Sue Lowden was the front-runner for the GOP nomination for US Senate in Nevada. She was favored to defeat Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid and go to Washington in just under a year.

I’m putting this in the past tense after her statement to a local station in Nevada that should, at least, be disqualifying for any public service job.

I’m telling you that this works. You know, before we all started having health care, in the olden days our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor, they would say I’ll paint your house. I mean, that’s the old days of what people would do to get health care with your doctors. Doctors are very sympathetic people. I’m not backing down from that system.

Lowden actually first offered the “barter” for health care idea a couple weeks ago, but defending it in public – with video – takes it to a whole other level.

Like most Americans, I don’t have any chickens at home, nor do I have much other items of value that a doctor would be likely to take in lieu of cash. I suppose I could buy a chicken, but at that point, you’re just adding a step, really. I’m thinking a KFC Double Down might even yield a full surgery as opposed to what you could get from an uncooked chicken, but what do I know, I’m not running for Senate.

I think the general consensus from the non-crazy portion of the electorate is that we’ve advanced from the time when we bartered for goods, and that has generally been a societal positive.

I’m not the only one getting a huge kick out of this. The DSCC has already started with a “Chickens for Checkups” website. Lowden doesn’t seem like the type who would give up on this nonsense, so the laughs should roll on for several more months.

This will reach a tipping point if Lowden’s Republican rivals start using it against her. That will be interesting to see.