One of the threads that runs through Stickland's alleged posts, beyond their appalling grammar and spelling, are screen names featuring some variation of the word "rat." Here, there's RaTTyTheLegend, later, there's RaTmasTeR4LiFe, both of which, the Fisher campaign points out, might refer to Stickland's previous job as an exterminator.
?iStickland has apparently responded with the following statement: (We say apparently because, although it seems genuine, it was provided by the Fisher campaign. Stickland's campaign has not responded to a request for confirmation of the statement or further comment.)
"I talked with Scott Fisher days after he announced his campaign and we both agreed to run very positive campaigns, focused on our differences on the issues. It's clear he never had any intention of keeping his word, and it is disappointing that he would choose to attack me and my family three days after Christmas.
Anyone who knows my testimony, my family, friends, and many supporters, are aware that I smoked marijuana in high school and my early collegiate years. Let me even go a step further and say that during that time I wasted much of life, said and did things I wish I hadn't. But by the Grace of God my past sins are forgiven.
Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and I have all smoked marijuana. I never grew marijuana. But I hope and pray that my daughters never make the mistake I made, and that, if they do fail, they know of the forgiveness readily available.
Scott Fisher knows that I represent the Christian conservative values of my constituents, so he has instead decided to focus on mistakes I made at 17 years old. It's disappointing that politics has gotten to this point where even a pastor will stoop this low.
Every campaign I have run has focused on the issues, but if Mr. Fisher wants to make this campaign about my personal testimony, we can do that too."
Stickland's line about smoking marijuana only in his high school and early college years provoked the Fisher campaign to release yet another Stickland post. This one's purportedly from 2008 and features Stickland asking members of a fantasy football forum to help him pass a work-mandated drug test after he'd taken a “few glorious rips from a blunt.” Stickland turned 25 in 2008.
Again, it's hard to say that any of this really means anything, but it seems fair to say that, in addition to hating the NSA and Planned Parenthood, loving unlicensed firearms and being perhaps the most contentious member of the Texas legislature, Jonathan Stickland also used to be really, really into marijuana. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
