Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Khizr Khan, the father of an Army captain killed in Iraq in 2004, gave a rousing call to elect Hillary Clinton last week at the Democratic National Convention.
In fact, the Charlottesville lawyer made such an impression that now there’s an effort to recruit him to seek public office.
Thomas Keefe, a Vietnam veteran who once worked for the Bill Clinton administration, on Wednesday launched an online fundraising campaign to encourage Khan to run for the Virginia House of Delegates.
In less than 24 hours, 40 people had pledged more than $10,000 through Crowdpac, an online crowdfunding tool some use to gauge support for a candidate.
Khan declined to comment.
The solidly Republican seat is currently held by Rep. Robert B. Bell (R-Albemarle), who is running for attorney general and declined comment.
Keefe, 67, a Democratic veterans rights activist, said Khan’s words inspired him to create the Web campaign, saying Khan — not Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump — is best suited for office. And he already has a slogan picked out: “Yes we Khan!”
“I heard him speak, and the sincerity really came through,” Keefe said in a phone interview. “This is America, the great melting pot. This is another example of a person who could really change the ideas some of the people in this country have.”
Khan created one of the most memorable moments of the convention when he challenged Trump’s vow to ban Muslims from entering the country — a stance that the real estate mogul has since softened.
“Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy,” Khan said, pulling a pocket-sized version of the document out of his suit jacket. He added: “You have sacrificed no one and nothing.”
In reaction, Trump accused Khan of being controlled by the Clinton campaign and questioned why Khan’s wife, Ghazala, did not speak on stage. She sat for an interview with MSNBC the following day and wrote a column for The Washington Post.
But when Trump boasted that a supporter had given him his Purple Heart, Keefe said he’d heard enough.
“Nobody ever wanted a Purple Heart,” he said of the medal given to those killed or wounded while serving in the military. “He just nauseates me.”
The post Khan for Virginia legislature? An online petition is gaining steam appeared first on News India Times.
