NY-13: Even Francis Powers Won’t Vote for Francis Powers

I am so utterly flabbergasted by this turn of events that I’m completely speechless. From the Staten Island Advance:

An already topsy-turvy political year grew even more so yesterday when Francis M. Powers, the son of GOP designee Francis H. Powers, said he would seek the Libertarian Party line to run for Congress.

“This is not about my dad,” said the younger Powers, 47, a master carpenter from Clifton who plays and sings with the Staten Island band Box of Crayons and runs an indie record label called Penny for the Guy Records. “I’m running against the Republican candidate.” […]

Fran Powers insisted his candidacy is not a “vendetta” against his father.

“I’m not going to say that my dad treated me bad when I was a kid,” Fran Powers said. “I know his policies. I’m running against someone I know.”

Francis H. was quick to release a statement calling into question his son’s “lifestyle”:

“I’ve tried very hard for many years to help my son,” the elder Powers said in a statement released by his campaign.

“Unfortunately, he’s rejected everyone’s help to live a healthy lifestyle. Regardless of whether he wants to run for Congress, I still stand ready to help him move his life in a positive direction.”

The elder Powers did not comment beyond the statement, but a Republican source said that Powers was referring to his son’s “carefree” lifestyle in the music business.

The younger Powers, who apparently has been taking hairstyle pointers from Gary Glitter, will petition to be placed on the ballot as “Francis M. Powers”, and the Manhattan Libertarian Party will assist him in gathering the 3000 signatures necessary to get on the ballot. Failing that, Powers says he’ll try to get the Anarchist Party’s endorsement form his own Anarchist Party line.

I am not making this up.