Former tough-guy actor sets sights on US Senate
By BRUCE SCHREINER
www.townhall.com
Sonny Landham carved out a tough-guy reputation in a series of
big-screen roles, from roughing up Sylvester Stallone to getting
tossed out a window by Carl Weathers. He pulls no punches in his
newest role: Libertarian challenger to a man known for political
toughness, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Now 67 and living in northeastern Kentucky, the man who played "Billy
Bear" in "48 Hours" and was killed by an alien in "Predator" admits his
action-movie days are behind him. "I think I'm having wild action
when I take two aspirin with my hot chocolate at night," he quipped.
The actor known for his powerful physique, booming voice and his
American Indian heritage says he's serious about his longshot bid,
because too many politicians are indifferent to voters' problems.
Landham refers to McConnell, a four-term Republican, as "Boss Hogg"
after the corrupt politician from "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV show. He
bluntly called Democratic candidate and millionaire businessman Bruce
Lunsford an "elitist."
Even President Bush is a target: "He took us into a war on lies," Landham
said, claiming the actual intent was "to put 'Big Oil' back into Iraq."
To qualify for the November ballot, Landham must collect at least 5,000
valid petition signatures by Aug. 12. State Libertarian Party Chairman
Ken Moellman said the petition drive began recently and he believes
Landham will make it.
But the bid includes some campaign baggage that seems scripted for
Hollywood, instead of socially conservative Kentucky. Early in his acting
career in the 1970s, Landham bared it all in adult films.
Asked whether that could hurt him politically, Landham replied, "What can
I do? That was a part of my life you cannot call back."
But he does express regrets.
"If I was going to do it now - knowing that I'm going to have four children,
knowing that I was going to run for office - no, I wouldn't make that
choice," he said. "But at the time I made the choice of getting a
paycheck, staying alive for your big break."
Landham also served more than 2 1/2 years in federal prison after being
convicted of making threatening and obscene phone calls to his ex-wife.
The conviction was thrown out by a federal appeals court that found he
committed no crime.
Libertarians, with their "live and let live" philosophy, look past his history.
"We look at the character of the man today, not what he did 30 years
ago," Moellman said, noting the actor "asked his Maker for forgiveness,
and that's all you can ask a man to do."
He said Landham lives "a better lifestyle" today, residing in Ashland with
his fifth wife and three of his children.
The cast of 1987's "Predator" featured two future state governors: Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura. But the prospects of winning office
seem far more remote for Landham.
Political scientist Michael Baranowski, of Northern Kentucky University,
predicted minimal impact on the Senate race, though Landham could
take some votes from McConnell.
"I'm not sure which is more of a hurdle for Landham, being a former porn
actor or being a Libertarian Party candidate," he said. "But if the race
between McConnell and Lunsford is tight enough, the votes Landham
pulls from McConnell might be critical."
McConnell campaign adviser Scott Jennings said Landham won't push the
Republican incumbent off his message of how he has "delivered for the
commonwealth time and again."
This isn't the first dabbling in politics for Landham, who struggled to get
odd jobs after being released from prison. Now he still dabbles in acting,
but Social Security checks and an acting pension are his main income.
He flirted with running for governor as a Republican in 2003, left the GOP
and promised an independent run. He ultimately stayed out and backed
Republican Ernie Fletcher, who won.
Landham is as blunt on issues as he is skewering rivals. He equates
abortion with murder. He supports scrapping the North American Free
Trade Agreement. As for political correctness, he said, "PC is BS. Say
what you mean, mean what you say."
Moellman said such unscripted frankness will grab voter attention.
"Sonny is very upfront," he said. "You ask Sonny a question, he'll tell you
the answer. He isn't going to pull any punches, which is why I know this
race is going to be a lot of fun."
That stinks! Glad you weren't about when it happened.
