7 Senate Republicans Reply to DHS ‘Rightwing Extremists’ Scaremongering


We need to see more of this!

Seven Republican Senators have this week signed a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking for the proof upon which the Department of Homeland Security based its outrageously accusatory report on so-called rightwing extremism in the Untied States.

The seven scold the DHS and the Obama administration for its over-broad generalizations that seem to assume that nearly half the electorate is prone to becoming terrorists merely because they hold right of center political views.

The letter alludes to the central point in this whole episode: that the U.S. government has now determined that the traditional American beliefs of small government and adherence to the Constitution is now suddenly a determinant in forming citizens into homegrown terrorist groups. After 200 years, all of a sudden believing in run-of-the-mill American beliefs makes you a terrorist! These seven Senators want to know why.

Text of the Letter:

Dear Secretary Napolitano,

We write today regarding the release of the Department of homeland Security (DHS) report entitled “Rightwing Extremism Current Economic and Policial Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment” and prepared by the Extremism and Radicalization Branch of the Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division.

While we agree that extremists of all varieties represent a potential threat to the United States, we are troubled by some of the statements included as fact in the report titled above.

First, your report states that “rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat.” Using the DHS rationale, do you also believe that weapons familiarity and tactical training means local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel, and members of the National Guard, are also being recruited? To suggest that a soldier returning from a combat tour is more prone to join an extremist group is unconscionable and insulting to our brave men and women who risk their lives protecting our freedom.

Second, the report states that the millions of Americans who believe in the Second Amendment are a potential threat to our national security. Why? Do you have statistics to prove that the law-abiding Americans who purchase a legal product are being recruited by so-called hate groups? If so, please present us with DHS’s independent data.

Third, the report identifies those individuals who believe in such issues as pro-life legislation, limited government, legal versus illegal immigration and limited federal government as potential terrorist threats. We can assure you that these beliefs are held by citizens of all races, party affiliations and sex, and should not be listed as a factor in determining potential terror threats. A better way to describe them is as citizens exercising their First Amendment rights.

Also, you listed those who bemoan the decline of U.S. stature and the loss of U.S. manufacturing capability to China and India as being potential rightwing extremists. We would suggest that the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs in the manufacturing industry to foreign countries are no potential terror threats, but rather, honest Americans worried about feeding their families and earning a paycheck. Once again, to classify Americans who have lost their jobs as potential terror threats does a disservice to millions of Americans.

In closing, we support the mission of the DHS in protecting our country from terror attacks and are proud of the many DHS employees who make it possible, in conjunction with our state and local law enforcement. We ask that DHS not use this report as a basis to unfairly target millions of Americans because of their beliefs and the rights afforded to them in the Constitution, and that you provide us with the data that supports the claims listed in the report titled above.

Sincerely,

David Vitter (R, Louis.)
Sam Brownback (R, Kansas)
Jim Demint (R, So Car.)
Tom Cobrun (R, Oklahoma)
Richard Burr (R, No. Car.)
Lisa Murkowski (R, Alaska)
James Inhofe (R, Oklahoma)

Let’s hope that far more than a mere seven Congressmen find this “report” more than a little distasteful.

(A pdf file of the letter can be downloaded here)


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25 Comments Leave a comment

Well it took long enough but it appears the calls...

JadedByPolitics (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 6:45AM EST (link)

have had the desired effect. Good God these Senators plus all the other R Senatore and all the Republican Congressman SHOULD have been out on this the day it happened!

 

How about the threat from the radical left..

Old_Crow (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 6:52AM EST (link)

Bill Ayers: Admitted terrorist and close friend to the President. Let’s hope DHS is investigating him. Does the President have other terrorist friends?

Earth First and the radical environmental movement: Fire bombings, industrial sabotage, etc. Plenty of work here for the DHS as well.

Oh, and let’s not forget radical Islam, aggressive abortion ‘doctors’, PETA, and the rest of the wacky left.

I’m looking forward to reading Janet’s report on these threats..

“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” — James Madison

 

Where is Senator McCain's signature?

The_Rebel (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 7:15AM EST (link)

As someone who was held for years in captivity, he should be more sensitive than any Senator as to the insults hurled at our returning veterans. And since he is from the same state as Napolitano, he of all people knows the most about her left-wing politics. I guess this is what we could have expected from him had he become our President.

And McCain would be our best spokesman on this issue. He could have asked the question of Napolitano and her cronies:

“Would I have been considered more prone to joining an extremist group simply because as a returning veteran I was subject to years of confinement and torture, with little hope of rescue from my fellow soldiers?”

The only

Warner Todd Huston (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 7:25AM EST (link)

The only document I’d like to see McLame’s signature on is his retirement papers!
LOL

———-
Be sure and Visit my Home blog Publius’ Forum. It’s what’s happening NOW!

BAM!!!

E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 11:25AM EST (link)

I’m in tune with that, nWTH.

Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO

 
 

John McCain is "our" spokesman on ANYTHING.

mbecker908 (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 8:47AM EST (link)

What part of “the sob represents the interests of the people who live in Washington DC but vote elsewhere” don’t you get.

Thanks for your service 40 years ago John. You should have stayed a private citizen because you’ve forgotten what “honor and duty” mean since you left the Navy.

Oh, and would you be referring to the same John McCain who said “He’s a good friend of mine…” when asked about John Kerry? And who dissed the SwiftVets? THAT John McCain?

Yes, that John McCain.

The_Rebel (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 10:11AM EST (link)

You meant "isn't" right?

Lammo (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 12:29PM EST (link)

Darn computers.

Don’t be so open minded that your brains fall out. (John Corapi, The Black Sheep Dog)

Crap. Never type prior to coffee. Yes, I meant "isn't". nt

mbecker908 (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 1:16PM EST (link)
 
 
 

This is the Age of......

wolfgang Friday, April 17th at 7:21AM EST (link)

….”I Won!”
We are all supposed to be marching in lock step behind the Pied Piper into our Communist tommorrow singing “The Marseilles” as we shuffle along.
The Conservatives, with their rhetoric about individual freedom, self reliance, and personal responsibility introduce discordant, disharmonious notes into the Communist marching song.
Have no fear, though, Socialist causes have always had an unique way of dealing with the producers of discordant notes during their ‘great leaps forward’, including the Soviet Union’s Gulags, Stalins Siberian mass graves, the mass starvation of the Ukraine in 1930′s, the “Killing Fields” under Pol Pot, the reeducation camps under Chairman Mao, and who can ever forget the handiwork of the National Socialists.
The tentative attacks mustered against Rush Limbaugh were the first “Achtung Juden” warning issued in the gathering attack against the Conservatives by the TwentyFirst Century Communist movement in the United States. The second “Achtung Juden” issued by the Communists was the recent DHS Paper on right wing Extremism. This is a divide and conquer campaign, purely and simply, to paint Conservatives and their values as outside of the American Mainstream.
“If you tell a lie often enough, the people will believe you” Joseph Goebbels, Third Reich Propagandameister, 1933-1945.
There will be a continuing escalation of the anti Conservative rhetoric out of this Communist Adminstration in Washington leading to a ‘Reichstag Fire’ style event and an ensuing ‘Krystallnacht” style progarm against the Conservatives.
“When they came for the Jews, I said nothing
Then they came for the Gypsies, and I said nothing
Then they came for the Catholics, and again I said nothing.
Then they came for me!”

 

Good for these seven.

randy streu (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 7:59AM EST (link)

Where are the others, I wonder?

And when, I wonder, can we expect a similar letter from Congress?

Many of our elected officials — many Republicans — are on tenuous ground, politically. One would think they’d see an opportunity when it shows itself. Espcially one as obvious as this.

More may sign on.

Steph C (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 8:06AM EST (link)

Correct me if I’m wrong because it’s something I heard only in passing, but isn’t Congress out of session for this week? I seem to recall someone somewhere mentioning that because I know one of our Senators is in the state at the moment.

“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics

 
 

I was very pleased to see the names of both of my senators

papalee Friday, April 17th at 8:01AM EST (link)

at the bottom of this letter. It was good, but nowhere near strong enough. I believe that it should have stated bluntly that a refusal to accept that all Americans were entitled to their political views and that a federal official should understand that. If the equivalent had come from a Republican cabinet member there would have been howls for their removal, but we allow Democrats to get away with anything.

Lucky dog.

itrytobenice (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 9:43AM EST (link)

I’m stuck with McCaskill and Bond, who has removed his mask and exposed himself as a full fledged liberal since he announced his retirement.

Moles like him are the reason that conservatives can’t get anything done even when we have ‘control’ over Congress.

And good job to these Senators. If DHS is going to accuse us of being potential terrorists, they’d better have more data than Tim McVeigh.

Proper grammar saves lives.

Let’s eat Grandma.
Let’s eat, Grandma.


Activists Taking Action: Unified Patriots

 
 

Letters Are Nice

Joe Cor (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 10:16AM EST (link)

But how about protesting in a way that people will actually hear about it? How about denouncing the DHS report on the floor of the Senate, where at least CSPAN might cover it? How about mentioning it in their next interview with Matt Lauer? How about coming to a Tea Party and mentioning it? People need to know that this is an outrage, and a letter to DHS isn’t going to accomplish that.

Ya got that

Warner Todd Huston (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 10:18AM EST (link)

Y got that right.

———-
Be sure and Visit my Home blog Publius’ Forum. It’s what’s happening NOW!

 

Come on GOP....No more mister Nice guy..

speciallist (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 10:42AM EST (link)

stand up and fight for us…..

If a Critter drops a diary today telling us how their sooooo concerned with what’s going on…I’m gonna freak out….

We don’t want updates…We want ACTION!!

 

Exactly. Republicans need to stop being so "measured" ...

Martin Knight (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 11:34AM EST (link)

I have something coming up on this …

 

please present us with DHS’s independent data

mom2oneson (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 12:24PM EST (link)

This letter is giving them way to much respect! How about calling them scared bullies and demand the person in charge is fired and they issue an apology. What about comparing the values of the people they are targeting to their anti-American beliefs.
Where have all the men and women disappeared to? We need a RS’er to write a letter for them!

 
 

Ve haf vays uf deeling mit you...

harlan Friday, April 17th at 10:56AM EST (link)

DHS just added Rpublican congresspersons to their subversive list.

 

The problem with REPS is they don't realize there is a political war being waged on them. nt

Common_Cents (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 11:02AM EST (link)

Obama=Golfer in Chief, Leading from, behind, the Back Nine.
Leaders don’t create movements. Movements create leaders. Get involved. Your future depends on it.
Govt “invests” YOUR tax money for POLITICAL return rather than economic return.

How ....

Joe Cor (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 11:59AM EST (link)

bright do they have to be to figure that out?

 
 

Both my senators WOULD have been signatory,

Achance (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 11:42AM EST (link)

I’m sure, but one of them got mau mau’ed. Marky Boy ain’t gonna cross The One. Glad Sen. Murkowski did the right thing.

In Vino Veritas

 

This is like an abusive relationship

spedteacher Friday, April 17th at 1:27PM EST (link)

where the wife and children are afraid of the the abusive father at home, yet others outside of the family regard the father as a “good citizen”. Yuck.

 

The Senators need to go full-court press.

izoneguy (Diary) Friday, April 17th at 1:35PM EST (link)

Demand the resignation of Janet Napolitano. She is supposed to be in charge and she is deflecting and blaming others for the report. Obama also needs to step up and be a man and fire Napolitano. We need accountability. If this is Janet Napolitano’s M.O. then God help us if we are attacked again.

The point cannot be made often enough: Modern liberalism, as embodied in the Obama presidency, is the defender of the status quo. And the status quo is a road to economic ruin. Political forces cannot redistribute the wealth that the economic system does not produce.