Conservative Paranoia

Ever since the release of the DHS report on Right-Wing extremism, conservatives are beside themselves that Janet Napolitano's department is actually doing what it is supposed to be doing.

Most, like Michelle Malkin, are pushing the notion that ANYONE with conservative beliefs are going to be targeted:

....the piece of crap report issued on April 7 is a sweeping indictment of conservatives. And the intent is clear. As the two spokespeople I talked with on the phone today made clear: They both pinpointed the recent “economic downturn” and the “general state of the economy” for stoking “rightwing extremism.” One of the spokespeople said he was told that the report has been in the works for a year. My b.s. detector went off the chart, and yours will, too, if you read through the entire report — which asserts with no evidence that an unquantified “resurgence in rightwing extremist recruitment and radicalizations activity” is due to home foreclosures, job losses, and…the historical presidential election.

Interesting that Malkin didn't cite her source, only that she "spoke" with someone.

David Niewert @ C&L pointed out the obvious in Malkin's reactionay response:

So, I have a question for Malkin: Are you saying that mainstream conservatives are now right-wing extremists?

Because, you know, the report -- which in fact is perfectly accurate in every jot and tittle -- couldn't be more clear. It carefully delineates that the subject of its report is "rightwing extremists," "domestic rightwing terrorist and extremist groups," "terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks," "white supremacists," and similar very real threats described in similar language.

Nothing about conservatives. The word never appears in the report.

Because, you know, we always thought there was a difference between right-wing extremists and mainstream conservatives too. My new book, The Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right, does explain that the distance between them has in fact shrunk considerably, thanks to the help of people like Malkin.

And now she's evidently intent on shrinking it further

Once again, I'm reminded of Ann Coulter's latest book about "liberal victimhood". Sad, isn't it.

Media Matters has a video compilation of some of the loudest and most paranoid voices from the Right.



Interesting that Dobson would say that these people don't exist.

The recent murder of 3 police officers in Pittsburg - by a man that thought the government was going to take his guns away - in Pennsylvania and the church shooting in Knoxville don't seem to gel with the good doctors "facts".

Something that Malkin, Dobbs, Hannity, and others may have conveniently forgotten there has already been an asessment on Left-wing extremism done by the DHS.