Reporters may not be the only ones who find news editors scary. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that Van Irion, a Republican running for Congress in Tennessee, brought a gun to a sit-down with the paper’s editors.
Irion, who also carried a copy of the U.S. Constitution to the the editorial board meeting, told the editors that he carries the gun “for protection,” the Chattanooga paper reported:
When asked point-blank if he was carrying a weapon, the Republican 3rd Congressional District candidate calmly replied he was: a .22-caliber handgun.
The former U.S. Air Force air traffic controller, who currently works as a patent and constitutional attorney, said he carries it for protection.
“An armed society is a polite society,” he said
Irion is known for his creative gimmicks that gain publicity for his campaign, but spokesman Tony Shreeve said the paper initiated the conversation on the 2nd amendment. A video clip of the conversation has since gone “viral,” the spokesman said.
Irion was profiled in The Daily Caller for carrying a pitchfork with him to campaign events, symbolizing his promise to clean up the manure in Washington. Irion, a constitutional lawyer, is also the brains behind a lawsuit challenging President Obama’s health-care law.
His strict constitutionalist campaign is touting the recent endorsement of libertarian-Republican and former presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul.