A remarkable theme echoing through much of the political press Thursday morning is the realization that Tea Party candidates who are running for office as Republicans are hurting the party’s chances in a year that otherwise has been predicted to be a huge Republican landslide. The Washington Post headlines its story on the topic “Tea party antics could end up burning Republicans“, while Reuters declares “Tea Party-backed Republicans spur party switches“. The Guardian brings out the best headline and best line, however, with the headline “The GOP’s coming Tea Party hangover” and the line “Tea is the Republican party’s cocaine: thrilling for a moment, but ruinous over time.” Tea Party candidates have won nominations in Republican primaries by channeling unfocused rage, but as that rage now erupts into a combination of genuine violence and a complete inability to articulate a platform (as demonstrated by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer in this video, where she can’t even deliver an opening statement in a debate), even Republicans are moving away from “the crazy” and looking for candidates who are interested in good government rather than good theater.

I love the part where he says Republicans will stop blocking everything and make an effort to work with Democrats. Maybe that’s because the new crop of Republicans running this year are so moderate and bipartisan-y.

Just remember he’s not an actual Nazi, he’s just a Nazi-enthusiast.

Cannibal and the Headhunters — Land of One Thousand Dances.

No, really. As far as stirring calls to arms go, you have on the one hand stirring perorations like, oh: For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition; And gentlemen in England now-a-bed Shall think themselves accurs’d they were [...]

More Interweb censorship of Prop 19 and marijuana advocates, this time from YouTube. The preeminent marijuana legalization group NORML released a video last week with musician and comedian Steve Berke that was a brilliant pro-Prop 19 parody of Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie” music video titled, “Should Be Legalized.”

NORML says they had more than 100,000 views of the video in just two days – no easy feat. Then, of course, YouTube stepped in and “flagged” the video, requiring users to log in to view it. How can we fight to make something legal, when we’re censored from showing our issue because it’s illegal?

This ad has been credited for helping to bring Joe Sestak back into the Senate race in Pennsylvania. The latest poll, from Reuters-Ipsos, shows a dead heat, after Sestak trailed for months. Just like in his primary victory over Arlen Specter, Sestak stormed back in the final stages and now could pull off the upset, which may come down to the ring communities in the Philadelphia suburbs. But while one ad could bring Sestak back from the brink, it’s the overwhelming number of ads attacking him that has defined the race – a model devised and carried out by his opponent years earlier.

The unfortunate consequence of a broken election system that discourages greater choice is that it can result in the election of individuals who don’t best represent the will of the voters. Politico is reporting that Democrats are banking on conservative third-party candidates on the ballot to help them win plurality victories.

Yet another example, similar to the head-stomping by a Rand Paul supporter, of how violence has crept into this election season. This time, law enforcement did the honors.

ACLU reports that Rahim al-Nashiri’s lawyer’s request to include their client’s treatment at a black site in Poland in the country’s investigation has been successful.

Jameel Jaffer uses this event to focus on how little our own country has done to hold its torturers accountable.