A Tea Party lawmaker in Montana said the relocation of 60 bison -- which he blamed on Walt Disney's creation of "Bambi" -- could lead to gas jumping to $25 a gallon as part of a liberal federal government plot.

Rep. Krayton Kerns (R-Laurel) used a posting on his blog, "Ramblings of a Conservative Cow Doctor," to outline what he said was a four-part plan by the federal government to protect bison while leading to dramatic gas price hikes. Kerns, a three-term legislator and veterinarian, is a frequent speaker at Tea Party gatherings throughout Montana.

Kerns said the moving of 60 bison from Yellowstone National Park to the Fort Peck Native American Reservation this winter is part of "a four step process to crush the republic and bring our populace into perfect dependence on big government -- just as Karl Marx dreamed." He said the first part involved Walt Disney's creation of the popular fictional deer "Bambi," which he said allowed people to raise the stature of animals and caused the teaching of the environment in schools, which he said stopped worship of God.