The Blood On Bachmanniac's Hands

The more I read about the murder of Census-taker Bill Sparkman here in Kentucky, the more I'm convinced of the irresponsibility of GOP demagogues like Michele Bachmann, who said stuff like this about Census workers:



The piquant irony of a government employee like Shelly here railing against a legitimate government function is one thing, but now a Census worker is dead. Yes, the investigation is still open. But the evidence still looks like a bloody murder. Whose hands are covered in that blood? I'm not the only one who seems to think the purveyors of this anti-government rhetoric might share some of the blame.

Officials said Sparkman's body was found with his Census Bureau identification card taped to his head. An AP report added that he was "naked, gagged and had his hands and feet bound with duct tape."

As was the case earlier in the week, it's still worth emphasizing that this is an open investigation and additional information is needed before reaching any conclusions. Some of the earlier details have proven false -- Sparkman was not, for example, found hanging from a tree, as some initial reports suggested -- and our understanding of what actually happened may yet change again.

That said, what we've learned thus far is gruesome, and continues to raise the prospect of what may have been a politically-motivated slaying. Faiz Shakir added, "Regardless of what the motive for the killing may have been, why would a murderer(s) take such pains to so blatantly convey anger, fear, and vitriol towards a Census employee? Perhaps because some on the right have created an impression that Census employees are terrifying."

The record on that front is clear -- Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Glenn Beck, and Neal Boortz have invested considerable energy in trying to convince confused, right-wing activists that the Census and those who work for the Census Bureau are not to be trusted, and may even be dangerous.

Here's hoping that their reckless and irresponsible rhetoric did not have deadly consequences.

It's worth thinking about. Just how far does this have to go now? This anti-Obama, anti-government derangement has already claimed lives.