The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

SPLC Spins Crazy Conspiracy Theory About Crazy Conspiracy Theorists

Posted on | April 27, 2010 | 12 Comments

Willy-nilly lumping together of libertarians, conservatives and kooks like Alex Jones? Check. Obligatory inclusion of high-profile Fox News personalities? Check. Time for somebody to do some actual reporting:

Catherine Bleish is a 26-year-old libertarian who was a Ron Paul delegate to the 2008 Republican National Convention. She is a leader of the Liberty Restoration Project which, among other things, opposes the federal “War on Drugs” and denounces the Patriot Act as “an assault against the civil liberties of Americans.”
Perhaps you disagree with those views, but is Bleish dangerous?
The Southern Poverty Law Center seems to think so. In a special report called “Meet the ‘Patriots’” issued last week, the SPLC named Bleish as one of 35 people “at the heart of the resurgent movement.” The report — which also names WorldNetDaily publisher Joseph Farah and Cliff Kincaid of Accuracy in Media — describes the movement thus:
“In the last year and a half, militias and the larger antigovernment ‘Patriot’ movement have exploded, accompanied by the rapid expansion of other sectors of the radical right. … [T]he so-called Patriots [are] people who generally believe that the federal government is an evil entity that is engaged in a secret conspiracy to impose martial law, herd those who resist into concentration camps, and force the United States into a socialistic ‘New World Order.’”
The SPLC’s scary references to militias and conspiracies and a “resurgent movement” very much echo Bill Clinton’s recent conflation of the tea party with Timothy McVeigh and, like Clinton, the Montgomery, Ala.-based organization singled out Rep. Michelle Bachmann, calling her an “enabler” of the Patriot movement. Also labeled “enablers” by the SPLC were Glenn Beck and Andrew Napolitano of Fox News, as well as Ron Paul, the Texas congressman whose quixotic 2008 presidential campaign helped turn Bleish into a full-time political activist. . . .

Please read the whole thing. Whatever you think of Ron Paul and his supporters, the SPLC’s insinuation that they pose a threat to public safety — The Libertarian Menace! — is unwarranted. And the Paulistas certainly aren’t part of a “movement” that also includes, inter alia, Cliff Kincaid and Michelle Bachmann.

It’s amazing what you can find out about the SPLC with just a little effort. Yesterday, I spoke to a guy who decided to spend his weekend reading their financial disclosure forms and said the $190 million organization apparently has accounts in the Cayman Islands. And another guy told me that, for the first time in three decades, SPLC founder Morris Dees has donated money to a Republican.

UPDATE: The Libertarian Menace!

Category: Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy

Comments

12 Responses to “SPLC Spins Crazy Conspiracy Theory About Crazy Conspiracy Theorists”

  1. Dave C
    April 27th, 2010 @ 4:31 pm

    I think Dees has some of that funneled in a round about way to finance his house.

    It’s quite a plush little home.

  2. Dave C
    April 27th, 2010 @ 11:31 am

    I think Dees has some of that funneled in a round about way to finance his house.

    It’s quite a plush little home.

  3. Charles Johnson
    April 27th, 2010 @ 4:37 pm

    Morris Dees is an example to us all on how to make money in these difficult economic times!

  4. Charles Johnson
    April 27th, 2010 @ 11:37 am

    Morris Dees is an example to us all on how to make money in these difficult economic times!

  5. Christopher Renner
    April 27th, 2010 @ 5:23 pm

    The SPLC’s list is really getting to the point where it should be a badge of honor to be on it, much like being Olbermann’s “Worst Person In The World.”

  6. Christopher Renner
    April 27th, 2010 @ 12:23 pm

    The SPLC’s list is really getting to the point where it should be a badge of honor to be on it, much like being Olbermann’s “Worst Person In The World.”

  7. cobra
    April 27th, 2010 @ 5:44 pm

    Sorry for the long post, but it’s important..

    http://homelandsecurityus.com/archives/3735

    An investigative report detailing the Obama eligibility controversy
    An investigative report detailing the Obama eligibility controversy

    By Douglas J. Hagmann, Director

    27 April 2010: I cannot think of any other subject in recent American history that has been so mired in controversy, so factually misrepresented, mischaracterized and so misunderstood than the matter of the eligibility of Barack Hussein OBAMA II to hold the office of President of the United States. Despite its importance, the topic has been summarily dismissed as fodder for conspiracy theorists by many, while others insist that the question of OBAMA’s citizenship has been “asked and answered.” But has it really been answered, and if not, why not?

    In consideration of the controversy that continues to plague Barack Hussein OBAMA over his citizenship status and his well documented sustained pattern of refusal to provide authenticated documentation of his birth records and numerous other pertinent records, I’ve conducted an in-depth investigation into the matter in an effort to separate fact from fiction, myth from reality. My approach was the same I’ve used as an investigator over the last 25 years on behalf of Fortune 100 companies in their selection of corporate executives, conducting due diligence background investigations. In this case, however, I was not afforded direct and unfettered access to the “applicant’s”, or in this case, OBAMA’s original records. Nonetheless, I conducted inquiries and a lengthy investigation researching the information directly or indirectly disclosed by OBAMA, as well as collections of documents, court records, official federal and state documents, verbal statements, utterances and other documents determined to be of authentic provenance.

    ——————————————————
    ……Read at the source….

  8. cobra
    April 27th, 2010 @ 12:44 pm

    Sorry for the long post, but it’s important..

    http://homelandsecurityus.com/archives/3735

    An investigative report detailing the Obama eligibility controversy
    An investigative report detailing the Obama eligibility controversy

    By Douglas J. Hagmann, Director

    27 April 2010: I cannot think of any other subject in recent American history that has been so mired in controversy, so factually misrepresented, mischaracterized and so misunderstood than the matter of the eligibility of Barack Hussein OBAMA II to hold the office of President of the United States. Despite its importance, the topic has been summarily dismissed as fodder for conspiracy theorists by many, while others insist that the question of OBAMA’s citizenship has been “asked and answered.” But has it really been answered, and if not, why not?

    In consideration of the controversy that continues to plague Barack Hussein OBAMA over his citizenship status and his well documented sustained pattern of refusal to provide authenticated documentation of his birth records and numerous other pertinent records, I’ve conducted an in-depth investigation into the matter in an effort to separate fact from fiction, myth from reality. My approach was the same I’ve used as an investigator over the last 25 years on behalf of Fortune 100 companies in their selection of corporate executives, conducting due diligence background investigations. In this case, however, I was not afforded direct and unfettered access to the “applicant’s”, or in this case, OBAMA’s original records. Nonetheless, I conducted inquiries and a lengthy investigation researching the information directly or indirectly disclosed by OBAMA, as well as collections of documents, court records, official federal and state documents, verbal statements, utterances and other documents determined to be of authentic provenance.

    ——————————————————
    ……Read at the source….

  9. JSF
    April 27th, 2010 @ 7:29 pm

    Let’s note that the SPLC isa 501(c)3 Org….which means they CANNOT doe politics without losing their tax protected status.

    When the GOP takes over Congress next year, this issue should be front and center. If the SPLC cannot convince a majority of Republican House and senate mebers, they should lose that tax status.

    And tie it to a defence appropriations bill.

    Heh.

  10. JSF
    April 27th, 2010 @ 2:29 pm

    Let’s note that the SPLC isa 501(c)3 Org….which means they CANNOT doe politics without losing their tax protected status.

    When the GOP takes over Congress next year, this issue should be front and center. If the SPLC cannot convince a majority of Republican House and senate mebers, they should lose that tax status.

    And tie it to a defence appropriations bill.

    Heh.

  11. LibertarianAdvocate
    May 1st, 2010 @ 10:23 pm

    Hey: Do I qualify for a FMJR award with this: http://libertarianadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/04/splc-nut-jobs-fund-raising-screed.html

  12. LibertarianAdvocate
    May 1st, 2010 @ 5:23 pm

    Hey: Do I qualify for a FMJR award with this: http://libertarianadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/04/splc-nut-jobs-fund-raising-screed.html