I believe everyone deserves a second chance ~ but it appears this guy has had a few second chances and has failed on each ~ ~ Sooz

TPM LIVEWIRE
California Candidate: Despite My Neo-Nazi Past 'I Am Not A Hater'
By Ahiza Garcia Published October 30, 2014, 5:10 PM EDT

A California candidate's neo-Nazi past has taken center stage in a town council race in Apple Valley, Calif., television station KABC reported on Wednesday.

Candidate Richard Bunck, whose ties to a neo-Nazi group date back to the 1970s, told KABC he knew his past would resurface during his political campaign but that he hadn't tried to hide his past.

"I left that organization that I was associated with for about nine months because I didn't agree with the rhetoric and I didn't agree with what they were doing," Bunck said.

Bunck said much the same thing when he ran on an anti-tax platform for a city council seat in a Los Angeles suburb in 1998. Reporters at the time uncovered a 1971 arrest for disturbing the peace as part of a neo-Nazi rally, and a 1972 police booking photo of him dressed in a Nazi uniform and standing beneath a swastika, according to the Los Angeles Times. He ultimately lost the race.

More recently, Bunck's past became an issue in December when residents in the small town of Rachel, Nevada learned that he was buying up property in their town, which sits adjacent to the fabled UFO site Area 51.

His latest run at office is also stirring up ill will. Russ Blewett, a city councilman in nearby Hesperia was reportedly appalled by Bunck's past. He told KABC that, while he normally wouldn't get involved in another city's race, Bunck's past warranted an exception.

"Getting a man like Richard Bunck elected, who is a known, practicing neo-Nazi will bring disgrace, dishonor and horrible publicity for the High Desert," Blewett said. "Public office is a public trust, and I believe that with all my heart and I don't believe that I could trust a man like Richard Bunck."

Although some voters expressed concern, Bunck told WABC that they shouldn't be put off by his past.

"Number one, I am not a hater," Bunck said. "I don't operate on hate. Number two, I am not a white supremacist and never even considered myself that, ever. … I'm not what they paint me to be."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/richard-bunck-apple-valley-neo-nazi-past