Homer Alaska - Opinion

But back to when? Why, that's the question of the day.

Alaska Senate hopeful Joe Miller, a glib, hot-shot lawyer, should be able to give us answers that the "lame-stream" of candidates supported by the Tea Party nationally — like Senate hopefuls Sharron Angle of Nevada, Rand Paul of Tennessee and Arizona's appointed governor, now trying to be elected governor, Jan Brewer — can't. They all become like deer frozen before a headlight when asked a probing question.

Seems Tea Party candidates are only comfortable talking to Fox News. What kind of chicken-you-no-what phenomena in our politics is that?

Are today's conservatives really comfortable with the sight of such squirming? Have conservatives lost their nerve, preferring "lame-streaming" to answering questions and elaborating on their ideas?

Or is it that their sense of mission, embodied in Rupert Murdoch and the Koch brothers' cause, won't hold up to public scrutiny? Or will it?

Though it's said be careful for what you wish for, I say thank goodness Lisa Murkowski was pushed out of the Republican picture. At least, now, we, can directly ask a Tea Party-Republican candidate, rustic Joe Miller, where he's coming from. The rest of the country certainly stands to benefit, especially since most Tea Party-Republicans would rather be "lame-stream" or be thrown softballs by Fox News than reveal themselves.

So, Joe, to take our country back, our government back, just how far back do you want to go? Back before the Department of Education? Back before a woman's right to choice? Back before Medicare? Back, as Rand Paul would like, before the 1964 and 1965 Civil Rights Acts when business establishments had the right to discriminate who they would serve? Back before Social Security and the New Deal? Back to the roaring 1920s of Calvin Coolidge or maybe before that to those halcyon days before Theodore Roosevelt's trust busting and his establishing of national parks. I'm sure the Koch brothers would really appreciate that.

Or maybe back to those good old days before the 14th Amendment, when state governments didn't have to abide by the Bill of Rights? There's certainly dumbfounding chatter coming from the right about repealing it.

And, Joe, speaking of repealing the 14th Amendment, what do you think of the establishment clause of the First Amendment? Think that needs some tweaking, too? Think Christianity needs to be established, once and for all, as the state religion?

I'm sure after watching the Tea Party Lincoln Memorial Rally, Fox News' resident theologian, Glenn Beck and, of course, our Siren of Wasilla would be singing out hallelujah to that prospect.

Joe, come on, square with us. Just how much of this country's principles and blood-sweat-and-tears progress does the Tea Party, rather Republican Party, want to throw overboard?

Tim O'Leary is a longtime Homer resident and observer of the political scene.