Maddow: John Birch Society Gains Conservative Acceptance With Co-Sponsorship Of CPAC

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is, according to the Washington Post, "...the preeminent gathering of conservative activists." One of the co-sponsors of this year's conference in February is the John Birch Society. Rachel Maddow has reminded us that the group viewed President Eisenhower, a Republican, as a communist, referred to fluoride in drinking water as a communist plot, and called for the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren following the Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation decision. Watch:

After the John Birch Society accused Maddow of making false accusations, she read from the group's statements:

The most important point is what this co-sponsorship says about the modern conservative movement. Maddow points out that in the 1960s, William F. Buckley, founder of the conservative National Review, and the coordinating committee of the Republican Party condemned the group. Now, Maddow states, "...the erstwhile mainstream conservative gathering known as CPAC" has "brought back" the John Birch Society "from 40 years of pariah status to a new starring role." Should we be surprised when we have the conspiracy theories of Glenn Beck, the McCarthyism of Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and the outrageous accusations against the president by the tea party movement?