The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
Get ready, world. Ann Barnhardt may be coming to a computer near you, and she’s armed—with a pink M16. Earlier this month, the Denver-based independent broker released a couple of videos (below) in response to recent comments made by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham during a taping of Face the Nation.
Barnhardt takes particular issue with the South Carolina Republican’s statement regarding free speech and the burning of the Quran in the wake of violent protests erupting in Afghanistan after a Florida preacher lit up the Muslim holy book a few weeks ago (April 3 transcript PDF). Graham said he thinks burning the Quran is “a bad idea,” after noting: “Free speech is a great idea, but we’re in a war. During World War II, you had limits on what you could say if it would inspire the enemy.”
Barnhardt is incensed, to put it mildly, and with a quick tongue and wild eyes introduces herself as “one of the very, very last people in Western Civilization who possesses any quantity of brains and balls simultaneously,” before opining on Graham’s comments, line by line. In the second video, she cites passages from the Quran before igniting pages from the “evil” book, issuing declarations such as “go back to hell where you came from.” (Viewers note: The videos contain strong language and opinions—there’s a reason she’s called the Colorado Buzzsaw.)
Now, thanks to the efforts of the bloggers behind Gates of Vienna, Barnhardt’s messages are going global, as volunteers came forth to transcribe her “Rocky Mountain regional accent” into foreign language subtitles for the videos (though it’s not yet clear which languages or how many).
It’s hardly Barnhardt’s first foray into politics. The Kansas City Pitch, in outing the tough-talking Kansas State grad as the “mastermind” behind an anti-Obama billboard last year, pointed to her blogging missives and presence on Twitter for some background.