So Many Republican Hypocrites, So Little Time

May 25, 2007 | SEND TO A FRIEND | GET EARLY NOTICE OF THE HOTW

Ted Klaudt

Welcome back to the BuzzFlash GOP Hypocrite of the Week.

First off, let us just say that we could start a new BuzzFlash GOP Sexual Predator of the Week site, based on the number of stories we come across. It is astonishing how many hardcore (so to speak) evangelists, ministers, congressmen, state legislators, mayors, and so on, of the Republican persuasion are exposed as perverts.

So we are selective about the ones we honor as BuzzFlash GOP Hypocrites of the Week, because otherwise we couldn't concentrate on the numerous other areas of GOP Hypocrisy.

But Ted Klaudt, a rather hefty former GOP honcho in the South Dakota legislature, deserves special mention. We'll go right to the news story from May 18:

A former South Dakota lawmaker is accused of molesting his own foster children and legislative pages.

Ted Klaudt, 49, a Republican rancher from Walker, faces a long list of charges: eight counts of rape, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of witness tampering, sexual contact with a person under 16, and stalking.

Court documents mention five possible victims. Three were foster children between the ages of 15 and 19 who lived with Klaudt's family. One is a cousin of one of those girls, and the fifth is a friend of Klaudt's daughter.

In the most disturbing accusation, the girls say Klaudt had them convinced they could earn up to $20,000 by donating their eggs to a fertility clinic. And even though he has no medical training, the girls say Klaudt did all the supposed "exams" and "procedures" himself.

We took note of another article from a South Dakota paper that began this way:

While Ted Klaudt served in the legislature, his name was attached to several bills designed to protect children from sex abuse. Klaudt served in the South Dakota House from 1998 to 2006. He served on the appropriations as well as the government operations and audit committees. And while in office, he co-sponsored several bills that took aim at sex offenders.

Klaudt was one of the house members who introduced legislation in 2006 that added more teeth to South Dakota's sex offender laws. The bill further defined sex crimes and spelled out new requirements for when, where and how sex offenders register in the state.

Klaudt also helped introduce a bill that created "community safety zones" where sex offenders are not allowed to live or hang out. The zones are within 500 feet of schools, public parks and swimming pools.

Ouch!

It's hard to snicker at Klaudt's repugnant hypocrisy. Children were allegedly sexually abused at his hands in the most deviant of ways: "Former State Representative Ted Klaudt is accused of manipulating, molesting, intimidating and threatening teenage girls whom the state of South Dakota paid him to raise."

If you live next to a Republican, all we can say is lock up your children. Don't take any chances.

Until next week, remember our motto: So many Republican hypocrites, so little time.

Catch up with you soon.