Double whammy for North Dakota teabaggers

If you live in North Dakota, and if you know any Tea Party followers, it might be best to stay clear of them for the next few decades - because they're apt to launch a low-budget Incredible Hulk imitation after seeing the results of today's voting.

In addition to the Tea Party's referendum on property taxes that was defeated, the Tea Party also placed at least one other measure on the North Dakota ballot today that was just as preposterous. Disguised as a "religious freedom" measure, the misnamed Religious Liberty Restoration referendum would have allowed zealots to hide behind religion to violate any law that they didn't feel like obeying. The measure would have stymied enforcement of laws on domestic violence, workplace discrimination, forced marriages, and other matters, for offenders could simply claim they were just following their religious beliefs.

I thought for sure this patently idiotic referendum would pass, simply because it was falsely cloaked in "religious freedom." But North Dakotans must be a smart bunch, because this measure has now failed just like the property tax measure did. It's losing by a stunning 64% to 36%.

Incidentally, the referendum was also backed by the state's Catholic dioceses - which raises serious questions about the church's IRS tax-exempt status.