Patterico's Pontifications

4/15/2009

Patterico: Rightwing Extremist. Wouldn’t You Like To Be One Too?

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 12:38 am



David Neiwert is having multiple orgasms tonight as a ridiculous government report confirms every zombie-filled nightmare he has ever had about those Awful Rightwing Extremists.

The report is here and it’s ridiculous. I guess I’m a rightwing extremist, because here’s your definition:

Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

I’m mainly antigovernment, preferring state and local authority to federal authority. And I go on kicks where I get obsessed with partial-birth abortion and illegal immigration — particularly the need to Deport the Criminals First.

Rightwing Extremist!!!

Rightwing extremists are harnessing this historical election as a recruitment tool. Many rightwing extremists are antagonistic toward the new presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship, the expansion of social programs to minorities, and restrictions on firearms.

I don’t care whether social programs are expanded to “minorities,” but I am concerned about the expansion of social programs. I’m plenty antagonistic towards the new administration. (DID YOU HEAR ME, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY? I AM PLENTY ANTAGONISTIC TOWARDS THE NEW ADMINISTRATION OF BARACK OBAMA!! AND I AM A RIGHTWINGER!!!!)

I’m also far less than thrilled with the administration’s stance on immigration, and (while I don’t own a gun) I am apprehensive about its attitude towards firearms restrictions.

Rightwing extremists were concerned during the 1990s with the perception that illegal immigrants were taking away American jobs through their willingness to work at significantly lower wages.

Me too. Only I’m less concerned with the “perception” and more concerned with the reality.

Are you taking notes, Secret Service agents?

Some might argue that if you read the report in context, the main concern appears to be with people who take matters to the point where they are threatening violence. I don’t care. This is the nose in the tent: the government’s chance to take your legitimate views and turn them into Something Dangerous.

Screw this.

I may begin blogging more about abortion, immigration, federalism — and (if it’s possible) about Obama’s crappy, crappy job on the economy. Just to make a point.

UPDATE: Here is the alleged analogue to the report linked above: a government report on left-wing extremists. A quick read suggests to me that it is far less politically charged than the “rightwing extremists” report — and far less susceptible to the interpretation that the government might be monitoring left-wingers simply for their political views.

Just leave our political views out of it, government officials. We are going to continue to hold our views and express them strongly. Because we’re Americans . . . and we get to do that.

105 Responses to “Patterico: Rightwing Extremist. Wouldn’t You Like To Be One Too?”

  1. A similar report on Left Wing Extremist groups can be found here. It names anarchist, animal rights, and environmental groups as being the most likely to breed (my apologies to the latter two of those groups for using that term) radicals within their ranks, and it mentions cyberterrorism as the mostly likely avenue of attack from them.

    Both reports come off as pretty stereotypical and shallow. Our tax dollars at work, just in time for April 15. (Oh hell, that comment will probably get me pegged as one of the Right Wing Extremists.)

    JVW (80681c)

  2. I’m Pro-Life.
    I own fire-arms and am pro-NRA.
    I believe in enforcing current immigration laws.
    I approve of the Federalist Papers and strict adherence to the Constitution.
    I invited myself to Parris Island 23 years ago.
    As a Christian, I believe the “end times” prophecies are as accurate as the Savior prophecies.

    Does that make me a right-wing extremist or do I have to try harder?

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  3. It’s long been a habit of the left to paint every conservative as right-wing extremists. They called Bush a right-wing extremist. Same with Cheney.

    It doesn’t really matter what the facts are, if you disagree with the left, you’re an extremist.

    It’s a subtle ad hominem attack.

    Steverino (b12c49)

  4. They told me if I voted for John McCain, that I would be branded as an extremist. And they were right!

    Dr. K (e70a2d)

  5. Be thankful the Obama administration isn’t yet 100% Soviet. Opposition views are merely extremism. By his third term, opposition views will be proof of mental illness in need of confinement, shocks, and drugs.

    tehag (ccc4e0)

  6. I said the same thing. This “report” would be hilarious if the power of the out of control federal government wasn’t behind it. More especially if the current administration weren’t so juvenilely thin skinned. I still can’t believe he’s sensitive about his ears AND runs for public office. As I read this report all I hear is “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa”. Someone call the waaaahmbulance.

    The difference between the Obama administration extremist report and the Bush administration extremist report is specificity. PETA and ELF ARE actual terrorists, they have committed actual acts of terror. Groups. With members. Who act together. Not lone wackjobs who bomb abortion clinics.

    Either way, until I commit a crime of violence, I am merely exercising my first amendment rights. Back up out my grill.

    Also, I vote.

    Vivian Louise (c0f830)

  7. Patterico – It sounds like it’s got about as much substance as one of Scott Horton’s conspiracy columns. All speculation backed up by no data or facts. In fact, DHS could have commissioned Scott to write this or he may have planted the seed in their ear. The lefties were talking about militias last week. Early release?

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  8. Perhaps one of Patterico’s readers has a small jpg file, some sort of Official Member, Right Wing Extremists List, that we can put on our blog sidebars. 🙂

    The right wing extremist Dana (3e4784)

  9. So all of you conservatives who gave the government unlimited spying powre are now upset becasue they might use it on you. Seems I remember liberals warning of that very thing. Be careful what you wish for…

    JEA (9f9fc9)

  10. TRWE Dana, I’d like t-shirts, bumper stickers and lapel pins as well. God knows I do not want to be mistaken for any other kind of extremist.

    Vivian Louise (c0f830)

  11. Also, it’s completely funny to me that The Official Rightwing Extremists’ Front protests over the expansion of federal power under the Bush Administration are totally ignored by The Official Leftwing Extremists’ Front now that they get to run with the big power.

    Sure, we all went along with absolutely everything McChimpyBushHitlerCheneyHaliburton ever did because we loved him soooooo much.

    NOT!

    Vivian Louise (c0f830)

  12. So all of you conservatives who gave the government unlimited spying powre are now upset becasue they might use it on you. Seems I remember liberals warning of that very thing. Be careful what you wish for…

    Either you have a really, really serious reading comprehension problem; or, you are just making shit up.

    And no, they aren’t mutually exclusive.

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  13. #7 daleyrocks:

    All speculation backed up by no data or facts. In fact, DHS could have commissioned

    This is actually almost a word for word rerelease of a section of a “report” released immediately in the aftermath of the fallout from Hillary Clinton’s “Vast Right-wing Conspiracy” remarks during the Clinton era.

    Government apparatchiks don’t die, they just fade in and out.

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  14. EW1 – Do you have a link to that old report or somebody who is talking about it?

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  15. As a founding member of the Society To Elevate Amerikkka’s Karma, an affiliated group of the Vast Left-wing Conspiracy, I denounce you, Patterico.

    nk (59cb9c)

  16. EW1 – It seemed too much of a coincidence last week when Eric Boehlert was using militia type code words when he was on CNN with Rick Sanchez and that guy from the NRA. I thought the NRA spokesperson more than held his own. HOT Air had the video.

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  17. nk – Without a badge you can’t denounce nobody.

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  18. #15 daleyrocks:

    Do you have a link to that old report

    No, I do not. It was about an 80-90 page quarto that I came across in my official duties while doing classified military research.

    A grand sum total of about 4 pages were devoted to Al-Qaeda and the fundamentalist Islamist threat, and nearly 60% of the document devoted to the analysis of the rightwing extremist threat and groups making up that threat, many of whom were already in federal prison for various violent crimes or firearms related charges. And we aren’t talking “terrorist” type violent crimes, but thug things like armed robbery and the like.

    Of course, I do wish I had a copy of it now.

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  19. #19: To clarify, there was great emphasis on groups like “Aryan Nation,” which in my own estimation are a pretty low level threat to the stability of Western Civilization, more on the order of a gang of bank robbers with the occasional nutjob like Timothy McVeigh or Ted Kaczynski.

    Doesn’t mean that they aren’t out there, and that they aren’t a threat; but my feeling at the time was that the report was self-justification for politicking on the Left on government time by some office bound versions of Levi Juhl.

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  20. Truth be told, I am a very big fan of some right wing nutjobs, and I plan to order the fan t-shirt!

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  21. nk, how can your group, STEAK, be affiliated with the vast left wing conspiracy? Your group is an affront to PETA. Unless, of course, your plan is to draw nubile young ladies to protest naked in front of your headquarters. If so, then my hat is off to you, sir!

    As for myself, I wonder what DHS thinks of certifiable right wing extremist anti-federalist, military veteran, anti-illegal immigration, federal workers (such as myself) who sit moderately high within the structure of the Government itself? YooHoo! DHS, that warm tingly feeling (just like Chris Matthews) running down your leg is probably your urine.

    509th Bob (cb5f32)

  22. We put left-wing extremists into power. And we are surprised by this?

    Amphipolis (fdbc48)

  23. The last abortion clinic bombing was in 1998. The vast majority of pro-life leaders condemned it (for obvious reasons).

    By contrast, ELF (Earth Liberation Front) has committed arson as of 2008.

    The difference between the two, is that the left-wing extremist groups have NAMES. They are organized and have a history of violence. The right-wing “extremist” “groups” are just people who don’t support the president’s policies.

    Newtons.Bit (51a7c4)

  24. While I do not reject Federal authority, Patterico is right that those who prefer State and Local authority should not be called extremists.

    Andrew (ac4c70)

  25. So funny that Obama, a friend of actual domestic terrorists, would go so far, so fast, to demonize the free speech of his opponents as terroristic. At the same time, actual terrorism has been renamed.

    If Orwell had written this, it would have come across as unrealistically paranoid.

    If King George had done this, the American Revolution would have been more justified than it was.

    Juan (4cdfb7)

  26. So all of you conservatives who gave the government unlimited spying powre are now upset becasue they might use it on you. Seems I remember liberals warning of that very thing. Be careful what you wish for…

    Comment by JEA

    JEA, I know you mean well but, if the Obamites were actually using intelligence methods that are used to monitor real terrorists in other countries, they could have done a better job of finding real Threats. This “report” recycles internet rumors, many of which were debunked years ago. The whole DHS farce is dissected here.

    The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has no specific information that domestic rightwing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but rightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues. The economic downturn and the election of the first African American president present unique drivers for rightwing radicalization and recruitment.

    So, there you are. We are all racists if we oppose Obama’s plans for us.

    The current economic and political climate has some similarities to the 1990s when rightwing extremism experienced a resurgence fueled largely by an economic recession, criticism about the outsourcing of jobs, and the perceived threat to U.S. power and sovereignty by other foreign powers. …


    I thought the 90s were the period of the Clinton bull market. These guys can’t even get their history straight.

    Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures. Anti-Semitic extremists attribute these losses to a deliberate conspiracy conducted by a cabal of Jewish “financial elites.”

    They need to pay more attention. All the anti-Semitic stuff I see on the internet is on left wing blogs.

    And so on…

    Mike K (2cf494)

  27. What bothers me most about this document is that the framers point out that this “report” was started over a year ago, it references our minority president, as well as the recession, both relatively recent phenomenon.

    This report is a sham, 15? page hit piece designed as a flanking attack on conservatives, and times to discredit the non-partisan Tea Party movement.

    This is our elected government at work.

    Dan F (87ef1e)

  28. “The right-wing “extremist” “groups” are just people who don’t support the president’s policies.”

    – Newtons.Bit

    …And the aforementioned Aryan Nation, and the Hammerskin Nation, and the KKK, and a grip of others – all of which have NAMES.

    Leviticus (b987b0)

  29. There’s no denunciation of “Libertarian extremists” or Ron Paul supporters! I’ve been snubbed!

    Can I be an honorary “rightwing extremist”?

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  30. It would be interesting to know who in DHS actually wrote the report: an Obama appointee, a grizzled 25 year bureaucrat, an intern, or…?

    Give us a name, President Transparency, or at least let us know who’s getting thrown under the bus along with your grandmother and Rev. Wright…

    Horatio (55069c)

  31. We also have two auxiliaries — Women And Gay Young Unamerikkkans, and Kids Overcoming Bitter Existentialism.

    nk (59cb9c)

  32. Disagreeing with the Government (during a Progressive administration’s reign): that’s a mandatory minimum 15 years under the Federal sentencing guidelines.

    One Obama to rule them all.

    HatlessHessian (cca288)

  33. “All the anti-Semitic stuff I see on the internet is on left wing blogs.”

    try looking at alternativeconservative.com

    JEA (9f9fc9)

  34. “We are not content with negative obedience, nor even with the most abject submission. When finally you surrender to us, it must be of your own free will. We do not destroy the heretic because he resists us; so long as he resists us we never destroy him. We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him. We burn all evil and all illusion out of him; we bring him over to our side, not in appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul. We make him one of ourselves before we kill him. It is intolerable to us that an erroneous thought should exist anywhere in the world, however secret and powerless it may be. Even in the instance of death we cannot permit any deviation . . . we make the brain perfect before we blow it out.” –George Orwell, 1984

    Horatio (55069c)

  35. It’s a subtle ad hominem attack.

    Comment by Steverino — 4/15/2009 @ 1:59 am

    About as subtle as a kick in the groin, if you ask me.

    Insomniac (fa1f18)

  36. I love how the left is laughing at how this is what the right had coming all along. After all, some veteran republican voter being treated the way Bush treated Islamofascists is completely fair. Never mind that this was Bill Clinton’s idea, and that the right could have laughed at the left for starting the mess… had the left been the target of Bush’s surveillance.

    Either Obama is right or he is wrong. Bush isn’t relevant to that.

    Juan (4cdfb7)

  37. Senator Byrd (D KKK) would be unhappy to find his organization called “terrorist”, “extremist”, or “right-wing”.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  38. From dictionary.com:

    “extremism: noun. a tendency or disposition to go to extremes or an instance of going to extremes, esp. in political matters

    The report talks about extremists. I didn’t read mainstream conservatives in that explanation. Extremists (of any stripe) take whsat most people have rational views of and take that to the extreme. Thus we have groups like the ELF. I don’t think too many people would say being environmentally responsible is a bad thing. I also don’t think most people would think the ELF is a good thing. It works the same way on the right. I don’t believe for one second that Conservatives opposed to illegal immigration are dangerous (I am also), but there are those small groups and individuals who will take it to an extreme and commit violent acts.

    I also don’t understand why conservatives, who regularly condemn liberals for advancing a ‘culture of victimhood’ are trying to make themselves into victims here.

    JEA (9f9fc9)

  39. Just leave our political views out of it, government officials. We are going to continue to hold our views and express them strongly. Because we’re Americans . . . and we get to do that.

    That really is the bottom line. We need DHS and other agencies to identify those individuals who may wish or plan to do harm. Profiling is needed but someone who plans to kill an abortion doctor is far different than someone who opposes abortion. An eco-terrorist who sees collateral damage as acceptable means to an end is far different than someone who believes we need to be more green. The commonality between the doctor killer and eco-terrorist is the wish to break the law and harm others. That is their true “political ideology” and has nothing to do with what most reasonable people would consider right/left politics.
    DHS needs to revoke this report with lots of publicity and reissue a report that emphasizes how DHS plans to keep all Americans safe.

    voiceofreason2 (10af7e)

  40. #28 Leviticus:

    …And the aforementioned

    Leviticus, there is nothing “right wing” about the groups you mention. They do not hold with conservative values, at all; and as I mentioned before, do not pose a threat to the order and stability of the republic any more than any other gang of thugs and criminals.

    One of the problems that I have with the current (and Clinton) administration’s handling of the genuine terrorist threat is its treatment as a “law enforcement” problem: and here we see the obverse, treating a law enforcement problem as a terrorist threat. After all, almost all of the “leaders” of the groups that you mention are currently serving (or have recently served) federal time for criminal activity.

    Its kind of like dubbing the Hell’s Angels a terrorst threat: are they a threat to public order and safety? Yes. Is there a real danger that they are attempting to overthrow the government and destroy Western Civilization? Nope.

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  41. I also don’t understand why conservatives, who regularly condemn liberals for advancing a ‘culture of victimhood’ are trying to make themselves into victims here.

    You really do have absolutely NO reading comprehension at all, do you?

    Nobody here is claiming any sort of victimhood. But we do rightly see this report as a politically motivated slime job on conservative values and those who hold them. Period. That is the one and only justification for the publication of this tripe.

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  42. Just modify the cause and effect assertions in the report, and then decide if the report is tenor of it is unfair.
    .
    Make it about leftist extremists, who are upset that courts and legislatures are scaling back remedies for unemployment, hate speech, and discrimination. That the extremists may backlash as a result of the government allowing the public to own machine-guns and assault weapons.
    .
    Of course, it would literally be only about the “extremists” on the left; but those who oppose scaling back the federal bureaucracy are potentially going to be attracted into the ranks of extremists, because they disagree with reducing the size and power of the government.

    cboldt (3d73dd)

  43. “But we do rightly see this report as a politically motivated slime job on conservative values and those who hold them.”

    I don’t – and I do comprehend, very well.

    JEA (9f9fc9)

  44. THis pice by Tom Maguire is a must read. He reviews the incidents the DHS cites as examples of right-wing extremism in action.

    cboldt (3d73dd)

  45. I don’t – and I do comprehend, very well.

    Then you are an out and out liar.

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  46. So you’re arguing that it’s hypocritical for conservatives to whine about being victimized for the first time in the history of our country, although we’ve been witness to the Left’s evolution into specialists on the issue over the past 30 years? Even if that were true, so what? What’s good for goose is good for the gander, you reap what you sow, etc.

    Or better yet, let’s have a national discussion over who’s more victimized these days – the middle class taxpayer vs. the typical gov’t employee/contractor/politician. But the Left wouldn’t want that, would they?

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  47. Not surprising, but not encouraging either, the Clinton Administration had something called the Megiddo project, mostly FBI in the late 90s. directed against pro life groups and some militia, all the while, the first of the PDBs about Bin Laden’s plans against America, were in the background.

    Actual terrorists like McVeigh, Rudolph, even the abortion clinic bombers, I have no problem being the target of active operations. But the focus is odd, in this world of ‘man caused disasters’ and
    ‘overseas contingency operations’.

    narciso (996c34)

  48. Leviticus:

    Could you quote the DHS report where it explicitly mentions those groups (or any groups) for me? I was under the impression that it didn’t name a single group.

    Newtons Bit (a67c58)

  49. I’m not an apologist for the left (NEITHER AM I A LIAR). I disagree with many of the positions of the left. I think I pay too much in taxes and the government sticks its nose into far too much. I oppose abortion. I oppose the bailouts. I oppose allowing illegals to get benefits (like they’re doing here in NJ) But I also opposed the Iraq invasion. I also oppose the government sneaking around behind my back monitoring phone conversations and internet use without benefit of a warrant which protects MY 4th amendment rights.

    So please don’t call me a liberal when I’m not

    JEA (9f9fc9)

  50. Really, JEA. You don’t see it as politically motivated at all. You’re honestly going with that.

    Let’s look at the report itself. Here’s the first half of the VERY FIRST SENTENCE of the actual report, in the section labeled “Key Findings”:

    The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but […]

    And there it is in black and white, or whatever your screen settings are. Right up to that first big “but” in the very first sentence, they manage to admit up-front that THEY. HAVE. NOTHING. Everything beyond that point is speculation, hypotheticals and theorizing. No evidence. No data. No actual, on-the-ground fact. Not even a freakin’ pie chart. When was the last time you saw a government report that didn’t have so much as a pie chart? It’s an eight-page paranoid-conspiracy rant in Adobe Acrobat form. Its “research” appears to have consisted of reading a Daily Kos diarist bitching about Glenn Beck, and an old op-ed blaming Tim McVeigh on Rush Limbaugh. No wonder they work so hard to downplay actual terrorism; their research heads must be freakin’ Truthers.

    (That asterisk, by the way, leads to the first footnote with the broad-brush definition of “rightwing extremism”. Patterico reproduced that section already at the top of this post. We could probably accept that the report was targeting actual violent “extremists” if that definition wasn’t so flaccid, and if we hadn’t already seen the term “hate” abused to the point where it’s lost all meaning.)

    On the other hand, maybe if the Telepromptocracy perceives “right-wing extremists” as a genuine physical threat, they’ll apply the same kumbayah, “greater understanding” approach that they’ve expressed for handling other real-world threats.

    Yeah, me neither.

    PCachu (e072b7)

  51. PCachu,

    Not only do they have nothing, the Maguire piece linked upthread shows that when they do talk about specific cases, they get the facts wrong.

    Karl (f07e38)

  52. Isn’t the report supposed to be an assessment of potential threats? I’ve read exactly the same type of language in reports about al queda. It’s regarding the likelihood of something happening.

    JEA (9f9fc9)

  53. We already know full well about AQ’s potential (and quite real) threats at this point in time, wouldn’t you agree? Last night I watched an interview on Lehrer with the writer (an ex – CIA agent in Pakistan) of an op – ed in last week’s WSJ, where he discussed the rapidly disintegrating state of Pakistan and the full control that AQ has asserted in the Swat Valley. Here are the details of the situation at present:

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123976907984720123.html

    Now we understand that AQ has become entrenched in Somalia’s nefarious terrorist activities:

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123976236664319677.html

    These are not by any means potential threats – they are de facto threats by any definition.

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  54. Al Qaeda, Pro-Lifer, yeah, I see the similarities there.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  55. Sure is weird how many left-wingers George Bush apparently hired to work in the DHS! Who would have thought that he hired Monica Goodling to hire Republicans for the DOJ, but staffed the DHS wioth all libs…

    I mean, what other explanation is there for a DHS report begun in 2008 and finished with two months of Obama’s nomination. the DHS must have been infiltrated by commies. We need a House Committee to report on this.

    meanwhile, thanks to the support of the right wing, the FBI can take Patterico’s statements here and check out his bank account without a warrant and listen to his phone (maybe, who’s to know, it’s a state secret and we don’t have to answer for it in Court). All kinds of wonderful of things can be done to former Bush supporters, because it all falls under “the Article 2 powers of the Commander in Chief during wartime.” After all domestic terrorism is still terrorism.

    Ah, it’ll only be another few months until you guys rediscover civil liberties and the Fourth Amendment. I’ll be here waiting when you knock.

    timb (a83d56)

  56. timb, making up stuff is still your only trick evidently.

    SPQR (72771e)

  57. You really are defending this, JEA? Really?

    JD (20b35d)

  58. I love how the Leftists are totally cool with Barcky shredding the Constitution for political reasons.

    JD (20b35d)

  59. meanwhile, thanks to the support of the right wing

    …which was confirmed and strengthened by the Obama administration. You could at least try to make a lame attempt at improving your fact – gathering skills.

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  60. Remember, in Tim’s world it only counts when the evil Boooshies do it.

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  61. Payback is cool.

    JD (20b35d)

  62. One thing is clear, Obama is worse than Bush if you oppose policies like this.

    If you condemned Bush for this, you have to realize that Bush was a lot better than Obama. kinda like how I condemn Bush for letting spending go too far… I realize that Bush is still better than Obama.

    You can say that Bush and Obama are both bad… but guess what: that only hurts the one still running for election.

    Juan (4cdfb7)

  63. You said: “Just leave our political views out of it, government officials. We are going to continue to hold our views and express them strongly. Because we’re Americans . . . and we get to do that.”

    That is just weapons grade dumb. People with very strong political views commit crimes. Leaving that out of investigations makes as much sense as leaving forensics out investigations.

    And you manage to get even dumber:

    “A quick read suggests to me that it is far less politically charged than the “rightwing extremists” report — and far less susceptible to the interpretation that the government might be monitoring left-wingers simply for their political views.”

    Ai yai yai. “Far less susceptible to the interpretation…” That’s just funny dumb.

    Thom (166da3)

  64. ACORN are left wing agitators and extremists intimidating bankers (Obama’s pitchfork league) with TAX DOLLARS!

    Go team teaparty!

    Cara (6a1aa6)

  65. What? CJ at LGF and AJ Strata claim that you’re just being paranoid. So are you gonna believe the exact words you see with your lying eyes or their “it doesn’t mean you exactly” pablum?

    physics geek (6669a4)

  66. Just remember, to a pinko everybody to the right of Uncle Joe is a fascist.

    Noesis Noeseos (cf0ac9)

  67. I also don’t understand why conservatives, who regularly condemn liberals for advancing a ‘culture of victimhood’ are trying to make themselves into victims here.

    Government, give us things because we’re victims
    vs
    Government, leave us alone

    Do you not understand the difference, my liberal friend?

    Roy Mustang (9deca0)

  68. Far be it from me to reignite a certain recent episode of inter-blog unpleasantness… but here’s yet another instance of one side manipulating the terms of the debate by playing with the interpretation of the language and the very meaning of words: in the new language of “now”, federalism = anti-abortion = anti-open borders = EXTREMISM!

    Maybe the hysterical reaction to the eye-winkingly confrontational phrase “I want Obama to fail” did not constitute a hill upon which you wanted to make a stand. I get that. But is *this* the hill? Or do we wait for the next one, or the one after that…

    At some point, you *have* to stop allowing your opponents to unilaterally set the terms of the debate. Or else get used to being marginalized.

    COLESLAW!

    RC (d2fcd1)

  69. Just leave our political views out of it, government officials. We are going to continue to hold our views and express them strongly. Because we’re Americans . . . and we get to do that.

    Amusing declaration, unless you voiced opposition to the Bush administration for the past 8 years, at which time you were labled un-American, traitor, terrorist or worse.

    Lions and tigers and bears, oh my. The terms “conservative” and “conservatism” are not mentioned at all in this report. Yet reactionary minded conservatives, including leader, Boss Limbaugh, took the bait and made the connection.

    It’s just too easy to get the soft heads in the hard right to go Donald Duck these days.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  70. That’s just funny dumb.

    Words fail to describe the irony in this statement. Nice punctuation there, Poindexter.

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  71. DCSCA, more inventions on your part, the Bush administration never labeled any of its critics un-American, traitor or terrorist.

    But that is of a kind of your usual fables.

    SPQR (72771e)

  72. Donald Duck seems to be its own new inside joke. Kind of like when it used to joke about the Empire State Bldg and ants. The fact that it lies as a matter of practice has not changed.

    JD (20b35d)

  73. The terms “conservative” and “conservatism” are not mentioned at all in this report

    Now that’s just dishonest. The report is about “right-wing” groups. “Right-wing” has been synonymous with “conservative” for many years.

    Steverino (69d941)

  74. So all of you conservatives who gave the government unlimited spying powre are now upset becasue they might use it on you. Seems I remember liberals warning of that very thing. Be careful what you wish for…

    Comment by JEA — 4/15/2009 @ 4:24 am

    Uh, no.

    I’m upset because the government appears to be characterizing utterly mainstream right-of-center political ideology as a hallmark of “rightwing extremism”.

    That’s a despicable delegitimization of half the country regardless of whether or how people are being surveilled by the government.

    BC (cefcea)

  75. Remember folks, JEA is a conservative. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink …

    JD (20b35d)

  76. Open up a history book. Tyranny is almost always government owned. It’s not the criminal hiding in the bush, it’s the politician on TV.

    “People with very strong political views commit crimes”

    Yes, but we’re never caught so it’s all okey dokey.

    EBJ (2fd7f7)

  77. “Many rightwing extremists are antagonistic toward the new presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship, the expansion of social programs to minorities, and restrictions on firearms.”

    That pretty well sums it up all right.

    So…what’s their point?

    Dave Surls (73dc9b)

  78. Whose gonna get rich off the ‘EXTREMIST AND PROUD” tee shirts?

    Scott B (a45cf8)

  79. I guess the fact Government Officials are labeling 40% of the US “extremist” and capable of violence is A-OK as far as DCSA is concerned. Islamic and terrorist is bad but right wing and extreme …….. that is fine.

    I especially like the “Many right wing extremists are antagonistic toward the new presidential…” but seem to have no problem labeling the Left in the same fashion after 8 inglorious years of BDS.

    This is another example of why this POTUS and his Cultists are BAD for this country and really are not to be trusted with anything more than a lollipop.

    How we can have lived the last 8 years and get this published by OUR GOVERNMENT is an outrage to any right minded person.

    Jimminy'cricket (637168)

  80. rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority

    Did someone take that out of the Constitution when I wasn’t looking?

    I believe in federalism. I AM A RIGHTWING EXTREMIST!

    Prolly a racist too.

    Patricia (2183bb)

  81. This report is stunning in its ignorance and bigotry.

    Aside from its broad generalization that are not backed up by nothing of fact, it is a political document that will be used to monitor, pursue and punish dissent.

    I am stunned and saddened.

    Jimminy'cricket (637168)

  82. Yesterday, I couldn’t even spell “Right Wing Extremist”,
    Today I are one!

    A Proud, Card-Carrying Member of the VRWC.

    AD (d34177)

  83. If you’re a Right Wing Extremist™ I’m starting up a blogroll to point you out specifically. 😉

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  84. This report is stunning in its ignorance and bigotry. Yes, aren’t they.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  85. #29, Brother Fikes said: “There’s no denunciation of ‘Libertarian extremists’ or Ron Paul supporters! I’ve been snubbed!

    Can I be an honorary ‘rightwing extremist’?”

    Funny you should bring that up, Br. Fikes, because one of the reasons this report is being met with the reaction it is has to do with this recent effort on the part of the State of Missouri:

    http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/election/911

    This was a report (a directive, really, given that it was issued by what purports to be a central database maintainer of domestic terrorist threats, and was accompanied by a form to use to report suspicious persons; e.g. those with a Ron Paul or Constitution Party bumper sticker on their car)… Sorry. I’ll begin again: This was a report issued to Missouri State Highway Patrol officers! The clear intent was to have officers make a judgment about possible threats to the republic based upon such evidence as bumper stickers and t-shirts and then report them to the center. If Missouri Highway Patrol officers are anything like the ones here in California (not particularly well educated or bright, and very thuggish), that ought to send shivers down your spine!

    I think it’s obvious that the government lives in particular fear of so-called “right-wing” citizens, because “right-wing” citizens oppose the designs of big government and reject many or most of its claims to authority as unconstitutional. Left-wingers, on the other hand, being in favor of highly centralized, authoritarian government, are not threats to them, but only to private citizens and companies, and are hence way, way, waaaaay down on their list of priorities.

    danebramage (700c93)

  86. By contrast, ELF (Earth Liberation Front) has committed arson as of 2008.

    And I keep reading about a variety of animal-rights nutjobs — who I have no doubt are predominantly, if not entirely, of the left — who’ve been harrassing, vandalizing and terrorizing researchers (such as at UCLA) involved in lab work that uses live animals.

    Mark (411533)

  87. If you condemned Bush for this, you have to realize that Bush was a lot better than Obama. kinda like how I condemn Bush for letting spending go too far… I realize that Bush is still better than Obama.

    Oh, what unmitigated bulls*it. This isn’t oppression. This is, at best, a crappy report using overly vague language that makes you feel like DHS is suspicious of you. Guess what. We’ve been feeling like Bush was suspicious of us for eight years. His DoJ brought politically motivated prosecutions against our leaders. Our anti-war groups were spied on and infiltrated. Our opinion leaders were fired out of fear.

    And we tried to get some meaningful restrictions on the worst of it, like illegal surveillance, and you spat on it. The NYT published reports that this was being used on citizens, and you called for prosecution

    This report was written by the Bush Administration, by Bush administration personnel. It was just released during the beginning of the Obama administration.

    Before you accuse Obama of being “worse than Bush”, get some facts.

    We’d have some reasonable protections on this right now, but the Republicans in Congress, backed by activists like you, fought it tooth and nail. Fought it to the death. And now we still need to rely on the NYT to know what the h*ll the NSA is doing.

    Connect that dot with the DHS dot. Yeah, I don’t even care if you feel ashamed or not. I just hope that you finally – at long last- come to your f*cking senses.

    Hey, wayneshipwreck? Where are you now?

    The National Security Agency intercepted private e-mail messages and phone calls of Americans in recent months on a scale that went beyond the broad legal limits established by Congress last year, government officials said in recent interviews.

    In “recent months”, my a*s. That’s why they were wiretapping MEMBERS OF CONGRESS in 2006. The truth is that they don’t even know how not to go over the limits. That’s because it was set up, in 2002-5, to have no flipping limits whatsoever. They can’t even master the technical challenge of not spying on americans.

    It makes me sick.

    glasnost (4ed100)

  88. This report was written by the Bush Administration,

    Bullshit.

    As I mentioned above, this is an extract and republication of a report generated by the Clinton administration.

    Oddly enough, even the Clinton administration didn’t have the balls to publish it publically.

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  89. glasnost – Do you have anything new in the way of talking points?

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  90. daleyrocks — 4/16/2009 @ 4:29 am: Just for fun~I mentioned above that I had run across the Clinton administration’s report while doing classified work. My own report was classified, and the authority that I presented it to immediately reclassified it to a higher classification, above my clearance.

    So, I can’t even talk to myself about my own report.

    EW1(SG) (e27928)

  91. Well glasnost there goes your last shred of credibility: ” The National Security Agency intercepted private e-mail messages and phone calls of Americans in recent months on a scale that went beyond the broad legal limits established by Congress last year, government officials said in recent interviews.

    In “recent months”, my a*s. ”

    Yes, of course not in the past few months. Oliar, Obummer, Oforeigner got in office, and it instantly stopped, right after they re-upped it and the left wing went insaner.
    I did see one report where the 100 million dollar govey ceo thief AG reportedly was “working to refine” the methods… lol
    Of course none of it has gone on the last few months, and Monica never kneeled, Hillary never had 900 fbi files, and Vince Foster danced live with Elvis last week at the Tennessee state fair.

    SiliconDoc (f38773)

  92. Oh, another libtard excess of stupidity, not even your dear NYT makes your claim
    glasnost: “That’s why they were wiretapping MEMBERS OF CONGRESS in 2006. ”

    Ahh, the raging lib liar spews his mental suspicion, as if it were fact. But your herioc grey lady said something else, spewboy.

    ” The agency believed that the congressman, whose identity could not be determined, was in contact — as part of a Congressional delegation to the Middle East in 2005 or 2006 — with an extremist who had possible terrorist ties and was already under surveillance, the official said. The agency then sought to eavesdrop on the congressman’s conversations, the official said.

    The official said the plan was ultimately blocked because of concerns from some intelligence officials about using the N.S.A., without court oversight, to spy on a member of Congress. ”

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/us/16nsa.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp

    In other words, they tried, but they didn’t do it – I know, a million gassy libtards will scream it happened anyway, and call the NYT a right wing tool.
    Hey cheer up traitor, we know hitlery had the 900 or so fbi files – and she got away with it – also those papers that “disappeared” from Foster’s office “materialized” a few years later on hitlery’s coffee table, miraculously “turned up”. Great, huh.
    Sandy wasn’t so lucky stock stuffing and tossing top code security docs under construction trailers, except that lucky little wrist slap worked wonders, huh.
    Hey, just because you lefty queens do it all the time doesn’t mean the right breaks the laws like lib ghetto skum. Get used to it.

    SiliconDoc (f38773)

  93. The hostile reactions to the DHS report are natural, reasonable and wrong.

    There are some real far right nuts out there, and their desire for profit and power means they will be recruiting as heavily as they can. DHS should monitor them. Through A.J. Strata (eg., here), we learn that “federal agencies” other than the DHS have police operations underway against these people. That’s good.

    Then the DHS redacts this report at the request of those agencies, and stuffs up badly. First, their redactions result in a vague, puffy, useless document. Secondly the result fails to distinguish between far right groups (Klan, Neo-Nazis, Sovereign Citizen movement) and mainstream conservatives. The result is that anyone reading that report as a standalone document would conclude that the DHS groups ordinary conservatives in with murderous racists. But if you know the background, the DHS (at least at career officer levels) never intended any such thing. The old saw about choosing between a stuff-up and a conspiracy for explaining something holds true yet again: “go for the stuff-up every time”.

    The DHS is now admitting (on Roger Hedgecock’s radio show) that they stuffed up. Democrats and even an ACLU guy are joining Republicans in slamming them (see this report). This is good. But the bad news is that those federal agencies will probably now find it harder to take down some real bad guys.

    CChittleborough (b26b65)

  94. The usual suspects, who one has to believe, espouse no opinion unless it is in favor of their conservative team, were in force in comments 57 and 60-62. listen to me clearly, simpletons like Dmac, I could give a crap less who is in the White House when issues like the 4th Amendment is at stake.

    I believe in freedom, no matter who is in the White House. No single man should have the power John Yoo and Darth Cheney claimed the President has. As followers and defenders in that regime, you abandoned your beliefs in service of a man/an administration. I was here all along, complaining and giving my money to organizations who took legal action.

    You can’t complain that Obama is using the same powers you claimed were necessary.

    Lastly, glasnost is right, the government [shockingly] misused its illegal mandate to listen and intercept other communications.

    I never left my support of civil liberties.

    PS In the words of conservative bloggers everywhere, as long as you don’t do anything wrong, then you have nothing to hide. Guess now you’re all Quakers (you know, the Quakers the DOD spied upon in the early ’00’s?)

    timb (a83d56)

  95. danebramage,
    Thank you for mentioning the Missouri report and the discussion of Ron Paul supporters. Now I can feel myself officially included as a dangerous extremist bent on undermining The Obamessiah’s holy mission.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  96. glasnost – Do you have anything new in the way of talking points?
    Comment by daleyrocks — 4/16/2009 @ 4:29 am

    …or more importantly, an actual indictment or prosecution to point to for verification of your allegations?
    What you do have is enough projection to illuminate the screens in a multi-plex.

    AD (0053b8)

  97. When discussing 4th-Amendment issues, the one concept that quite a few lose sight of is the Court-determined definition of “unreasonable”, a key word deftly hidden-in-plain-view within said mentioned Amendment.
    Not all warrant-less searches are “unreasonable”, and quite a few warranted searches are later found to be “unreasonable” also.

    AD (0053b8)

  98. Comment by Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. — 4/16/2009 @ 8:32 am

    Welcome to the Club! You will receive, by private-courier, in a plain-wrapper, the secret decoder ring and instructions on the secret handshake.

    AD (0053b8)

  99. Rightwing extremists are harnessing this historical election as a recruitment tool. Many rightwing extremists are antagonistic toward the new presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship, the expansion of social programs to minorities, and restrictions on firearms.

    I really like this part that Patterico quotes. Talk about a Smuggled Premise! Why was this election historical? Because of O’s immigration stance (which is, AFAICT, nearly identical to the Bush stance)? Because we elected someone in favor of expanding social programs (like that’s never happened before)?

    No on all of the above. Yet us “right wing extremists” that are anti-abortion, anti-illegal-immigration, anti_gun_control, and anti-welfare-state are a threat because we are harnessing this “historical” election to expand recruitment. Wonder what historical aspect of this election the DHS thinks we could be harnessing?

    Terry (2e345a)

  100. Comment by Terry — 4/16/2009 @ 10:46 am

    Only a racist coult ask that question.

    AD (0053b8)

  101. coult…could…

    AD (0053b8)

  102. RACISTS !!!!!

    JD (eef042)

  103. Yet us “right wing extremists” that are anti-abortion, anti-illegal-immigration, anti_gun_control, and anti-welfare-state are a threat because we are harnessing this “historical” election to expand recruitment.

    It’s all about how you phrase it: Yes us “right wing extremists” that are pro-life, pro-legal and lawful immigration, pro-2nd Amendment rights, pro-self supporting self-reliance are a threat because we are harnessing this “historical” election to expand recruitment. Absolutely!

    See?

    Dana (d08a3a)


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