• So I’m having a hard time tonight trying to believe almost uniformly white tea partiers are anything other than a racist, right-wing reaction to the election of an African American president who brings with him feminists and gays (even if he doesn’t do as much for them as they would ideally like).
• Salon writer Joan Walsh • Regarding yesterday’s heated health care situation, where some awful Tea Party precedents hit their ugly head. First, Rep. John Lewis, a civil-rights hero, was called the N-word (which she repeated but we won’t) at least fifteen times. Second, fellow Congressional Black Caucus leader Rep. Emanuel Cleaver was spat on by a tea partier. Third, popular gay Rep. Barney Frank was called a “homo” and F-word (not that one, the other one) by the same folks. Finally, Rep. Louise Slaughter had a brick thrown through her congressional office in Niagra Falls. Dissent is one thing, but holy crap dudes. What does health care have to do with this? You did a lot to set your cause back yesterday. source

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