From Sharron Angle, Rush Limbaugh And Sarah Palin, Right Down The Food Chain To Allen West Republicans Embrace The Violent, Divisive Rhetoric

When Nevada state Senator Bill Raggio (R), age 84, announced his retirement from politics a couple weeks ago, he held the all time record for the longest membership in the Nevada Senate in history, having been first elected in 1972. He was the minority leader 4 times and the majority leader twice, including a hefty stint from 1993-2007. It came as a great shock to many-- outside of Nevada-- when, revolted by his party's nomination of radical right sociopath Sharron Angle, Raggio endorsed longtime political nemesis Harry Reid last year. At the time he referred to Angle as "ineffective" and pointed out that as a state legislator she had a demonstrable "inability or unwillingness" to work with others. But in Nevada, it wasn't quite as shocking.

Angle, a Tea Party favorite this year, tried and failed to oust Raggio in a rough-and-tumble GOP primary in 2008. In his statement, the state senator from Reno made it clear he hasn't forgotten the bad blood between them two years ago.

"After losing to me in a primary, during which she ran a very negative campaign and distorted my record, referred to me as a liar and a RINO, I never heard one word from her, or a concession, or an offer of support," Raggio said. "Instead, she lent aid and comfort to an effort to recall me as State Senator."

In 1959 Raggio, then Washoe County district attorney, had the Triangle River Ranch brothel burned down as a public nuisance and had legendary brothel boss Joe Conforte arrested again and again. But it was his reputation as a mainstream conservative willing to work with Democrats that turned radical right Republicans like Angle against him. His endorsement of Reid cost him his Senate GOP caucus leader position and he announced his retirement on January 5.

It was widely assumed Angle would insist on appointment to the 2 years left in Raggio's term from the Washoe County Board of Commissioners. Then the massacre in Tucson and, wisely, Angle understood she wasn't about to be appointed to anything, not any time soon. She withdrew from consideration, citing previous commitments to give speeches to tea party meetings around the state and country. I think this video from Rachel Maddow on Monday gives a far better explanation of why Angle isn't going to be seeking any public office for a good long time:



Yesterday the Reno Gazette Journal addressed charges that Angle's purposefully "incendiary" and "irresponsible" political rhetoric had helped create an atmosphere that gave permission to mentally deranged people like Jared Loughner to grab a gun and going looking for a Second Amendment solution to some kind of imaginary problem.

National criticism focused on comments by Angle, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and others during last year's election cycle, when anti-incumbent sentiments created a volatile political environment. Some critics said the comments could've spurred someone mentally unstable to respond with violence.

Among Angle's critics was Pima County, Ariz., Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who said in a television interview from Tucson that Angle's campaign comments about "Second Amendment remedies" were "totally irresponsible and are not without consequences, and I think we may be seeing the fruit of it here."

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., and the assistant Democratic leader in the House, agreed, saying the "connection" between the fiery words and the violence was clear.

"We've got to understand that what we say, our words have consequences," Clyburn said in a telephone interview. "Those of us in public office need to be careful about what we say."

Last year during the campaign, Angle said on conservative Lars Larson's talk show that "if Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies and saying 'My goodness, what can we do to turn this country around?'"

Messages left Monday with Angle's spokesmen were not returned.

It looks like Angle has been flushed down the toilet of Nevada politics

Even before the massacre, 68% of Nevadans agreed that it had been a mistake for the Republican Party to have nominated Angle to run for the U.S. Senate. (21% said it was the right thing to do; that's how many people in Nevada are just a step or two away from Loughner.) Meanwhile, Palin is hiding under her bed and refusing to comment on her own role in this tragedy. Less high profile Republicans-- local congressmen, like Florida sociopath Allen West, for example-- are doubling down on the insanity and hate-filled rhetoric.

Talking about the shooting of her close friend, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), Wasserman Schultz pointed to remarks that conservative radio host Joyce Kaufman, one of West's most ardent supporters who nearly became his chief of staff, had made at a July Tea Party rally, saying that "if ballots don't work, bullets will."

"The shock jocks and the political movement leaders that are out there on both sides of the aisle need to have some pause as well," said Wasserman Schultz, pointing to Kaufman's remarks as an example of rhetoric that should be "toned down."

On Monday, West responded in-kind, calling in to Kaufman's radio show and saying Wasserman Schultz's criticism showed "how low people will go for political opportunism."

"I was standing there when you said that," West told Kaufman. "And guess what, we did it by the ballot box."

West went on to point fingers at his in-state colleague, saying "if you want to talk about toning down the political rhetoric, you need to look at yourself, first and foremost, you Congressman Wasserman Schultz," and accused her of "incit[ing] a political riot and protest outside my campaign headquarters."

"I'm just glad I have more class, more character than she has exhibited," said West.

During the 2010 election, the Iraq War veteran and Sarah Palin-endorsed candidate quickly became known as one of the more incendiary Tea Party candidates. West frequently used gun metaphors and war rhetoric to fire up his supporters, telling his supporters "get your musket, to fix your bayonet and to charge into the ranks; you are my brother and sister in this fight."

On Tuesday, the freshman's hometown paper called him out for his comments, especially after his immediate reaction to the Saturday's shooting, where he said the violent incident should be a time for the "country to consider the safety of members of Congress."

The Palm Beach Post's Frank Cerabino writes West "ought to know" that "there are lots of crazy people out there," because "he's been one of South Florida's prime feeders of violent fantasies."

West said earlier this month that he "didn't learn anything" from the controversy that erupted after he chose Kaufman as his chief of staff. But Cerebino says, "I'm hoping that after last weekend's shooting of one of his colleagues, West will begin learning. It's about time."