Little Green Footballs: About That DHS Report on Right-Wing Extremism (Major Barf Alert)

Little Green Footballs ^ | 4-14-2009 | LGF

[jmc813]

Here we go again.

The latest cause for hyperventilation in the right-wing blogosphere is a report from the Department of Homeland Security on the need for vigilance against extreme right-wing groups like Posse Comitatus, militias, “Patriot” groups, and neo-Nazis like the Christian Identity weirdos. Some bloggers, prompted by World Net Daily, are reading this as an attempt to “smear half of the country or more as kooks for criticizing the government’s handling of the economy.”

That’s ludicrous. First, this DHS assessment was begun more than a year ago, before Barack Obama was even nominated. It has absolutely nothing to do with “tea parties,” and it was not done at the behest of the Obama administration.

Second, I’m seeing it brought up repeatedly that the report contains a reference to veterans, mentioning that some of these groups are seeking to recruit them. This is nothing more than a fact, and the report even says that only a tiny number of veterans would join such groups — but that their talents could bring a great deal of capability to the extremists. Has everyone simply forgotten that Timothy McVeigh was a veteran?

The DHS report is not intended to target anyone but the most extreme elements of the far right, and it’s depressing to see so many bloggers jumping to totally unwarranted conclusions.

AJ Strata has a good take on this: The Threat Of Far Right Extremism - Updated!

UPDATE at 4/14/09 1:10:03 pm:

Here’s a link to download the PDF file, from Wikileaks. Read it for yourself, instead of trusting the distorted claims being made.

[Senator John Blutarski]

AAABEST wrote:
First, this DHS assessment was begun more than a year ago, before Barack Obama was even nominated.
I keep hearing this. If so, then why does the very first paragraph of the 9 page report begin with the following:

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.

These “unique drivers for rightwing radicalization and recruitment” weren’t even a factor a year ago.

..... How did that slip by the script editors ?????

[WaterBoard]

The LGF post is intellectually dishonest and just continues Charles meme of pro-Obama posts.

1) If the report was written prior to Obama being elected why does it refer to events that occurred after Obama was elected?

2) The person responsible for the release of this report is Obama. If he did not agree with its findings, I am sure he would have sent it back for review or editing.

LGF is nothing more than a hotbed of rapid anti-Christians, anti-Palin, anti-Tea Party, anti-Glen Beck, Pro-Obama fans.

[bcsco]

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[WilliamofCarmichael]

First, this DHS assessment was begun more than a year ago, before Barack Obama was even nominated . . . it was not done at the behest of the Obama administration.

It was finished after 20 Jan. 2009 and contained statements that the right wingers would likely use Preisdent Obama's race to recruit. Unless the accounts of the report that I've read are lying Obama was president before the report was finished and circulated to the Nation's LEO.

Project Megiddo was the Clintons' administration attempt to malign Christians vis-a-vis events leading up to Y2k. So what's new about the Obama pukes using the DHS report to put all opponents in the camp of Christian Identity and white supremacists? Nothing. Not a damn thing.

[angkor]

>>>> First, this DHS assessment was begun more than a year ago, before Barack Obama was even nominated. It has absolutely nothing to do with “tea parties,” <<<<<<

This is not an “assessment”. It’s a very unprofessional rewrite of Southern Poverty Law Center hysteria.

It contains no citations of any kind whatsoever, even to raw quotes from Southern Poverty Law Center materials.

If it took one year to prepare this “report” then someone had it very back on the back burner. Or perhaps it was rejected back in the Bush Admin, then slightly buffed-up and released now in a more favorable bureaucratic DHS environment.

I don’t really care about the particulars of what is said in this document (which I’ve read), because it clearly is a rehash of the junk that SPLC has been saying forever (in order to fill it coffers).

What is disturbing is that someone at DHS authorized the release of this sophomoric crapola under the belief that the time was ripe to do so.

[WaterBoard]

Charles Johnson would pats himself on the back for the CBS/Rathergate document aggregation. But, sadly can’t figure out to read simply meta data on the pdf which shows the report was revised in 2009 and post-election sections were added. Thereby destroying his attempt to attack conservatives and Republican’s who are worried by such attempts to categorize them as ‘extremist’s. In addition, Charles also smears US military veterans. I would like him to point out the extremists groups of military veterans referenced in the report. Where are they?

[annieokie]

This is why I love FreeRepublic so much. You just don't put anything past Freepers, they will catch everything that is wrong.

Guess we will hear the Media explain that one away.

Good catch DBROW.

[Concho]

These people are talking out of fear. They have no concept of what is going on in the real world, what is happening on main street America. Posse Comitatus is my neighbor. In fact, this whole region is settled by the Comitatus family. How could that blogger not realize this?

[Rockingham]

The DHS “report” is short, shallow, and highly speculative, being based not on field intelligence but on historical example and supposed Internet chatter. The report was likely generated to cater to the phobias of new administration. DHS has disgraced itself and the outrage on the Right is justified.

[aft_lizard]

The problem LGF guy is that the media, and the DHS, is letting the definition of the terms be mixed.

Any conservative worth their salt would know that this report hold’s true to a certain extent. It is also concerning that they do not report of left wing extremists who wish to overthrow this country, and have far more vocally made it known through action of protest and through the blogosphere.

As I indicated yesterday stormfront and other hate groups would love a overthrow, this is nothing new, and anarcho-capitalists have always dreamed of a day when the federal government is cast aside for a leaner less intrusive if not nearly non-existant fedrocracy. This report is nothing new except for it’s intent through political and media means to cast a dark light on well meaning citizens to have their beliefs lumped in with others as they take to the streets today.

[saganite]

Maybe you should point that out to the writer of this article.

[aft_lizard]

Umm but a good report talks about potential outcomes as well as current realities. DHS would know that the economy would turn south and there was a high chance for a black president.

[WaterBoard]

This is what Charles of LGF thinks about you:

1) “It’s a fact that neo-Nazi groups ARE trying to infiltrate the “tea parties,” by the way.”

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/showc/57/7039616

2) “I read those posts at Huffpo, and they did not say anything like that. They called for “citizen journalists” to take videos and photos and file reports from tea parties. They did not say anything like “act like the typical loony conservative.”

Glenn Beck is trying to set up an excuse in advance, because he knows there are going to be a lot of extremists at these events, and he’s partly responsible for encouraging them.”

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/showc/177/7039741

3) “This is absolutely not an attempt to paint all veterans with a broad brush. It very specifically states “a small percentage” might join such groups, and the point it makes is completely valid.”

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/showc/325/7039893

4) “Am I seeing “black helicopters” by expressing my concern over this report?

---

Pretty much, yes.”

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/showc/567/7040141

5) “I think Michelle Malkin has a better synopsis of this than the explanation given here at LGF. It doesn’t sound like this report has been in the works for a year.

---

The report has absolutely been in the works for more than a year, and if anyone tells you otherwise they are either misinformed or lying.”

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/showc/933/7040521

[Straight Vermonter]

[Cboldt]

-- Did the writer of this LFG piece actually READ the report before writing his diatribe?
If he did, then his reading comprehension skills are quite lacking. --

He's counting on his readers' laziness. Mr. Johnson has read the report, and aims to downplay the intentions that spawned it.

[HonestConservative]

Yes, they probably started with a document that no longer bears any resemblance to the one are looking at today.

Clever trick.

It is full of generalities with no sources, an extremely flawed document that in no way can be called a study or research.

Its as if 3 lefties got together and invented their own little universe.

Ok 5 very little lefties.

[depressed in 06]

Our nation must be protected from people who might vote against beloved leader! [/End Sarcasm]

Since when has truth become sarcasm?

It should not be surprising that this report has come out prior to Tea Party Day. That a report of this nature, issued from an administration in office less than a 100 days, indicates a political rather than a reasoned analysis.

[ElayneJ]

This is not an “assessment”. It’s a very unprofessional rewrite of Southern Poverty Law Center hysteria
_______________________

Thank you. This makes sense. The “assessment” reads as if written by a 12-year old - very unsophisticated for an official document and no references, as you pointed out. Interesting connection to SPLC.

[mbynack]

I wouldn't have been so concerned if I hadn't read a report that Missouri identified these right wing fringe groups by saying that they could be identified by:

NRA Stickers
Anti Abortion stickers
Third party election stickers
Second Amendment bumper stickers
Etc.

[mathurine]

You got to watch those retirement communities, especially the ones with old nuns.