White House says Erickson's "remarkably crazy" shotgun comments "should concern CNN"

by Karl Frisch

We've been following the comments of CNN's Erick Erickson who said late last week: I'll "[p]ull out my wife's shotgun" if they try to arrest me for not filling out the American Community Survey.

Tough talk from the editor of the right-wing RedState.com who told CNN's Howard Kurtz just days earlier that he'd learned, "I don't have to get personal in blogging to make my point. I definitely evolved over time" following mounting criticism over his long history of incendiary, mean-spirited and otherwise hateful rhetoric and CNN's decision to hire him.

Now the White House is weighing in with its opinion.

Asked by progressive radio host and author Bill Press to comment on the controversy surrounding Erickson's "shotgun" comments during today's White House press briefing, press secretary Robert Gibbs called them "remarkably crazy."

BILL PRESS: Robert, on the Census, Erick Erickson, a commentator for CNN, a couple of days ago, he said he was not going to fill out his Census form, and if a Census worker came to the door, he said he would "pull out my wife's shotgun and see how that little twerp likes being scared at the door." So my question is, do those remarks concern the White House? And are there any -

ROBERT GIBBS: It should concern CNN -- probably first and foremost. Probably concerns his wife as well.

PRESS: Any thoughts about protection for Census workers?

GIBBS: Well, I think there are a lot of people that get on cable TV and say stuff so that people will quote it back to other people.

Obviously the Census determines the representation you have in what we call representative democracy. I think it's why somebody like Karl Rove, who obviously I and others in this administration have disagreed with for going on many years, understands that the lunacy of ripping up your Census form or not sending it in or, God forbid, the remarkably crazy remarks of somebody that would threaten somebody simply trying to ensure that they're adequately represented in this country. These days it never ceases to amaze you -- and usually it's only trumped by what somebody will knowingly say tomorrow about -- I think it was Lincoln who said, "Better to be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." I think that would be my advice.

M.C.L Comment: I guess when CNN discover there is no such thing as middle of the road, they're trying to attract the loon that doesn't watch Fox News all the time.

Erickson: I’ll ‘pull out my wife’s shotgun’ if someone comes to my door for the American Community Survey.

By Matt Corley

Yesterday, ThinkProgress noted that Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) took to the conservative blog RedState to call out “blatant misinformation coming from otherwise well-meaning conservatives” about this year’s Census. “There have been calls to only partially fill out Census forms – even though that would be a direct violation of federal law,” wrote McHenry. RedState editor Erick Erickson, who recently became a CNN contributor, has joined McHenry in urging conservatives to fill out the Census because “it’s a Constitutional obligation.” But on his radio show yesterday, Erickson railed against the American Community Survey (ACS), a more-detailed supplemental survey conducted by the Census Bureau, saying that he would “pull out” his “wife’s shotgun” if someone tried to get him to fill it out:

ERICKSON: This is crazy. 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.

Listen here:

According to the Census Bureau, response to the ACS “is required by law (Title 13 , United States Code, Sections 141, 193, and 221). The same law protects the confidentiality of the information.” Erickson basically repeated his comments on RedState this morning, complaining that “naturally the left is out today saying I was on the air advocating killing census workers.”

Update On The Daily Show last night, Jon Stewart mocked CNN's hiring of Erickson, running through some of his most offensive comments. M.C.L Comment: "My wife's shotgun" one if I was one of these faux tough guys on the right I wouldn't say I'm going to get my wife shotgun. And two is this kind of talk typical of guys on the right? This false showing how much of a Billy badass I am in front of other wannabes? And I bet the only time these male conservatives like Erickson fired a gun is when they played "Halo" or "Call of Duty" on their Xbox 360s. I bet they crapped themselves if a paper bag is popped right behind them.