Erick Erickson, the founder of political blog RedState.com, which CNN calls "the preeminent right of center community online," has threatened to drive off census workers with a shotgun if they ask him how many times he flushes the toilet and other highly classified information.

ERICKSON: This is crazy. What gives the Commerce Department the right to ask me how often I flush my toilet? Or about going to work? I'm not filling out this form. I dare them to try and come throw me in jail. I dare them to. Pull out my wife's shotgun and see how that little ACS twerp likes being scared at the door. They're not going on my property. They can't do that. They don't have the legal right, and yet they're trying.

I have a few questions for Mr. Erickson:

1. You realize that you can't be arrested for refusing to discuss your bathroom habits or any other census question, right?

2. You realize that you can be arrested for threatening an unarmed doorknocker with your wife's shotgun, right?

3. How do you respond to Jehovah's Witnesses? Trick-or-Treaters? Girl Scout cookie sellers?

4. Shouldn't you ask your wife's permission before brandishing her shotgun at a census worker?

5. Have you explored non-violent alternatives? Such as politely declining? Pretending that you're not home? Posting a large sign that says "Beware of Right-of-Center Blogger?"

6. Haven't there been enough gun threats lately?

7. What's your middle name?

Incidentally, Erickson will soon join a new CNN show called John King, USA. According to Sam Feist, CNN political director and vice president of Washington-based programming,

Erick's a perfect fit for John King, USA, because not only is he an agenda-setter whose words are closely watched in Washington, but as a person who still lives in small-town America, Erick is in touch with the very people John hopes to reach. With Erick's exceptional knowledge of politics, as well as his role as a conservative opinion leader, he will add an important voice to CNN's ideologically diverse group of political contributors.

I look forward to hearing Erickson's agenda-setting, ideologically diverse knowledge of politics on CNN.

More on the kinder, gentler, CNNier Erickson at MediaMatters.org.

Late update: After the ensuing uproar, Erickson logically defended himself against critics by playing the abortion card:

You people are nuts. Absolute nuts. Where do you get off misconstruing that I'm agitating for killing Census workers when you people are out there advocating for the killing of the unborn on a regular basis. You have no shame.

Erickson evidently has a curious notion of the concept of shame.

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I'm currently writing a book, How Bill O'Reilly Saved Christmas, and Other Right-Wing Persecution Fantasies, to be published in October. For more sad tales of right-wing suffering, read my persecution politics series at dagblog.com.