Really? C'mon, really?

Just go read this: The Embarrassing Racist 'Satire' of Tea Party Leader Mark Williams. This article from Gawker discusses a letter from the the spokesman for the Tea Party Express titled, "Letter to Lincoln." I initially thought it was a failed attempt at satire, but then I watched a clip of Williams on CNN (embedded below). Now I am pretty sure he is completely detached from reality.

I don't think that all Tea Partiers are racists, but I do think they have hijacked the movement. Parts of the Tea Party movement are speaking out against some of the most ridiculous public statements, like against the terrible billboard in Mason City, Iowa. Thankfully, it was removed. But Mark Williams seems to have been given a pass. That is an absolute tragedy.

If you go to Williams' blog, the Letter to Lincoln has been removed, and he explains why. But his explanation isn't much better than the original letter. I have issues with comments like this: "Now that Mr. Jealous and others realize their error and seek to mend fences..." What I am trying to figure out is where Ben Jealous, the head of the NAACP, erred. The NAACP issued a resolution asking the Tea party to speak out against the racist element of their organization. But reading Williams' replacement post, he doesn't seem to be upset about that, he is upset about the NAACP having the phrase "colored people" in it. And that is why he originally claimed that the NAACP was a racist group. 

That alone makes me want to bash my head up against the wall. The NAACP was founded in 1909 when the phrase "colored people" was a common phrase. Now, it's one of those phrases that is associated with segregation and it is considered by most to be racist. That being said, an historical civil rights organization with a strong national position and reputation will rarely change their name for many different reasons. Most people with any common sense know this. At the very least, an organization may change the name but make the new name fit the acronym. But that is beside the point really. Really. 

The NAACP asked the Tea Party to condemn the racist elements of its party, and the only thing the spokesman of the Tea Party Express can say in response is to tell the NAACP that they are racist because of their name? That's about as rational as someone saying, "I know you are but what am I." But not even addressing the NAACP's comments, is ignoring the real issue. By doing this, Williams is confirming Mr. Jealous' comment that the Tea Party movement has a visible and vocal racist faction.

You can see Mark Williams in action in this clip from CNN where he says the Tea Party can't possibly be racist because it's based on the Constitution. Keep a bucket ready so you can throw up. Seriously. This guy is an asshat.