WashTimes makes up more stuff about DHS “extremism” report
Written by Eric Boehlert
Published
At this point the Times has so mangled the facts of the story I seriously doubt anyone at the paper even pretends they matter.
Here's today's installment of misinformation [emphasis added]:
House Republicans demanded Wednesday that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano detail how the controversial “right-wing extremism” report was compiled, using a rare legislative maneuver that ensures that the Democrats must take a public stand - one way or another.
The request asks Ms. Napolitano to release information on how the report was compiled. The report sparked a furor from conservatives included in the definition of “right-wing extremism” and prompted Ms. Napolitano to apologize to the nation's veterans.
False. In fact, it's the exact opposite: the report sparked a furor from conservatives who were specifically not included in the definition of “right-wing extremism.” That's what made the who pseudo-controversy so odd. The DHS released a report that made passing reference to homegrown, right-wing domestic terrorist (think, skinheads), and mainstream conservatives who were not mentioned in the report jumped up and down and claimed it was about them.
Don't ask us why Republicans saw themselves in a report about violent terrorist groups, but they did. And now to cover up that comfortableness, and to stoke their beloved victimhood status, they claim the report was about picked-upon conservatives, even though it was not. And eagerly spreading the misinformation is the WashTimes.
Then again, isn't that pretty much its job description?