It has gone beyond referring to the rabidly self-righteous group as the Tea Party.  This is something out of Lewis Carroll.  Call it the Mad Republican Tea Party.

Just when some believed that things could not get anymore weird, along comes Republican Mad Tea Party congressional candidate Rich Iott of Ohio.  This challenger who, like other Mad Tea Party candidates, is running for office on the premise that he can help fix a broken political system, has an egregious hobby.

Iott explains that he is a history buff.  This is his reason for dressing up in a uniform from the 5th SS Wiking Panzer Division of Adolf Hitler's German Nazi Army from World War Two.  It was pointed out that this division was responsible for helping execute Hungarian Jews during World War Two.

Iott, displaying typical Mad Tea Party self-righteousness, blames critics for attacking him unfairly over a practice he can explain.  Given his fervent interest in history, Iott often dresses up in uniform relative to historical battle re-creations that are harmless.  In this case he earlier stated an admiration for Germany having demonstrated exemplary military expertise sufficient to almost achieve world conquest.