The people in Murfreesboro, Tenn., must have missed the craziness that took over their town during the 2010 election season. That has to be the reason someone asked GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain to visit the city where a battle over a planned Islamic Center dominated Tennessee politics a year ago.

According to Politico.com’s Alexander Burns, Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, came to Murfreesboro and promptly went on the warpath against the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. Cain, you may remember, got into hot water when he unequivocally rejected the idea of naming any Muslims whatsoever to his administration or to any judgeships. After the roof caved in on him, Cain “explained” that he meant he wouldn’t appoint any “terrorists,” thus compounding public perception that he may not be the sharpest knife in the GOP drawer.

Yesterday, Cain upped the ante in the anti-Muslim prejudice sweepstakes when he told reporters in Murfreesboro that the Islamic Center there “is an infringement and an abuse of our freedom of religion.” (Wouldn’t that actually be an expression of freedom of religion? Never mind.) Cain continued by peddling another popular far-right paranoid fantasy; the real purpose of the Center, he said, is “to try to gradually sneak Shariah law into our laws.” Of course it is, you crazy ignoramus.

This kind of irrationality, or let’s be frank, craziness, has now become routine in the GOP, which has been taken over by the kind of people who used to spend their time wandering around town mumbling to themselves about dark conspiracies. The New York Times’ Paul Krugman has a terrific column today on the subject, titled “Getting to Crazy,” in which he points out that the GOP has been on a long road toward crazy for years and seems to have finally reached its destination. For once, I wish I didn’t have a reason to say Amen, brother. (Thanks to Special Research Correspondent Mike for the tip.)

• Herman Cain: Stay crazy, my friend.