Something scary and appalling is going on in politics the last few days and it has to do with the Cliven Bundy Ranch story out of Nevada.

As many of you know, there was an armed stand off between supporters of rancher Cliven Bundy and federal authorities with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). After the BLM took control of Bundy’s some 400 cattle grazing public land (as they’ve always done), a bunch of armed militia concerned with states’ rights, came down to the ranch to protest.

As Politico reports, the bureau revoked Bundy’s grazing rights after he stopped paying grazing fees and disregarded federal court orders to remove his animals. The dispute that ultimately triggered the roundup dates to 1993, when the bureau cited concern for the federally protected tortoise in the region. The BLM eventually left the scene, releasing the cattle and there were no injuries or violence.

Folks are still camped out on the ranch trying to protect the family from any other potential federal government overreach in their eyes.

And obviously this is a contentious and emotional fight that was scary at some points.

That’s where Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) comes in. He called Bundy and his supporters “domestic terrorists.”

Now, of course, regardless of whose side your on over this, these comments are nonsense. They’re not terrorists; who are they terrorizing? They’re not even illegally carrying weapons around.

I posit Reid is going to increase the rhetoric he’s using against the Bundy supporters. I think Reid wants some type of violence or, at least, the threat of violence because he wants to make this an election issue to use to go after Republicans. He’s looking for any distraction possible to get away from Obamacare (still a deeply unpopular law and the reason it’s becoming more and more likely the Senate control will dip to Republicans).

Sen. Reid wants to paint Republicans as crazy Tea Partiers and militia members because that helps keep him in power. He has an incentive to spread lies about the folks who are down there and to promote violence. I don’t think he wants to see people die but he wants some type of violence to further his narrative and give his side an edge in the upcoming elections.

You can agree or disagree with the Americans down in Nevada and their actions: reasonable people can see this from many different perspectives. But don’t let yourself be manipulated; and that includes not letting Harry Reid push you towards actions he can exploit to stay in power.