Maryland gubernatorial candidate Anthony Brown has done something we wish more Democrats would do: Force his Republican opponent to own or disown a right-wing whackjob in his party.
The nut in question, Michael Paroutka, is a candidate for Anne Arundel County Council, a race that normally doesn't grab big headlines. But Paroutka is a secessionist, belongs to the League of the South, a racist organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has dubbed a hate group, and believes in "God-based" government. (His god, of course.)
Republican Larry Hogan's campaign went into immediate repudiation mode (which is an interesting comparison to, say, Rand Paul — who took forever to unload a John Wilkes Booth admirer who calls himself "The Southern Avenger" from his Senate staff). But in the process, Hogan's spokesperson said something curious about Paroutka and the League: "Those [racist/secessionist/teabag] views have never been a part of the Republican Party and they never will."
Ahem, Mr. Larry Hogan Spokesguy. Those views are totally part of the Republican Party. Did a Democrat call Barack Obama "the food stamp President"? Did a Democrat accuse him of "Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior"? Did a Democrat call him "a subhuman mongrel"? Do Democrats hold signs that show Obama as a witch doctor? Share emails with pictures of watermelons growing on the South Lawn? Parade outside the White House gates with the Confederate battle flag?
Republicans can pretend that their party doesn't welcome haters into its ever-smaller tent, but the world knows better. We cats HISS.
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