What are the Democrats up to with this "neo-Confederate" talk.

Recently I am starting to hear more references to factions of the Republican Party by Democrats as "neo-Confederate."

For example there is this article by Brent Budowsky in the publication, The Hill, Washington D.C. publication, referring to a civil war in the Republican Party between nationalists and neo-Confederates.

http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/brent-budowsky/319465-bloody-gop-civil-war

He says:

The neo-confederates are spearheaded by GOP firebrands such as Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), former Wasilla Mayor and part-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the ubiquitous birther Donald Trump and a lengthy cast of smaller characters who increasingly resemble a political freak show more than a political party (what do you say about statewide candidates who cannot take a clear position against rape?).

Sarah Palin did speak to the Alaska Independence Party, and Rand Paul is the son of neo-Confederate Ron Paul of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, (www.mises.org). However, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump I haven't picked up any neo-Confederate connections. Perhaps Cruz has said something about nullification or interposition, and I missed it. 

Jesse Jackson recently referred to the Tea Party Republicans the resurrection of the Confederacy. 

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said in a Tuesday interview with a national news outlet that there’s no question about it — Republicans are constantly pushing the race button on all matters of policy and politics, and tea party activists are akin to redneck racist throwbacks from the Civil War era.

“The tea party is the resurrection of the Confederacy,” he said, in an interview with Politico. “It’s the Fort Sumter tea party.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/27/jesse-jackson-tea-party-resurrection-confederacy/

This is another item on Jesse Jackson's comments. 

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/356851/jesse-jackson-tea-party-resurrection-confederacy-katherine-connell

Earlier a commentator used neo-Confederate in reference to the anti-gun control movement. 

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/356283/msnbcs-reid-opposition-gun-control-neo-confederate-andrew-johnson

What does all this mean. I am not sure. Perhaps neo-Confederate has just entered the political lexicon and it is bound to be used as a derogatory comment about a political opponent. 

However, it wasn't that long ago that the Democratic Party and liberals didn't want to say anything much about neo-Confederacy or Confederate anything. There were some electoral votes and congressional districts they hoped to shake loose out of the South for upcoming elections. 

Instead, I think the Democrats are hoping that if they use the term neo-Confederate or Confederacy enough they can get the Tea Party to embrace the Confederacy, perhaps fly some Confederate flags, in reaction. 

It isn't just the last couple weeks either, this campaign attempting to identify the Republicans with the Confederacy has been going on all year.