Mullins Tries to Disarm Land Mine Remark

by Michael O'Brien

According to reports from the Associated Press and Huffington Post, Republican congressional candidate Tom Mullins suggested the use of land mines along the U.S. border with Mexico. The comments were reportedly made while Mullins was running in the New Mexico GOP primary, a race he eventually won. The comments were made during a radio interview and Mullins has attempted to back track on his statements.

Over the last several years, Right Wing talk radio has ginned up fears of an immigrant invasion stemming from Mexico and Central America. Painting a portrait of criminal hordes flooding the border states, the invasion mythology has gained some traction even among some legitimate news outlets.

The invasion myth was partially debunked in recent reporting by the AP citing data from the US Border Patrol and FBI. The AP analysis shows a drop in violent crime in four major border cities and a sharp reduction in violence against border agents.

The problem for Mullins and other Right Wing, anti-immigrant candidates is that once it’s squeezed out, the toothpaste is almost impossible to put back in the tube. At a time when the GOP is gasping for votes among Hispanic and immigrant communities, Mullins has added fuel to a xenophobic fire that is driving moderate voters towards Democratic candidates.

Is Tea Party Chair Mark Williams Psychotic?

The short answer is no, though at first blush one may conclude that Williams’ has lost it. In making his delusional claims about Islam, has Mark Williams unwittingly revealed what many people believe about the so-called tea bag movement? Even when given the chance to disavow his hate-filled screeds Williams sticks to his guns, shooting himself in the foot while providing some insight into the mind of the tea-bagger-in-chief and the tea bag movement in general.

What if William's is not merely a crazed lunatic but a serious reflection of the Tea Party?

On his blog, Williams has tried unsuccessfully to put some distance between his paranoid hatred of 1 billion Muslims and the corporately-funded, pseudo-populist organization he chairs. What should concern William's handlers is his apparent willingness drive a stake into the heart of public relations stunt that is the Tea Party. Freedom Works and other corporate benefactors have poured tens of millions of dollars into the Tea Party Express in hopes of manufacturing a grassroots facade for an assortment of anti-government crackpots, race-haters, anti-Obama birthers.

While it may be argued that some among the tea party faithful bear no racial animosity or profess extremist, anti-democratic views, Mark Williams’ seems to have enough hate and delusional paranoia to go around.

So while the Right Wing celebrates the primary election victory of extremist Rand Paul, the thrill may be short lived. Paul's advocacy of racial discrimination while questioning the legitimacy of the Civil Rights Act, when combined with William's hateful worldview, may force a painful but politically-expedient divorce from the mainstream Republican Party and its tea bag step child.

See a great recap of William's lunacy at TPM Muckraker -

Tea Party Leader: 'Islam Is A 7th Century Death Cult Coughed Up By A Psychotic Pedophile'

The Tea Party is Over

Turn out the lights, the tea party is over. Going into Tuesday’s primaries with high hopes, the Tea Party saw its hopes dashed by more moderate Republicans candidates. As the memory of the anemic tax day protests faded, Tea Party leaders pinned their political survival on primary votes in North Carolina, Indiana and Ohio. To their dismay, Republican voters rejected fringe candidates choosing instead to stick with middle-of-the-road Republicans.

Whether Tuesday’s results are a barometer of the upcoming election in November is unclear. One thing is certain – tea party claims of an anti-incumbent wave sweeping Democrats and ideologically impure Republicans out of office have been debunked. Yes there will be some Democratic looses in November and even some Republicans may find themselves without a job. What will not happen is the Congressional sea change predicted by the Right Wing fringe.

If voter turnout by party is an indication, claims of conservatives voting in droves have also gone up in smoke. In the Ohio primary, around 1.8 million voters turned out with Democrats outvoting Republicans 60% to 40%. Ex-Bushie and GOP Senate hopeful Rob Portman ran unopposed. With Democratic Senate candidate Lee Fisher winning his contest against Jennifer Brunner, the stage is set for a November vote between two non-ideologues. Down ballot races in Ohio showed a similar trend with mainstream Republicans winning over fringe-favored candidates.

Now six months really is a lifetime in politics and events could conspire to reinvigorate the fringe wing of the GOP. But if May 4, 2010 was any indication, the tea party is over.

QUICK FACT: Fox's Bolling falsely claims "illegals" are "not paying taxes"

QUICK FACT: Fox's Bolling falsely claims "illegals" are "not paying taxes"

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