Peter Waldron has been a Republican operative since the eighties, according to the Atlantic — and a lot’s happened in that period of time. In February of 2006, he was arrested for possession of assault rifles in Uganda and thrown in a prison outside of Kampala for over a month — where he claims he was tortured. It’s unclear what he was doing in Uganda: Was he working with Congolese rebel leaders to claim a $1.7 million bounty offered on the head of a Ugandan guerrilla group? Was he trying to set up a Christian political party in the Congo? Was he a spy? A businessman? An arms dealer? Whatever the result, Waldron says that his release was secured by a call from none other than then-president George W. Bush. (The Atlantic couldn’t verify that claim.)
Who cares? You might ask. Why does it matter what a sketchy dude was doing with a bunch of guns in Uganda in 2006? Because that guy is doing Michele Bachmann’s faith outreach in Iowa, that’s why.
Waldron clearly delights in the mysteriousness of his history — a storyline which had one right wing blog calling him “an arms dealer of the Lord.” His personal website touts the trailer for The Ultimate Price: The Peter E. Waldron Story, an extremely low-budget, extremely hilarious piece of cinema that wonders: “Was he a businessman, a preacher, a spy? Tortured and facing a firing squad, he never broke his oath of silence. What secret was worth the ultimate price?”
“Michele’s faith is an important part of her life and Peter did a tremendous job with our faith outreach in Iowa,” a spokeswoman from the Bachmann campaign told the Atlantic. “We are fortunate to have him on our team and look forward to having him expanding his efforts in several states.”
Next stop, South Carolina. Or, next stop, the cineplex! Because this is a movie I would pay to see — especially if the plot is updated to start in the Ugandan prison and end in Michele Bachmann’s prayer circle.
