1. Florida Representative Allen West says Michele Bachmann went too far when she suggested that oil companies should "responsibly" dig for oil in the Everglades. This would be perfectly normal and not newsworthy at all—any sensible human being should be against any of Michele Bachmann's policies—except for the fact that Allen West is as teabaggy as they come. And yet he says things like this: "To go in the middle of the Everglades and to spoil the river of grass just because somebody wants to, that's not a wise thing to do." Wow. I wonder who would protect the Everglades in West's ideal America, after the government has been stripped down to a tax-free skeleton?

2. Guess who's protesting a Mitt Romney appearance at a tea party rally this weekend? The tea party. FreedomWorks organizer Brendan Steinhauser says “We have to defend our brand against poseurs.” The Republican Party used the tea party as a last-ditch effort to remain viable in the 2010 elections. It worked, but they also gave brand identity to a bunch of maniacs. This collision of the fringe and the mainstream is going to be fun to watch.