You have to give the Florida mailman credit: Doug Hughes had the creativity and guts to pull off one of the most memorable protests. On April 15, he flew his gyrocopter through restricted airspace, down the Washington Mall, and landed on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol — catching the Secret Service unawares. He had 535 letters for the lawmakers in Congress demanding campaign finance reform. “I’m demanding reform and declaring a voter’s rebellion in a manner consistent with Jefferson’s description of rights in the Declaration of Independence,” he wrote. “As a member of Congress, you have three options. 1. You may pretend corruption does not exist. 2. You may pretend to oppose corruption while you sabotage reform. 3. You may actively participate in real reform.” Capitol police arrested Hughes and charged him with violating the U.S. code governing transportation — a slap on the wrist considering. If a conservative tried the same stunt, at least one talking head would have drawn the conclusion the person was commemorating the anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. But everybody sure loves a quirky leftist and his gyrocopter. More…