Fox Nation Highlights Calls For Revolution Ahead Of July 4

BRIAN THORN/Media Matters For America

Fox Nation highlighted a PJ Media post that suggested America may be "headed for a Tahrir Square of our own" under the headline "Is America In A Pre-Revolutionary State This July 4?"

Fox Nation republished July 2 article by Roger L. Simon of PJ Media article that described the Affordable Care Act as "the monster of all monsters" and called the IRS "a kind of post-modern American Gestapo."

The PJ Media article went on to ask if America and wondered if the United States is "headed for a Tahrir Square of our own with the attendant mammoth social turmoil, possibly even violence":

As we approach July 4, 2013, is America in a pre-revolutionary state? Are we headed for a Tahrir Square of our own with the attendant mammoth social turmoil, possibly even violence.

Could it happen here?

We are two-thirds of the way into the most incompetent presidency in our history. People everywhere are fed up. Even many of the so-called liberals who propelled Barack Obama into office have stopped defending him in the face of an unprecedented number of scandals coming at us one after the other like hideous monsters in some non-stop computer game.

And now looming is the monster of monsters, ObamaCare, the healthcare reform almost no one wanted and fewer understood.

It will be administered by the Internal Revenue Service, an organization that has been revealed to be a kind of post-modern American Gestapo, asking not just to examine our accounting books but the books we read. What could be more totalitarian than that?

[...]

In fact, everywhere we look on this July Fourth sees a great civilization in decline. And much of that decline can be laid at the foot of the incumbent. Especially his own people, African Americans, have suffered.  Their unemployment numbers are catastrophic, their real needs ignored while hustlers like Sharpton, Jackson, and, sadly, even the president fan the flames of non-existent racism.

Tahrir Square anyone?

Fox News has warned of violent uprisings as a response to Obama's policies before. Fox host Bill O'Reilly claimed Obama could choose "to be a good president or whether he just wants to have blood in the streets." At a conservative banquet in January, Fox contributor Pat Caddell claimed the country was in a "pre-revolutionary condition" and "on the verge of an explosion."

Tea Party Conference Call Features Threat To Assassinate U.S. Senator Because She Supports Immigration Reform

By Esther Yu-Hsi Lee/Think Progress

In a Tea Party-sponsored conference call held on Wednesday night, a participant called for the assassination of Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) over her support for immigration reform. Prominent conservative policymakers Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)’s communications director Stephen Miller and Heritage Foundation research fellow Robert Rector also joined the call, hosted by the conservative Eagle Forum group.

The most jarring and unexpected moment of the night was when the moderator opened up the phone lines to callers:

BOB FROM MAINE: I’m from Maine and our Tea Party will be meeting up next week. What is the best way that we can get our senator to listen to us?

ANOTHER CALLER: Shoot her. [laughter]

MODERATOR: Yes, we will shoot her with…(inaudible) and phone calls.

After the anonymous statement was made, no one on the call voiced their opposition. Instead, the threat was met with laughter and “oohs.” (At the time of the incident, Sessions’ communications director had apparently left the call.) Calling for the assassination of a senator is a federal crime punishable by five years of jail and may require a Secret Service investigation.

Collins was the sole Republican to co-sponsor Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)’s withdrawn amendment that would allow bi-national, same sex couples to petition for immigrant visas for their significant others.

Despite the “joking” nature of the caller, this is not the first time that Tea Partiers have made explicit threats toward government officials. A Tea Partier once threatened a state senator for supporting a bill he believed would lead to government seizure of land, and famed Tea Partier Glenn Beck also called for the use of Special Ops to incite a revolution.

Arrested Colorado man threatened lawmaker: ‘Hopefully somebody Gifords both of your asses with a gun’

By Arturo Garcia/Raw Story

Denver police arrested a 42-year-old man for allegedly threatening a state lawmaker, her daughter and a colleague in a series of voice mails and emails.

The Denver Post reported on Monday that Franklin Glenn Sain was arrested on Feb. 22 on suspicion of harassing state Rep. Rhonda Fields (D) and unlawfully attempting to influence a public official.

Sain admitted to using racial and sexual slurs against Fields in a series of emails dated between Feb. 13 and Feb. 15. is also believed to have sent an unsigned letter to her office threatening “Death to both” her and her daughter, as well as the message, “I keep my 30 Round Magazines There Will Be Blood! I’m Coming For You!”

One of Sain’s emails, sent on Feb. 15, said of Fields and fellow state Rep. Beth McCann (D), “Hopefully somebody Gifords [sic] both of your asses with a gun,” an apparent reference to former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who was shot in the head in a public attack. Giffords survived, but the mass shooting resulted in the deaths of six people.

Fields told police the messages were so disturbing she skipped a Thursday town hall meeting out of fear for both her safety and the safety of others.

“I am grateful for the prompt work of the Colorado State Patrol in bringing this suspect to justice, and I also thank the Denver Police Department, which was instrumental in the investigation,” she said in a statement issued on Monday. “I will not be deterred by threats.”

Sain told police he was “just voicing some frustrations” over Fields’ support for tighter gun regulations in the state.

According to KMGH-TV, he denied being a racist in follow-up phone calls with authorities, despite his use of slurs against both Fields and President Barack Obama.

“I guarantee there is not enough law enforcement, or military to stop an all out overthrow of this government if you or that (racial slur) President tries to take our guns,” he said in one email. “Guarantee, we will make world war I and II look like child’s play, many will die…be prepared.”

KCNC-TV reported on Monday that the state legislature adopted four gun-control measures earlier this month, including two measures sponsored by Fields. One requires universal background checks on all firearms purchases in the state, and the other limits ammunition magazines to 8 rounds for handguns and 15 rounds for larger firearms. The measures will go before the state Senate in early March.

“It is fascinating that Representative Fields is just trying to do the best she can for the people of Colorado, and to keep Colorado children safe by limiting gun violence, and it’s met with more violence,” state Senate President John Morse told KCNC. “It is just appalling.”

Watch KCNC’s report on Sain’s arrest and his alleged threats against Sain, aired Monday, below.

Former MIGOP Spokesman Urges “Armed Rebellion” After SCOTUS Decision on Affordable Care Act

From Michigan Democratic Party:

MDP Calls on Snyder, Schostak, Schuette and GOP Leaders to Repudiate Remarks

LANSING – The Michigan Democratic Party is calling Governor Rick Snyder, MIGOP Chair Bobby Schostak, Attorney General Bill Schuette, and Republican leaders to repudiate comments made by former Michigan Republican Party spokesman Matt Davis.

After the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act this morning, Davis sent out an email that claimed “armed rebellion” was justified. Davis said, “There are times government has to do things to get what it wants and holds a gun to your head. I’m saying at some point, we have to ask the question when do we turn that gun around and say no and resist.”

“There is no place for this violent rhetoric in policy or in politics,” MDP Chair Mark Brewer said. “Urging citizens to take violent action simply because you do not agree with policy is alarming, irresponsible and reprehensible. We call on Snyder, Schostak, Schuette, Bolger, and others to immediately repudiate these offensive and destructive comments.”

“These comments have received an enormous amount of national attention,” added Brewer. “This is yet another embarrassment brought about by Michigan Republicans. It’s time for them to start focusing on putting people back to work instead of becoming a national punchline.”

A link to one of the national stories is below.

http://wonkette.com/476747/michigan-republicans-ex-spokesman-wants-you-to-shoot-the-government-for-giving-you-health-care

The Right Wing's Insurrectionist Mindset

From Media Matters

The federal government has alleged that four Georgia militia members who are accused of plotting to kill federal employees modeled their plan on right-wing blogger Mike Vanderboegh's online novel Absolved, which depicts underground militia fighters who declare war on the federal government over gun control laws and same-sex marriage, leading to a second American revolution. Vanderboegh is not alone in promoting such insurrectionism: several right-wing media figures, including other gun rights bloggers, have suggested the possibility of political violence or revolution as a  means of responding to progressive policies.

Georgia Militia Members Accused Of Plot To Kill Government Officials Allegedly Cited Vanderboegh's Novel

Los Angeles Times: "Georgia Terror Suspects Allegedly Inspired By Online Novel." On November 3, Los Angeles Times reporter and blogger Richard Fausset reported:

Federal officials say that the four Georgia militia members who were arrested this week for allegedly plotting a violent terror attack were inspired by a novel their ringleader read on the Internet.

Now attention is turning to the author of that novel, Mike Vanderboegh, a blogger=- and former militia member from Pinson, Ala., who is no stranger to controversy.

The Associated Press reports that terror suspect Frederick Thomas, 73, was moved by Vanderboegh's novel, "Absolved," about a violent conflagration between militia members and the government.

In his introduction to the book, Vanderboegh describes it as a "useful dire warning," a book that is "as much a cautionary tale for the out-of-control gun cops of the ATF as anyone. For that warning to be credible, I must also present what amounts to a combination field manual, technical manual and call to arms for my beloved gunnies of the armed citizenry. They need to know how powerful they could truly be if they were pushed into a corner."

[....]

During protests over federal health care reform legislation, Vanderboegh suggested throwing bricks through the windows of Democratic Party headquarters. The AP notes that a number of such incidents occurred. [Los Angeles Times, 11/3/2011]

Gun Rights Bloggers Invoked Violence Against Politicians Over Gun Control And Health Care Reform

Bob Owens: "Go To Your Congressman's Office... If You're Willing To Do The Time For The Crime, Have A Swing At Him." In a March 24, 2010 post on his blog, PJ Media (formerly Pajamas Media) contributor Bob Owens suggested that assaulting members of Congress was an acceptable form of protest:

No matter what you think of Obamacare and the craven ideologues that passed it, is totally unacceptable to threaten their relatives or friends and put them in danger.

Go to your Congressman's office and scream at him in the most colorful language possible. Hang him in effigy at protests. If you're willing to do the time for the crime, have a swing at him.

Better yet, throw a shoe... after all, the left values such behavior as a form of "vigorous dissent," and will no doubt ask for any charges against you to be dropped.

Perhaps one day stronger action will be required if Progressives continue to trample on our liberties in their blind quest for power. But that time is not now. [Confederate Yankee,4/24/2010]

Bob Owens: "I Pray For Peace. But I Prepare For War." In a July 31, 2010, post, Owens wrote:

Our would-be ruling class has abandoned the principles that founded this nation. They are attempting to establish a state of affairs where the people serve the government and the government determines your success or failure. Corruption no longer matters. Sovereignty no longer matters. The rule of law no longer matters.

They have won in a bloodless coup.

Or so they would like you to think.

Whether they actually win or not depends upon how much you love your family and your nation and the principles that made this nation great. Our founders themselves believed in the right of revolt, and knew better than any of us that governments must be replaced from time to time. They were wise enough to provide us with a constitutional framework that will outlast any government, including this one. We can dispose of this government, and restore the Constitution that has served us and the rest of the world so well for so long.

We stand at the brink.

[...]

The question for you, my fellow Americans, is simple.

Will you fight, or will you surrender your liberties?

I pray for peace.

But I prepare for war. [Confederate Yankee, 7/31/10]

Bob Owens On Media Matters Employees: "I Hope They Do Feel Threatened."  In an August 3, 2010, blog post titled "Closer to Midnight," Owens suggested political allies conduct a "serious review of our capacity for violence" and wrote that he hoped Media Matters employees "feel threatened":

Propagandists for the elitists at Media Matters seem troubled by A Nation on the Edge of Revolt [an Owens blog post]. They portray it as a threat when "Conservative media figures openly discuss armed revolution."

I have not yet been swayed to the point of view that an armed conflict is inevitable, TN_NamVolunteer. But we are close enough that one would be wise to prepare for a possible conflict, just as one would prepare for any coming storm. [Confederate Yankee, 8/3/2010]

Kurt Hoffman Suggested It's A "Good Thing" That Politicians Who Support Gun Control Perceive "A Personal Threat To Their Own Lives." On November 3, 2011 writing on Examiner.com,gun rights blogger Kurt Hoffman suggested that politicians perceiving "a personal threat to their own lives" was a "good thing":

I hope they do feel threatened. Attempts at peaceable protests have been met at turns by feigned ignorance, then mockery, then attacks on the character and motives of those would not sit quietly by. Perhaps it will take a serious review of our capacity for violence to get them to realize we shall not surrender our individual liberties to their lust for power.

The common theme here is that Feinstein, Waxman and others seem to have identified .50 caliber rifles as a personal threat to their own lives. This is a good thing.  Those who take it upon themselves to write the laws by which the rest of us must live should fear the wrath of the people they seek to govern.  For the nation to be truly free, those who seek to exceed the limits on their power imposed by the Constitution must be made to live in mortal terror of the consequences. [Examiner.com, 11/3/2011]

Right-Wing Media Figures Have Invoked Violence Against Public Employees And Liberals

Dick Morris: "Those Crazies In Montana Who Say, 'We're Going To Kill ATF Agents Because The U.N.'s Going To Take Over' -- Well, They're Beginning To Have A Case." In a March 2009 appearance, Fox News contributor Dick Morris expounded on a long conspiracy theory about a "super-national authority" that will oversee U.S. financial institutions, then asserted that President Obama's policies are "internationalist" and that "those crazies in Montana who say, 'We're going to kill ATF agents because the U.N.'s going to take over' -- well, they're beginning to have a case." [Fox News, Your World with Neil Cavuto, 3/31/09]

Glenn Beck: "You'd Pick Up A Gun? Have You Ever Thought Of That?" After saying that "violence is just the wrong way to go," during a March 23 episode of the his television show, Beck asked his audience if they had ever considered picking up a gun, then warned that progressives have done so:

You'd pick up a gun? Have you ever thought of that?

These people [points to images of progressive figures] have. Because possibly, maybe the question should be asked, maybe they're tired of evolution, and maybe they are waiting for revolution. [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 3/23/10]

Beck: "You're Going To Have To Shoot Them In The Head." Discussing what he called a "civil war in the Democratic party" Beck claimed that "radicals have infected the party" and "have been brought in by politicians who don't really care about anything." Beck purported to illustrate his argument by airing comments made by former White House advisor Van Jones. After then discussing Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, Beck said:

Just because you in Washington and you who are so out of touch with life in the media, just because you don't believe in anything doesn't mean nobody else does. We do. You know why you're confused by this show? It's because I believe in something. You don't.

Tea parties believe in small government. We believe in returning to the principles of our Founding Fathers. We respect them. We revere them. Shoot me in the head before I stop talking about the Founders. Shoot me in the head if you try to change our government.

I will stand against you and so will millions of others. We believe in something. You in the media and most in Washington don't. The radicals that you and Washington have co-opted and brought in wearing sheep's clothing -- change the pose. You will get the ends.

You've been using them? They believe in communism. They believe and have called for a revolution. You're going to have to shoot them in the head. But warning, they may shoot you.

They are dangerous because they believe. Karl Marx is their George Washington. You will never change their mind. And if they feel you have lied to them -- they're revolutionaries. Nancy Pelosi, those are the people you should be worried about. [Fox News, Glenn Beck,6/9/10]

Listen to Beck explain his comments

Glenn Beck Appeared To Point To A Picture Of Obama After Asking "Why Would You Get A Gun?" During a June 13, 2011 episode of his Fox News show, after Beck asked "why would you get a gun," he appeared to point to a monitor where a picture of President Obama and Cass Sunstein appeared:

[Fox News, Glenn Beck, 6/13/11]

Listen to Beck explain the incident

Erick Erickson Suggested He Might Pull A "Shotgun" On Census Worker. During his radio show on April 1, 2010, CNN contributor and Redstate.com managing editor Erickson suggested he might "pull out my wife's shotgun" in response to a census worker asking him questions:

What gives the Commerce Department the right to ask me how often I flush my toilet? Or about going to work? I'm not filling out this form. I dare them to try and come throw me in jail. I dare them to. Pull out my wife's shotgun and see how that little ACS twerp likes being scared at the door. They're not going on my property. They can't do that. They don't have the legal right, and yet they're trying. [WMAC, In the Morning with Erick Erickson, 4/1/2010]

Erick Erickson: "At What Point Do The People ... March Down To Their State Legislator's House, Pull Him Outside, And Beat Him To A Bloody Pulp?" On April 31, 2009, writing on RedState.com about a Washington county's ban on certain kinds of dishwasher detergent, Erickson asked when people were approaching the point where they would "beat" state legislators to "a bloody pulp for being an idiot":

At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator's house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot? [Redstate.com 4/31/2009]

Bob Owens: "Jackasses" Who Call Health Care A Right "Deserve To Be Drawn And Quartered."From his' Twitter account:

G. Gordon Liddy Advised People Resisting ATF Law Enforcement Actions To "Go For A Head Shot."  On August 26, 1994, Liddy said on his radio show:

Well, if the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms comes to disarm you and they are bearing arms, resist them with arms. Go for a head shot; they're going to be wearing bulletproof vests. [CBS Morning News, 4/26/95, via Nexis]

Right Wing Media Figures Warned Of Possibility Of "Secession," "Revolution" and "Civil War"

Jim Quinn: "Our Country Was Built On Revolution, And It's About Time We Took It Back." On September 10, 2009, during a discussion on health care reform, right-wing radio host Jim Quinn said:

You have got to say no to this, and if they push this through, you need to riot in the streets. You need to riot in the streets." [...]

Our country was built on revolution and it's about time we took it back. These people are dangerous [...]

"It's about time to put an end to this leftist control of this country, and if a revolution is what it takes, damn it, then that's what it's going to take, because liberty will not be denied." [The War Room with Quinn and Rose, 9/10/09]

Chuck Norris: "Will History Need To Record A Second American Revolution?" In his March 9, 2009, column for WorldNetDaily, actor and National Rifle Association activist Chuck Norris wrote:

How much more will Americans take? When will enough be enough? And, when that time comes, will our leaders finally listen or will history need to record a second American Revolution? We the people have the authority according to America's Declaration of Independence. [WorldNetDaily, 4/9/2009]

Pam Geller: Obama "Is Itching For A Civil War. And At The Rate He Is Going, He Is Going To Get One." In a June 23, 2010 post about immigration reform titled, "Forecast: Blood on the Streets," conservative blogger Pam Geller wrote:

If the king decrees that all illegals will be granted amnesty, I can assure you that America will not go quietly. [....]

It is increasingly clear that the most divisive President in history is itching for a civil war. And at the rate he is going, he is going to get one. [Atlas Shrugs 6/23/2010]

Rush Limbaugh: "Secession" Is "Not The Rantings Of Extreme Kookism Anymore," "Some Might Say The Civil War Is Already On."  On August 5, 2010, a caller to Limbaugh's radio show expressed concern that the "elections even gonna solve the problems in this country" because we are "too far gone." She said that states need to look at "secession" or "maybe another civil war. And, to tell you the truth, I'm ready for it because I'm so hopping mad. I'm mad every day."  Limbaugh responded by calling her a "reasonable woman" and saying "she's not alone, folks." He added, "[S]ecession" is "not the rantings of extreme kookism anymore." He later said: "[S]ome might say the civil war is already on -- a nonviolent one." [The Rush Limbaugh Show, 8/5/10]

Michael Savage: "We're Going To Have A Revolution In This Country"; "These People Are Pushing The Wrong People Around." While discussing multiculturalism on August 21, 2009, radio host Michael Savage predicted: "This is not going to go on in this country much longer. We're going to have a revolution in this country if this keeps up. These people are pushing the wrong people around." [Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation, 8/21/09]

Allen West Suggests Anti-War Congressmen Should ‘Get Shot At A Few Times’

By Alex Seitz-Wald 

In the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the House came closer than it ever has to voting for an end to the war in Afghanistan today when a bipartisan amendment that would have required President Obama to submit a timetable for withdrawal failed by just 12 votes, netting approval from 26 Republicans.

But some Republicans were not pleased with the vote. Tea Party firebrand Rep. Allen West (R-FL) — a retired Army officer who was discharged after shooting at an unarmed detainee in Iraq — denounced the amendment, telling the Miami Herald that his anti-war colleagues should “get shot” to understand the true threat of the Taliban:

“Is the Taliban still fighting? I spent 2.5 years in Afghanistan. Just because you kill Osama bin Laden does not mean that the Taliban has stopped fighting,” he said. “Now can we fight a little smarter? Absolutely.”
Asked about efforts to curb U.S. involvement, West said, “I would take these gentlemen over and let them get shot at a few times and maybe they’d have a different opinion.”

With the tragic shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) still fresh in Americans’ minds, West’s comments are especially irresponsible. But perhaps this should be expected from West. In January, he criticized Obama for traveling to Afghanistan with a security detail, saying, “[I]f I’m asking my young men and women to go out there and put their lives on the line, I should be willing and able to do the exact same thing.” West also had no problem hiring right-wing Florida radio host Joyce Kaufman to be his chief of staff, even after she proclaimed at a Tea Party rally, “if ballots don’t work, bullets will.”

Indiana Official Reportedly Advised Scott Walker To Stage A Phony Violent Attack By Union Supporters

By George Zornick

During the intense public battle with public employee unions last month, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) received an intriguing email from an admirer claiming to be a deputy prosecutor from Indiana. The email suggested that Walker should fake an attack on himself, in order to create sympathy for his cause and damage the reputation of the unions. The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism has the email:

The e-mail was signed by “Carlos F. Lam.” WCIJ did some digging and discovered that indeed, there is a Carlos F. Lam who is a GOP public official in Indiana. He is a deputy prosecutor in Johnson County, Indiana — which is the same area the e-mail was sent from, according to its IP information. Lam also has a history of anti-union comments online: he’s written that Indiana is “an unsustainable public worker gravy train bubble.” In another, he said “unions & companies that feed at the gov’t trough will fight tooth & nail against anything that un-feathers their nests.”

WCIJ contacted Lam and asked him if the Hotmail address on the email belongs to him. Lam confirmed that it does — but categorically denied sending the email. “I am flabbergasted and would never advocate for something like this, and would like everyone to be sure that that’s just not me,” he said, after being read the email. He said he plans to file a police report about the matter this week.

Oddly, the email was sent on the very same day that another Indiana law enforcement official tweeted out violent plans for the protests. Jeffrey Cox, a deputy attorney general for the state, tweeted that police should “use live ammunition” against the protestors. He was fired the next day – but for now, Lam’s boss is backing him. “He didn’t send it,” he told WCIJ.

UPDATEAccording to the Johnson County Prosecutor's office, Lam has admitted that he wrote the email and resigned his post.

Broun’s Vitriol Spawns Hate As Constituent Asks Congressman, ‘Who’s Going To Shoot President Obama?’

By Zaid Jilani

This past Tuesday Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) held a town hall meeting in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. During the question and answer session, one constituent asked a particularly outlandish question. As the Athens Banner Herald reports, the questioner asked, “Who’s going to shoot Obama?” The question apparently evoked laughter from the town hall meeting.

Rather than outright condemning the suggestion of violence, Broun tried to show empathy for the questioner by saying that he knows “there’s a lot of frustration with this president” and that he hopes we can “elect somebody who’s going to be a conservative” next year:

The thing is, I know there’s a lot of frustration with this president.We’re going to have an election next year. Hopefully, we’ll elect somebody that’s going to be a conservative, limited-government president that will take a smaller, who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Out of all of the members Congress, Broun has used perhaps the most vitriolic rhetoric to describe his political opponents, including Obama. He has previously said that Democrats want to take over “all of society,” that the president was spewing “venom” at the State of the Union, that the stimulus and health care laws were going to “kill” the elderly, that clean energy legislation would make southerners die from hyperthermia, and has compared Obama to Hitler, complete with a claim that the president is secretly assembling a version of the Hitler Youth.

In a statement provided to the Athens Banner Herald, a Broun spokesman said, “Obviously, the question was inappropriate, so Congressman Broun moved on.” Yet until Broun stops telling his constituents that all of his political opponents are plotting to kill Americans with diabolical fascist plots, he should expect more and more of them to think violence is justified.

UPDATEThe Secret Service was dispatched to investigate the constituent who asked the question and determined it was asked "in poor taste," but that it was not a serious threat.

UPDATEBroun has released a statement saying that he "regrets" that the incident happened and that he condemns "all statements -- made in sincerity or jest -- that threaten or suggest the use of violence against the President of the United States or any other public official. Such rhetoric cannot and will not be tolerated."

M.C.L Comment: This is what pisses me off between 2001-2007 Paul Broun and his ilk were accuse you of having Osama Bin Laden hiding out in your basement if you said anything remotely critical of George W.Bush leap forward to now Paul Broun can call the President whatever he wants and those knuckle dragging half wits that made up Bush supporters can ask dumb ass questions about shooting the president.. Could you image what would that right wing would have done if he stood next to someone asking the same question about Bush? He would probably tried to knock that guy out.

Arizona sheriff singles out Rush Limbaugh for ‘irresponsible’ rhetoric

By Eric W. Dolan

An Arizona sheriff responsible for investigating the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) confronted conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh Tuesday for the "irresponsible" rhetoric he uses on his radio show.

"The kind of rhetoric that flows from people like Rush Limbaugh, in my judgment he is irresponsible, uses partial information, sometimes wrong information," Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik told ABC News. "[Limbaugh] attacks people, angers them against government, angers them against elected officials and that kind of behavior in my opinion is not without consequences."

The sheriff lamented the state of political discourse in the United States during a press conference Saturday, sparking a national debate over who, if anyone, should be held accountable for using violent political rhetoric.

"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government," Dupnik said, "the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous."

He added that "people in the radio business and some people in the TV business" needed to tone down their rhetoric, but did not mention anyone specifically at the time. It's not unusual for all public officials to get threats constantly, myself included," Dupnik continued. "That's the sad thing about what's going on in America: pretty soon we're not going to be able to find reasonable decent people willing to subject themselves to serve in public office."

On his radio show Monday, Limbaugh said that the sheriff had "made a fool of himself."

"What this was all about is shutting down any and all political opposition and eventually criminalizing it," he added. "Criminalizing policy differences, at least when they differ from the Democrat Party agenda."

Limbaugh has received a deluge of criticism for his hyperbolic remarks and constant demonization of liberals.

"Liberals in power are a threat to Western civilization," he said on his radio show. "While they are ruthless in their pursuit of power, they are weak in the face of evil, and their compassion for evildoers defies sanity. That applies to liberals here, liberals across the pond, and liberals in every corner of the world."

Sheriff Dupnik has received criticism from numerous conservative commentators.

Fox News featured critical commentary the sheriff's remarks on its website Tuesday, which stated, "The sheriff, a Democrat who has served as the county's top cop for 31 years, angered many with the remarks — including some of his friends, who felt his editorializing had no part in a news conference, typically reserved for impersonal facts and details."

M.C.L Comment: All Rush has done for the past couple of decades is protect the interest of his corporate overlords,by telling that segment of middle class and working poor whites(not all of them)it's not corporate greed that cause them their jobs it's liberals who want to give your job away to those people(codeword for niggers and wetbacks). Rush job isn't being an entertainer or whatever the crap he calls himself, his job is keep that segment of white people(mostly men) angry so they lose sight to the fact the people who take their jobs are not those people it's the guy at the top who figures he can make more money by finding a work force that he can pay less. Rush knows the truth but the people that got their hand up his ass isn't going to let him tell his audience nor does he want to because he get 400 million to misinformed people and if that means inciting them to violence who cares? It's all about protecting that small minority of wealthy people's interest.

A Challenge To Glenn Beck: Will He Cool His Paranoid Anti-Government Rhetoric?

By Ben Armbruster On Sunday, federal officials charged Jared Lee Loughner on two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder in Saturday’s shooting rampage in Tucson, AZ that critically wounded Rep. Gabriel Giffords (D-AZ) and killed a federal judge and a Giffords staffer, among others. In the wake of the tragedy, many are wondering what motivated Loughner — whether he was a mentally-ill lone wolf vigilante or inspired by something else.

Information coming out about Loughner portrays the 22-year-old as “odd” and “isolated by his increasingly erratic behavior.” Moreover, video posts on his YouTube page give some insight into his thinking, and a few themes emerge from his writings: a twisted understanding of the U.S. Constitution; a feeling that there is a government conspiracy to control the American population; and, a belief that currency should be backed up by precious metals. For example:

– “The majority of citizens in the United States of America have never read the United States of America’s Constitution.” “Read the United States of America’s Constitution to apprehend all of the current treasonous laws.”

– “The government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar.”

– “No! I won’t pay debt with a currency that’s not backed by gold and silver!”

While the vast majority of the public appropriately considers these statements the deranged rantings of a madman, Glenn Beck fearmongers about these same subjects nearly every day before a large national audience that tunes into Fox News:

THE CONSTITUTION

– “Progressives have been patient for decades, creeping their way into the system in the cover of darkness. And this is their opportunity. They’re going to deal a final death blow to the Constitution if they can.” [1/20/10]

– Health care reform “is the end of the Constitution.” [1/04/10]

– Progressivism “is the poison that’s killing our Constitution”; “We’ve got to irradiate it.” [1/21/10]

GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY/CONTROL

– “I do not want the government controlling my diet.” [3/10/10]

– The government is using the census to “increase slavery.” [3/09/10]

– “The government is gearing up to conduct one of the biggest scientific experiments ever and you get to be a part of it. … They’re going to study us and find ways to essentially trick us into driving crappy hybrids and I bet that’s just the beginning.” [7/30/09]

– “[Net neutrality] will control every aspect of the Internet … We are losing our country.” [5/06/10]

– “They control your life. Now, they control financial reform. Through the financial reform bill, they control every dollar and how it’s spent. They now control not only how you live and die, but they control businesses, and which one lives or dies. They control your life and your pursuit of happiness. That leaves only one out of the three in the Declaration that you still have: liberty, life, pursuit of happiness.” [7/23/10]

THE GOLD STANDARD

– “One of the highest profile targets of this bizarre regulation is the gold industry, AKA, your pathway to acquire anything of value as they filet our currency.” [7/22/10]

– “The Fed made sure that your dollar would be devalued. They’re monetizing the debt — monetizing our debt — printing more than $600 billion. Now, if we were on the gold standard and we just struck $600 million gold mine, that would be great because then — I just lost the gold coin.” [11/04/10]

– “Have the progressives grown the size of government? What was the tipping point? Well, the tipping point, really, there was one in the 1970s when we went off the gold standard and then the late 1990s when the Fed started just creating bubble after bubble after bubble because we had to continue to spend.” [10/28/10]

To be clear, there’s no evidence Loughner was a Glenn Beck watcher or that Beck bears any responsibility for Loughner’s actions. Still, these tragic events provide an opportunity to re-examine the implications of extreme conservative rhetoric. The danger is real: A person who genuinely believes that progressive governance is an organized conspiracy to destroy American liberty might feel justified in taking drastic measures in response.

Yesterday, Media Matters founder David Brock called on News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch to rein in Beck and Fox News contributor Sarah Palin. “You have the power to order them to stop using violent rhetoric, on and off of Fox’s air. If they fail to do so, it is incumbent upon you to fire them or be responsible for the climate they create and any consequences thereof,” Brock wrote.

For Beck’s part, any pleas for sanity will likely fall on deaf ears. Slate’s Dave Weigel reports that Beck responded to the tragedy in Tucson by flipping “it back and imply[ing] that the violent left needs to back down, too.” And his Fox News show yesterday, Beck spent most of the program defending himself from critics of his rhetoric. Ignoring his history of using violent rhetoric, Beck said “I don’t use it on or off the air. So I guess I’m in compliance, Media Matters.”

Democrats on Palin ‘crosshair’ map received death threats

By Eric W. Dolan

Two former Democratic representatives from Arizona reportedly received numerous threats during their time in office after being placed on Sarah Palin's "crosshairs" map.

"I cannot tell you how much I wish a panty bomber would come in and just fucking blow your place up," one constituent told former Arizona Congressman Harry Mitchell, a Democrat who lost his reelection bid last year.

Another former Arizona representative, Ann Kirkpatrick, received emails calling her a "whore" and had a sewer cap thrown through her office window, The Daily Best reported.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who was shot in the head Saturday in Tucson, was among 20 other members of Congress who were on a "target list" published by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Six people were killed and at least 14 others were injured in the attack.

A map of the US, published on Palin's Facebook page, featured targeting crosshairs over individual congressional districts Palin had urged supporters to focus on. While her note called for "pink slips," she added that supporters should fire a "salvo" at those lawmakers.

"We're paying particular attention to those House members who voted in favor of Obamacare and represent districts that Senator John McCain and I carried during the 2008 election," Palin's Facebook page stated.

Giffords, Mitchell and Kirkpatrick were all included on the map.

"You are not just wrong on the issue, you are a scumbag, you are evil," Rob Sherwood, Mitchell's former district director, told The Daily Beast. "When someone believes that about you, it dehumanizes you to a certain extent. A thought like that in the hands of someone who is maybe unstable could lead straight to violent action."

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who is responsible for investigating the shooting of Giffords, stated that "vitriolic remarks" made on television and radio may be partially responsible for the attack on Giffords.

"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government," he said during a press conference. "The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous."

"Everybody in the back of their minds, everybody feared this, everybody put this into their calculations," Kirkpatrick's former chief of staff, Michael Frias, said, "but nobody thought it would happen."