"Republicans, who have no clear leadership, get defined by crackpots—and then they begin to define the Republican Party."
Nope, that's not a liberal Democrat speaking. It's Mark McKinnon, a Texas political advisor to President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain, among others, who's fed up with crazies who have become the face of the Republican Party and seem to be taking control of the party's agenda.
Once the national party of towering, wise figures, the GOP has fallen into the hands of Tea Party loonies, politicians and candidates who advocate or utter sheer nonsense. These aren't right-wing bystanders, such as the Alabama militia leader who demanded that followers smash windows of congressmen's offices (they did). These are men and women who now or soon will set the national agenda.
In Washington state, Republican congressional nominee Art Robinson has written "scientific" papers suggesting that nuclear waste should be diluted and sprinkled over the United States as a medicinal cure. He also charges AIDS statistics are a political plot.
New York state's multimillionaire Republican nominee for governor, Carl Paladino, admits e-mailing pornography, confesses he has a child by a mistress (he's also married) and used an old Mafia threat—"I'll take you out, buddy!"—against a New York newspaper reporter he dislikes.
Republicans are enamored with metaphors for guns and violence. Citizens should be "armed and dangerous" (Minnesota's Rep. Michele Bachman), voters should "reload" (Sarah Palin), citizens might need to resort to "Second Amendment remedies" against politicians (Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle), and "get Nancy (Pelosi) ready for the firing line" (GOP Chair Michael Steele).
Republicans doubt Barack Obama's U.S. birth. Others believe health care legislation allows for "death panels," while others suspect FEMA is building detention camps for political dissenters.
Turning back the clock also is on the GOP agenda—repealing the 1868-ratified 14th Amendment (rights of citizenship) and 1913-ratified 17th Amendment (voter election of senators).
In Delaware, GOP Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell has falsified her education credentials, calls masturbation the same as abortion, and dabbled in witchcraft.
South Carolina's GOP U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint considers this "mainstream" American thinking. Hmmm.
Just when nothing about Republican candidates could be more bizarre, enter Rich Iott, Ohio GOP congressional candidate, who's been portraying a Nazi Waffen SS soldier in "re-enactments," and is "fascinated" that the World War II German military "accomplished incredible things" for "a relatively small country."
Yep. The Waffen SS helped exterminate millions of French, German and Polish Jews, murdered Russians and plundered cities throughout Europe.
Some fascination for a U.S. congressional candidate.
