SPLC intel report casts wide net for ‘extremists’
A politically-skewed activist organization has warned law enforcement officials nationwide of the threat posed by the so-called “Patriot movement.” The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)’s Fall, 2009, issue of the “Intelligence Report” expands those designated as extremists, with alarmist language artificially combining a disparate group. The report said, “Militiamen, white supremacists, anti-Semites, nativists, tax protesters and a range of other activists of the radical right are cross-pollinating and may even be coalescing.” On the SPLC website, one report claims, “anti-government rhetoric spills into the Mainstream,” listing conservative celebrities like Sean Hannity and Red State’s Erick Erickson as purveyors of “white-hot antigovernment rhetoric.” Where did SPLC get the data for that assumption? None other than the leftwingers at Media Matters, where bloggers dismiss every major study on media bias and claim the media favors the right.
Tax protesters and white supremacists have united? Whites and minorities alike who are upset with out-of-control government spending would be shocked to find out that they are “coalescing” with the Ku Klux Klan.
As to the “range of other activists,” the report primarily focuses its ire on the Oath Keepers, an association of military members, veterans, law enforcement officers, and firefighters who reaffirm the oath they took to support and defend the Constitution. If the Constitution is the basis of our government, how does swearing an oath to the Constitution and pledging not to follow unconstitutional orders make one “anti-government?”
The article goes on to paint the patriotic movement as a fearful group of militia members, racists, and terrorists – who even reap “illegal fortunes.”
The article also states that “there has been a remarkable rash of domestic terrorist incidents since Obama’s election.” What does the SPLC consider to be “domestic terrorist incidents,” town hall protests? Predictably, the SPLC article joins Democrat politicians and members of the media in portraying opposition to the president’s agenda as racist.
In: Society · Tagged with: Constitution, free speech, Minuteman Project, Oath Keepers, Southern Poverty Law Center, Tea Party
Obama inauguration vs. 9/12 protest
Which event with a million-plus in attendance cost millions to clean up after? (h/t Casey)
Here is a picture of the National Mall following Obama’s inauguration in January:
Here is a picture of the National Mall after the 9-12 protests:
In: Society · Tagged with: 9/12 Protest, Tea Party
Lawyer says group had no legal right to cancel Atlanta Tea Party
Michael Sullivan, an attorney familiar with the cancellation of the Atlanta Tea Party, said in a radio interview that the group who canceled the event had no ownership interest in the property (via Jason Lee at the American Thinker).
Les Morris, a spokesman for the mall said in a statement: “Gwinnett Place Mall is not public property, but is privately owned. In order to preserve the shopping experience for all guests, it is our standing policy not to permit political protests or rallies on mall property. To clarify the timing of our decision, mall management was not notified of the event or contacted for approval on event plans until just last week.”
But according to Sullivan, George Thorndyke is the sole owner of the Macy’s parking lot where the event was scheduled , and Simon Property Group has no ownership interest in the parking lot. “There were a set of declarations of covenants and restrictions that were placed on the mall when it was originally built in 1984, but those covenants state very clearly by their own terms that they would expire after a period of twenty years if they were not affirmatively renewed. That 20 years expired in 2004 and the covenants where not affirmatively renewed. So you’re dealing with a Mall that doesn’t have any covenants or restrictions restricting general use in place,” Sullivan said during the interview.
“What is in place on the properties is a reciprocal parking agreement that provides that the other mall property owners have a right to the use of certain portions of Mr. Thorndyke’s parking lot. But what makes it reciprocal is Mr. Thorndyke likewise has the right to use certain portions of the parking lots off of his property. [...] There’s nothing in that agreement that gives either property the right to restrict uses of the other’s property”
Simon was able to shut down an event at a location that they had virtually no interest in. Their only claim was to parking – and even that was reciprocal. In addition, a mall official informed me that the mall will be closed at 6:00 PM on Independence Day, and the Tea Party wasn’t even scheduled to start until 7:30 PM.
In: Politics · Tagged with: Tea Party
Democratic donors cancel Atlanta tea party
Simon Property Group, Inc., a real estate company whose chairman is a major Democrat donor, has canceled the Atlanta Tea Party scheduled for July 4. Simon owns the Gwinnett Place Mall where the event had been scheduled since March, and last week the mall manager informed organizers that Simon did not want political events on their property.
“Our Atlanta Tea Party team tried for the next day and a half to find an alternative location large enough for the event, and with the proper layout for our vendors, children’s activities, and fireworks show, but we could not find anything suitable that would have been available on July 4th,” said event co-chair Debbie Dooley in a June 20 statement.
The American Thinker blog has more on Simon Property Group and their Democrat funding:
- Gwinnett Place Mall shut down the Atlanta Tea Party.
- Simon Property Group owns Gwinnett Place Mall.
- Melvin Simon (a Forbes 400 billionaire) is Co-chairman of Simon Property Group, Inc.
- Melvin Simon has provided large political contributions to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Al Franken, John Edwards, the DNC and many other Democrats and Democrat organizations.
- Melvin Simon was a major contributor to Barack Obama inaugural committee and has given at least $1 million to the William J. Clinton foundation.
- Melvin’s wife, Bren, personally donated almost $100,000 to various political candidates, was a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid, and contributed to President Obama’s inaugural committee.
With the April 15 Tax Day Tea Party drawing around 20,000 attendees, it should hardly have been a secret to Simon and the Gwinnett Mall that the July event would be political. It seems to me that the nature and timing of the cancellation was simply a way for opponents to cancel the event altogether.
The Atlanta Tea Party has joined forces with the Cobb Tea Party for a metro-wide event on July 3.
In: Politics · Tagged with: Tea Party
Santelli on Tea Parties
CNBC “Squawk Box” co-host Joe Kernen asked Rick Santelli – who may have given birth to the Tax Day Tea Parties in an on-air rant Feb. 19 – what he thought of the “cultural phenomenon” he inspired.
“I don’t know about cultural phenomenon, but I’ll tell you what,” Santelli said. “I think that this tea party phenomenon is steeped in American culture and steeped in American notion to get involved with what’s going on with our government. I haven’t organized. I’m going to have to work to pay my taxes, so I’m not going to be able to get away today. But, I have to tell you – I’m pretty proud of this.” Santelli also defended the tea parties from attacks from MSNBC, who called the movement “astroturf.”
“I think from a grassroots standpoint, I’m sure some of the media out there is not going to peg it that way, but isn’t it about as American as it gets – for people to roll their strollers and make their signs and go voice their opinion about the direction of the country?” Santelli said. “Good, bad or indifferent – that’s a great thing. There’s not a lot of countries, of course, that afford their people that, that type of right. It’s a great thing.”
In: Media, Politics · Tagged with: CNBC, media bias, MSNBC, Rick Santelli, Tea Party
CNN calls Tea Parties “Anti-Government”
Can you imagine CNN giving this kind of coverage to a liberal protest? Audio isn’t that good, but you can pick up the reporter’s resentment loud and clear.
It’s amazing to see what passes for journalism today.
In: Media, Politics · Tagged with: CNN, media bias, Tea Party
Sarkozy’s Speech to Congress
A fantastic speech from France’s president, Nikolas Sarkozy. If a Republican had delivered a speech like this, he would be president today. The word “freedom” is used 14 times! But unfortunately our politicians don’t talk about freedom, so we have to hear it from the French.
Madam Speaker,
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen of the United States Congress,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The state of our friendship and our alliance is strong.
In: Media, Politics · Tagged with: media bias, Tea Party
Chicago Tea Party?
Rick Santelli at CNBC hammers the economic situation caused by the Obama Administration. You will be standing and cheering! “The government is promoting bad behavior… do we really want to subsidize the losers’ mortgages… This is America! How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor’s mortgage? President Obama are you listening? How about we all stop paying our mortgage! It’s a moral hazard”
In: Economics, Politics · Tagged with: CNBC, Rick Santelli, Tea Party
