SUSANNE ATANUS: NOT EXACTLY A MODEL CANDIDATE, OR EMPLOYEE

You may have seen this story about one of the Republicans challenging Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky in the 9th District of Illinois:

Candidate Susanne Atanus believes that autism and forms of dementia are punishments sent by God because of the growing support for marriage equality in the country and the prevalence of abortion.

"I am a conservative Republican and I believe in God first," Atanus said at an endorsement session with the [Chicago] Daily Herald on Monday.

God controls the weather, she said, and tornadoes are evidence of his wrath.

"God is angry. We are provoking him with abortions and same-sex marriage and civil unions," she said. "Same-sex activity is going to increase AIDS. If it's in our military it will weaken our military. We need to respect God."

Atanus has run for Congress unsuccessfully a number of times in the past. When she ran in 2010, she completed a Chicago Tribune questionnaire in which she wrote, in response to a question on deficits and debt,

I don't think we should be spending as much on the Space Program because there is no life, water, oxygen, or gravity in Space.

She also had a curious response to a question about whether the U.S. prison at Guantanamo should be closed:

The Guantanamo Bay detention facility should not be closed. The inhabitants in that facility should stay out of our country, and not be transferred to the U. S. The inmates should be tried by military commissions and returned to their home countries, and do Community Service building infrastructure, doing streets and sanitation services, painting, farming, etc.

Yeah, that sounds nice.

She also made quite a few references to a mysterious "Investment Option #2," which she seemed to regard as a cure for many economic ills:

I propose Investment Option # 2, when companies make money, the Stockholders and the Mutual Fund holders will also make money, and will receive excellent and consistent returns. Everyone will do well, and the Board of Directors and Vice Presidents and the President of these companies will have to give all the Shareholders and Mutual Fund holders very good returns on their investments including more Stock splits, and higher dividends. Also, preferably tax free with the Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Everyone will get a more equitable share of these companies profits and bonuses. This will result in the greatest Economic Stimulus that we have ever seen, and we will get out the recession, and not have another recession. People will have an excellent and consistent income, and will be able to pay off their home, auto, and other debts. People will then have more spending power and will spend more, go on vacations, buy higher priced items, and the U. S. and other countries' economies will be stimulated. All people will do well, and will live in wealth, abundance and prosperity.

Er ... OK.

Atanus used to work for the General Services Administration. That did not go well -- in fact, it went so poorly that Business Management Daily uses her career as a case study in how to deal with insubordinate workers:

Recent case: Susanne Atanus worked for the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and had trouble getting along with others. She ordered co-workers around, argued with supervisors in meetings and acted disrespectfully during a lecture. Atanus received several "letters of instruction" explaining that her behavior was unacceptable in the workplace.

... Atanus continued to receive warnings and even got into shouting matches that ended with management's threats to call federal protective officers if she wouldn't stop. GSA informed Atanus that she would be suspended for 10 days because of her behavior. That's when Atanus announced she was the smartest person in the building.

She also filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination based on age, race and religion. GSA came to court armed with workplace rules, copies of the warnings, notes on her behavior and evidence that she had not been singled out for anything other than disruptive behavior. The court dismissed the case, and Atanus appealed.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal. It said there was no evidence of discrimination, but plenty of evidence that the discipline was fair.

That's one of two possible candidates for the GOP in Schakowsky's district. The other one has had a domestic violence order of protection filed against him. I think Schakowsky is safe.