Crazy as they come

Think your congressman or woman is crazy? What about your Senator? None are as crazy as an independent candidate for the open Oklahoma Senate seat. [Well, maybe Texas' Congressman Paul...but lets not get ahead of ourselves]

Activist Sheila Bilyeu (I) claims the fed. gov't implanted a device inside her head in the '70s and has sent messages for years to annoy her. She "accepts she has little chance of winning. However, there is some dispute about whether her candidacy might affect the outcome." OK Dem chair Jay Parmley: "Under most normal circumstances, an independent ... wouldn't make much difference, but this race could be so close that she will definitely pull votes away from either" Rep. Brad Carson (D-02) or ex-Rep. Tom Coburn (R) "and could very well influence this election." OK GOP chair Gary Jones: "I personally believe that as we get closer to November that Dr. Coburn is going to pull away and I don't think it will be a problem for him at all."

Bilyeu: "It's like a little radio. They can transmit in stuff and talk to me. It sounds like I'm a schizophrenic, but I'm not. Anyway, it has caused me a lot of trouble and pretty much ruined my life and so I've filed these lawsuits about that." She said she "has been sleeping in my car for much of the last 10 years and living below the poverty line because of politics and greed." In one lawsuit, U.S. Dist. Judge Richard Roberts wrote: "Plaintiff has filed a narrative, stream-of-consciousness complaint that, as best as I can tell, revolves around the plaintiff's belief that a conspiracy led by President Clinton has implanted a transmission device in her head, 'gassed' her and stolen her dog." In the '90s, "Bilyeu unsuccessfully sued Ponca City schools, game show host Alex Trebek, CBS anchor Dan Rather and others" (thanks Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman)