Republican congressional candidate suspends campaign; threatens to hold his breath

Today's leading entry in the "you can't make this stuff up" contest comes from this morning's Asheville Citizen-Times. According to the paper, Republican congressional candidate (and John Locke Foundation board member), Carl Mumpower is so unhappy with the way other Republicans are behaving, he's suspending his campaign (well sort of):

Republican Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower has suspended his campaign to unseat incumbent Heath Shuler, saying he'll eliminate about 80 percent of formal campaigning until at least half of the Republican leaders in the 15 counties in the 11th Congressional District commit to core party principles.

‘I'm not going to be doing any fundraising or advertising-there won't be any active campaigning for the Republican Party,' Mumpower said this morning. ‘I'll put things on hold until I get party officials to commit to the principles and to the process of holding elected officials accountable.'

Mumpower, an Asheville City Councilman, said he was particularly troubled by a recent vote in Congress to override President Bush's veto of the Farm Bill. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and Shuler, a Waynesville Democrat, both voted in favor of the override to move forward a bill that Mumpower says is laden with "pork and special interests." Citing core principles of small government, fiscal restraint and stricter immigration enforcement, Mumpower said his party has strayed from what the American people want.

‘I'm not going to lock the door (on the campaign), but it's on hold until we get some rededication from my party, however long that takes,' he said. ‘I have faith that these are good people and if I can stand fast they'll get behind me.'

Mumpower said the hiatus has nothing to do with his campaign coffers and that he has never intended to ‘buy a seat in Congress.'

There's been no word on whether Mumpower will be taking his toys home until the other kids in the neighborhood stop teasing him.