Posted on 04/19/2010 7:19:29 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Former Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick said that President Barack Obama should speak in front of members of the militia movement to calm down rhetoric in the midst of a resurgent anti-government movement.
Gorelick was speaking Friday as part of a panel discussion marking the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing on Monday. On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people. McVeigh, an anti-government extremist who was hoping to spark a revolt against the federal government, was convicted, sentenced to the death penalty and executed on June 11, 2001.
“It is harder to demonize someone who is real and right in front of you,” said Gorelick, now of WilmerHale. “Although it was a long time ago, our experience dealing with militia groups in the aftermath of Oklahoma City was pretty powerful.”
According to Gorelick, after the bombing, the Justice Department asked the FBI to approach militia movements across the country and tell them they could speak out and hold exercises in the woods but that they couldn’t threaten violence against the government. President Bill Clinton also went to Michigan State and spoke to students and members of the militia movement and thanked those who had opposed the bombing.
Gorelick recommended that Obama try a similar approach.
“I see these things as waves, and I believe we’re having another wave right now, it feels that way to me, and I’m hoping there’s something short of a catharsis — which in the case of Oklahoma City and the abortion clinic bombings and others has been death — that will stop that pendulum swing,” said Gorelick.
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The panel discussion is embedded below, the entire video is available on American Progress Action. A transcript of President Bill Clinton’s remarks is available here (PDF).
Man, the guy is in a world of political hurt.
I’m always in favor of politicians addressing opposing groups. They have a tendency to only speak where they can be assured that they will have an adoring audience. Might help bring them back to reality.
The only credibility she has is with the traitors in the radical left. The woman is a disgrace and should never have been in government.
And just who would that be dearie? I have not yet seen or heard of any 'militia movement'. Got any locations, members, numbers, or perhaps a n-a-m-e. I would think if it was a 'movement' then you would be able to track it? You know, as in moving, growing, advancing...from blah blah blah to blah blah blah....you know?
Or perhaps this is one of those Pelosi 'movements' that has more to do with some kind of latent feeling that erupted between two bent synaptic fibers...from another plane of existence in a time not yet known to the rest of us?
What evidence does Ms. Gorelick offer that the so-called militia movement is ‘resurgent’? They just keep stacking assertion on top of allegation on top of lies. You’d think that this house of cards has got to collapse at some point. I guess that’s what elections are for?
I’m thinking maybe I’ll take this boogeyman lemon and make lemonaid: next time I engage a Gorelick-type in “dialogue” (I live close to a university) I’ll consider a question carefully, something about whether we’re all really closet Nazis or not, you know, take my time, then reply,
“I was thinking that over the other night as I was polishing the feed ramps on my weapons with my Dremel mop ...” and I’ve been practicing my squinty-eyed look too.
Unfortunately Obama seems to want nothing more than to goad opposition into knee jerk reactions. That isn’t the behavior of a sane man.
You assume she ever did.
Maybe Jug Ears could address the militias and the Jerusalem apartment builders at the same time.
What she means, of course, is that he speak to the Tea Party, which will then be reported as Obama reaching out to “anti-government forces,” nicely labelling the TP forever.
I’m aghast, though not surprised, that Clinton, Gorelick, and the 0bama Amen Chorus are milking this atrocity/deeply personal tragedy to attempt to discredit the tea party movement. Clinton still is proud his commiseration skills added some luster to his woeful presidency. He didn’t even bother to try to fully solve the crime, as the truth deviated from his convenient script. Had he followed every lead and showed strength, he might have spared us 9/11.
My deepest sympathy to the families of victims of the OKC bombing. I hope this is the last time your loved ones are dishonored in this fashion.
Why would the President feel the need to "calm down" organizations necessary for the security of a free state??
Congressman Billybob
“militia movement”? WTF?
That pretty much sums it up.
Jamie Gorlick - architech of the erecting the wall between the FBI and the CIA, enabling catastrophes like 9-11.
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