oh, I feel weak. . .faint. . .someone bring me some WIld Turkey. . .the 108 proof Rare Breed Stuff
Cap'n Ed Morrissey at Hot Air
Top Homeland Security Democrat objects to DHS report on “right-wing extremism”
Janet Napolitano stood her ground earlier today on the DHS report on the supposed “right-wing extremism” of federalism and gun rights, but a key Democrat on the House Committee on Homeland Security has demanded a better explanation. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) pronounced himself “dumbfounded” at the report, and will ask Napolitano how this report ever got out of her office. Audrey Hudson reports:
The top House Democrat overseeing the Department of Homeland Security is demanding that officials there explain how and why they wrote and released a
controversial report identifying veterans as potential terrorist threats.
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a letter to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano that he was “dumbfounded” such a report would be issued.
“This report appears to raise significant issues involving the privacy and civil liberties of many Americans — including war veterans,” Mr. Thompson said in the letter sent Tuesday.
“As I am certain you agree, freedom of association and freedom of speech are guaranteed to all Americans — whether a person’s beliefs, whatever their political orientation, are ‘extremist’ or not,” Mr. Thompson said.
Thompson didn’t stop there. He wants an explanation of what “activities” Napolitano has planned with law enforcement officials to monitor legitimate public political activity, as promised at the end of the DHS report. He called himself “particularly struck” by this statement. And well he might; it promises to have government treat political discourse as a subversive activity.
Thompson, it should be noted, is hardly a Blue Dog Democrat. He sued George Bush for supposed Constitutional violations in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (the suit was dismissed). He cast a vote to block the Electoral College representation of Ohio in 2004, attempting to use allegations of voting problems to delegitimize Bush’s victory. He is known as a solid liberal.
Even a solid liberal like Thompson can see an abuse of power by DHS in attacking political discourse that opposes the current administration. Give Thompson his due; we may disagree on policy, but he understands what DHS did here and wants to put a stop to it.
10 comments:
Hey, the White House keeps this shit up, they may get the "bipartisanism" they sought afterall.
Not in the house, in the streets. *grin*
Don't anyone kid their self, Napolitano's views are Obama's views and she wouldn't say anything that Obama would not aprove of.
Imagine, last night I went to bed a concerned husband and father and this morning I woke up a domestic terrorist!
Ha! I had just recently finished giving an earful to the office staff of Culberson, Hutchison and Cornyn on 1) Immigration "reform"; 2) support for the "Enumerated Powers Act"; and 3) why the hell we had not heard ONE TINY PEEP from them on this piece of political porn when I read this.
So, with Dems like this, who needs Republicans? (Only kinda kidding.) I am calling and sending his office a fax tomorrow, thanking him.
Some commenters on blogs think he is doing this to give BHO plausible deniability and to give him cover. Maybe. I am just glad someone in the federal government acknowledged how appalling this "prelude to persecution" and attempt to infringe the rights of speech and assembly really is.
Ro
Guess changing the name to Infidel Right Wing Extremist Bitter Clinging Domestic Terrorists Alliance is out, huh?
Yeah, just doesn't have the same panache to it. . .
It would get shortened to
Infidel Right Wing Extremist.
That definitely doesn't have the same panache.
Oh, yeah, right. Bad. Very bad.
I got it!
Pastorius' Barbecue 'N Brew.
Trucks, buses and Bitter Clingers Welcome!
Not being American, I do not get all the fine points, but it seems that America is being led down the same path as Blair led Britain
MR,
I like the name you came up with.
By the way, I used to be part of an discussion group called
Big Tobacco, Wal-Mart Apologizing, Global Warming-Supporters, Who Are Doing It All To Kill Innocent Iraqis.
Shiva -- We're not quite sure what the hell road we're being lead down ourselves, and that's part of the problem. But we're kicking and clawing all the way.
Pasto -- whichever one you like better I bet we could get Bosch to do a helluva logo for it, replete with some hot scantily clad bitter clinging babes.
It's EASY and TRIVIAL to tell the difference between a REAL LIBERAL and the people in power in congress and the white house.
EASY
We are political opponents, not enemies.
Post a Comment