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Video- Media Matters: Violent Rhetoric at DC 2nd Amendment Rally 4.19

California senator complains of harassment from Palin fans

Boy, they sure do seem happy to not have to hold it in, don't they? Via Ben-

California State Senator Leland Yee, who has been battling a state university over disclosing Sarah Palin's speaking contract, complains in a press release today that he's been getting nasty emails and faxes.

(snip)

From Yee's press release:

An expletive-laden fax received yesterday in the Senator’s San Francisco and Sacramento offices says, “To: JoBama Rectum Sniffer Fish Head Leland Yee” and then in all capital letters, “WERE YOU TO EXTRACT YOUR HEAD FROM TREASONOUS MARXIST NIG**R HUSSEIN OBAMA’S RECTUM, YOUR BRAIN WOULD STILL FUNCTION AT ITS PRESENT MUCH DIMINISHED LEVEL BUT AT LEAST THE NIG**R SH*T SMELL WOULD EVENTUALLY DISSIPATE.”

(snip)

Another fax received by the Senator’s office with a similar graphic says, “NEW WEBSITE COMING SOON: lyeesucksobamasnig**ras*.com,” as well as “JoBama. HE IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO KILL OUR UNBORN, JUST NOT BRAVE ENOUGH TO CALL OUR ENEMIES WHAT THEY ARE: Muslim Terrorists!” The fax also includes a rifle scope targeting a shirt with the communist hammer and sickle symbol.

One of the phone messages left after hours in Yee’s office voicemail says, “You know, I heard that Senator Yee wants to nix Sarah Palin from speaking at Stanislaus State…Maybe we ought to have a homosexual with a long enough di*k to where he can stick it up his as* and fu*k himself while he is on stage giving a speech. That would be acceptable to Leland Yee. So, good thing you run in San Francisco ‘cause you’d never make it anywhere else.”

VIDEO- Ed Schultz is fired up: "I think Palin is flat out stupid."

By GottaLaff

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Earlier I liveblogged Ed's hard core, very welcome, heartfelt rant. Now you can see it for yourself.

Ed Schultz is fired up: "Fox fueled all of this stupidity!"

By GottaLaff

Ed Schultz went on a hard core rant just now, and I liveblogged; paraphrased some:

People on Potomac River are embarrassing Caucasians in this country. We have people of color advancing in America, we should be proud of this. They're a bunch of phonies. Obama has done nothing to take anyone's guns away!

Why didn't they do this in the last eight years? Why now? What has Barack Obama done? What have the liberals done?

Wall St: Where do the Tea Bag nut jobs stand on R's being responsible for it?

Fox fueled all of this stupidity.

[Shows clips of Palin, Bachmann, Beck, Hannity... others...]

6 idiots you can always count on.

[Plays clip of Clinton opining on Oklahoma City parallels]

That got the Drugster's attention today. [Plays Boss Limpdong clip].

Rush, there's no such thing as gov't. run media. They all want you to believe that gov't. is the problem. Let me give you something real easy to understand: Obama has an F rating, meaning suck, bad, from Brady campaign against gun violence.

Obama does NOT want your gun. He hasn't proposed a single thing that would infringe on 2nd amendment rights.

If we face another anti-gov't. attack, we could spiral out of control re: civil unrest. Media must focus on this. [Laffy Note: Thank you!] I do.

They're playing with the emotions of Americans out there who are easily misguided. ... who just live by a little bit of information...the 'two word culture.' We read less, don't have all the facts.

O'Reilly couldn't let his ego get out of the way, his own people called him on it, but he didn't back down. What does that tell you about responsibility in commentary?

We don't get the facts.

I think Palin is flat out stupid. Bachmann irresponsible. I feel good that I was angry, because I'm calling them out on it. I'm a lefty. I hunt and fish more than any of 'em. ...

Why is it that some people have a hard time with what's really happening out there? What's happening is that we are fed lies every day. There's a difference between debate and lies. O'Reilly lied.

Tea Partiers are misguided, mostly racist, afraid, clinging to their guns/religion, and in many respects are what's wrong with America, and sometimes we the media are what's wrong with America... because we COVER the Tea Party. That's a huge story? It's outta whack.

Whew!

Someone had to say it. Ed finally did.

AUDIO: Leader of Hutaree Christian militia rehearses for rally

By GottaLaff

From the Department of Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner:

David Stone rehearses for militia rally:

What a guy. Just the type you'd want to bring home to Mom and Dad.

Federal court officials today released a secret recording of David Stone, the leader of the Hutaree Christian militia in Lenawee County, made as he practices a speech to supporters during a Feb. 6 car ride to a national militia meeting. [...]

"We outnumber them, " Stone said. "They forget, they live in our neighborhoods. They shop at our grocery stores. They eat at our restaurants. We are the ones who control everything in this nation from preparing the food that they eat to running the power stations. … "

Is the media ready to call them terrorists yet?

This post is dedicated to those who incite violence and hate speech, and/or stand by as others do either or both.

I'm talking to you, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Michele Bachmann (and other conservative Congress members), and any extremist who may have momentarily slipped my mind.

This kind of behavior should not be the new normal, but unfortunately, that seems to be the case.

"This country, I think, will be brought down into violence."

From the April 19 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program

H/t: T1theinfamous

Tom Tancredo to Tea Baggers: Send Obama back to Kenya

By GottaLaff

A few days ago, we got a closer look at a much younger Tom Tancredo, thanks to a reader who, sadly, witnessed his racism first hand. As I said in that post, we have covered this Palin and McCain-dissing, literacy test-endorsing, immigrant/Obama bashing, Ed Show-quitting cretin for some time.

Another day, another toxic story, this time via The Grio.

Tancredo was at a Tea Bagger rally in Greenville, South Carolina, hosted by the Upcountry Conservative Coalition, a local South Carolina conservative group. Tancredo was a keynote speaker:

From Jillian Rayfield, Talking Points Memo [...]

[Tancredo] said that Americans are "going to have to pray that we can hold on to this country."

He added, referring to President Obama: "If his wife says Kenya is his homeland, why don't we just send him back?"

I'm not sure why Ed Schultz continues to have this hate monger as a guest on his show, but hopefully it's to expose him for what he is. His obvious disdain for Not White People is despicable. This so-called "anger at the government" is no such thing. Well, maybe a little.

But let's call it what it really is: Anger at non-whites. Racism. The fact that an African American resides in the White House is driving these people crazy... literally. So crazy, in fact, that something tragic could very well occur, as in the Dr. Tiller scenario, or the Matthew Shepard scenario, or the James Byrd, Jr. scenario, and we'll know exactly who to blame.

H/t: Lensman23

VIDEO: Hate Obama? There's a sign for that. Plus, death threats for Congress members.

By GottaLaff



Rather than do several posts on the level of hate in this country these days, one will be enough. A veritable combo plate of vile spew and threatening words.

Have yourself a heaping pot of hostility stew (click on image to enlarge):

An anonymous conservative group has set up a website where, for $2,500 to $3,500, Obama haters can grab a billboard adorned with a cartoon image of Obama’s face and a vitriolic message.

How nice of them to share their "personal" feelings.

So far, the nameless head of the group says their Web site has received more than 1,800 hits and that contributions that go toward paying for the billboards.

Add a dash of death threats to the hostility stew:

U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Dearborn) says in the aftermath of passing health care reform, he and members of his staff have been getting death threats so serious, he has contacted the FBI.

“They’ve been very nasty," the 83-year-old congressman tells The Monroe Evening News.

Not sure I've ever heard of a death threat that isn't nasty. Hence, stir carefully.

And now, add an extra splash of extremist nutcase letters:

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter is among state leaders across the country receiving threatening letters from an extremist group. [...]

As of Wednesday, more than 30 governors had received letters saying if they don't leave office within three days they will be removed, according to an internal intelligence note by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

Threats beget more threats. Threats beget violence. Violence begets more violence:

The FBI is warning police across the country that an anti-government group's call to remove governors from office could provoke violence by others.

Allowing to simmer for several days, weeks, or months calls for a warning: Do not bring to a boil.

That could end in a disaster.

Chris Matthews: "Someone should tell this walrus (Rush Limbaugh) to stop this"

By GottaLaff

Chris Matthews ripped into Boss Limpdong on Hardball just now. He was expressing his deep concern over the amount of rancor and virulent speech freely expressed by media personalities about President Obama when he said the following:

This walrus under water makes fun of this administration calls it a "regime"...

You go to war with "regimes". They're tyrannies, they're military coups...

Someone should tell this walrus to stop this.

Now Chuck Todd is rambling on about how this kind of talk just has more of a platform now. Yeah right, Chuck. That's all it is.

Sure, all the technology and outlets contribute, but that wasn't Tweety's point. It wasn't so much about availability, but about the terminology, the vitriol, the extreme language.

Matthews responded, and cited this interview:

Joe McCarthy never used the word "regime".

Indeed. And it's that kind of language that incites threats and violence. It only takes one, and we're fast approaching the breaking point.

Loudmouthed louts like Limbaugh, Beck, and let's not forget Palin and a few Congress members, should be held at least partially responsible if and when a real tragedy occurs as a result.

Tweet: "We'll use them 4 target practice"

By GottaLaff

My pal Symbolman (he co-authored the Going Rouge coloring book) aka Micheal Stinson, found someone, or two someones, we need to expose. We've managed to get several offenders deleted and/or reported to the authorities.

That won't change them or their desire to spread their toxic spew, but it has made a small impact.

It's the least we can do (click on images to enlarge):



After recent despicable events at the Tea Bagger protest, it's hard to imagine much improvement in the behavior of the worst in this country.

There has to be a way to defuse the hatred and vile threats. I wish someone would invent one already.

Audio- GOP uses hate radio to build opposition to health reform

Shameless. Via Think Progress.

PhotOh! Billboards of hate against President Obama

By GottaLaff

My pal John over at the Daily Beast sent me a link to what freedom of speech means to some people via a post by John Avlon.

I'm including samples of the handiwork, but please go here for the rest:

As the leaked GOP PowerPoint prompts outrage, its scare tactics are field-tested on America's highways. John Avlon—author of Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America, [...] on the grassroots campaign to poison the president.

[T]ake a tour of just one dozen examples of what happens when Obama Derangement Syndrome imposes itself on roadside America. Warning: Wingnuttery Ahead.

This classic from on U.S. 63 near West Plains, Missouri.

This sign appeared in Henderson, North Carolina—the hometown of PBS’ Charlie Rose—until public outcry led the owner to take it down in October ’08. Obama won the state.

Wheat Ridge, Colorado

[This] appears to have been endorsed by the Lafayette County Republican Central Committee—cause nothing says patriotism like overturning democratic elections with an armed insurrection.

Anti Glenn Beck activist gets Twitter death threats, slurs

By GottaLaff

This is what it's like for activist StopBeck when he tries to "stop" Beck (click on images to enlarge):

One:


Two:


For the record, @vatopdog also started harassing me today, but I blocked him immediately. He called a few of us "self-hating haters", whatever that means, which was so laughable that I didn't take him seriously...

... until StopBeck contacted me with these tweets.

Twitter would not delete the account, even after StopBeck lodged a formal complaint. They said it wasn't "specific enough".

The level of hostility and hatred is out of hand. It started to rev up over the summer with the gun-toting, screaming, out of control Tea Tantrumers at town hall meetings. It has crescendoed ever since.

How can there be any expectation of achieving any sort of rational communication when wingnuts such as @vatopdog persist in drowning out civil discourse with outright threats, slurs, bigotry, hate speech, racism, and extremism?

StopBeck asked my advice. Here is what I told him: I've had some degree of success by calling these nutcases out, exposing them, and letting as many people as possible see what and who they are. If we turn our backs, they will continue their despicable behavior unabated.

He agreed.

We have try to to put the fire out, or at least control it, or it will continue to spread.

American Muslims Rip Pamela Geller/CPAC Session on "Islamic supremacism"

By GottaLaff

CPAC: It's CBa-a-a-ack:

A panel discussion on the threat posed by "Islamic supremacism," Shariah and political correctness has been scheduled for this week's Conservative Political Action Conference, stirring complaints from some American Muslims that the exercise amounts to Muslim-bashing.

Conservatives? Bash Muslims? What a surprise:

"It's unfortunate that a conservative conference would be in any way associated with Muslim bashers and Islamophobes," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "It's a free country. They're free to be anti-Muslim bigots if they like, but it's really up to the organizers of CPAC to determine if they're going to allow their conference to be associated with the hate-filled views of those who will be speaking."

One guess who's behind this:

[Pamela] Geller, publisher of the AtlasShrugs.com blog, is putting on the talk with Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer. Both are fierce critics of Islam.

Remember Pammy? No? Then allow me to refresh your memory:

The Silence Of Our Political Leadership: Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend

By GottaLaff

My very caring, impassioned 72-year-old Twitter pal, who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about the deafening silence of our elected officials to Tom Tancredo's Tea Party hate speech and blatant racism. I am more than happy to oblige.

But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:

Many of you may wonder why I chose to use the “ 72 year old friend” as the introduction to my Special Comments. I selected the moniker so readers could see that from my age and life experiences I give a different perspective to the issues of today.

Now for his Special Comment:

The Silence Of Our Political Leadership

On Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, Tom Tancredo was the opening speaker at the Tea Party convention. He made the one of most outrageous and racist remarks I’ve have heard in years.

Mr. Tancredo said “ Obama was elected because we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country” and, “people who could not even spell the word 'vote' or say it in English put a committed socialist ideologue in the White House, His name is Barack Hussein Obama."

To me, his remarks and the warm reception they received (applause, laughter and cheers) from the convention attendees has clearly defined the kind of people who are members of the Tea Party. They would like to see this country return to the America of the 1950s, that of the Jim Crow laws, the era of McCarthyism and if they could revoke the civil rights amendments.

Mr. Tancredo's remarks maligned all Americans regardless of party affiliation, but especially immigrant Americans who came to this country and worked hard to become American citizens.

While some in the media have attacked Mr. Tancredo for making those remarks, what really has me upset and disgusted is the lack of response to those remarks from our political leadership.

Where is the outrage to Mr. Tancredo’s remarks from Senator Reid, Senator McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Congressmen Boehner, and Cantor plus all the other members of both parties? Their silence is deafening.

When the leadership of this country lets such racists remarks go unanswered, they only embolden Mr. Tancredo and others of his ilk to continue to make such statements, which will only increase the hatred we are seeing, and further divide our country.

I’m afraid unless we the electorate make our dissatisfaction known to our elected officials, on their silence of these racists remarks, they will let this issue die a slow death.

Many thanks again for another thoughtful, relevant piece, 42bkdodgr. You often say what many of us are thinking and feeling, and we thank you for your unique perspective.

Audio- Limbaugh: "The enemy camp is the White House right now"

It only takes one person to believe his shit.

Tolerance: Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend

By GottaLaff

My very caring, impassioned 72-year-old Twitter pal, who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about the conservatives' hostile intrusion into what is left of the Republican party, and the resulting split. I am more than happy to oblige.

But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:

Many of you may wonder why I chose to use the “ 72 year old friend” as the introduction to my Special Comments. I selected the moniker so readers could see that from my age and life experiences I give a different perspective to the issues of today.

Now for his Special Comment:

Tolerance

In the last couple of month three events have taken place, which for me shows where the Republican Party is heading.

The first event is the New York State 23rd Congressional District election. The local Republican leadership chose Dede Scozzafava as their candidate, whose selection was endorsed by the Republican leadership in Congress and by National Republican Congressional Committee.

Dissatisfied with Ms. Scozzafava positions on abortion, same-sex marriage and taxation; the Conservative wing of the Republican Party led by Sarah Palin and Dick Armey decided to put up their own candidate to defeat the Republican candidate.

We all know how that turned out, the election of Democratic candidate Bill Owens, the first Democrat to hold that District’s seat in over 100 years.

The second event took place on Nov.7th during the voting on the HCR Bill. With all Republicans indicating they would all vote NO on the bill, I wondered if there was at least one representative who knew his constituents were in favor of having a health care reform bill passed.

Well I wasn’t disappointed, a courageous individual, Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao (R-New Orleans), listening to the needs of his constituents, who were concerned about the rising costs of health care premiums, voted for the HCR Bill with a public option.

Rep Cao did what he was elected to do, represent interests of his constituents and not just support party ideology. I believe there where others who felt the same way but were afraid to go against their party leadership and the conservative wing of the party.

For actually representing the wishes of his constituents, Rep Cao received a lot of hateful words from the right wing of the party. He received such hateful remarks as “The face of an American traitor”, “I will go broke supporting a dog to run against this traitor”, “Go back to Saigon, Vietnam, where you f_ _ _ing belong G_ _K”. Some people even asked that their donations be returned.

The third event involves Sen. Lindsey Graham (R - SC). The Charleston County, S.C., Republican Party censured Sen. Graham for his work with Democrats and GOP moderates. They were upset that Sen. Graham worked with Sen. John Kerry ( D-Mass.) and Joseph Liberman (I-Conn.) on climate change legislation and for also working on a bipartisan basis with members of the Democratic party on immigration reform.

Now what do these three events have in common? Its that the Conservative wing (tea baggers/ Tea Party) of the Republican Party has little or no tolerance for those with different point of views.

The Conservative wing of the Party has indicated they will endorse those Republican candidates in the 2010 primaries who support their ideology (abortions, gay marriage, taxation) or they will select a candidate to oppose them.

When you take into account these three events along with the actions, dress, signs and posters displayed by the protesters at the Town Hall meetings, the 9/12 Rally and the Bachmann “Press Conference” rally, you can see that the Republican Party is slowly being taken over by the far right wing of the party.

When the intentions of a political party’s wing is to drum out those members who have different points of view and expects all followers to be in lock step-- or should I say goose step?-- with their ideology, then the political party that emerges looks no different from a Fascist or Communist Party.

Many thanks again for another timely, thoughtful piece, 42bkdodgr. You never fail to say what so many of us are thinking and feeling.

"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)

Mob Rule: Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend

By GottaLaff

(click on image to enlarge)

My very caring, impassioned 72-year-old Twitter pal, who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about the rampant out-of-control expressions of hatred that have been forced upon us recently. I am more than happy to oblige.

But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:

Many of you may wonder why I chose to use the “ 72 year old friend” as the introduction to my Special Comments. I selected the moniker so readers could see that from my age and life experiences I give a different perspective to the issues of today.

Now for his Special Comment:

The Mob Has Taken Over

In my first Special Comment on this site I said I hadn’t seen such hatred in this country since the Civil Rights movement; since then it has continued and has gotten worse.

I also said in another comment that the two most dangerous women in America were Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann. Since then I have come to the conclusion that Bachmann is the one to fear. She uses the same antics of Joseph McCarthy, making outrageous statements, and in some cases without any proof.

Some of Bachmann’s outrageous statements include:

* "What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists, be blood brothers on this thing.” referring opposing the HCR Bill.

* Linking swine flu outbreak to Democrats.

* Liberals in Congress should be investigated for being anti-American.

* Thomas Jefferson has told us: having a revolution every now and then is a good thing

* Obama has anti-American views.

* “I want people in Minnesota armed and dangerous on this issue of the energy tax because we need to fight back.”

* Asking tea baggers attending Nov. 5th rally to go “ up and down through the halls, find members of Congress, look at the whites of their eyes and say “ Don’t take away my healthcare””

I believe when you look at the language of the Bachmann’s statements there seems to be a tone of a call to violence and is preaching to mob-like intelligence .

Because of her statements Bachmann has become the darling of the tea baggers, as evidenced by the reception she received at the rally on the Capital steps yesterday against the Democratic Health Care Reform Bill.

During the rally we saw such poster signs as “ Heath Care Reform is the Holocaust”, “Obama and his Marxist Buddies Are After Your Freedom”, Health Care In General, Is Just Like Nazi Germany”, I’m King Of The World (character of Obama) We Know What Happened To The Titanic”, “Kiss Mao Ass”, “Ken-ya Trust Obama”, Obama Takes His Orders From The Rothchilds”. These signs show that to some extent tea baggers are made up of radicals, racists and anti-Semites.

Yet with all these signs Rep. Boehner said he didn’t see any hate coming from the crowd; while he adds fuel to the growing fire saying that the health care bill is the “greatest threat to freedom that I have seen.”

When Bachmann, Boehner and the rest of the Republicans attending the rally make no statement regarding the inappropriateness of the signs being displayed, this only tells me that the mob has taken control of the Republican Party.

Until the moderates regain control of the Republican Party and denounce the antics, words and actions of the tea baggers, Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, Palin and Bachmann the hatred will continue and the division in the country will only get wider.

Lets hope the Republican party regains its senses before a horrific event takes place in this country.

Many thanks again for another timely, truthful, provocative piece, 42bkdodgr. You never fail to say what so many of us are thinking and feeling.

Man sues over alleged death prayers

Good for him, he's one of my heroes. If you want to really scare yourself, try checking out some of the many diaries by Troutfishing over a Kos on the infiltration of the fundies in the Armed Services, especially the Air Force. There's a reason they're all congregated in Colorado Springs...

DALLAS, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- An Air Force Academy alumnus who has denounced Christian proselytizing in the armed forces says he is suing a Dallas group for praying that he will die.

Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, told Monday's Dallas Morning News he has filed suit against Gordon Klingenschmitt, a former U.S. Navy chaplain, and Jim Ammerman, the founder of the Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches.

In the suit, Weinstein asks that they be ordered to "stop asking Jesus to plunder my fields … seize my assets, kill me and my family then wipe away our descendants for 10 generations."

Weinstein told the newspaper that since he began an effort to expose the extent of proselytizing at the Air Force Academy and within the U.S. armed forces, he has had a swastika painted on his New Mexico home and animal carcasses left on his doorstep.