The Teabag Canary
by digby
As we watch one of the two American political parties being formally taken over by the far right fringe, it’s worthwhile to recall that this has been building for a while. You’ll recall that back in 2007, the nativist talk radio freaks stopped comprehensive immigration reform in its tracks:
Comments by Republican senators on Thursday suggested that they were feeling the heat from conservative critics of the bill, who object to provisions offering legal status. The Republican whip, Trent Lott of Mississippi, who supports the bill, said: “Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that problem.”
At some point, Mr. Lott said, Senate Republican leaders may try to rein in “younger guys who are huffing and puffing against the bill.”
Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, welcomed the president’s support for more spending on border security, but said, “There’s no reason why we should be forced to tie amnesty to it.”
Trent Lott’s out of politics. DeMint may be the new Senate GOP leader if his teabag candidates can pull it off in November. Some of us tried to warn them …
Oh, and by the way, the teabagger won the nomination for Castle’s House seat over the establishment candidate in Delaware tonight too. Here’s one his more memorable quotes:
“The exact phrase ‘separation of church and state’ came out of Adolf Hitler’s mouth. That’s where it comes from. The next time your liberal friends talk about separation of church and state, ask them why they’re Nazis.”
But no one can accuse us of being shrill, so that’s good.
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