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If you need any proof that John Birch is alive and well and running the GOP all you have to do is watch this Frank Luntz focus group comprised of Iowa Republican caucus members on Hannity. It's stunning in its twisted belief system. Even Frank Luntz in my opinion was taken back by what they were saying because they weren't asked specifically what religion Obama belongs to.

Bill O'Reilly is still obsessing over his ratings from his Super Bowl interview with Obama which I will talk about in another post, but Luntz's Road to 2012 focus group was asked to comment on Obama's response to BillO's question about the Muslim Brotherhood.

Luntz noted his group’s extremely negative reaction when, in his interview with Bill O’Reilly, Obama did not say he didn’t want the Muslim Brotherhood as part of a new government in Egypt. Then, feigning non-partisan curiosity, Luntz deliberately elicited a slew of condemnation by asking his group, "The reaction was so negative, so overwhelming, what’s the problem?”

But I wonder if Luntz knew what he was in for when one member of his group piped up with, “I believe that Barack Obama’s religious beliefs do govern his foreign policy.” When Luntz pressed her to explain what those “religious beliefs” were, the woman replied, “I believe that he is a Muslim.” “You do,” Luntz said. How many of you believe that here?” The majority of the group’s hands went in the air.

Up until that point, I was suspicious that Luntz knew his group's beliefs in advance and had begun the Muslim Brotherhood discussion with an eye toward steering the discussion that way. But then Luntz sounded a bit dismayed as he said, “Now, do you understand the implications of what you’re saying here, what the media’s gonna say about this group and about Iowa caucus voters in the future? You realize what you’re opening up here?”

He quickly tried to walk them back by saying, “Now, do you understand the implications of what you’re saying here, what the media’s gonna say about this group and about Iowa caucus voters in the future? You realize what you’re opening up here?”' I expect Republicans to dislike President Obama, but the religious fantasies they embrace is as terrifying as the first time you saw Linda Blair's head spinning around in The Exorcist.

It doesn't surprise me all that much after a Pew Poll showed 30% of Republicans believe Obama is a Muslim back in 2010. However, their religious fantasies are getting much worse as we approach the 2012 election. The Tea Party has had two years to gather their conspiratorial forces together and they will continue with the onslaught of Bircher type lunatic fantasies that the Koch Brothers were founded on.

UPDATED: Think Progress clipped Phillip Dennis of the Texas Tea Party from a segment on Hardball saying Obama might be a Muslim.

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If Republican Mo Brooks wins Tuesday's contest for Alabama's fifth Congressional district, it will be for two reasons: (1) retail politics (2) Glenn Beck. I found two men at the Republican headquarters in Lauderdale County last Thursday. One of them was kind enough to speak on camera. Thoughts on my interview with them, and the House race I reported on here eleven days ago, are below the fold.

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It is not okay to tackle a woman to the ground and step on her head just because you don't like her politics. The tea party sees tyranny everywhere and practices it on others. This is how real, actual, not-imaginary fascism comes to America.

Our ugly election season has seen militia-linked security goons handcuff reporters, biker gangs intimidate campaign workers, poll observers "hovering" over brown-skinned voters, minority "voter caging" efforts, citizens arrested for challenging incumbents, RedStaters finding excuse to use racist slurs against the president, and now a scene we might call American Tea Party History X.

But there's a cure for the viral insanity: people like Lauren Valle, the MoveOn.org activist brutalized by Rand Paul's county coordinator. Her courage is in the best traditions of progressive activism, which is not just an answer to the tea party but the antidote. More after the jump and a very important video...

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It's a weird move for Glenn Beck to ask Tea Partiers to lose the signs and wardrobe. The homemade costume vibe that makes it all seem like a white supremacist Burning Man event isn't the problem with the Tea Parties--it's more like the whole of their charm.

I frankly think the costume thing is adorable. If political activism leads some guy to learn to play the fife late in life, that's a beautiful thing.

But the short-form literalism of homemade sign-making isn't everyone's medium. Many folks have taken the First Amendment train all the way to Crazytown, and it's understandable that their corporate overlords might want to encourage them to, y'know, shut the hell up. That may not happen--having made this monster, they're going to have to ride it till November.

In any case, Republicans own it. GOP, meet your new brand ambassadors. They're angry, demonstrative, and won't take "that makes sense as neither policy nor theater" as an answer. Good luck with that.

In any case, a schism may soon emerge on the right. To wit:

It's kind of sad, isn't it? And infuriating at the same time, because the people in this country who understand or care the least about policy as a legitimate tool to improve society are being used as tools by the powerful and the wealthy on their own behalf, and they're too dumb to see that. Oh well!

With electoral victories racking up - and a greater-than-ever chance that Republicans will take back the House this year - it's time for the "tea party" movement to transition from winning elections to influencing policy in Congress, former House majority leader Richard K. Armey said Monday.

At a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, Armey, who is chairman of national tea party organizer FreedomWorks, spoke to reporters about the upcoming elections and the need to translate tea party victories at the ballot box into a legislative focus on reducing government spending, rolling back the health-care overhaul and, if possible, reducing taxes.

"These grass-roots activists are not going to retire from the field once this battle of 2010 is won," the Texas Republican said. "This whole activist movement is about policy."

Focusing on legislative achievements perhaps distinguishes FreedomWorks and Armey from other tea party activists, some of whom are focused more on changing the Republican Party - sometimes at any cost. In Delaware, for example, the Tea Party Express, Sarah Palin and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) all have endorsed conservative Christine O'Donnell against moderate Rep. Mike Castle - even though O'Donnell, who has endured a series of personal financial problems, could have a hard time beating Democrat Chris Coons in November. The GOP primary is Tuesday.

FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe, who spoke with Armey on Monday, said his organization decided to stay out of the primary because "we're not convinced that Christine O'Donnell can win."

Kibbe also announced that FreedomWorks later this week will launch a new effort to attract support among minorities, calling it "Diverse Tea."

"There is this nagging perception that we're not diverse enough," Kibbe said.

Do you think that might have something to do with the preponderance of middle-aged white people with Obama-as-Kenyan T-shirts?

Tomorrow at 1 p.m., Crooks and Liars will host a book chat with blogger and Philadelphia Daily News writer Will Bunch about his new book, "The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, High-Def Hucksters, and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama". Here's the press release:

They Think Obama Isn't an American Citizen.
They Think Obama Wants to Put Americans in Concentration Camps.
They Think Obama Is the Anti-Christ.
This Isn't Just the Tea Party—Welcome to the Backlash.

In November 2008, the election of Barack Obama was supposed to usher in a new age of hope, optimism, and postpartisan politics. Instead it provoked unparalleled anger on the far right that eventually twisted important national discussions and pushed ideas from the conservative fringe into the mainstream media. In the ensuing months, countless pollsters and reporters have tried to understand the heart of this mob that appeared so suddenly, but none of them has successfully accounted for the hard-right movement's rapid growth or explained the hidden connections between its parts. Until now.

In this gripping expose, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Will Bunch reveals the secrets behind the crusade against Obama, exploring how forces like radical militia groups, the Tea Party, pro-gun zealots, and Glenn Beck have combined old-fashioned populist outrage with digital-age phobias to produce a wave of resentment that many have ridden straight to the bank. Pulling back the curtain on the paranoid politics of a new generation, Bunch shows how events such as the election of America's first African-American president, the economic recession, the rise of social networking, and the phenomenon of Glenn Beck have created a dangerous political moment that poses legitimate risks to democracy in America.

From conspiracy theorists to secessionists, birthers to "independent" Tea Partiers, Bunch illuminates the ties among this new array of groups. Going beyond easy caricature, he strips away layers of rhetoric to reveal politicians like Paul Broun, who, as one of the most extreme members of Congress, works as hard for right-wing ideologues as he does for his economically battered constituents, and groups like the Oath Keepers, a fast-growing, ultraradical organization that spreads unsubstantiated fears of Obama confiscating guns and placing U.S. citizens in concentration camps. In addition, Bunch exposes the opportunists who have embraced a new brand of apocalyptic fearmongering, which has made them millions but has also led to the widespread paranoia that has helped fuel a rise in antigovernment violence.

The end result shows the true stakes of this political perfect storm, demonstrating how the anger of the far right now threatens to consume America. Powerful, shocking, and thought-provoking, The Backlash is a controversial look at where our democracy is—and where it may be heading.

I'll just add that, believe it or not, it's a pretty entertaining read -- in some parts, laugh-out-loud funny. It's also chilling, to hear the sorts of things these "citizen patriots" believe -- and why.

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In case any of you were confused by the Evil Librul Media's depiction of the wholesome, America-loving Tea Party Movement as somehow a hotbed of racism and radical extremism -- all because it's over 90 percent white -- have no fear.

Dr. David Duke, former Klan leader, is here to explain it all for you in his new YouTube message:

Duke: Tea Party people are called racist because the vast majority wants to stop the massive non-European immigration that will turn America into a crumbling tower of Babel. Most Tea Partiers believe that we in America have the right to preserve our heritage, language, and culture, just as every nation has that human right. The vast majority of Tea Party activists oppose affirmative action and diversity, which are nothing more than programs of racist discrimination against white people. The vast majority of Tea Party enthusiasts despise Hollywood and the mass media.

You know, the unelected media bosses have far more power than any senator or congressman, and are far more alien to America than the British were at the time of the American Revolution. At least the British were of our own, Christian cultural heritage, while the non-Christian ethno-religious minority who dominates Hollywood sees itself as very distinct from the 98 percent of the rest of us.

Tea Party activists are true populists who see the powers that control international finance and the Federal Reserve as the biggest threats to American prosperity and freedom.

...... The Tea Party movement is made up of American people who have watched in silent anger while the nation of our forefathers has been destroyed. The Tea Party movement, as the original Tea Party, is about preserving our heritage and our freedom.

In other words, the Tea Partiers aren't any more racist than he is.

And of course, it's the fault of the evil Jewish media that anyone should think so.

Duke also notes that the Tea Party leaders have been eagerly promoting a multiracial image, while the reality is that it is predominantly a white movement. The message of the video was to advise them to stop doing this and embrace their whiteness.

See, when David Duke whines that "pro white" organizations don't get treated the same as "pro black" organizations, he's ignoring a critical difference: "Pro black" organizations (think the NAACP) are all about lifting up people of their own color. "Pro white" organizations are all about tearing down people of other colors. That's why they call them "hate groups."

The Tea Partiers probably don't want Duke's endorsement. But he's basically right: The Tea Partiers argue from exactly the same kind of appeals that Duke and his fellow white nationalist have used for years, particularly the appeals to the "Founding Fathers" -- most of whom were, after all, white supremacists themselves.

Indeed, the Tea Party movement is nothing less than the manifestation of the agenda Duke has been pushing for years. We appreciate him pointing that out for public consumption.

[Via FreakOut Nation.]

The hateful acts that occurred at the tea party rally in Washington this weekend were not isolated incidents -- they are part of a growing pattern of violent rhetoric, racially charged imagery, and paranoid conspiracy theories emerging from the Republican party's grassroots supporters.

Republicans officials have contributed to this atmosphere with fear-mongering and coded racism, and they have actively courted this element of their party. It's time that Republican leadership is forced to address what it's helped to create.

Please join us in confronting Republican leaders and demanding that they take responsibility for tamping down the bigotry and hate among their supporters, and that they disavow the fear-mongering that leads to it. And please ask your friends and family to do the same -- unless we take a strong stand against this kind of hate, it will continue. We need as many people as possible -- of every race -- demanding that it stop.

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It's interesting watching the Villagers try to figure out what the teabaggers are, both on TV and in print, because they refuse to either admit the truth or are afraid to voice their true feelings.

An interesting online poll is going on right now on the Fox News website. What it shows is quite interesting to me, since Fox News created the Tea Party movement in order to undermine President Obama and his agenda. At this point almost 200K people have voted and the results surprised me because it seems they don't need much psycho-babble talk to figure out what is quite evident to anyone who is not afraid to voice an honest opinion about them.

How to define the Tea Party movement was nearly as big an issue last week at the National Tea Party Convention as the political issues discussed, from government fiscal responsibility to greater accountability of public officials. Some participants drew cheers for raising more controversial topics, such as President Obama's nationality, but others argued that those points were, at best, politically unproductive. Meghan McCain went further on Monday and called segments of the movement "racist."

---

And the survey says:

Fruitless mix of racism, conspiracy theories 79% (156,751 votes)

With Tom Tancredo and WND's Joseph Farah, nativist right wingers at their core having major speaking rolls in the Tea Party Convention before Palin took the stage last weekend, it looks like it cemented their opinions. I know it's an online poll, but when these appear on the Fox website they usually are skewered to the hard right. Well, even the conservative audience that Ailes caters to isn't fooled by the punditocracy.

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John McCain is facing a tough challenger for his Senate seat in former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, although Hayworth has yet to formally enter the race. Hayworth is clearly gunning for the eliminationist nutters, with lots of angry rhetoric about border security and illegal immigration, both in a new book and on his radio show.

So what's a maverick to do? Run to the right of the right wing nut jobs and pander to the teabaggers.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is up with his first ads for his 2010 Senate reelection campaign, and they portray the 2008 Republican presidential nominee as a crucial impediment to President Obama's "extreme left-wing crusade to bankrupt America."

"I stand in his way every day," McCain says in one of the ads. "If I get a bruise or two knocking some sense into heads in Washington, so be it."

The other spot features an announcer saying "John McCain is leading the fight against President Obama every day" and casting McCain as "Arizona's last line of defense."

Head. Bangs. Desk. Sorry, but after watching him so closely last year, if he was my last line of defense, I'd be pretty damn worried. I guess calling yourself "irrelevant" and "pathetic" -- while clearly more truthful -- really won't get you re-elected. Of course, you know McCain would also have no scruples against playing his favorite trump card: his prisoner of war past.

In one of the ads, McCain's past as a prisoner of war is evoked, with an announcer saying "we know what he has endured."

"Turned down the chance to go home early," the announcer says. "It was against the prisoner's code. John McCain has spent his life representing Arizona. Fighting for the little guy. Standing up to titans. Afraid of no man."

The other ad opens with the announcer saying McCain has "lived through a battle or two" and "vanquished many a foe," before adding that "perhaps no battle in our lifetime is more vital than the one John McCain fights now: A battle to save America."

Spare me the hyperbole. Save America? From what, the guy overwhelmingly chosen (over you) to fix what you and your party screwed up beyond all recognition? Other than your proud admission of obstructionism, what more do you think you and your minority party can accomplish?

Actually, maybe that's why he's pandering up to the teabaggers. It makes sense. They're the only ones whose critical thinking skills are so sub-par that this would be logical.