Greg Sargent at The Plum Line makes a smart observation about the connection between anti-choice activist Scott Roeder and right-wing extremist groups, which Dan mentioned earlier today: When the Department of Homeland Security released a report in April assessing the threat of “right-wing extremists,” the story prompted tremendous controversy and, ultimately, an apology from DHS head Janet Napolitano. Among the most contentious passages in the report: the assertion that such extremists might include “groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion.” Now, Sargent writes, “the general intent of the report, which was chock full of warnings about ‘lone wolf extremists’ capable of violence, now looks perfectly defensible, even reasonable.”
To which HuffPo’s Jason Linkins adds:
at the time, I found it a bit bizarre that many conservatives seemed to want to go out of their way to identify and equate themselves with domestic neo-Nazi organizations and violent religious fundamentalists. As has been often pointed out, the word “conservative” did not appear in the report, so the race to stand up for and embrace a violent political fringe seemed unnecessary and contrary to logic.
Roeder’s connection to far-right militia groups, his ardent opposition to gun-control laws, and his hatred for government (his ex-wife told the LA Times, “the anti-tax stuff came first, and then it grew and grew”), is absolutely relevant to his connection to anti-abortion groups like Operation Rescue (whose former director, btw, just told the media Tiller had “reaped what he sowed).” The impulse to join all of these “movements” comes from the same place: A fundamental contempt for the rule of law and a lack of respect for human life. That’s why we should care about the far-right extremist movement. Because when we don’t, people die.
I find it interesting that these nutters pop up only when a Democrat is in office. It was my understanding that the Repubs were the representitives of “The real ‘merika”.
Talibangelists, like all traitors, only know hatred for America.
And it turns out that the phone number he had in his car wasn’t just some random hotline to Operation Rescue, but the office number of Cheryl Sullenger, who had been sentenced to 2 years for planning to bomb an clinic in ’88. No connection indeed.
“Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?”
I guess pro-lifers are not that pro-life…
From “anti-Tax” to murder in a church… Sounds to me like Repulicanism is an entry level psychosis.
and again, a democrat apologizes for being right.
These are the folks who are the heart of the right-wing, anti-government nuts who the Republicans pander to. These are the “Good Christians” of fundamentalism.
“ardent opposition to gun control laws” doesn’t equate to “a fundamental contempt for the rule of law”.
In fact, it would seem to be the exact opposite – it would seem to embrace the rule of law. I personally am “ardently opposed to abortion control laws” and yet that doesn’t make mean I hold the rule of law in contempt. I want laws to protect the right to an abortion just like I want laws to protect the right to own guns.