Racist, violent tea partiers go WAY too far

Huff Post

Preceding the president's speech to a gathering of House Democrats, thousands of protesters descended around the Capitol to protest the passage of health care reform. The gathering quickly turned into abusive heckling, as members of Congress passing through Longworth House office building were subjected to epithets and even mild physical abuse.

A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) had been spat on by a protestor. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a 'ni--er.' And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "faggot," as protestors shouted at him with deliberately lisp-y screams. Frank, approached in the halls after the president's speech, shrugged off the incident.

But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s.

Other tea partiers carried signs, shown below, threatening gun violence on those who would pass this bill. This is WAY out of hand. where is the indignation? Am I the only one who remembers the outrage when Cindy Sheehan set up a demonstration outside of Crawford, TX, to protest the Iraqi War? There were no threats of violence and yet it was a national story. This is buried on CNN and not even mentioned on Fox.

Where is the evenhandedness from the media? Where is the shame on behalf of the GOP for coddling these nutjobs?