MD Conservative Says Prince George's, Montgomery, Baltimore are "Axis of Evil" // Plus, GOP Uses O'Malley 2016 to Plug Dream Act Repeal

UPDATE: The Potomac Tea Party blog had this comment on Maryland Juice's coverage: "The “progressive” Maryland Juice gives us a look at the protesters outside in the rain.... Note that the Muslims (maybe all two of them) were supported by Quakers.... Also, remember that it was the Quakers (in the Sanctuary Movement) primarily behind the creation of CASA de Maryland (Bette Rainbow Hoover)!" Guess you can add Quakers to the Tea Party's list of enemies.

Earlier this month, Maryland Juice published a letter from a number of anti-discrimination groups condemning yesterday's Maryland Conservative Action Network conference. Several of Maryland's GOP elected officials were scheduled to attend and speak at the event, so the letter's signers called on them to pull out and planned to protest the event. Our earlier coverage noted great controversy due to the event's speaking lineup, which included a number of well-known extremist speakers. Several national progressive blogs and organizations criticized the event in the days leading up: Huffington Post, Think Progress, Southern Poverty Law Center, etc.

Quakers, Muslims and concerned residents protest the Maryland Conservative Action Network (MDCAN) Conference

The Capital Gazette covered the event and highlighted a number of statements from speakers. We reprint a few choice selections below, but first note this introductory comment:

Event organizer Tonya Tiffany of Howard County said the gathering was not meant to stir anti-Muslim sentiment.... She said the real purpose of the conference was to prod the Republican Party into becoming more conservative. "The Maryland Republican Party is too liberal," Tiffany said.

Former Del. Saqib Ali called into question this "reasonable" facade and provided the paper this quote:

"This stuff is unhinged. The things these people are saying is not unlike what the Ku Klux Klan says, and the KKK can't show its face in polite society."

Maryland Juice will let readers judge the MDCAN speakers comments for themselves. Here are the excerpts from the Gazette coverage:

Gays, Muslims, Immigrants Unite to Oppose Extremist Conference // CD6 GOP Candidate Sen. Shank a Featured Speaker

"A gay man, a muslim, and an illegal undocumented immigrant walk into a bar..."

...and write a letter telling GOP legislators "to strongly reconsider their decisions" 

to attend an upcoming extremist conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

This week, Equality Maryland, CASA de Maryland, the Islamic Society of Annapolis, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) denounced an October 29th conference hosted by the Maryland Conservative Action Network (MDCAN).

Together, the groups stated, "We unquestionably uphold the right of free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. However, we cannot remain silent when bigots and hate-mongers come to our communities to spread their lies and intolerance." They called on the following elected officials to reconsider their plans to speak: Senator Christopher Shank, Delegates Kathy Afzali, Patrick McDonough, and Neil Parrot. We reprint their full letter below, but already it has drawn the ire of our Tea Party counterparts in the blogosphere (see ie: Potomac Tea Party Reports).