Friday, March 27, 2009

Wiener of the Week

This is one installment of WotW that you're gonna just love. I know I do. It seems that an attempt to smear Christians and supporters of third-party candidates has come back to bite the state of Missouri in the ass.

The Missouri Highway Patrol this week retracted a controversial report on militia activity and will change how such reports are reviewed before being distributed to law enforcement agencies.

The Highway Patrol also will open an investigation into the origin of the report, which linked conservative groups with domestic terrorism and named former presidential candidates Ron Paul, Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin.

[I]t suggested that domestic militias often subscribed to radical ideologies rooted in Christian views and opposition to immigration, abortion or federal taxes. The report also stated that it was "not uncommon" for militia members to support third-party political candidates.
Let's see. We have "radical ideologies rooted in Christian views" (whatever that means). We have a blanket painting of third-party supporters as militia members (and, as such, as right-wing extremists. What more could we ask for?

The state's Lt. Governor had more - much more.
Before Keathley’s memo was released Wednesday, Kinder criticized the report for suggesting that only issues championed by conservatives motivated domestic terrorists. The report "slanders" opponents of abortion and critics of illegal immigration, he said.

"Under the guidance of the present director, who apparently must think it is Nixon’s secret service, the Department of Public Safety has taken on the new and sinister role of political profiling," Kinder said.

Also troubling, Kinder said, the report makes no mention of Islamic terrorists or those who might subscribe to ideologies associated with liberals, such as environmental radicals.
I'd like to second that last thought. Google up ALF (Animal Liberation Front) or ELF (Environmental Liberation Front). These are bona fide terrorist groups - not a phantom menace like Christian supporters of third-parties!

What's extraordinary about this story is that it took a major s*** storm for Missouri to disavow the report! Their initial reaction was this:
[T]he information analysis center released a statement reaffirming its "regard for the Constitutions of the United States and Missouri" and expressing regret that "any citizens or groups were unintentionally offended by the content of the document."
Yeah! Don't get your panties in a ball! We're protected by the First Amendment, so you can kiss our collective asses!

They're not talking so tough now, are they? And you wonder why schadenfreude is such a major part of who I am...

So, Missouri: Congrats! You're the Wiener of the Week.

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