Talking Points Memo reports about an incident between Tea Party protestors and civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis:

Standing next to Lewis, emerging from a Democratic caucus meeting with President Obama, Carson said people in the crowd yelled, "kill the bill and then the N-word" several times, while he and Lewis were exiting the Cannon House office building.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, also black, was spat on and also called the N-word

And let's not forget how Barney Frank was treated

Not long before, Rep. Barney Frank got an uglier version of the treatment. Just after Frank rounded a corner to leave the building, an older protestor yelled "Barney, you faggot." The surrounding crowd of protestors then erupted in laughter.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has an excellent response to the matter - emotional, devastating, but ultimately civil. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat from Ohio, on the other hand, gave an unfortunate response on the House floor, that used the word "tea baggers", a name I have always tried to avoid and will still avoid.

Calling them names like "tea baggers" only brings us down to their level. And as we can see from today, the Tea Party's level is not a place that we should want to be. Today's display was the first step towards their marginalization. Let's take the next big step to dissipating and destroying them tomorrow, by passing this health care bill.