Wave of tea party inspired attacks and threats

Tea party blogs appear to have inspired a wave of attacks on offices (and apparently a home) and threats against Democratic  legislators.

Incidents were reported in a number of states, including death and other threats of violence, an apparent attack on the home of the brother of a Virginia congressman -- local tea party blogs mistakenly posted the brother's address and suggest tea party sympathizers "drop by" and "thank" him for his vote on health care reform -- and a wave of broken windows at Democratic offices in a number of states inspired by anti-health care reform blogger in Alabama, Mike Vanderboegh, who had urged his readers angry at Democrats who voted for health care reform to "break their windows." His readers obliged, throwing bricks through windows of four Democratic party or congressional district offices in Kansas, Arizona, and two in New York state.

The tea party blogs that published and re-published the address of the brother of Virginia Democrat, Rep. Tom Perriello (thinking it was his), attempted to distance themselves from the attacks, according to an account in the Los Angeles Times:

Tea party officials said they did not encourage or condone attacks on Perriello's family or property.

"We wanted people to go by and talk to their congressman," said Nigel Coleman, who heads the Danville Tea Party. Coleman posted the address on his Facebook page after a member of the nearby Lynchburg Tea Party had posted the address on a blog.

Mark Lloyd, who heads the Lynchburg Tea Party, said the group, "condemn[s] violence," and that the posting never appeared on the group's official site.