Thursday, April 16, 2009

"Oh my, we can't believe you actually think we mean

what we said!"
The US Homeland Security Department, under fire for saying US forces returning from the Iraq and Afghan wars were potential right-wing extremist recruits, said Wednesday it honors US veterans.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to douse anger among conservatives and veterans groups like the American Legion over a report from her department warning of a rising threat of right-wing extremism.

"We are on the lookout for criminal and terrorist activity but we do not -- nor will we ever -- monitor ideology or political beliefs," Napolitano said in a statement amid charges that the department had done just that
.
Which is exactly what they're doing, according to the piece, but they sure-hell don't want to admit it. Or have the integrity to admit it. Or something.

A local radio guy, Mark Shannon, has this on his blog; no link to the article, so I'm going to post a bunch of it(have to scroll down a ways to get to it):
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that she was briefed before the release of a controversial intelligence assessment and that she stands by the report, which lists returning veterans among terrorist risks to the U.S.

But the top House Democrat with oversight of the Department of Homeland Security said in a letter to Ms. Napolitano that he was "dumbfounded" that such a report would be issued.

"This report appears to raise significant issues involving the privacy and civil liberties of many Americans - including war veterans," said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, in his letter sent Tuesday night.

The letter was representative of a public furor over the nine-page document since its existence was reported in The Washington Times on Tuesday
.
So people in Congress were a bit upset with what came out, on multiple levels. Napolitano says
"I was briefed on the general topic, which is one that struck a nerve as someone personally involved in the Timothy McVeigh prosecution," Ms. Napolitano said.
I may be being a bit unfair, but I may not: did then-President Clinton blaming talk radio and the people who listen 'strike a nerve' also?

3 comments:

Rustmeister said...

Between this and their proposal to let vets pay for their own medical treatment, I think it's safe to say they don't have a clue on how to act concerning the military.

TexasFred said...

I heard that ugly old douchebag say the words, but I heard NOTHING that even remotely sounded like sincerity!!

Anonymous said...

Every now and then the really DUMB demos/leftists(I know, redundent) open their mouths before their handlers can push their lie buttons.

Obama and Joe the Plumber is another example - of course the difference here is that the media had zero control over the publishing of this report.