When Rep. Paul Broun voted last month against banning crush videos, which are basically porn for people who get off on women in heels stomping on small animals, opponent Russell Edwards accused him of “siding with sexual deviants.”

The fact-checking website Politfact rated Edwards’ statement false today.

Rep. Paul Broun’s town hall meeting Thursday night was a bit of a snoozer, but Georgia Liberal caught him making some interesting comments to a constituent afterward.

Broun said that he wanted to repeal the 16th and 17th Amendments.

His opposition to the 16th Amendment – which created the income tax – is no shocker, given that he is a proponent of a national sales tax. The 17th Amendment allows for the direct election of U.S. senators, rather than state legislatures appointing them. It’s become an inexplicable cause célèbre for the tea party crowd.

Taking a page out of the Glenn Beck playbook, Broun said those amendments were the key in the ignition of the steamroller of socialism.

“Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson started this process of socializing America,” he said.

Democratic congressional candidate Russell Edwards hit his goal by raising $102,000 in April, May and June for his campaign against Rep. Paul Broun.

Edwards’ haul is nearly as much as the 2008 Democratic candidate, Bobby Saxon, raised in 15 months. His campaign had this to say today:

“I’m so grateful to have such wide-spread and strong support from throughout the District and across the country. This report shows voters are responding to my campaign to send responsible leadership to Congress,” said Edwards. “Frankly, many in our District are suffering, and our incumbent refuses to help. Together we will send responsible leadership to Congress that supports our community. Together we will win this race.” …

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun will hold a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the downtown Athens Holiday Inn.

Democratic challenger Russell Edwards is urging his supporters to ignore it. Edwards posted this to Facebook today:

I urge everyone to avoid Paul Broun, Jr.'s grandstanding and instead attend an event to send responsible leadership to Congress.

He hopes for people in our community to attend his events and drive up attendance. He also wants people to disagree with him in public because that galvanizes his base supporters to defend him.

Spread the word, let's get together and deny him these opportunities. The lower his turnout, the more illegitimate he appears.

This comes as no surprise, but Rep. Paul Broun qualified for re-election on Tuesday.

Said the congressman: "It is an honor to serve the people in the 10th Congressional District, and I am pleased to announce my run for re-election so I can continue representing their interest in Washington. Over the past three years, I have fought tirelessly to lower taxes, incentivize economic growth in the private sector, and shrink the size and scope of the federal government. Despite liberals' attempts to steer our nation down the road to socialism, we have the opportunity to fight back and preserve liberty, free markets, and prosperity for future generations. And, I look forward to continue working with Georgians to implement common-sense solutions to these critical issues facing our nation."

Democrat Russell Edwards qualified Monday and held a sparsely attended rally afterward. The money quote: “He has held all the citizens hostage with his extreme ideology.”

Rep. Paul Broun’s Democratic challenger has a Web site up at RussellEdwardsforCongress.com.

Edwards sent out a news release Monday that gives some hints as to what his message will be. He’ll argue that Broun is grandstanding in an effort to become a far-right-wing celebrity in the vein of Sarah Palin at the expense of his constituents. Barry Fleming tried a similar message in 2008. It didn’t work out too well for Fleming, but the dynamics are different in a general election than a Republican primary.

ATHENS, GEORGIA -- About 150 people gathered in front of City Hall last week in support of Russell Edwards as he formally announced his candidacy for United States Congress. During his speech, Edwards emphasized the need for a non-partisan focus on jobs and education.

Democrat Russell Edwards is expected to announce Wednesday afternoon that he is running against U.S. Rep. Paul Broun.

Edwards released the following statement on Friday:

It's time to bring commonsense to Congress. It's time to bring jobs back to District 10. It's time to support our schools.

This weekend, I am spending Easter with my family. During my time with them, I'll make my final decision regarding my candidacy for Georgia's 10th Congressional seat. Regardless of my decision, I will work the people in District 10 to bring commonsense to Congress.

This Wednesday, April 7th, on the steps of City Hall in downtown Athens, I plan to announce my intentions for the upcoming election. Please make every effort to stand with me during this important time. Together, we can work to make it right. …

The second-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives is braving the legendary East Coast snowstorm that shut down Congress this week to accompany Rep. Paul Broun, R-Athens, to the 10th District.

Broun and special guest Minority Whip Eric Cantor have scheduled a $250-a-head fundraiser Friday in tony Greensboro hosted by, among others, two members of the Reynolds family (of Reynolds Plantation fame) and state Sen. Johnny Grant, R-Milledgeville. For the less well-to-do, $35 will get you a ticket to see Broun and Cantor at The Spotlight Theatre. Dress is business casual, and light hors d'ouvres will be served.

Unfortunately, the events are closed to the press, and we journalists don’t contribute to political campaigns, so paying my own way is out. But if you go, let us know if anything interesting is said.

Money woes

Local progressive activists have started a Facebook group encouraging Andy Rusk to run for Congress against Paul Broun.

Rusk, the grandson of former Secretary of State Dean Rusk, drew significant support from the liberal downtown hipster/townie crowd during a beer-soaked half-serious run for mayor in 2006. He wouldn’t win, but he sure would make life interesting.

The group’s founder, Ryan Lewis, reports that the group has more than 200 members and that he did not consult Rusk before forming it.

“Andy is exactly the kind of reluctant hero we need to end the shame that PBJ has brought on the 10th,” Lewis wrote to group members today. PBJ would be Paul Broun Jr., not peanut butter and jelly.

Athens Democrats trying to oust Rep. Paul Broun are taking the fight straight to the heart of Real America.

Pull the Plug, a political action committee formed by two local Organizing for America activists, Russell Edwards and Michael Smith, is sponsoring a health care forum at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Columbia County Library in the Augusta suburb of Evans, on the 10th Congressional District’s southern fringe. Columbia County and the northern edge of Richmond County, which include more than a quarter of the district’s voters, went a combined 63 percent for Broun in 2008.

Panelists will include Oconee County physician Neal Priest, University of Georgia health policy professor Fazal Khan, insurance biller Theresa Duncan and Lowell Greenbaum, chairman of the Richmond County Democrats and a retired pharmacy professor.