detail.html

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The other three GOPers in the primary race against this fear mongerer feel that the billboard is appropriate.

District 22 is currently represented by Democratic Representative Nick Lampson.

[MadMaddie]

1. Republicans can only run on Fear because they have

nothing else to offer.

[AndyTiedye]

9. Fear Has Worked So Well for Them So Far, What Else do they Need?

Oh yes, hate. The other pillar of the Rethuglican party.

[babylonsister]

2. I heard tonight there's about 10 rethugs running for Lampson's

seat, and he's the only Dem (this is my district). Klock was interviewed, claimed he wanted to 'stand out' against his competition. :eyes:

[Robbien]

3. About ten others?

Geeze, and here I was thinking four were an over-kill.

[babylonsister]

4. Yep, from the Dallas paper:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8V02E900.html

Two Republicans are competing for the right to challenge Rodriguez, while Lampson will face one of 10 Republicans vying to be his opponent.

[Mythsaje]

5. Why would Houston be a target?

They have, so far, targeted economic centers like the WTC. To be honest, I'd say that if they were going to switch targets, they'd be cultural...like Hollywood.

[Lex1775]

6. Houston would actually make a pretty good target.

4th Largest City in America

NASA's Johnson Space Center

The only city that has more Fortune 500 company HQ's is New York

4 of the 6 major Oil companies are all headquartered there

The Port of Houston is the 10th largest in the world and handles more tonnage than any other port in the US

The place is surronded by petrochemical refineries

[Mythsaje]

7. I don't know.

They seem to REALLY like NY, but I can see them going after L.A. too. They hate us for our culture as well as our economic blundering, after all.

[Lex1775]

12. For sure.

I wouldn't put LA or NY down the list. Houston is a juicy target because of all the refineries. The absolute havoc you could cause on the American populace by firebombing a couple of those places... it would be mind boggling.

Case in point, that Texas refiniery explosion the other day. Gas jumped, what, 15 to 25 cents a gallon in most parts of the country? Now imagine that happening at a half dozen different refineries, all within a few dozen square miles of each other.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

14. Then there's the Texas City Docks that blew up in April 1947.

That was not terrorists. That was stupidity.

Two ships exploded containing ammonium nitrate. Steam under pressure was pumped to them. Not the way to stop an explosion!!! The S.S. Grandcamp and the S.S. High Flyer exploded about 12 hours apart. Biggest manmade disaster in the History of the U.S.

And the biggest natural disaster in the History of the U.S. was 47 years early and only a few miles south down the road, the 1900 hurricane in Galveston, 6,000 people killed.

[mitchum]

8. Why not just a billboard of Klock pissing his pants in fear?

For all of their tough talk, republicans seem to be nothing but frightened mewling babies

[damntexdem]

10. Well, the GOP has not supported adequate port security.

So the most-likely way that such a firecloud could be raised over Houston would in large part be the fault of GOP failure to act -- just like 9/11 was.

[gratuitous]

11. "I want people to know it's out there"

Yeah, like we didn't go through 45 years of mutually assured destruction with the Soviets or anything. We'll see if it holds true that you can make your average Texan piss himself just by sneaking up behind him and saying, "Boo!"

I'd always heard that Texans were made of sterner stuff, but it could just be propaganda.

[Pastiche423]

13. Nah, he doesn't want to make anyone afraid...