Call off the thugs, Repugs

America already had 2 Republican parties: the Republicans and the DLC wing of the Democrats.

Now it has a third, as the Libertarians - the nation's fourth-largest party - are echoing the Republicans' bogus claim that the Democrats promoted "union violence" at congressional town hall meetings.

What "union violence"? The only recent violence at these meetings has been by GOP operatives. There is at least one report of an unnamed member of Congress being physically assaulted at these events by a Republican heckler.

If anyone should "call off the thugs", it's the Repugs - who the Libertarians refuse to condemn.

The problem with the Libertarians is that they've become a virtual carbon copy of the Republicans. The Libertarians used to have some enlightened views even on some economic matters. For instance, the party once had a platform plank opposing oppressive work-for-less laws. But that's gone.

I think Republicans have infiltrated the Libertarians just to boost that party, outraise the Democrats, and remake the two-party system in its own image.

But this won't work - especially now.

The Libertarians could have been a real force in American politics, if they had continued focusing on matters of personal autonomy, rather than echoing Republican policies to prop up Big Business and repeating the GOP's stock diatribe against organized labor.

Because the Libertarians have almost a cult following, I wouldn't be surprised to receive comments here defending them. They're going to have to work hard to convince me the Republicans haven't metastasized in their party.