Meanwhile, Ed Martin Responds to Allegations Against Right-Wing "Patriots"

The allegations are flying this week that the Tea Party and other right-wingers have reached a new low in boorish behavior.

These include accusations that they spit on a black Missouri congressman and allegedly called him the N-word in Washington D.C. Also this week, the St. Louis Tea Party burned an effigy of U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan and showed up with a coffin at the congressman's St. Louis home and office.

Now the man running to unseat Carnahan is encouraging his supporters to fight on and apologize for nothing.

In an email blast to his supporters today, Republican candidate Ed Martin tells his faithful: "Do not succumb or be cowed by these wicked accusations."

Continues Martin:

Americans in general, and Missourians in particular are the kindest, most generous folk in history. We want reform, we just don't want Uncle Sam jamming his thumb in our eye. We don't want the IRS to snoop around our bank accounts. We don't want another raft of new taxes. Missourians already spend as much as a third of our state budget providing for the health care of the poor and elderly. I reject the slander that we do not care, and I will not be swayed by whatever sad story our opposition will use as a cudgel to make us submit.

Martin has labeled his campaign, "A Call to Repeal Carnahan."