The Fringe Backbenchers Get Scrutinized

As I pointed out earlier today, a real benefit of Joe Wilson's outburst is that we have a reason to examine the true fringe of the Republican Party. What we find out is that these people aren't really even Republicans. They have only a marginal allegiance to the party unless they can take it over. The Republicans know this and thus allow the wingnuts to run the show so the party doesn't collapse.

Joe Wilson's closet friend in the House is Florida congressman Jeff Miller. Miller has proudly put up a pro-Wilson sign in his office. I've been searching to see what connections Miller might have with neo-Confederate ideology. So far I haven't found any, but he is closely connected to the Constitution Party. This is a right-wing extremist party that exists along the Buchananite-Fallwellian wing of the party. In fact, Miller was a featured speaker at 2004 Constitutional Party Chuck Baldwin's megachurch early in the decade (and maybe since then, I'm just not sure). Among other speakers have been Buchanan and Falwell, Roy Moore, Fob James, Howard Phillips, and Joe Scarbourough, among other lunatics.