Former Actor (Tom Laughlin a.k.a. Billy Jack) Challenging Bush in Primary

ABC ^ | 2/3/04

[areafiftyone]

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) - Tom Laughlin, best known for helping bring martial arts into American pop culture with his 1970s "Billy Jack" films, is now throwing his punches in the political arena.

The 72-year-old actor, who lives in Camarillo, is one of 13 candidates running against President Bush (website - news - bio) in the Republican primary.

Laughlin, who first ran for president as a Democrat in 1992, said he's campaigning to draw attention to a two-party system he deemed "so corrupt it can't function anymore."

He described himself as a "messenger" candidate and said he wasn't disappointed by the New Hampshire primary, in which he earned 154 votes to Bush's nearly 34,000.

"I've never run for president with any kind of thought of winning except to make a statement that we need change desperately," Laughlin told The Associated Press on Sunday.

The issues he's most concerned about: Bush's claims that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and Congress' recent approval of a Medicare bill that prohibits the purchase of cheaper health care drugs from Canada.

Political themes have long been of interest to Laughlin, whose low-budget martial arts films pitted Billy Jack, a part Indian outlaw and Vietnam veteran, against racist, corrupt politicians and greedy businessmen.

"Billy Jack was always about the little guy going against the power brokers who are out to exploit and ruin," Laughlin said. "And that's why I'm running."

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

For the amount of time he's been in the movie industry, he hasn't done much;

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0490871/

[Always Right]

Tom Laughlin, best known for helping bring martial arts into American pop culture with his 1970s "Billy Jack" films....

Gee, and all along I credited Bruce Lee with that back in the 1960's and early 70's....

[ladyrustic]

You people have good memories! I saw it way back when and can't remember anything except a big battle at the end.

[dighton]

Billy Jack Goes to Washington, 1977, won a Golden Turkey Award for "Worst Film You Never Saw." Laughlin blamed the movie's failure on "a concerted effort in Washington to keep information from flowing out."

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I saw most of the Billy Jack movies and remember very little from them. I remember the "Saturday Night Live" "Billy Paul" skit much more;

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/76/76hbillypaul.phtml

[RGSpincich]

Billy Jack? I thought that was cheese.

[PuNcH]

I can't see too many Republicans having much in common with an old fried-brain hippie time-warped ahead from 1968.

True, but he could easily be more of a conservative than Bush.

[WhiteGuy]

his girlfriend in that movie was a real mutt - Woof !!

[VadeRetro]

True, but he could easily be more of a conservative than Bush.

Ping me when Bush wants to surrender to France.

[Conservomax]

Billy Jack: is he the guy who went around smashing up the hillbilly towns out of vigilante rage? I'm too young to remember them.

[You Dirty Rats]

But Billy Jack would've whipped Bruce Lee! And Robin (Burt Ward) would've kicked Kato's ass if they had fought for real! (Green Hornet, anyone?)

And Iraq will destroy the United States in the Mother of all battles!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

[You Dirty Rats]

No, it's dog food:

Bil-Jac dog food ... the kind Billy Jack eats!

[Hatteras]

My first love...

I was about "Carol's" age when I saw the movie in the theatre. Sigh...

[PuNcH]

Ping me when Bush wants to surrender to France

PING!

Bush wants to surrender to mexico. How about that?

[The Duke]

I was pretty impressionable back in my "Billy Jack" days, however he lost me when he drowned that PERFECTLY INNOCENT Corvette Stingray!!!

No Billy, say it ain't so!

[jscd3]

Born Losers is a better movie anyhow...

More appropriate title as well...

[EllaMinnow]

The girlfriend in Billy Jack? Over his shoulder in this poster? That's his real-life wife...or was.

[Hatteras]

"Anyone remember the Howard Hessman cameo?"

[EllaMinnow]

Carol was played by Tom Laughlin's daughter.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

THIS is why I love my fellow FReepers! I knew someone would get it!