White supremacist gangs find a home Southern CA

By GottaLaff

(via)

This morning I opened my L.A. Times, grabbed a cup of coffee, and then nearly choked when I saw this report about an area here in SoCal, not terribly far from where I live:

Residents in Hemet have long known that there is a skinhead element in their city.

They said they have occasionally seen groups of tattooed young men with shaved heads in combat boots and fatigues protesting against illegal immigration.

This is the second time in a week there have been reports of white supremacists rearing their ugly heads in the region.

But authorities now are investigating something far more serious: whether white supremacists are behind a series of attacks on Police Department facilities in the Riverside County city. [...]

Experts who study hate groups said Hemet and surrounding communities are particularly fertile ground for white supremacists. They estimated that there are at least a dozen groups operating in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino:

"There is a significant concentration of hate groups in the Inland Empire, unlike anywhere else in the nation, from the National Socialist Movement to the Hammerskins to" the Comrades of our Racist Struggle, he said.

Remember when the GOP came down on Janet Napolitano for her DHS report about the security risks posed by extremist groups?

Yeah, me too.

Anyone gotten wind of any apologies yet?

Napolitano offers regular meetings with critical House Republicans

By GottaLaff

This is reminiscent of going back to an abusive lover for more:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is following President Barack Obama’s lead in reaching out to House Republicans.

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, met privately with Napolitano Thursday morning and said he was encouraged by her promise during their discussion to meet with Republicans on the committee once a month.

Oh what the heck. Keep reaching out. It's never hurt us before, right, Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.)?

Wrong. He called for Napolitano's resignation. He's not reciprocating to her reachy outiness in the least:

“At this time, I don’t see anything that makes me more confident about the safety of our country, our lives, and our property while Napolitano is in charge,” he said in an e-mailed response. “Furthermore, last week President Obama made a big show surrounding his meeting with Republicans and then spent the following week mischaracterizing the discussions. I will not gamble away our nation’s security with more of the administration’s PR stunts.”

This from the party of PR stunts. Kettle? Pot on line one.

King would not discuss calls for Napolitano’s resignation within his conference and instead said he was impressed by her offer to meet one-on-one and continue appearing privately before Republicans once a month.

Peter King as the voice of reason. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

VIDEO- Helen Thomas: What's Al Qaeda's motivation?

By GottaLaff

Helen's like a little bulldog. She won't let go until she gets an answer... or until they move on, which is how it usually ends. From yesterday:



It's amusing how such a tiny, frail person can make so many people in power blink.

Of course, it goes without saying, there's nothing tiny and frail about her mind or her vocal chords.

If Napolitano should resign, Bush and Cheney should have been impeached

By GottaLaff

See that blog title (by Brent Budowsky)? IMHO, the "if" part could have been dropped. Bush and Cheney should have been impeached. Period:

If Janet Napolitano should be fired for her role in the Christmas bombing plot, George W. Bush should have been impeached for being warned about planes flying into buildings in New York and ignoring those warnings, and Dick Cheney should have been impeached for his role in the CIA leak case and prosecuted for his role surrounding torture.

That cannot be be stated often or more strongly enough.

[...] Napolitano could have handled this better, but the consequences of her mistakes are nothing compared to the consequences of mistakes by Bush, Cheney, Alberto Gonzales and many others.

BushCo could have puffed themselves up, donned their codpieces, and strutted around spewing their fear mongering and threats for another decade, but that wouldn't have compensated for the thousands who died on their watch. They didn't follow through, people were killed, and yet they boast like 8-year-olds about "keeping America safe".

President Obama has "kept us safe" longer than BushCo did, and he gets attacked relentlessly from the very man who was in charge on 9/11: Dick Cheney. It is he and his gang of thugs who should be condemned.

Perhaps the Obama administration could have handled the Christmas day situation better, but nobody died. The Obama administration says they are working to improve national security. Good. It needs improving, and most likely always will. Has any country eliminated terrorism completely? Is that even possible? No.

At least this president didn't ignore a briefing that warned him of some guy with explosives in his underwear, nor is he acting like an arrogant flight-suited peacock, bragging and parading around like a spoiled brat.

And again, nobody died.

It's time that the Rushpublics practice what they preach and support their commander in chief. Here's a thought: Try coming up with some solutions for a change. That would be a real step toward "keeping America safe".

Review Planned for Homeland Security "Terror Alert" System

I hope "shitcanned" is their final decision.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A multicolored terror alert system that was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks could be getting an overhaul -- or could be eliminated entirely.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is expected to appoint a panel Tuesday to reevaluate the system, a senior administration official said.

The five-tiered system that goes from green, which signals a low danger of attack, to red, which signals a severe threat of attack, has proven to be confusing at times, and critics say the different colors are too vague to deliver enough information to be useful.

Homeland Security said to kill spy satellite plan

By GottaLaff

Good:

The Bush administration plan to use satellites for domestic surveillance is reportedly axed after state and local officials say they have higher priorities.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has decided to kill a controversial Bush administration program to use U.S. spy satellites to collect domestic intelligence for counter-terrorism, law enforcement and security, a senior Homeland Security official said Monday evening.

The National Applications Office program was established in 2007 to provide up-to-the-minute electronic intelligence to local and state law enforcement. But it has been delayed due to concerns by privacy and civil liberties advocates -- and by some lawmakers -- that it would intrude on Americans' lives.

The senior Homeland Security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the program is classified, said Napolitano had decided to nix it after consulting with state and local law enforcement officials and learning that they had far more pressing priorities than using satellites to collect information and eavesdrop on people.

How about, she decided to nix it after realizing it was an invasion of privacy?

A SCOTUS Short List

I'm still betting on Sotomayor. Via Taegan-

According to a couple of sources in the know, First Read says there appears to be a working short list of about six names for President Obama's Supreme Court pick.

The co-frontrunners: Diane Wood of the 7th Circuit, Solicitor General Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor of the 2nd Circuit, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Merrick Garland of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.

"Obviously, folks can slice this list all they want: Five are women; one's Hispanic; one's male; and all are in their late 40s or early 50s, except two (Wood, 58, and Garland, 56). Keep an eye on Napolitano. For this pick, it would be surprising if Obama named someone he didn't either know well or trust personally. Wood, Kagan, and Napolitano all fit this bill (Wood taught at the University of Chicago with Obama, and Kagan and Napolitano already have top slots in the administration). As for Napolitano, remember that she endorsed Obama early on (despite Emily's List pressure to do otherwise). And from people familiar with the president's thinking, he's been as impressed with Napolitano as anyone in his cabinet. They click. That matters..."

DHS: Fox Is Wrong — Author Of Right-Wing Extremism Report Has Not Been Fired

By GottaLaff

Looks like somebody on Faux/Fixed News/Noise was full of ... hot air. Imagine that! And John Sidney McCain joined right in? Really? No way! Who'da thunk it? Fox? J Sid? Lying? The very idea! Where's my fainting couch? Why, I oughta....

The author of the report has been attacked as someone who isn't from "real America" and whose "sexual orientation...is in question." Many conservatives have called for Napolitano's resignation.

Today, Kilmeade claimed that Napolitano had "fired" the person responsible for the right-wing extremism report. McCain added that he was "glad" about the move:

KILMEADE: Outrage continues to build this week over Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona, her remarks towards U.S. veterans. Now, the DHS has fired the head of Homeland Security's agency -- that is involved in that decision. Many are wondering if Napolitano next. [...]

MCCAIN: I was glad to see that Secretary Napolitano removed the person who was responsible for this report. She has apologized.

Won't their big fat faces be red now that we know the truth:

Kilmeade and McCain are wrong. The section of DHS that produced the report was the Extremism and Radicalization Branch in the Homeland Environment and Threat Analysis Division. That division is overseen by the Under Secretary for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Currently, Roger Mackin -- a Bush appointee -- is serving in that role.

ThinkProgress spoke with DHS spokesperson Amy Kudwa who confirmed that neither Mackin -- nor anyone else at the agency -- has been fired over the report.

More fun facts here. Tsk. What will MegMac think about Daddy Dearest's Faux (Fox) pas?

my Dad is the most amazing person I've ever met and he is the coolest father. I'm lucky were so close!

Fox and Friends- John McCain on Secretary Napolitano

Two problems- First off, why the hell did they fire the person who wrote up the report? What kind of wussy DHS doesn't stand up for itself and make the g-d'd point that what was written in the report was true and written by the Bush DHS??

Secondly, what kind of question is- "How messed up has Homeland Security been since they took office?" /bangs head

VIDEO: Dad-gum it, this is why God invented C-SPAN!

By GottaLaff

"Wait a minute! Good lord!"



Gol-durn that dad-gum Napolitano! Fire her socialist Arizonan ass afore the whole dad-gum country goes gayabortionlibrul!

Michael Savage sues Napolitano for right-wing extremism report

By GottaLaff

Look at that! Michael Savage is using lawyers. To sue someone. Aren't those two things that Rushpublics rail against, lawsuits and lawyers? Oh that's right, I forgot. It's only okay if you're a Rushpublic:

Last week, hate radio host Michael Savage, in conjunction with the Thomas More Law Center, filed a lawsuit against Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. They claim DHS has violated the plaintiffs’ First and Fifth Amendment rights by “attempting to chill their free speech, expressive association, and equal protection rights.” GWU Law Professor Orin Kerr responds:

Isn’t the lawsuit frivolous? As I read it, the lawsuit is claiming that the issuance of a government report criticizing certain groups violates the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights. But the Constitution doesn’t provide a constitutional right to have the government not say things that might be considered criticism. Perhaps the plaintiffs want the Constitution to be radically reinterpreted by activist judges to invent some brand-new constitutional rights?

Zing!

VIDEO: Pat Robertson urges his callers to crash Homeland Security hotline

By GottaLaff



I saw this video yesterday, but forgot to post it. My bad. In case you missed it...

Pat's all a-froth over the DHS report that we've referenced here before. He's taking it a little too far, requesting, make that insisting, that callers jam the DHS phone lines. How's that for keeping America safe?

His attack on the DHS yesterday, alongside his coanchor Terry Meeuwsen, featured an unending stream of flatly false information and mischaracterizations. Plus, of course, the requisite gay-bashing and liberal bashing, all wrapped up in a neat little ball [...]

And if you jam up their lines, good for you!

While I could think of a few organizations whose lines it might be a good idea to jam, Homeland Security would not be one of them.

Hell, if Janet Napolitano and Obama were half the tyrants Pat Robertson makes them out to be, wouldn't they be charging him with an act of terrorism?

And by all means, don't miss the part where he spouts this little nugget of brotherly love:

Robertson: It -- it shows somebody down in the bowels of that organization is either a convinced left-winger or somebody whose sexual orientation is somewhat in question.

But it's that kind of thing, somebody who doesn't think that we should have abortion on demand, is labeled a terrorist! It's outrageous!

I once wrote about a million jokes for a big project I was hired to do for The Family Channel. Pat Robertson was my boss.

He refused to let me use the words "toilet paper".

Napolitano realizes that the U.S. has a Canadian border

By GottaLaff

I'm not sure how many more realists I can take. It's dizzying. First, the ObamAdministration takes the environment seriously, and now this? Where am I?

Just days after she was sworn in, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has ordered a comprehensive review of security efforts along the border between the U.S. and Canada.

Agencies including Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard and her department's intelligence branch have been asked to assess the vulnerabilities along the 4,000-mile northern border — the longest undefended border in the world — and recommend what can be done to improve security.

While more attention has been focused on the southern border with Mexico, the department has said that the terrorist threat is greater on the U.S.-Canadian border, given its length and limited law enforcement. [...]

Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona, has asked for reviews of other Department of Homeland Security programs, including such things as cybersecurity. [...]

Lawmakers from northern states have long complained that U.S.-Canada border issues have been shortchanged with the southern border a higher priority.

In a report late last year, the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, said the Homeland Security Department hadn’t been fully responsive in providing information on the northern border to Congress. The GAO said that there were gaps in the information presented and that budget documents didn't "reflect the resources needed" to achieve control of the northern border. [...]

With the 2010 Winter Olympics coming to Vancouver, British Columbia, meeting security challenges was a top priority, Larsen said.

Remember this?

In December of 1999, upon arriving on a ferry from Canada, al-Qaida operative Ahmed Ressam was arrested with a trunk full of explosives. His plan: to blow up Los Angeles International Airport.

He was stopped by a customs agent who said " it was her gut instincts — not meetings in Washington — that helped her make the arrest." Now Washington is finally giving customs a helping hand.

National Security Watch: Rand Beers Tapped as Counselor to Napolitano

By GottaLaff

Janet Napolitano is the type of person you can have a Beers with:

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D), President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of homeland security, named her first senior aide this morning, tapping Rand Beers as counselor.

Beers, a former National Security Council staffer and State Department official for Democratic and Republican administrations, served from 2002 to 2003 as counter-terrorism adviser to President Bush before resigning to coordinate security issues for the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). Beers subsequently formed a small think tank, the National Security Network, and was in charge of Obama's homeland security transition team.

He gets extra points for this:

Rand Beers stirred up controversy with remarks^[5] he made at an event hosted by the Center for American Progress in June 2008. The event, dubbed "McCain University," was a comprehensive effort to illustrate John McCain's policy proposals in the context of the 2008 Presidential Election. During the Question and Answer portion of the event, Beers noted that "his [John McCain's] national security experience [...] is sadly limited" due to the fact that "he was in isolation essentially for many of those years and did not experience the turmoil here or the challenges that were involved for those of us who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam war." These comments elicited widespread criticism from conservative observers such as Rush Limbaugh^[6] and Karl Rove ^[7], as well as a variety of right-wing blogs.^[8]

Woo's next?

By GottaLaff

Hmmm:

Is Obama Wooing McCain?

Christopher Orr speculates that by making nice with Sen. Joe Lieberman, President-elect Obama gives "a kind of peace offering to John McCain, a sign that there are no hard feelings and that Obama is serious about working with the 'other' side... Assuming he's on the list of Republicans with at least occasionally 'gettable' votes on Obama's priorities (along with Snowe, Collins, etc.) what better way to get him... than to use his pal Joe as a goodwill ambassador?"

Another favor: Putting Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano in his cabinet. "McCain said this week that he intends to run for reelection in 2010, and by far the largest obvious obstacle for him was Napolitano, whose term-limited tenure as governor is up the same year, whom many had speculated might challenge McCain for his seat, and who even led him in one (very) early poll."

With friends like these, "woo" needs enemies?

BREAKING-- Janet Napolitano: Obama's choice for Homeland Security secretary

By GottaLaff

This was just announced on Larry King Live. Her Arizona governorship will be filled by the Lieutenant Governor.

UPDATE: Penny Pritzker is his choice ofr Commerce Secretary.

Obama camp to deploy high-profile female surrogates

By GottaLaff

Last night I posted Hillary Clinton's response to McCain's snoozer. Now they're fighting fire with even more female fire:

The Obama campaign is planning to send out some high-profile female supporters, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, to blunt Sarah Palin's potential to draw women's support to the Republican ticket.

Besides Clinton, Governors Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas are also scheduled to campaign for Obama in the coming weeks. [...]

Sebelius got things started yesterday, saying of Palin's acceptance speech that she had "mastered the words written by the Bush speechwriters" but didn't address the issues voters speak about every day.

Clinton is set to arrive Monday in Florida.

Maybe they should round up 5 kids (including a baby), a Miss Information sash, a few AK-47s, and a moose to give themselves more credibility.

Napolitano sets up most open and inclusive Dem platform operation in history

By GottaLaff

Progressive ideas abound:

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, newly named chairman of the Democrats' platform-drafting committee, on Monday announced plans for the process and immediately set up a competition with the Republicans for the most open and inclusive operation in history.

Three days ago, the Republican National Committee announced plans to create a Web site where any voter can offer ideas for what John McCain should run on.

Napolitano, an early backer of Barack Obama, said Democrats would have the same thing and, starting on Saturday, would have at least 1,000 sites around the nation where people could meet and discuss their ideas for the Democratic platform.

This is good. This is inclusive and good. This is smart, inclusive, and good. This is smart, inclusive, ambitious and good. This is...

Shut up, Laffy.

Janet Napolitano on Obama's "shifts", the economy and women

By GottaLaff

Janet: McCain's not telling the truth about Obama's policies and women. McCain has voted against the things that help women, consistently. Obama's plan entails taxing the very, very upper brackets, so you have resources for the middle class.

Wolf shows clip of Mitt Romney. Obama will raise taxes, he says. Same ol', same ol'.... McCain won't take your money, he'll reduce spending, blahblah.

Janet: Economists agree that Obama's idea is correct, to spread out the tax burden. Balancing the budget? Economists are universal in saying that McCain's plan doesn't say where to cut, so his budget would cause deeper deficits.

Wolf: Obama supporters say he's going center... FISA, public funding, gun laws. You worried?

Janet: Labeling left, center, right... some of these issues don't necessarily reflect that. When he announces a major policy, or "shifts", he explains it in detail. You can go to his site. To me, to anyone in leadership in government, your positions may be perceived as changing, but they evolve as new facts come to light. We've had 7 years of inflexibility. Obama's beliefs have not shifted one wit.

Wolf: We'll take your word for it, but a lot of Democrats disagree.

Janet: He's had some movement, to align with current facts. His core values, inclusive politics, remain unchanged.

Dueling veeps: Nunn v. Napolitano

By GottaLaff

Nunn (title of article, Many See Nunn Leading Veepstakes):

The Boston Globe looks at the possibility that Sen. Barack Obama will choose former Sen. Sam Nunn and his running mate, noting that the "personal and intellectual affinity" between the two men "makes him a real possibility."

"Those close to Nunn, speaking on condition of anonymity, say he seems more prepared to accept a vice presidential offer this year, helping to offset Obama's lack of experience on national security and giving the Democrats a fighting chance in Georgia."

Said former aide Arnold Punaro: "He sounds like he may be more open to it. He has never before endorsed anybody. That was a surprise to me."

However:

Overall, Nunn was a moderate-to-conservative Democrat^[8] who often broke with his party on a host of social and economic issues. [...] He voted in favor of school prayer, capping punitive damage awards, amending the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced budget, and limiting death penalty appeals.

Vs Napolitano (title of article, Meet the Democratic VP Candidate: Janet Napolitano):

Janet Napolitano is regarded for her legal experience, dedication and tenacity, and her addition to the Democratic ticket might be enough to appease many of Hillary Clinton’s supporters.

A lawyer, U.S. attorney and state attorney general before being elected Arizona’s governor in 2002, Napolitano represented Anita Hill when she accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment.

During her term as Arizona’s attorney general, Napolitano was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy in 2000 and an ovariectomy in 2004.

At 50 years old, she’s an appealing red-state Democrat, like Kathleen Sebelius — but one who’s much more closely associated with hot-button issues like crime and immigration.

However:

Still, as the home turf of John McCain, Arizona itself is unlikely to be in play in the fall, and he will already be fighting hard to keep 2004 general-election states like Colorado and Montana. Now may not be Napolitano’s time, particularly since if she leaves Arizona, the Republican secretary of state, Jan Brewer, will take over as governor.

Competing headlines always amuse me.