What the Arizona Republic calls a "nasty little battle" has broken out among Republican members of Arizona's Legislative District 20 in the wake of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting. Several Republicans have resigned, citing fears that local Tea Party supporters will harm them or their families for not being conservative enough.
Now-former Chairman Anthony Miller was among those to resign. A former campaign worker for Sen. John McCain, Miller sent an email to state Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen just hours after Saturday's shooting, saying, "Today my wife of 20 yrs ask (sic) me do I think that my PCs (Precinct Committee members) will shoot at our home? So with this being said I am stepping down from LD20GOP Chairman...I will make a full statement on Monday."
Miller said he faced "constant verbal attacks" from the Tea Party after being elected to his second term last month. Many of those attacks centered around Miller's involvement with McCain's bid last year against Tea Party darling J.D. Hayworth.
MORE: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/434799/after_giffords_shooting,_several_az_republicans_resign_amid_fears_of_tea_party_violence/#paragraph3
