Ozark Tea Party: No Profile In Courage

There have been a few developments to the story I wrote about yesterday concerning a shocking incident at a large Tea Party rally in Baxter County.  As you recall, one of the speakers told a blatantly racist joke and the audience laughed in approval.

—It turns out that Republican Senator Missy Irvin was actually at the aforementioned Ozark Tea Party rally.  Irvin tweeted the following from the event:

“Great rally this afternoon for the Ozark Tea Party in Baxter County. Great job @RichardCaster!”

Irvin took the time to praise the event, but so far has refused to condemn/denounce/decry the telling of a racist joke at a political rally.  I believe that is because Irvin lacks the political backbone needed to take on her own supporters.  Senator Irvin is no profile in courage.

—Ozark Tea Party leader Richard Caster sent out press release announcing that the teller of the racist joke, Inge Marler, has resigned from their steering committee.  Caster apologized for the joke and said that jokes like that have no place like that jameshallison casino in politics.  Good for him.

However, it must be noted that Caster never denounced the joke from the podium as far as I can tell and in his press release he never addressed the fact the audience roared in approval after the joke was told.  it was the audience approving reaction to the racist joke that makes this story so distributing.

—The story made national news yesterday when it appeared on The Huffington Post.  So a big thank you to the Ozark Tea Party for casting Arkansas in a negative light in front of the nation.