HEY, RIGHT-WINGERS

Upset about that Bush assassination mockumentary Death of a President? Well, maybe you'd like to venture a comment about this:

...Morgan Wilkins, the intern hired by the Republican National Committee to win the hearts and minds of Michigan 20-somethings, is planning events that some may find odd. To others, they may be offensive.

One such idea is "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day," in which a volunteer would play the part of an illegal immigrant and hide somewhere on campus while others try to find him. The winner would receive a prize.

Her other ideas include an event called "Fun with Guns," in which young Republicans would use a BB gun or paintball gun to shoot cardboard cut-outs of Democratic leaders such as Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) ...

What did Jeff Jacoby say about Death of a President? Oh, yes:

The fantasies it feeds are grotesque and obscene; to pander to such fantasies is to rip at boundary-markers that are indispensable to civilized society.

Yup, that sounds just about right.

And "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day," which is a nationwide wingnut phenomenon, is pretty damn offensive as well.

Howard Dean's letter of protest to Ken Mehlman is here.

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(Oops -- I should have known Raw Story would have this first.)

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UPDATE: A response from the GOP:

...The Republican National Committee said it had no connection with Morgan Wilkins, the woman accused of organizing the offbeat campaign activities at the University of Michigan. RNC spokesman Brian Jones said "the woman has no affiliation with the Republican National Committee, and we certainly condemn this kind of behavior. It's offensive and there's no place for it." He said news reports she was hired by the RNC are incorrect.

Paul Gourley, chair of the College Republican National Committee, said Wilkins is an independent contractor hired to recruit students to the GOP, but he said the reported activities were not authorized....

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UPDATE: A GOP youth apparatchik issues a clarification, and TBogg issues a clarification of the clarification.