Right-wing Extremism: A Real Threat

By Ryan Mauro

After eight years of the paranoid opposition biting at the heels of President Bush, rejoicing at any possibility of evildoing in an attempt to vindicate their bitterness, it is now President Obama's turn to feel the hyper-partisan heat. Radio talk show host Michael Savage and the Thomas More Law Center are suing Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano after her department issued a memo warning of "right-wing extremists." Parroting the claims of those who say the use of the term "radical Muslims" is bigoted, will lead to civil rights infringements, and is part of a political-religious crusade, we now hear that the term "right-wing extremists" is part of a political offensive aimed at destroying free speech.

The Drudge siren blared when the Washington Times report was published and within hours there was a mad dash by TV and radio hosts, blogs, and commentators to use the report to take aim at the Obama administration. They sunk their teeth into the portion of the memo warning that right-wing extremists could be motivated by issues like illegal immigration, gun control, abortion, or loss of U.S. sovereignty; they claimed that the Obama administration was viewing conservatives as dangerous radicals. Their quick and efficient drawing of arms, though, did not follow a quick and efficient reading past the first page of the three-page article. [more...]