Beware of right-wing extremism, says Homeland Security — in a report that could include much of Texas
Updated at 2:40 p.m.: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich just twittered the following:
The person who drafted the outrageous homeland security memo smearing veterans and conservatives should be fired.
——————————————
Talk radio is buzzing today about a Department of Homeland Security report warning that the recession, a black president, and the return of disgruntled war veterans could result in a rise in “rightwing extremist” activity.
Reports the Washington Times:
A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines “rightwing extremism in the United States” as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.
You have to wonder if this includes the Texas Legislature and Gov. Rick Perry. Last week, in a press release that can be found here, Perry endorsed a state lawmaker’s resolution that endorsed states’ rights and the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Says the press release:
“I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said….
A number of recent federal proposals are not within the scope of the federal government’s constitutionally designated powers and impede the states’ right to govern themselves.
Now, truth be told, an economic recession and the return of troops from war has been a formula for unrest in America, with racial overtones. The Civil War was one example, World War I another. Not so much with World War II and Vietnam.
But even the Obama administration apparently agrees that now is not the time for historic musings. The White House, the Times says, is “distancing” itself from the Homeland Security report.
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22 comments Add your comment
Copyleft
April 14th, 2009
11:17 am
The concept of “states’ rights” would have more credibility if it was ever invoked for a purpose other than protecting regional bigotry and hatred.
Barry
April 14th, 2009
2:38 pm
This stuff sounds like Republican demonic propaganda to rile anything, in anybody, who wants to tie anything to our already near dire situation of our economy that the Democratic Party, and our black president inherited from a dumb policies of the Republican Party. They are pulling straws at anything. And this Republican Gov. Perry appears to be positioning himself to incite a riot because his party is not in office by making such irresponsible comments regarding our country at this time. Ritght wing extremist is what it is: THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. It is the Ku Klux Klan Party with Klu Klux Klan ideas. You can see it in the spirit of the Governor Perry’s comments. His comments are racist and laced with political party rhetoric. These republicans are now acting like spoiled children who do not get what they want and now want to throw a tantrum and destrot the world. How demonic and selfish can they get. The State of Texas need to get rid of this racist bigot with his unpatriotic comments. This is America!! It is bounded by our states and federal government as support. If the combined states of America are in need of assistance, it is only American that the federal government assist and guide in the effort. The Homeland Security Report, on the other hand, is written by Republican holdovers from the Bush Administration who are taking parting shots, under the guise of “homeland security”, to undermine this country and President Obamas effort to bring our country back to normalcy. This is more than an example that Obama needs to have more than enough Democrats throughout his administration to positively voice positive reports and opinions that will unify this country not destroy it.
Selah
Aaron Burr V. Mexico
April 14th, 2009
2:44 pm
That new Homeland Security Secretary is one strange looking fellow. I think that he and that Maddow dude on PMSNBC must go to the same barber shop.
Copyleft
April 14th, 2009
3:07 pm
You can see what level of intellect the right occupies, from our own little pet troll Namejacker: the sewers.
It’s sad, really; the right couldn’t come up with ANYTHING intelligent to offer? No wonder we beat them so badly in ‘06 and ‘08 (and for the foreseeable future as well).
Peter
April 14th, 2009
3:09 pm
Enter your comments here
WelfarefortheRich
April 14th, 2009
4:05 pm
It is too late “they’re here”.
Fundad
April 14th, 2009
4:50 pm
Barry! Your an idiot and your willfully ignorant. Only a true liberal lacking in common sense could read what Gov Perry said and find it “racist”. But of course that is what you liberals do when the facts don’t jive with the outcome your seekig. If someone disagrees whith your position then they’re racist, or “hate filled”.
Puhleaze. Get a life, or better yet,read your Constitution and some history.
RaceCop
April 14th, 2009
5:36 pm
It is racist to oppose a big arse gov’t. Obama wants a big arse gov’t. It is double racist to oppose Obama and his buget put together.
SickoftheTyranny
April 14th, 2009
5:49 pm
Fundad:
Facts “jibe” with each other. They don’t “jive.” Build your vocabulary, pal.
Anne
April 14th, 2009
6:07 pm
I second the motion, Barry you are stupid. Let’s just hope that Obama is gone in 4.
Wackolibhack
April 14th, 2009
6:12 pm
It is Bush’s fault that the Obama Administration feels the need to release a report villifying the opposition. It is Bush’s fault they are defining rightwing as any of the 50 plus million that voted against Mr. President Obama. It is Bush’s fault that the Obama Administration is fomenting divsion and hatered in this country. I hate Bush!!!
Texas
April 14th, 2009
6:25 pm
Don’t mess with Texas.
Texas
April 14th, 2009
6:26 pm
The stars at night are big and bright…
Braveheart
April 14th, 2009
8:37 pm
Barry, you and your ilk really are a bunch of doorknobs.
The new definition of right-wing extremism as “…groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority”….uh…ever hear of the 10th amendment? The founding father always intended to limit the power of the federal government. Now we have the fed gov’t taking over companies, hiring and firing employees, establishing salaries, passing 1100-page bills in the middle of the night before anybody has a chance to review them, and more. This is dangerous. The canaries are dying but no one seems to notice.
There is a sea change going on. Obama is using the economic crisis (which was also caused by dems in positions of power at Fannie/Freddie and lib groups like ACORN who staged sit-ins at banks to press for risky loans for people who could not possibly afford them) as an opportunity to quietly enact sweeping and intrusive oversight of Americans who don’t fall in line with the new order.
Check out http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93067. A recent report by the Missouri Information Analysis Center warned law-enforcement officials to “watch out for individuals with “radical” ideologies based on Christian views, such as opposing illegal immigration, abortion and federal taxes.” How would this be determined? By noting BUMPER STICKERS that they happened to have on their cars. So now you can’t stop someone at a DUI checkpoint because that’s “profiling”…but someone with a Christian fish on their bumper is now a potential enemy of the State. “Youh papuhs, please….!”
Call me paranoid, but if you can’t step back and see the mosaic that all these seemingly disparate pieces make, you’re either plugging your ears and going “nah nah nah” to anything anti-Obama….or you are giving tacit approval to the laying of the foundation of a new police state.
SickoftheTyranny
April 14th, 2009
8:59 pm
Braveheart,
The fact that you and your ilk did not protest the many roughshod rides bush and cheney took over our Constitutional rights but are protesting now, mostly on the basis of gross exaggerations, is very telling indeed.
I wonder how many black and brown faces we will see at the various “grassroots” protests the Right has planned in the near future. I would wager that we wont see many.
SharonH
April 14th, 2009
9:40 pm
“smearing veterans and conservatives”?
Timothy McVeigh anyone? Eric Robert Rudolph?
It’s not a smear NEWT, if it’s true.
Sickofthe Tyranny
April 14th, 2009
11:02 pm
I respect their ability to organize, though.
UGA 75
April 15th, 2009
12:17 am
I hate to point out the obvious, but the reason Obama was elected by such a huge margin, even in states like GA where he didn’t carry the state but got more votes than any recent Democrat, was because of the abuses of law, protocal, and common sense by the Bush administration. Had the Democrats run anyone except a traitor against Bush he’d never had been elected twice. Those of us who voted for Obama as the lesser of two evils, just like I did in voting for Bush the last time, still voted for evil. We are getting exactly what we voted for and what we deserve. The real shame is that in a Country this large we can’t find a real centerist candidate that truly represents most of the average or common citizens.
Bush was terrible, Obama is terrible, McCain would have been terrible, Hillary would have been terrible, most of us vote for what we perceive as the least hurtful, lately we haven’t been doing a very good job at what we hope to accomplish.
SickoftheTyranny
April 15th, 2009
6:42 am
Once again, some sad imitator using my nick. I did not write the above:
“Sickofthe Tyranny
April 14th, 2009
11:02 pm
I respect their ability to organize, though.
Fran
April 15th, 2009
8:03 am
“That government is best which governs least”
Thomas Paine
SAWB
April 15th, 2009
12:43 pm
Wow, the lefties are really overstepping on this one. No concern for rights at all in this politically motivated smear doc. There are no specifics, no group named, no evidence. It’s just fear mongering that “someone” might be violent. The author of the report and the Homeland Security director should be canned. Today.
Sickofthe Tyranny
April 17th, 2009
12:19 am
I did too say it. Some times I forget stuff. It must be all the years of drinking my depression away.