Tweet: "We'll surely get over a bullet to Obama's head"

By GottaLaff

UPDATE: The Secret Service is all over it now. (H/t: Slackadjuster)

Another day, another horrific death threat on Twitter: (click on images to enlarge)

"Zebro"?

As I said yesterday, by exposing these hateful people, we make at least some impact. We can't rid ourselves of the vile spew, but we can try to make a dent by getting their accounts deleted, or maybe even surprising them with a visit by the Secret Service.

UPDATE: I've just been told that the FBI and Secret Service have both been notified. Thank you.

H/t: Elvis (ELDING)

VERDICT: Tiller Killer GUILTY

By GottaLaff

Via an e-mail alert:

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Jurors reach verdict in murder case involving Kansas abortion provider's slaying.

Per MSNBC just now, a nearly instantaneous, 15-minute verdict:

First degree murder.

As if there was ever a doubt, reasonable or otherwise.

"Pro-Life". Right.

UPDATE via an e-mail from the L.A. Times:

In a trial that never became the referendum on abortion that some abortion foes wanted, a Wichita, Kan., jury today convicted Scott Roeder of murdering George Tiller, one the nation's few physicians who performed late-term abortions.

The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for only 37 minutes.

Whether Roeder shot Tiller at point blank range in the forehead in the foyer of Tiller's church in Wichita last May was never at issue; Roeder had admitted it to reporters, in court filings and finally to a jury on Thursday. He also said he had been stalking Tiller since at least 1999.

More soon at: http://www.latimes.com

UPDATE, via MSNBC: Prosecutors asking for life with no parole for 50 years. He'll be 101.

Judge rejects 'necessity defense' in Tiller killer abortion case

By GottaLaff

Ordinarily, I'd assume this was a gimme, but given today's political climate, I'm more relieved than anything:

WICHITA, Kan. – A judge ruled Tuesday that Kansas law doesn't allow a so-called "necessity defense" in the trial of a man charged with killing one of the nation's few late-term abortion providers.

The decision was another blow to lawyers for 51-year-old Scott Roeder, who has confessed to shooting Dr. George Tiller on May 31 and says it was necessary to save "unborn children." [...]

In his ruling, Judge Warren Wilbert cited a 1993 criminal trespassing case involving an abortion clinic in which the Kansas Supreme Court said that allowing a person's personal beliefs to justify criminal activity to stop a law-abiding citizen from exercising his rights would "not only lead to chaos but would be tantamount to sanctioning anarchy."

Darned activist judges. He must be one of us Commie gay abortionists.

He noted abortion is legal and told attorneys he found it difficult to consider the shooting of Tiller in the back of a church on a Sunday morning, with no overt act by Tiller himself, as an act spurred by an imminent threat of death or bodily harm.

Abortion is legal. Abortion is legal.

Abortion. Is. Legal.

However, Wilbert told attorneys he would "leave the door open" to consider later whether to allow specific evidence on the use of force for the defense of another person before letting the jury hear it.

"That doesn't mean it is wide open ... we can discuss it," Wilbert said.

One's beliefs do not justify murder.

A difference of opinion does not justify murder.

Abortion is legal. The doctor who performed the abortions in question did so legally. The sick beast who assassinated Dr. Tiller did so illegally. Dr. Tiller was living and breathing and practicing medicine legally... until Roeder murdered him.

So much for the hypocrisy of being "pro-life".

VIDEO: “Pray for Obama” Psalm 109:8 more like biblical death threat

By GottaLaff

As Frank Schaeffer told Rachel Maddow on Tuesday, the anti-Obama religious rhetoric is “trawling for assassins:”

If you did happen to watch The Rachel Maddow Show the other day, you've been well-informed about the appalling sales pitches, er, threats, um, prayers of some very misguided, very destructive religious extremists:

Diana Butler Bass at Beliefnet explains that Psalm 109 is one of the “imprecatory” prayers, “a lament in the form of petition to destroy one’s enemies.” While perhaps intended to be a joke, she notes that the psalm actually “entreats God to destroy the president”

Zazzle had the good sense and taste to remove the items from their site. However:

CafePress has been carrying the Psalm 109:8 items but pulled the items from their website yesterday, though it appears that as of today they have relisted several items, issuing this statement:

We initially pulled the Psalm 109:8 content from our products today because broader media dialog indicated that these designs potentially suggested violence towards the president. Based on current public discourse and further review of the actual content, we have determined that it is fair political commentary and we are in the process of reinstating this merchandise. As with all of our content, these designs will continue to be reviewed and if at any time their meaning is construed as advocating violence we will revisit our decision.

Based on current public discourse and our determination of what it is fair political commentary, Psalm 109:8 products are still featured on our site. Anti-presidential gear has been a mainstay at CafePress since we were founded in 1999 and has become a key component of political discourse. Our site has become a cultural barometer of public opinion and as such designs often come into question. In managing our content we are trying to protect self-expression, while making sure we are not advocating violence.

Sometimes it's better to consider common decency and the safety of the president than it is to make a quick buck. Sometimes disclaimers just don't cut it. Sometimes the priority should be concern over that one person who could snap after being egged on by your product line.

UPDATE per Xero in Comments, they took them down:

"General consensus has proven that the design does point to a broader interpretation of the Psalm and thus has been deemed inappropriate for sale at CafePress."

H/t: FreeRangeTalk

"If someone assassinated Obama, could we call self-preservation?"

By GottaLaff

Here we go again. The following Tweets courtesy of Joe SixpackSays:

And finally, all wrapped up purty in the American flag:

Again, whether or not this was simply blowing off steam, getting kicks, joking, seeking attention, or malicious, misguided attempts at spurring some kind of response, the problem is the end result.

The problem is incitement. The problem is spreading hate. The problem is encouraging behavior in others that can lead to violence, whether intentional or inadvertent (although most of these expressions of anger sound as if they're calculated to induce action).

And those are big, nasty problems.... as is this, via Wonkette:

H/t: TQNEWS, Cody and Shoq (for Wonkette link)

EBay stikes items in Dr. Tiller assassin auction

By GottaLaff

I discussed this on the Radio Machine with Angie Coiro, and originally covered the details in this post, including all the nifty merchandise:

Online auction house eBay said it has begun taking down several items of anti-abortion memorabilia posted to raise funds for the defense of Scott Roeder, who is accused of killing a Kansas abortion doctor.

The company said Monday the items violated its listing policies.

What a shame. These would have made such swell stocking stuffers:

--A Bible once owned by the woman who shot Dr. George Tiller in 1993, later convicted in a slew of abortion clinic bombings.

--A Catechism written auotgraphed by an anti-abortion activist.

Who wouldn't want those displayed prominently on the family room coffee table?

eBay refuses to allow auction for Roeder’s defense fund

By GottaLaff

Earlier I posted the audio of my appearance on Angie Coiro's radio show discussing my post about this very topic. At that time, as of last night, we weren't sure of eBay's position, although we highly suspected it would be this:

“Based on the details we know about the anticipated listings, we believe these would violate our policy regarding offensive material,” the company said in a statement to The Kansas City Star. “EBay will not permit the items in question to be posted to the eBay site, and they will be removed if they are posted.”

The announcement came the same day that Tiller’s family implored eBay to prevent the auction.

“These materials contain hate messages, glorify violence against abortion doctors who provide constitutionally protected medical services, and instruct on means of violence, including bombing, of abortion clinics,” said Lee Thompson, an attorney for the Tiller family, in a letter sent to eBay on Tuesday and approved by Tiller’s widow, Jeanne Tiller.

“We urge you to deny access to the resources of eBay for this reprehensible and vile ‘auction.’ ”

Done. Good. And expected.

AUDIO: Laffy on the radio talking anti-abortion fundraiser for Dr. Tiller's assassin

By GottaLaff



I was on the Radio Machine with the absolutely wonderful Angie Coiro (on San Francisco's progressive station Green 960) Monday night, discussing the story about anti-choicers raising money on e-Bay for the legal defense of Dr. George Tiller's assassin.

If you missed the Big News, I now have a regular radio spot with her every Friday night at 6:45 Pacific!

I lerves me the Angie; it's like talking to my best friend...

...only in front of thousands and thousands of people.

Okay, I just made myself nervous.

$$ for Dr. Tiller's assassin- For sale: Abortion clinic-bomber's prison cookbook

By GottaLaff

Who's up for a good old fashioned bake sale to raise funds an anti-choice assassin ? Weeee!

An Army of God manual. A prison cookbook compiled by a woman doing time for abortion clinic bombings and arsons. An autographed bullhorn.

These are among the items that abortion foes plan to auction on eBay and other Web sites in a fundraiser for Scott Roeder, the Kansas City man charged with killing Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller.

Nothing says pro-life like supporting a murderer, right boys and girls?

An eBay official said the auction was unusual.

Gee, ya think?

The company would not reveal whether eBay would permit the auction to launch.

“EBay does not allow listings that promote or glorify violence, hate, racial or religious intolerance, or items that encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activity,” the company said in a statement.

I kinda think this qualifies. What's eBay waiting for, an arrest warrant?

But these aren't just ordinary items, nosireebob! These include drawings by the killer himself! Autographed drawings! I wonder if the medium was blood.

Regina Dinwiddie, a Kansas City anti-abortion activist, who signed the bullhorn:

“They’re wonderful pencil art drawings,” she said. “They were done in jail.”

Woweekazowee, who could ask for more?

“It has David with a slingshot in one hand and the head of Goliath in his other hand and the name ‘Tiller’ on Goliath’s forehead,” she said. “On the corpse on the ground, it says ‘child-murdering industry.’ ”

How could God possibly disapprove? Why, that there is a sanctified holy, guh-lorious Prison Pic, signed by the smiter his own self. Yeehaw!

Other user-friendly donations include:

An Army of God manual, an underground publication for anti-abortion militants that describes dozens of ways to shut down clinics, including bombing. [...]

“I plan to cover up the offending eight pages of bomb recipes and instead insert a note saying that in order to avoid legal problems, we advise our bomb-loving friends to seek their bomb recipes in a U.S. Army Manual, which is approved by the Justice Department,” the donor said.

And here we thought these saintly do-gooders weren't law-abiding. They sure should us!

But wait! There's more!

[A] collection of recipes compiled in prison by Shelley Shannon, the Oregon woman who shot and wounded Tiller in 1993 and was later convicted in a series of abortion clinic arsons and bombings. [...]

One recipe is for prison cheesecake [...]

Mmm, mmm, good! Who could resist something as yummy as Clinic Bomber's Cheesecake? I wonder if they're anything like Pro-Life Cupcakes...

Let's not forget Mr. Bullhorn. That's up for grabs, too! Some lucky ducky will be the ecstatic recipient of that extra special, hand-signed little stocking stuffer! Peace! Joy to the world! Let us pray...

The bullhorn autographed by Dinwiddie is similar to those she used when protesting outside abortion clinics.

“My original ones have all been confiscated by police,” Dinwiddie said, “but I’ll have a signed one, since I was the only person in the whole world that’s ever had an injunction against a bullhorn.”

Don'tcha just love one-of-a-kind gifts like that? So special. So thoughtful. So her.

Ooo! Ooo! Who wants to curl up with a good book about violence? Tommy? SueSue?

Michael Bray, an Ohio activist who spent four years in prison for the firebombings of abortion-related facilities on the East Coast in the 1980s, is donating an autographed copy of his book, “A Time to Kill.” The book is described as “an ethical treatise on the use of force in defense of the child in the womb.”

A real page-turner, huh? It's so very reassuring to see how precious life is to these generous souls.

And imagine the excitement over at the Roeder house!

Roeder said in a phone interview that he was excited about the auction.

I bet he's just hopping foot to foot with anticipation. Isn't that just like him?

To read more about these caring, empathetic, life-embracing angels, go here.

UPDATE: I'll be on the Angie Coiro Show (on San Francisco's progressive station Green 960) tomorrow night at 6:15 pm Pacific to talk about this.

Former right-wing leader warns of religious right violence: ‘Anyone can be killed’

By GottaLaff

My very talented buddy Larisa Alexandrovna has written an extraordinary piece for Raw Story. She interviewed Frank Schaeffer (you can view a bonus video of a Schaeffer interview with Rachel Maddow here), who is afraid for President Obama's life, among other things.

I've posted about this very topic a few times, but Larisa's interview is so thorough and informative that it is a must-read among must-reads.

Excerpts:

"Since President Obama took office I've felt like the lonely -- maybe crazy -- proverbial canary in the coal mine," Schaeffer said. "As a former right wing leader, who many years ago came to my senses and began to try to undo the harm the movement of religious extremism I helped build has done, I've been telling the media that we're facing a dangerous time in our history. A fringe element of the far right Republican Party seems it believes it has a license to incite threatening behavior in the name of God."

"The bestselling status of the Left Behind novels proves that, not unlike Islamist terrorists who behead their enemies, many evangelical/fundamentalist readers relish the prospect of God doing lots of messy killing for them as they watch in comfort from on high," he added. "They want revenge on all people not like them -- forever." [...]

And if you want to know what the greatest threat to our president is, look no further than where evangelical "Christianity" intersects with Glenn Beck's fans. The FBI should seize his fan letter email. I'll bet they'd find some very interesting folks out there, people in militias, far right hate groups, and all the rest.

Go here for the rest. It's an excellent, but very disturbing, piece.

Obama Calls Shooting of Anti-Abortion Activist 'Deplorable'

By GottaLaff

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Unlike many of his Rushpublic counterparts, the Head Dem knows that shooting people who disagree with you is wrong:

President Obama is calling the shooting of an anti-abortion activist "deplorable."

The White House on Sunday released a statement from the president on the shooting of James Pouillon. Obama says that "whichever side of a public debate you're on, violence is never the right answer."

He might want to clue in these people:

Back story here.

Obama Extends Cheney's Secret Service Protection

Why would anyone even bother to try? I mean, he's had like 6 heart attacks already, and with the Dark Side in his pocket...

There appears no end in sight for when Dick Cheney, a rare former vice president with Secret Service protection, will lose his security detail. Whispers has learned that the political battler's Secret Service protection has been extended, though there were no details on the length.

We don't know why President Obama OK'd the extension, which must be approved by the commander in chief because former veeps typically don't get any Secret Service security after leaving office. But indications are that the threats against Cheney, who's working on his biography at his homes in Virginia and Maryland, haven't lessened since his term expired.

I'm honestly surprised.

VIDEO: "My Tweet Spot": Dr. George Tiller edition

By GottaLaff



Did you know that I do radio segments every Friday? Look at me going all podcasty and stuff!

"My Tweet Spot" is a recap of the week in politics via Tweets from Twitter. Today's episode consists of Tweets about the assassination of Dr. George Tiller.

I do three per show (or here ) every Friday. Podcasts here.

Hope you like it!

This was what greeted those who attended Dr. Tiller's vigil in Wichita, Part 2

By GottaLaff

Original post here.

H/t: Nicki

"Don't Kid Yourself; the Murder of Dr. George Tiller is Part of the War Against Women"

By GottaLaff

And now your daily dose of BuzzFlash. Go read:

Don't Kid Yourself; the Murder of Dr. George Tiller is Part of the War Against Women

This was what greeted those who attended Dr. Tiller's vigil in Wichita

By GottaLaff

What is there to say that I haven't already said:

H/t: LiberalChik, Frodofied from Twitter

Tiller assassin's ex-wife: "That's all he cared about is anti-abortion"

By GottaLaff



The nutcase who assassinated Dr. George Tiller was obsessed, per his ex-wife:

Roeder's ex-wife, Lindsey Roeder, said her husband became obsessed with anti-government theories and abortion in the early '90s and that it poisoned their 10-year marriage. The couple had one son and Lindsey Roeder told reporters Monday she insisted on custody because she feared for the child's safety.

"The anti-tax stuff came first, and then it grew and grew. He became very antiabortion," she told the Associated Press. "That's all he cared about is antiabortion. 'The church is this. God is this. Yadda yadda.' "

Anti-tax? Why, that has a familiar ring to it? Think, think... who else is anti-tax?

Yadda yadda, by all means, fire Janet Napolitano for daring to suggest that right wing extremists are a very real threat, even lone misfits like Roeder, which as we all know is utter nonsense... yadda yadda.

VIDEO-- Rachel Maddow interviews Frank Schaeffer: Hate speech leads to violence

By GottaLaff

See, Bile O'Lielly? Some people actually have regrets:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Tiller's legacy: "The women's services that we provided for 30 years are not going to change"

By GottaLaff

Memo to anti-choicers, anti-legal-abortionists, anti-Tillerists, faux "pro-lifers", from the Department of Silver Linings:

LeRoy Carhart, a Nebraska physician who has been working at George Tiller's Wichita clinic for ten years, says the clinic will resume operations Monday on a permanent basis. "What people need to know is... the women's services that we provided for 30 years are not going to change. The same abortion services will remain available in Wichita."

That made me tear up. Good for them.

Video- O'Reilly 2006 anti-Tiller rant: "[I]f I could get my hands on Tiller, well, you know, can't be vigilantes.

Speaks for itself. Your turn Bill.