McCollum gets condom in mail and Ellison is smeared as "sambo"

Keeping it classy, someone angry about the passage of health care reform -- and unwilling to identify themselves -- has mailed a condom to Rep. Betty McCollum's St. Paul district office with the declaration: "Betty McCollum you've been dry f***** by the liberal party."

Maria Reppas, McCollum's spokester, told CNN the condom was in a plastic bag but out of its original wrapper, and was mailed on March 23.

McCollum, Rep. Keith Ellison and Sen. Amy Klobuchar also reported reported receiving gas-soaked shreds of a U.S. flag in the mail.

According to CNN:

"Each of you receives part of a shredded American flag," the letter read. "It represents Obama and your liberal filth. Open the bag, it's covered in the stench you've brought to our government ... Because of you, we are now a country of dirt, shame, corruption and slime."

McCollum released a statement late Thursday in response.

"I will not back down in the face of attacks, threats, and violence," she said. "I do not regret my vote, and I will proudly stand in the face of opposition and defend my support of health care reform."

Ellison read a letter to the Pioneer Press in which he's called "sambo."

"Like I said, a good government worker is a dead government worker,' " Ellison said, reading from a transcript of the message taken by a staffer. The message concluded with a remark -- "Goodbye, Sambo" -- that many African-Americans would find offensive. Ellison is black.

Rep. Michele Bachmann, meanwhile, told a right-wing radio talk show host yesterday that Democrats are making up stories about racist and homophobic slurs made during the vote on the health care package.