Is Tea Party nearly over for Ashjian?

When Jon Ashjian recently announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate on behalf of the newly minted Tea Party of Nevada, actual participants in the Tea Party movement immediately suspected he was a nefarious mole planted in their midst to assist in the re-election of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. (Insert photo of Boris Badenov here.)

Which, I’m guessing, is not the response he’d hoped for from the angry group whose votes he’d planned to court between now and November. (Can he actually be a member of the Tea Party without carrying a homemade sign? I'm not sure.)

Frankly, I wouldn’t put anything past this Reid. Look how cleverly he’s positioned himself in the media by using inappropriate remarks on slow news days and taking on the wildly controversial healthcare reform during an election year. Talk about a guy out to win a popularity contest. Now there’s a political puppetmaster at work.

While we’re looking for black helicopters, isn’t Ashjian an Armenian name? This could be some Armenian conspiracy concocted by Republican Senate candidate Danny Tarkanian. The old Armenian end around, that’s the ticket.

And come to think of it, isn’t “Jon” the first name of that political writer Ralston? Wouldn’t put it past Ralston to plant a wild-card candidate just to stir things up.

In recent days I’ve been hearing registered Republican Ashjian’s candidacy will be challenged by conservatives who have a terrible habit of reading Nevada’s election laws. (I turn straight to the comics myself. Hi and Lois and Beetle Bailey seem, I don’t know, more sincere.) From what I've heard they will be able to make a good procedural argument that Ashjian's registration is invalid.

Does this mean he’ll be bounced from the ballot? Does this mean he’ll actually be yet another Republican in the race to retire Reid? Does this mean it’s all a paperwork glitch and his apparent confusion will be forgiven?

Look for some answers beginning early in the week.

Meanwhile, I have a question:

If the Tea Party guy remains on the ballot, does that make him worthy of “Constant Comment?” Will he be known as the "Reid Zinger," or remembered as the Darjeerling of his party? Come on, don’t be chai. Enjoy the tea puns while they’re hot.