Rand Paul and the 'Aqua Buddha': why Election 2010 is turning nasty

In a campaign season that has seen its share of viciousness and name-calling, it’s one of the lowest moments. Now the blogosphere is abuzz with the effort to assign blame.

Sunday’s debate in Kentucky between Senate candidates Rand Paul and Jack Conway is being dubbed the “nastiest debate of 2010” by Talking Points Memo (which has compiled a video of “highlights”). At the end, Mr. Paul, the Republican candidate, was so angry he refused to shake Mr. Conway’s hand. He is considering whether to even participate in the final debate, scheduled for Oct. 25.

The root of the dispute: an alleged incident from Paul’s college days. A GQ article published two months ago claims that while a student at Baylor University, Paul was a member of a secret society called the NoZe Brotherhood that existed largely to torment the administration and enjoyed “tweaking the school’s religiosity.”

In particular, it quotes an anonymous woman who says that Paul and a friend tied her up one afternoon, tried to force her to smoke pot, and then took her to a creek, where they blindfolded her and forced her to bow down and worship “Aqua Buddha.”

Needless to say, it’s a story that Paul has denied, but Conway has tried to capitalize on it, bringing it up repeatedly during Sunday's debate, and running an ad about the incident.

"Why was Rand Paul a member of a secret society that called the Holy Bible 'a hoax' – that was banned for mocking Christianity and Christ?" asks a voice in Conway’s ad. "Why did Rand Paul once tie a woman up? Tell her to bow down before a false idol and say his God was 'Aqua Buddha?' "

Election 2010's unsavory moments

Conway's ad, while controversial enough to bring criticism from some fellow Democrats, is hardly the the most inflammatory this election season. Liberal firebrand Rep. Alan Grayson (D) of Florida dubbed his conservative opponent "Taliban Dan." And Senate majority leader Harry Reid has insinuated that his opponent, Sharron Angle, holds the views of a right-wing extremist.

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