UPDATE: Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit chronicles the placement of the coffin as part of a prayer vigil organized by the St. Louis Tea Party on Sunday, which Hoft attended. The coffin was brought to the vigil as a symbol of "the millions of Americans who will suffer from inadequate treatment and perish under ObamaCare," Hoft writes.

The tea partiers then migrated to the sidewalk outside Carnahan's home. Hoft writes that the tea partiers didn't leave the coffin on Carnahan's lawn. It's an "absolute lie," he writes.

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Reporters jumped on the foreboding backlash against Democrats yesterday, and another story has surfaced today: a coffin was placed on the lawn of Rep. Russ Carnahan's home outside of St. Louis, Missouri.

This comes after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had the glass door to her Tucscon, Arizon a office smashed, someone faxed an image of a noose to House Minority Whip James Clyburn on Monday, and Reps. Bart Stupak and Louise Slaughter received death threats, and Rep. Tom Perriello's brother's gas line was cut.

Asked if Carnahan felt threatened or unsafe, spokesman Jim Hubbard said, "No, and he's not going to be dissuaded" from supporting health care reform. "We sort of view this as an unfortunate incident, but this isn't the sort of rhetoric and behavior that is acceptable."