Media ignore facts undermining GOP calls for Napolitano resignation
SUMMARY: The Politico, Roll Call, and TheHill.com uncritically quoted Republican congressmen suggesting that the DHS report on right-wing extremist groups was "politic[ally]" motivated. None of the articles noted that DHS also issued an assessment of left-wing extremism.
In April 22 reports on House Republicans' calls for Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to resign, the Politico, Roll Call, and TheHill.com uncritically quoted Republican congressmen suggesting that the recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report on right-wing extremist groups was "politic[ally]" motivated. None of the articles noted that DHS also issued an assessment on January 26 of left-wing extremism, concluding that "a number of emerging trends point to leftwing extremists maturing and expanding their cyber attack capabilities over the next decade with the aim of attacking targets in the United States."
Roll Call also reported that Republicans "expressed outrage at the report for characterizing soldiers returning home as potential threats," without noting that as evidence for its conclusion that "rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat," the DHS cited a 2008 FBI report authored during the Bush administration. The FBI report stated, in the words of the DHS, that "some returning military veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have joined extremist groups."
Politico similarly reported that "veterans groups also complained that the report singled out 'military veterans' returning from war," without noting the 2008 FBI report, despite the fact that Politico's Jen Dimascio highlighted the FBI report in an April 15 article, writing, "While the American Legion and conservative commentators have pounced on a recent Department of Homeland Security report on right-wing extremism, calling it politically motivated and slanderous toward veterans, a 2008 FBI report with similar findings generated little controversy or coverage."
Moreover, in citing complaints from "veterans groups," the April 22 Politico article ignored an April 15 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) statement, titled, "DHS Report Was a Threat Assessment, Not Accusation." In the statement, VFW national commander Glen M. Gardner Jr. said that "[t]he report proves that DHS is doing its job, and that's to protect America and Americans."
From the April 22 Roll Call article:
Several conservative Republicans took to the House floor Wednesday night to call for Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to resign in the wake of the department's new report that identifies "right wing extremists" as potential terrorists.
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), secretary of the House Republican Conference, compared Napolitano's statements to the actions of dictators in Venezuela and China.
"Singling out political opponents for working against the ruling party is precisely the tactic of every tyrannical government from Red China to Venezuela," Carter said in a prepared statement.
The conservatives were responding to a report released by the Department of Homeland Security on April 14 that warned of the dangers of attacks by right-wing extremists who will "attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat."
Republicans at first expressed outrage at the report for characterizing soldiers returning home as potential threats.
"The first step in the process is creating unfounded public suspicion of political opponents, followed by arresting and jailing any who continue speaking against the regime," Carter said Wednesday. On the floor, Carter said 81 percent of his district might be considered right-wing extremists by the Obama administration.
From the April 22 Politico article:
House Republicans are calling on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to step down or be fired in the wake of a controversial department memo that has sparked indignant battle cries from conservatives and some veterans.
"Singling out political opponents for working against the ruling party is precisely the tactic of every tyrannical government from Red China to Venezuela," said Texas Rep. John Carter, a member of the party's elected leadership who has organized an hour of floor speeches Wednesday night to call for Napolitano's ouster. "The first step in the process is creating unfounded public suspicion of political opponents, followed by arresting and jailing any who continue speaking against the regime."
In particular, conservative members of the Republican Study Committee raised repeated concerns about the report and Napolitano's subsequent defense of its findings on Wednesday, calling on party leaders to raise the issue with President Barack Obama during a White House meeting on Thursday.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a report earlier this month warning federal, state and local law enforcement officials that the slumping economy "could create a fertile recruiting environment for right-wing extremists and even result in confrontations between such groups and government authorities similar to those in the past."
Conservative bloggers and talk radio hosts immediately seized on the report as evidence that the Obama administration was trying to marginalize its critics on the right.
Veterans groups also complained that the report singled out "military veterans" returning from war who face "significant challenges reintergating into their communities," leading to the "potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone-wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks."
Napolitano has since apologized to veterans.
From the April 22 article on theHill.com:
Republicans are upset over a Homeland Security report sent to local law enforcement officers earlier this month on how the recession could fuel a resurgence in "radicalization and recruitment" in right-wing terrorism groups.
A footnote in the report defined "hate groups" as including groups and individuals dedicated to a single issue, including opposition to abortion or immigration.
Napolitano subsequently said the footnote should be struck from the report.
That wasn't enough for several Republican lawmakers.
Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.) said she could be considered a terrorist under the report's definition.
"I serve my nation, I'm in my third year of Congress, I serve my state, I own shotguns, I believe in the Second Amendment; I don't consider myself to be a threat on the scale of terrorism; I'm just a working mom who believes in the right to bear arms," Fallin said.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) said Napolitano should either apologize or resign.
"It almost bespeaks that she is either abysmally ignorant or that she is purposefully politicizing the office to which she has been confirmed," Hensarling said. "She owes an apology to millions of Americans and if she doesn't ... her comments are so over the top, so outrageous, so injurious to our republic that she probably should resign."
The media are idiotics, we realize that.
Don't blame them that Republicans are betting at scoring political points over such things than the Dems are.
I wish that the Dems had created an uproar when the DHS report came out in Jan about left-wing extremism.
Of course, then, there wasn't a mole in DHS who ratted out the report to a left-wing blogger like what happened with this story.
Idiotics? Idiots, I meant
I like "idiotics". I believe it is defined as the technical application of "stupidism".
Ah yes, the ism...as in "a distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement." Or in this case, a bowel movementism.
As far as the Secretary of the DHS goes, nobody needs to resign, but there is something to back off from and even disavow here, and this business about the "ism" is important, and worth knowing about, for any person who aspires to be clear-thinking and sensible.
The best way I can explain what I'm trying to say, is to draw a picture:
Imagine just for a moment that a Special Agent of the FBI has timothy mcveigh under surveillance: the agent's name will be Agent Onthejob, and as far as why and how he came to be interested in mcveigh, that doesn't matter here: FBI Agent Onthejob has been observing mcveigh in several different locales, including Michigan (where mcveigh was from I believe) and Kingman AZ (where he lived for some time) and Oklahoma City: Agent Onthejob maybe has some number of wiretaps going, and he's listening intently to all conversations, because he strongly suspects that mcveigh and friends are up to something monsterous, and he feels he's just a few dots away from completing the picture: Onthejob has approached a number of mcveigh's friends in casual and covert ways, to see if they maybe have loose enough lips to sink mcveigh's ship: Onthejob has even approached an ex-girlfriend of mcveighs, to more than just question her, but to see if she's agreeable and right for the task, to get her to call up tim, and see if she can't get him to say on the telephone exactly what he's up to these days: Agent Onthejob has observed mcveigh not only doing business at a place where you can buy fertilizer by the ton, but also tim mcveigh seems awfully interested in buying diesel fuel by the drum, despite the fact that he doesn't drive any diesel vehicles: and right about the time that mcveigh is observed renting a Ryder Rent-A-Truck, and seems on his way to loading it up with his tons of fertilizer and his fifty gallon drums of diesel fuel... and right abot the time Agent Onthejob is not only connecting these dots, but also starting to figure out just what was timothy mcveigh's interest in that Federal Building in Oklahoma City... right about this time, another agent shows up to join the investigation:
Agent Dipchitism, from the DHS.
And as busy as Agent Onthejob is, he tries to make the time to answer Agent Dipchitism's questions about what has been going on so far, in order to catch Dipchitism up on the investigation...
"Is this mcveigh person an 'extremist'" Agent Dipchitism of the DHS asks.
"I guess so" Agent Onthejob answers.
"Is he a 'rightwing extremist'" Dipchitism asks further.
"Maybe... to be honest, I don't find it necessary to describe mcveigh like that... but if that's important to you, then sure, call him a 'rightwing extremist' if you like" says Agent Onthejob to Agent Dipchitism of the DHS.
Dipchitism continues: "Is the target here, mcveigh, is he involved in 'radicalization' in addition to 'extremism', and does it look like his 'radicalization' involves in any way 'recruitment', and do you think that any 'recruitment' and 'radicalization' of these 'extremists' and especially 'rightwing extremists', do you think it's because of the 'current economic and political climate', and is it 'fueling a resurgence' of these things... is that what we're looking at here Agent Onthejob?"
To which Agent Onthejob get's exasperated, and turns away momentarily from monitoring the details of his surveillance of timothy mcveigh, and in a quick and abrupt manner answers Agent Dipchitism (of the DHS), answers him:
"Look, the phuck that I'm investigating here, he's an exact and specific individual, with a specific name, and his name isn't 'extremist' or even 'rightwing extremist'... I've surveilled a lot of phucks in my time on the job, and not a one of them ever was named any word that ended in 'ism', every one of them was a particular person, with a name, because otherwise I could never investigate them, and otherwise I wouldn't know who the phuck to look for, if someone told me to look for 'extremists'... the same is true of the places this guy goes to and the things he does there, none of those places are called an 'ism', and all of those things mcveigh is doing, they aren't 'isms' or 'izations' or anything else with a name that essentially means nothing and describes nothing: 'isms' that describe nothing but the dim impressions of things in the mind of the person using the 'ism' words... me, I'm looking into and out for the real world, and have no desire to descend into strange 'ism' conversations with you just now, Agent Dipchitism... not only do I have no desire to do that, but such bullchit as that, just distracts me from the real job, and clutters up my talk and my thoughts unnecessarily, with dip chit 'isms' that have nothing to do with actually being on the job" says Agent Onthejob to Agent Dipchitism of the DHS.
And Agent Onthejob of the FBI, he goes back to the business of surveilling timothy mcveigh, and mutters to himself (but loud enough for Agent Dipchitism of the DHS to hear): "Whatever this phuck mcveigh is up to, and I'm gonna find out what he's up to, it's got nothing to do with an 'ism', I'm sure of that... and when I move in to stop the phuck from whatever it is he and his phucking friends are planning to do in Oklahoma City, well me stopping him won't have anything to do with any 'isms' either" says Agent Onthejob as he gets back to being on the job.
And Agent Dipchitism of the DHS, he's sort of put out by all of this, and sort of sulks off and sulks away...
And he goes back to his office at the DHS, and thinks to himself "I'll show them... I'll show them how brilliant I am, and how insigtful and how useful 'isms' are."
And Agent Dipchitism of the DHS, he writes a report, titled:
"Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment"
And then he sends a copy it to Agent Onthejob, who throws it in the trash as being worthless to him, worthless to him and anyone else, on the job.
...and citing an equally moronic report, about "leftwing extremism", is more proof that these idiots are consistently stupid, than it is proof of anything else... whatever two wrongs add up to, will never make it right.
I would imagine that the scenario you describe gets played out time and again within all kinds of law enforcement agencies when the bureaucrats butt heads with the field officers. If memory serves, Clint Eastwood made a whole series of Dirty Harry movies demonstrating and lampooning this very phenomenon.
It's nothing new, nor is it likely to change, whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge.
Yes that's true, that's an element to those several "Dirty Harry" movies, where Inspector Callahan has to suffer listening to the opinions of various pretended experts and other pure theorists, who have no real knowledge of Law enforcement, for the reason that they have no real experience in it (and of those particular movies, the original "Dirty Harry" and then "Magnum Force" are my favorites: "Magnum Force" being the one where the slick young and sharp motorcycle cops have been formed into an assassination squad, to eliminate the criminals who are able to evade or escape the Justice of the Courts... cool movie, right to the end). Also, if this concept of the bubbleheaded know-it-all versus the experienced person in the field, if it's in another movie, then I think it's in "Die Hard": the NYC cop John McClain is doing everything and anything his experience and instincts tell him to do, against the guys who have seized the building... but the various other idiot cops outside are all just dupes, as they predictably do the things that pretended experts think are right: like when the FBI show up, and start talking about "this look's like an A-7 scenario"... and then the L.A. cop who's doing all he can to help McClain in the building, he tells John "the FBI are here, and they're playing this one straight out of the FBI playbook"... and of course, both McClain and the L.A. cop know that that's exactly what makes those idiots stupid and predictable... and sure enough, the guys who've seized the building take advantage of and manipulate those "A-7 scenario" idiots... anyway, those are just examples from art, from the movies: but those movies nailed it true, and as far as this DHS report titled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment" (and you can substitute "leftwing" for "rightwing" and it's still the same nonsense), as far as that idiocy goes, it reminds me again in the movie "Die Hard", where the news people have some "terrorism expert" on the news, to comment on the seizure of the building and the taking of the hostages... and he starts prattling on about the "Helsinki Syndrome" (remember?), and starts talking about some kind of "transference" between hostages and terrorists, that cause them to identify with their captors, and even like them... and that idiot's theory is then juxtaposed against a scene showing the hostages terrorized, and a dead hostage being dragged away... well, that's just the art of stroytelling (movies are stories of course), but art does imitate life, and stories are sometimes the best way we have of telling truthsl.
Ahhh, Bushspeak at it's finest!
"I don't consider myself to be a threat on the scale of terrorism"
Doesn't this mean that the congresswoman perceives herself as a threat but not on the level of a terrorist?
Or are we only allowed to twist the words of Democratic members?
As many of us have pointed out, this is the benefit the Republicans have gained by buying up the Media. They get to define the debate on their terms.
The Dumbing Down of the Republicans is almost complete. It seems that the roles have been reversed and that an Alternate Universe KKKarl Rove is advising the Dems.
Anyone notice that the Dems are throwing out stuff and the Repubs are reacting like the Dems did in the past..DEFENSE, DEFENSE, my Steelers colors are showing. The screeching Right have their panties in a twist over some report that hit both sides. None of them give the details of where, when, who wanted this report. Now, by upping the ante and wanting Napolitano fired, the request may be the joke of the day on the Repubs. She can now open up on the naysayers/criers and get air-time to explain the report without interruption.
Will someone refresh me on when the last point of contention the Repubs have brought forth really meant anything to the country---thier 25%ers' be damned. And how long ago were the teabaggers out there. seems like months.
Repubs, listen, get someone that is not a Merchant of Menace to take the R-Flag and lead you guys from under the IronBoot of the Cons. If not, your Republican Party will go the way of the Tea Parties...cold and flushed down the drain.
I don't know.... I think the victimization of Miss California by the Gay Agenda PC Police may be the last straw.
I'm still waiting for the MSMS to really get into the details of this girls' life. Remember what happened to Joe the Plumber. On posts last night I suggested that the tickets for the R's in 2012 is getting crowded.
Palin-Prejean Palin and the Plumber Plumber and Palin
Prejean-P. Hilton, the other P. Hilton......And the war cry will be..Vote For PP.
POW, That's pretty pathettic and patently preposterous. But I portend that it may be presciently probable. Hey we are dealing with the perversive pachyderms here after all..........;-)
Always Poo Pooing my comments. Positively protesting Palin, Plumber Boy and Parjean provides proper perspective prior to primaries.
Why is she supposed to resign again? For a report commissioned by, and asked for by the Bush Administration?
Get over it people. This report was not politically motivated. Would you rather we don't keep an eye on right wing extremist groups? I for one, being that a right wing extremist, before 9/11, committed the worst act of terrorism on our soil, and not to mention the long history of death caused by right wing extremism, would rather we keep an eye on them that's for sure. Not only that, but this report that came out closely identified with a report written by the Southern Poverty Law Center that essentially came to the same conclusions.
There is really no place for right wing, or left wing extremism in our country, and I would challenge the GOP, instead of crying about this report, to disavow right wing extremism instead of being shrill about being "targeted". Only if you're an extremist folks.
I think what's happening here is that the Republicans, no longer burdened with having to defend the indefensible Bush Administration, have a lot of time on their hands.
Their well-funded think tanks are free to ferret out every little thing the Democrats say or do and try to pump it up into a full-blown controversy, much as they did during the Clinton years. If they didn't have willing stooges in the media to help them disseminate their nonsense, they would have disappeared under a log somewhere by now.
But, as it is, they are controlling the debate, even though they were thoroughly rebuked in the last election. Go figure.
ConsTrolling the debate...I think you invented a new phrase. That happens here also, ConsTrolling.
Only if they would think before they react. The nonsense was debunked at the election but they haven't learned anything. However, Rush and SeannieTheSissyBoy etc., keep it going while the so-called leaders of the R's, Boehner and the other nut, follow the Radio Dialers comments. I feel that they are burying themselves deeper. And the FNC Tea Parties proved that the Fair and Balanced Channel was anything but F&B.
Since 1/20/09, I have some of the OTHERS at least glimpsing at MMFA and they are taken back by the main articles. They never hear this side. It is interesting to listen to thier debates about subjects pre-O and since-Obama. As a matter of fact, the PrincessofWheels, registered Republican, switched to vote for Hillary in the primaries, who she liked, will not switch back.
That's a pretty good description. Today's republican reminds me of some of the driver's I've had driving my rig - too much time on their hands. They inevitably spend hours on end thinking up stupid stuff and then proceed to convince themselves its true. I've had to fire a few because they got to the point that they should be paid extra for pumping gas because they thought they were doing two jobs...
Please note: Now that the republicans have been thrown out of government due to significant segments of the public enjoying the fruits of republican governance, the libertarian ideologues of the right find resonance. Thus their paranoid fantasies of Machete wielding Obama socialist brigades that are going to take away their guns, their penny collections and their right to easy wealth.
For 20 years we have been electing a lot of people who don't believe that government can work and guess what, they made government more disfunctional while selling it to the highest corporate bidder. Of course part of this anti government meme contains a skepticism of constitutional rights, transparency and balance of power.
So what we get is a lot of crybaby whining and self pitying victimhood from conservatives. Of course all this wallowing in victimhood overlooks the treatment of anti war and progressive demonstrators who have been monitored, infiltrated and marginalized by conservative government and media.
Its not as if we don't have a history of right wing extremism in this country. I guess this is a topic to sweep under the rug, along with government sanction torture and corperate/government collusion. Wallowing in victimhood is weak and cowardly, so is denying your mistakes.
right on. They haven't wrapped their heads around the fact that they just relegated themselves to another 40 years of minority rule. Unfortunately, 40 years is also the same amount of time it will take for a significant part of today's population to either die off or get too old to care, so they will be back...
How many Obama officials (Geithner, Napolitano) will the GOP call for resignation before the press starts calling them out on their hyperventillating?
No one else sees the Repubs as sore loser crybabies yet?
The press will never call them out.
How could a report commissioned by the Bush administration be politically motivated by Napolitano? This is a good example of the childish I'm-a-victim attitude of the Reps. 'Boo hoo. There was a report about right wing extremists. You're out to get anyone who disagrees with you.' I didn't hear any Dems complaining when the report about left wing extremists was issued in January. Of course the media is stoking this fire. There was virtually no reporting on the left wing extremist report.
Once again, the victims on the right forget about one thing..Is there truth in this report? Very simple. Are there Extremist groups on the right or left that fits these descriptions? Once that question is answered, the rest is easy.
Touche!!!!! Excellent point!
The answer is YES and of course the number of RW groups has been growing fast say since November?..maybe the point of the DHS report..DUH!??
SMTDL,
The DHS report on the left wing extremists, identified the following groups:
... the Animal Liberation Front and its sister organization, the Earth Liberation Front. Other prominent groups include Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty; and chapters within the Animal Defense League, and Earth First!
.... Anarchist extremist groups include entities within Crimethinc, the Ruckus Society,and Recreate 68.
Perhaps you'd be so kind as to list the extreme right wing groups identified by the DHS that you say have been growing fast since November?
Are you of the opinion that the left wing report was thorough in its list? It listed a few examples and even referred to them as examples. And the right wing report gave the cop killer as an example, but I recall you tried to claim that he wasn't a rightwinger...
The following is from the report. There is nothing significant in this report to warrant Ms. Napolitano's comments. There is a percentage of the American population who are white supremacists, the fact that some happen to be in the military means nothing. Open your eyes to this fact-I do not support their views and I am not asking you to, but you have to realize these people are out there and military service is not a prerequisite for becoming a skin head. I am offended by her, but not for this. I have a problem with her because she is completely ignorant. She believes that we should be more worried about the Canadian border than the Mexican border in terms of terrorist infiltrations (she did acknowledge the drug wars in Mexico as being a primary concern). However, her stance on where terrorists are entering this country from is completely ludicrous and quite honestly, insane.
(U//FOUO) Although individuals with military backgrounds constitute a small percentage of white supremacist extremists, they frequently occupy leadership roles within extremist groups and their involvement has the potential to reinvigorate an extremist movement suffering from loss of leadership and in-fighting during the post-9/11 period.
• (U//FOUO) White supremacist extremists hope to revitalize the white supremacist movement by exploiting antigovernment sentiment among opponents of the overseas conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although some veterans of these conflicts have joined the extremist movement, they have not done so in numbers sufficient to stem declines among major national extremist organizations, nor has their participation resulted in a more violent extremist movement.
What is left out of the discussion is the differences between the two reports.
The left wing extremists are identified by specific left wing extremist groups who break the law.
There is no such identification of any right wing extremist groups or any other type of qualifier that distinguishes people of good faith who happen to be against abortion, illegal immigration, and veterans, with those who might indeed be extremists. According to Napolitano, all one has to do to be considered as a possible a right wing extremist, is hold those views or be a veteran.
The report is nothing but a left wing attempt at marginalizing ideological opponents. It is apparent that it was pushed out in advance of the Tea Parties for political reasons.
She was, in effect, trying to bully anyone who disagrees with her left wing ideology from voicing their opinions in the public square. This memo, which supposedly was not be made public, made the implicit threat that the DHS, or other law enforcement agencies will now be watching people who might partake of these Tea parties.
This just another example like Obama's okay to Holder to prosecute members of the Bush Administration because of the legal opinions in which his radical leftist administration disagrees regarding the use of forceful interregations, attempting to prosecute political opponents over policy differences.
Obama is trying to silence his political opponents through threats and the improper use of government agencies, all for political gain.
Because Napolitano has politicized the DHS, and using it as a tool against political opponents, it is obviously she is too partisan to effectively run the DHS. It would be good for the country and a wake up call for the rest of the Obama administration that the do not have carte blanche, if she had to either resign or be fired because of this abuse of her office.
Again, you glossed over the entire report which specifically mentioned breaking the law by using a footnote on page 2 to claim it didn't. I guess reading the entire report for yourself is too difficult, but you should try it instead of letting Rush tell you what the report says.
snoopy,
It is an old, tired, and worn out device used far too many times here to assign every post to some right wing talk show host. Besides being immaterial it shows lack of an argument on your side.
Also, it's time for you to stop pretending you are a mind reader. You are completely wrong. I've read both reports. So save the snarky replies as they only make you look juvenile.
Getting that out of the way, in essence your reply consists of you simply saying, "does not." That is not much of an argument. Besides that, the rest of the report does not refute the actual definition used by DHS. Just because it is a footnote, does not negate the definition. On the left wing extremist report the defintion for left wing extremists is listed as an appendix. Big deal.
Please illustrate the parts where the DHS report backs up you claims.
AA, A trip down memory lane. Let us not forget that old number one hit the Repubs and Bushies would always sing, " If You Ain't Got Nothin' To Hide, You Ain't Got Nothin' To Worry About." I believe the lyrics were mouthed over and over again by such prominent singers as Rush, Seannie, Ashcroft, Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice and even George Bush. Now if you got somethin' to hide, you better worry. Tell us now and we'll see what we can do for you.
P.S. When did that song become obsolete
You've lost me on that one. I don't believe I've ever heard of the song.
(U//FOUO) This product is one of a series of intelligence assessments published by the Extremism and Radicalization Branch to facilitate a greater understanding of the phenomenon of violent radicalization in the United States. The information is provided to federal, state, local, and tribal counterterrorism and law enforcement officials so they may effectively deter, prevent, preempt, or respond to terrorist attacks against the United States. Federal efforts to influence domestic public opinion must be conducted in an overt and transparent manner, clearly identifying United States Government sponsorship.
(U//FOUO) Growth of these groups subsided in reaction to increased government scrutiny as a result of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and disrupted plots, improvements in the economy, and the continued U.S. standing as the preeminent world power. (U//FOUO) The possible passage of new restrictions on firearms and the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.
(U//FOUO) Proposed imposition of firearms restrictions and weapons bans likely would attract new members into the ranks of rightwing extremist groups, as well as potentially spur some of them to begin planning and training for violence against the government. The high volume of purchases and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by rightwing extremists in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the country continue to be a primary concern to law enforcement.
—
(U) A recent example of the potential violence associated with a rise in rightwing extremism may be found in the shooting deaths of three police officers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 4 April 2009. The alleged gunman’s reaction reportedly was influenced by his racist ideology and belief in antigovernment conspiracy theories related to gun confiscations, citizen detention camps, and a Jewish-controlled “one world government.”
I've posted these facts to you already in previous posts, in every one your lack of response is telling. But whenever I post facts to back up my statement, all I get out of you is a reply to the effect of "does not". Not surprised that you would try and project your own method of response on me though, it's your M.O.
AA never met a fact he couldn't ignore.
Snoop,
Your cut and paste does not back up your assertion. There are no right wing groups listed. This report is all conjecture used to demonize anyone who fits the left-wing ideological definition as possible lawbreakers.
The anecdotal evidence of a lone crazed gunman in Philadelphia only shows more the left wing ideological bias. Racism is not a right-wing characteristic. As I've mentioned before, you can find more evidence of recent violent racism on the left than the right.
Funny, I didn't see anything in the left wing report about 26-year-old parolee Lovelle Mixon, who killed four Oakland policemen. Get a load of this...
"...a very different event is being held tonight, a march and vigil in memory of Lovelle Mixon, the 26-year-old gunman.The event, organized by the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement, will begin at 6 p.m. at the Uhuru House at 7911 MacArthur Blvd.According to the organization’s Web site, the march is designed to “Uphold the Resistance of the African Community as Represented by Brother Lovelle Mixon."
http://fugitive.com/archives/3575
So should you be included as a left wing extremist for the actions of this man and a black racist group called Uhuru that supported his actions? Does his murders and their racist ideology make you extremist? Anti-Semitism comes from the left, not the right. Have you not seen Charles Freeman's failed nomination chair the Obama administration's National Intelligence Council because of his anti-Semitic remarks? I've mentioned all this before in other threads.
It is my impression that only when I pound you over the head for some sort of proof do you even try. And even then, Your cut and paste post does not prove your point. It only serves to prove mine.
My list isn't complete, it does however answer your claim about the report not being specific about crimes or illegal activities. No wonder you are now trying to deflect your initial claims rather than admit the report does specify.
Anti semetism comes from the left, not the right? Do the neo-nazi's ring a bell? You can't get more right wing than that.
Am I a member of the Democratic Uhuru Movement? Your point makes absolutely no sense - again.
But then, you are the same person who just saw examples posted exactly as written in the DHS report who then proceeded to say the exact written word doesn't say what it really says. No wonder you have a beef with MMFA, they post the exact info too. It's pretty hard to dispute facts when they are made available to view, but you are quite an expert, cowboy.
As you said before... post the facts, all I see is another opinion.
Oops, anti semitic groups are all leftists, another fully debunked AA myth:
American Nazis
Anti-Semitic, Racist, Neo-Nazi Groups in America Today
From About.com
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism. The ADL’s annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents found that Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States declined in 2005, but that levels were still a source of concern. More specifically, there were 1,757 reported anti-Semitic incidents in North America 2005, a three percent decline from 2004.
Anti-Semitic incidents included in the Audit comprise physical and verbal assaults, harassment, property defacement, vandalism or other expressions of anti-Jewish sentiment. States with the most total incidents: New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
One trend that has served as a driving force behind the numbers is public activity by organized neo-Nazi and other hate groups.
National Socialist Movement
Today America's largest Neo-Nazi group is the National Socialist Movement (NSM).
NSM is a Minneapolis-based hate group known for its Nazi uniforms and open display of explicit Nazi symbols.
NSM Profile
NSM has outpaced other anti-Semitic groups in both membership and activity.
NSM Activity
Other Anti-Semitic Groups in the United States
In the United States, the Constitutional guarantee for freedom of speech allows political organizations great latitude in expressing Nazi, racist or anti-Semitic ideology. Due to First Amendment restrictions, the federal government generally cracks down on such organizations only after members engage in hate crimes and violence.
Other American Anti-Semitic Groups
But since it says socialist in their name, they have to be leftists, right? (sarcasm off)
AnotherAmerican in a nut's hell:
"Snoopy, your quotes from the DHS report which back up the claim you did make (that the rightwing extremism report is about people who intend to violently break the law) don't back up a claim I am pretending you made (that leftwing groups are specified in the leftwing extremism report).
Also, I again call into evidence the fact that some black people are racists to prove that Poplawski, a white racist psycho paranoid about his guns, was a left-winger.
What's more, the left-wing extremist report that came out before the Oakland police murders didn't mention the Oakland police murders! I smell a conspiracy!
Even though you have been vociferously stating that these two reports don't equate extremists with ordinary conservatives or liberals, I nonsensically demand: Are you a "leftwing extremist?"
Once again, I will prove that Anti-Semitism is also a leftwing phenomenon by pointing out that an Obama nominee stated that Israel's violence to Palestinians is an obstacle to peace.
And finally, I reiterate, the quotes from the report you supply, while they back up the claim you did make (about which I will heretofore remain silent), do not support another claim that I wish you made instead. Gosh you are obtuse!"
first parens should say rightwing, not leftwing. Sorry to have muddied my summary of aa.
You just LIE at the drop of a hat. Anti Semitism is NOT a leftwing thing. Flat out NOT. Why do you just lie like this? Do you think it helps you in any way? Which screechmonkey programmed you with THAT tidbit of idiocy?
This just another example like Obama's okay to Holder to prosecute members of the Bush Administration because of the legal opinions in which his radical leftist administration disagrees regarding the use of forceful interregations, attempting to prosecute political opponents over policy differences. - anotheramerican
So AA, you don't believe that the federal government should prosecute people who have broken the law? Torture is against the law. It doesn't matter how bad it is or how benign it seems. Torture is torture -and it's illegal. If it were Dems torturing people, you'd be calling for their heads.
And you call Napolitano partisan? Your hypocrisy reeks, dude.
I think you're just angry that (1) Republicans lost the election and Republican ideology is slowly circling the drain; (2) that there is a higher number of right-wing extremist lunatics in this country (look at history); (3) the one American terrorist who committed the biggest act of terrorism in the U.S. pre 9/11 was a right-wing fanatic. Give it up. There are definitely more right-wing fringe lunatics - and they should be monitored. Further, I feel that left-wing fringe lunatics should be monitored as well. The fact of the matter is, there's more monitoring that needs to be done of the right-wing extremists. Get over it.
csl,
As one can see, the release of the memo's are politically motivated as they only harm the interests of the United States by giving away interrogation tactics that have been proven successful.
The word torture has been dumbed down by the left to essentially be anything that makes any detainee uncomfortable.
As can be seen by the memos, there was great care and great effort at defining what exactly was torture and what was not. The Democratic leaders on the Hill are as guilty as anyone in the Bush Administration if you want to go down that road because they, (Reid Pelosi, Clinton, etc.) all signed off on it.
I don't know if you intentionally misrepresent my point or just can't grasp the partisain nature of Napolitano and how it leads to her abuse of office. I did not ever say one could not have partisain viewpoints. It is using the government office of the DHS to list political opponents as potential right wing extremists in order to marginalize them and/or provide a base to investigate them that is so eggreagious about Napolitano's actions as head of that organization.
You don't accept it because it doesn't reference you. Just think if the Bush Administration sent out the same nebulous and ideologically driven report substituting "left wing" where it say's "right wing". I've seen so many posts, too many to count, accusing Bush of stomping on individual freedoms. Well this is a classic case where the DHS is manuvering to classify political opponents as potential enemies of the state.
You can be as partisain as you want. So can Obama. So can Napolitano in her private life. However she cannot turn the DHS into a partisain political organization.
You, like the others, can save your mind reading about me as you are wrong again and again.
You're assertion about lunatics whether they be on the left or right is unfounded. It is only your opinion. If not, show your stats.
Yes, McVeigh was anti-government. But that was 14 years ago. The recent domestic terrorist attacks since that time have almost all been left wing. So the point you tried to make is 14 years out of date and recent events show left wing activity not, right. If there were right wing extremist groups, the DHS report would have listed them as they did the left wing extremist groups.
There is nothing to get over. I am simply proving my point.
AA,
Japanese soldiers who waterboarded our troops were given 15-year hard labor sentences. There have been reports of lingering effects from it. That's torture, unless you think that the American troops in WWII were just whining about their treatment from the Japanese.
Mr. Blair, who wrote the letter that Andrea Mitchell hacked off last night, said that the damage to our reputation outweighed any results of the torture techniques. By your statements, it appears to me that you must think he is putting America's reputation in the world community ahead of American lives. Are you telling me he would rather have had the terrorist attacks happen by making a statement like that?
Great and careful care? Bybee basically said if there was a doctor in the room it wasn't torture. That's not great and careful care. That's telling the President what he wants to hear.
In your mind, AA, what casual right-wing groups or individuals were singled out in Janet's report? AA, you constantly told us when Bush was President that if someone had their phone calls eavesdropped upon that they had nothing to worry about if they had nothing to hide. Why is that not your mantra now?
There have been two shooting sprees by right-wingers so far in 2009. The guy in Tennessee who killed 17 expressed that he wanted to kill everyone in Goldberg's book and was inspired by Hannity et al. The guy in Pittsburgh was afraid his guns would be taken away.
Violent extremists should be targeted, AA, and if they are targeting disaffected citizens with weapons training, we should be on the lookout, do you not agree with that?
How is it possible to "give away" something that everyone already knows?
Just because you say it is a partisan political move doesn't make it so. You have absolutely nothing to base this on except your paranoid conspiracy theories. There was a left-wing memo that came out and no one said squat about it because it is THEIR JOB to make law enforcement officials situationally aware.
You have "proven" nothing except your amazing ability to see everything through your right-wing prsim and the propaganda supplied by the right-wing media. You and your ilk are making hay out of this thing only to avoid anyone frm talking about torture and to make yourselves appear to be victims of some conspiracy.
And for the millionth time, why do conservatives or Republicans in general think they are right-wing extremists? Me thinks they doth protest too much?
Why does calling out specific names change anything about the report. Is it still truthful? Are their FACTS to back up their assertions? If so, then you're crying about being a victim only says something about YOU, not the people who authored it. It was put together by Government professionals that are not beholden to any political party. They are simply doing their jobs.
I believe that the reason it was leaked before the tea parties was a right-wing ploy designed to further incite the fanatic extremist base. As long as we're throwing conspiracy theories around
Nice conspiracy theory.
Thanks, I have your work as a template.
"prosecute political opponents over policy differences"
Yeah, Joe Scarborough floated that GOP Apologist talking point this morning. I predict we'll hear it a lot over the next few weeks.
News flash for the Troglodytes: Breaking the law is not a policy difference.
These are the same people who hyperventilated and pulled out their hair, insisting that our justice system would CRUMBLE if we didn't impeach Clinton for lying about his sexual exploits.
My, my... how things have changed.
Because Napolitano has politicized the DHS, and using it as a tool against political opponents, it is obviously she is too partisan to effectively run the DHS.
AA, were you crying out for Tom Ridge to resign or for Bush to fire him when HE went along with the "color coded, keep Americans scared, so they won't question what we do" terror charts?
The Bush administration periodically put the USA on high alert for terrorist attacks even though then-Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge argued there was only flimsy evidence to justify raising the threat level, Ridge now says.
"More often than not we were the least inclined to raise it," Ridge told reporters. "Sometimes we disagreed with the intelligence assessment. Sometimes we thought even if the intelligence was good, you don't necessarily put the country on (alert). ... There were times when some people were really aggressive about raising it, and we said, 'For that?' "http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-10-ridge-alerts_x.htm
I can't recall you EVER saying that Tom Ridge was too partisan and Bush should fire him. In fact I can't EVER recall YOU requesting a SINGLE member of the Bush administration to resign OR for Bush to fire them!!
Yet here you are like a good little toad, crying for Napolitano to resign.
The DHS report mentions right wing extremists and abortion because there is PROOF of right wing extremists killing innocent people in their furor over LEGAL abortions.
The DHS report mentions veterans because the FBI, UNDER THE BUSH ADMINISTRAION issued a report in July 2008 titled, WHITE SUPREMACIST RECRUITMENT OF MILITARY PERSONNEL SINC 9/11. I even provided a link directly to the report, http://cryptome.org/spy-whites.pdf yet YOU didn't open your freaking mouth to complain about THIS report.
Right wing extremists on immigration? http://www.adl.org/main_Extremism/immigration_extremists.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_2
AA, please stop your ridiculous, fake outrage. It's beyond pathetic considering YOU kept your mouth shut for 8 FREAKING YEARS during the most criminal administration this country has ever seen!!!
My, my ... what a spirited debate! Perhaps the problem is that the report on the Left was too specific in naming organizations and ridiculously trivial when talking about the threat.
Besides the Leftists who celebrated the murder of four Oakland Police Officers, Lee Harvey Oswald was a Leftist, the Black Panthers who attacked Congress and various churches were Leftists, like it or not, the Nazis were and are Leftists, the supporters of international terrorism: Hitler, Mussellini, Mao, Stalin, Kruschev, Castro, (and the list is too long to complete in the time I'm willing to spend on it), were Leftists, The Weather Underground were Leftist, Sacho and Vincetti were Leftist, Harry Truman and his predecessor, Franklin Roosevelt, who fire bombed Dresden and Tokyo and atom bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, put the Japanese Americans in concentration camps were Leftists and while most practiced a conservative brand of religion derived from Christianity, virtually all of the Klu Klux Klansmen and their supporters throughout the history of those organizations have been Democrats which, since Wilson, were at least allied with the Liberal/Progressivist Leftists that have dominated that party and opposed the more conservative Republicans.
This is only a fraction of the list that could be presented. (And granted, a long list of Rightist offenders could be presented as well. And a long list of Leftist good people and deeds could also be written), the notion that the main risk from the Left is computer hacking and cyber attacks is ludicrous. In this, as much as the too vague report on the risk from the right, a bias is displayed. There never has been any reason to suspect that the Socialist Left is less prone to bigotry, violence, war, oppression and terrorism than any other category of humanity and strong evidence to suggest that the reverse is true.
And … the reports may have been started under Bush, but correct me if I'm wrong, were they not accepted and issued under Napolitano and Obama. An executive doesn’t usually write the report, but they do or do not sign-off on it.
Well ewl you have lost your mind and reality just isnt even in sight for you. We dont KNOW what Lee Harvey Oswalds politics were since he was clearly intelligence and at least THOUGHT he was still working FOR the intelligence community. He did pass out lefty pamphlets then went to Dallas and was immediatly part of the RIGHTWING white Russian community. Saying Nazis and Hitler were lefties is so beyond the pale stupid that it is only worth laughing at. I know a few rightwingnuts like to make this claim but it is so absolutly ludicrous that I cant believe anyone could possibly be dumb enough to buy it much less repeat it. NO political scientist would put Nazis or Fascists anywhere but on the right side of the political spectrum. I know that the most severly brainwashed among you think that things become true because either YOU say them or Rush said them but really reality itself isnt dependent on your beliefs or effected by the nonsense you spew. I couldnt read the rest of your post it was so inane my braincells were threatening mass suicide unless I stopped. The stupid was already making my eyes bleed.