The Tarheel Tar Baby

Republicans in North Carolina went to the polls yesterday to "choose" among three right-wing candidates for U.S. Senate, an "establishment" guy, a teabagger guy, and an American Taliban guy.  Much to the delight of the national party, the "establishment" guy, Thom "Thom Tom" Tillis won.  He'll face Dem Sen. Kay Hagan in November.

Of course, in the Rethuglican / New Confederate / Stupid Party, "establishment" just means he's not a certifiable lunatic, just a common sociopath.  To wit:  Thom Tom said people receiving public assistance for medical disabilities should "look down on" poor people receiving public assistance due to other factors << cough their race cough>>  The desired effect would be to create what Thom Tom called a "divide and conquer" situation, no doubt providing a rationale for assistance programs getting slashed and taxes on Thom Tom's wealthy contributors being cut.  That remark -- among many yet to be made -- should stick to Thom Tom like tar.

BONUS:  Charles P. Pierce describes the "Establishment Republican" brand Tillis represents:

... Tillis is as blackhearted a reactionary as one currently expects a champion of modern conservatism to be. He will be central to the attempt to recreate the newly insane state legislature of the newly insane state of North Carolina on a national basis. This should puzzle no one. The long game of corporatized, radically extreme Republican politics is coming down to the final moves. Nothing -- and certainly not the nomination of "Establishment" hero Thom Tillis -- can stop that now.