On Grant's radio show, Coulter suggests Obama's “civilian national security force” will lead to “a lot more Waco raids”

On Bob Grant's radio show, Ann Coulter suggested that President-elect Barack Obama's “civilian national security force” would lead to “a lot more Waco raids, Elian Gonzalez snatchings.” In fact, Obama's comments about the necessity of a “civilian national security force” referred to expanding the Foreign Service, AmeriCorps, and the Peace Corps.

During his November 5 broadcast, New York radio host Bob Grant played an audio clip of President-elect Barack Obama stating: “We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.” Responding to the clip, Grant's guest, conservative commentator Ann Coulter, said: “Sounds like there's gonna be a lot more Waco raids, Elian Gonzalez snatchings. I don't know, I don't know. I mean, I think this -- I think Obama is a frightening candidate. We'll see.” In fact, as Media Matters for America has previously noted, Obama's comments about the necessity of a “civilian national security force” -- which Grant falsely asserted came from Obama's Election Day remarks but were actually from a July 2 speech on service -- referred to expanding the Foreign Service, AmeriCorps, and the Peace Corps.

From Obama's July 2 speech in Colorado Springs, Colo.:

Today, AmeriCorps -- our nation's network of local, state, and national service programs -- has 75,000 slots. And I know firsthand the quality of these programs. My wife, Michelle, once left her job at a law firm and at City Hall to be a founding director of an AmeriCorps program in Chicago that trains young people for careers in public service. And these programs invest Americans in their communities and their country. They tap America's greatest resource -- our citizens.

And that's why as president, I will expand AmeriCorps to 250,000 slots and make that increased service a vehicle to meet national goals like providing health care and education, saving our planet and restoring our standing in the world, so that citizens see their efforts connected to a common purpose. People of all ages, stations, and skills will be asked to serve. Because when it comes to the challenges we face, the American people are not the problem -- they are the answer.

So we are going to send -- we're going to send more college graduates to teach and mentor our young people. We'll call on Americans to join an Energy Corps to conduct renewable energy and environmental cleanup projects in their neighborhoods all across the country. We will enlist our veterans to find jobs and support for other vets, to be there for our military families. And we're going to grow our Foreign Service, open consulates that have been shuttered, and double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 to renew our diplomacy.

We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.

We need to use technology to connect people to service. We'll expand USA Freedom Corps to create online networks where Americans can browse opportunities to volunteer. You'll be able to search by category, time commitment, and skill sets; you'll be able to rate service opportunities, build service networks, and create your own service pages to track your hours and activities. This will empower more Americans to craft their own service agenda, and make their own change from the bottom up.

From the November 5 broadcast of WABC Radio's Bob Grant Show:

GRANT: I want to play a portion of Barack Obama's speech last night, which I think is the most bizarre aspect of his program. Listen to this.

OBAMA [audio clip]: We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.

GRANT: Ann, what do you make of that?

COULTER: Sounds like there's gonna be a lot more Waco raids, Elian Gonzalez snatchings. I don't know, I don't know. I mean, I think this -- I think Obama is a frightening candidate. We'll see.

Rebecca Sivy is an intern for Media Matters for America