Republicans Pick Racist

An unabashed racist who runs a website claiming the genetic superiority of the white race will contest a congressional seat in Tennessee for the Republican party.

The party had urged voters to support a late contender for the nomination to keep James Hart off the ballot.

But Mr Hart, an estate agent, won more than 82% of the vote against Dennis Bertrand, a financial analyst and a member of the national guard who served in Iraq.

Mr Bertrand was too late to get his name on the nomination ballot and had to stand as a write-in candidate.

Mr Hart, who has been repeatedly thwarted in his attempts to enter public life, said he was surprised by his victory.

"I didn't expect to win," he told reporters. "I thought their network would beat my ideas."

He is unlikely to win the seat in November. His Democratic party opponent, John Tanner, has spent 16 years in Congress, and was re-elected two years ago with 70% of the vote.

But the very idea of conferring a degree of respectability on a known racist caused widespread disgust in Tennessee.

The local newspaper described his views as "odious, disgraceful, and racist".

On his website Mr Hart, who calls himself an "intellectual outlaw", is an enthusiastic promoter of eugenics.

He refers to "favoured" and "less favoured" races and calls for an increased birth rate among couples with a university education.

He conducted his campaign wearing a protective vest and carrying a pistol.

Despite the security measures, and losing his job on Wednesday because of the attention he had drawn during the primary contest, he claimed that the voters had given a sympathetic hearing to theories of race associated with Hitler.

"When I knock on a door and say white children deserve the same rights as everybody else, the enthusiastic response is truly amazing," he said.

He does not say that when an African-American opens the door.