Pete The Elder

October 31, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 52

A house candidate publicly admits she stole her opponents lawn signs because she did not like them:

House candidate Deb Eddy was unrepentant Friday in the wake of Republican Party charges that she'd violated the law by taking their campaign signs, which accuse her of backing higher taxes.

Republican officials have filed a police complaint and, if these charges are true, it appears Eddy may have committed at least one felony.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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August 31, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 51

War protestors in Washington State are now ambushing US soldiers and attacking them:

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department is searching for five people who allegedly attacked a uniformed National Guardsmen walking along 138th Street in Parkland Tuesday afternoon.

The soldier was walking to a convenience store when a sport utility vehicle pulled up alongside him and the driver asked if he was in the military and if he had been in any action.

The driver then got out of the vehicle, displayed a gun and shouted insults at the victim. Four other suspects exited the vehicle and knocked the soldier down, punching and kicking him.

Several of the attackers were dressed all in red and called the soldier a baby killer. Previous Climate of Fear post.

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August 23, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 50

Animal Rights Terrorists win another victory by threatening to kill a scientist's children:

Anti-animal research groups are trumpeting Ringach's move as a victory, while some researchers are worried that it could embolden such groups to use more extreme tactics.

Ringach's name and home phone number are posted on the Primate Freedom Project's Web site, and colleagues and UCLA officials said that Ringach was harassed by phone — his office phone number is no longer active — and e-mail, as well as through demonstrations in front of his home.

In an e-mail this month to several anti-animal research groups, Ringach wrote that 'you win,' and asked that the groups 'please don't bother my family anymore.'

According to the same story, earlier this year Animal Liberation Front terrorists used a molotov cocktail againt one of Ringach's co-workers.

Previous climate of fear entry.

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August 15, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 49

Here is another politician who uses illegal violence to get their way:

A city councilwoman has been charged with two misdemeanors for allegedly choking and hitting the mayor during a council meeting.

Theresa Peguese was charged last week with assault and battery and obstruction of a government function during the July 18 council meeting.

Peguese's lawyer, Hugh Davis, said his client, who is black, was provoked when Mayor Larry Salisbury used racial slurs as they argued over a resident's request for relief from the city's zoning ordinance to build a modular home in Ecorse, a city of 11,000 about 10 miles southwest of Detroit.

Salisbury's lawyer, Bill Colovos, denied the racial slur claim and said the councilwoman was "out of control."

Previous climate of fear post.

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August 05, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 48

Hizballah supporters in America once again assault someone trying to film their protest. Last time it was in Boston, this time it was in Columbus, Ohio. The assault is captured on film once again and this time it is a CAIR official trying to take the camera from the filmer. Why the mainstream media treats CAIR as an respoectable organization still baffles me.

CAIR Anti Israel Rally-Part One. In this segment, a protester wearing militant garb describes his version of the cause of the conflict and Dr. Al-Akhras of CAIR gets angry and shoves me and grabs my camera when I ask him if he has any words of condemnation for Hezbollah for starting the war and for killing Israeli civilians.

Here are some good sites with background info on CAIR, inclkuding some of its members ties to terrorist organizations.

Last Climate of Fear post here.

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July 24, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 47

Well this is a shocker. Hizbsllah supporters in Boston turn violent, assaulting someone trying to record what was going on at their protest rally. There are lots of pictures and video of the assault at Solomonia:

In the ensuing commotion, I suddenly noticed that Noah Cohen grabbed my camera and was quietly trying to break off its swivel monitor. This really stunned me -- I didn't expect he would go to such length and engage in criminally punishable behavior, but I guess, he figured he could afford to do so and get away with it, being surrounded by his comrades-in-arms with no police in sight. At this point, indignant and even outraged, realizing that I was entirely on my own and no help was forthcoming, I yanked the camera from his grip and a scuffle ensued which seemed to cool off his zeal substantially.

More people joined the melee, shouting and threatening me. Unfortunately, by this point my camera was off, so I did not capture what had transpired then. One man told me that the police would not help me, as they were going to hunt me down and kill me (he can be heard on the video repeatedly commanding me not to take pictures)

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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July 14, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 46

The criminal intimidation is getting a bit out of hand when it comes to gay marriage supporters in Provincetown, Massachusetts with supporters of an amendment banning gay marriage in Massachusetts being harassed and having manure dumped onto their property. The Boston Globe reports:

The names of 43 Provincetown residents are listed on the website. Most of the petition signers attend St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, which serves the Portuguese community and others in town. The Catholic Church has helped lead the fight against same-sex marriage.

One St. Peter's parishioner, Yvonne Cabral, was verbally accosted last Friday by Provincetown Magazine publisher Rick Hines after Hines learned that Cabral signed the petition, according to police.

Police Chief Ted Meyer plans to seek charges of disorderly conduct against Hines, who saw Cabral shopping and loudly called her a ``bigot," according to both Hines and Meyer. Other people who signed the petition -- and subsequently had their names posted on the same website -- said manure has been spread on their properties in recent months, Meyer added.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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July 10, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 45

This is a rather disturbing story of threats of partisan violence in the blogosphere so you are forewarned. One Deborah Frisch, until very recently a psychology professor at the University of Arizona, threatened the life of blogger Jeff Goldstein's two year old son. She also ecouraged the sexual molestation of his son and said both Goldstein and his son 'aren't "human" to me'. Shortly after that Goldstein's site, protein wisdom, suffered through a series of coordinated DoS attaks so you may not be able to reach it though the link. The apparent motivation for the threats and related attacks on his site are because Goldstein is a politcal conservative, while Frisch is a leftist who believes that 9/11 was a government conspiracy. Not surprisingly she also agrees with Ward Churchill's 'little Eichmans' comment. Here are a couple of roundups of what happened.

Previous climate of fear post.

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June 21, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 44

I forgot to post this one from a few weeks ago. It seems like the guy realized his mistake after making it and gave a decent apology for a politician. But it is still not appropriate to threaten to shoot the president. WNBC reports:

State Comptroller Alan Hevesi publicly apologized Thursday for a "beyond dumb" remark about a fellow Democrat putting "a bullet between the president's eyes."

Hevesi called a mea culpa press conference hours after putting his foot in his mouth at the Queens College commencement.

"I apologize to the president of the United States" and to the fellow state politician, Sen. Charles Schumer, Hevesi said. "I am not a person of violence.

"I am apologizing as abjectly as I can. There is no excuse for it. It was beyond dumb."

Previous climate of fear post.

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June 14, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 48

A real example of class in a campaign for congress in Colorado:

Republican U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave's re-election campaign was already heated, and it just got smelly as well: Her staff accused a Democratic activist Thursday of leaving an envelope full of dog feces at Musgrave's Greeley office.

Musgrave spokesman Shaun Kenney said someone stuffed the envelope through the mail slot in the door on May 31 and then sped away in a car. Kenney said most of the preprinted return address was blacked out, but staffers used the nine-digit ZIP code to trace it to Kathleen Ensz, a Weld County Democratic volunteer.

Previous Climate of Fear entry.

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June 12, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 47

A reporter in California was assaulted and had his tape recorder stolen after interviewing the principal at a supposedly racial separatist charter school. CBS2 reports:

A local radio reporter was assaulted Thursday while leaving a Los Angeles charter school that his station has said imparts separatist ethics, a station official said.

The reporter, Sandy Wells, was not hurt, according to station spokesman Steve Sheldon.

Wells was leaving the campus of Academia Semillas Del Pueblo, 4736 Huntington Drive, after interviewing the principal when a car came around the corner, jumped the curb and the driver tried to run him down, Sheldon said.

Wells managed to dodge the car, but the driver, a man who appeared to be in his mid-20s, got out and tackled him, taking away his tape recorder, he said.

Previous climate of fear entry.

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May 18, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 46

Now illegal aliens are getting in on the sign stealing act, just like pro-abortion vandals. An illegal alien in Texas was caught stealing an anti-illegal immigration sign. He will probably be deported:

A Honduran teenager faces deportation after being charged with stealing an anti-immigration protest sign.

Joel Martines, 19, was arrested May 11 on charges he stole the sign outside a convenience store where day laborers seek work. The store has been the scene of protests supporting stricter enforcement of immigration laws.

Previous climate of fear post.

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May 15, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 45

Vandalism against non-violent anti-abortion protests continues to spread across the college campuses of America. First there was the Northern Kentuky University case I mentioned a few weeks ago involving a professor destroying an anti-abortion display. Now there have been two new cases. First at Western Washington University:

A Western Washington University student did $2,700 of damage Tuesday to a Red Square display showing pictures of aborted fetuses next to images of genocide before being arrested, police said.

David Janus Zhang, 21, jumped over the three-foot high aluminum fencing surrounding the exhibit at about 1:30 p.m., said Dave Doughty, assistant chief of the Western Washington University Police Department. Zhang then 'went on a rampage,' punching, tearing and pushing over the display, he said.

Police eventually arrested Zhang in Sehome Arboretum. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail on malicious mischief and disorderly conduct charges.

Then at Princeton University, where the vandals are still at large:

In a presumed instance of politically-motivated vandalism, the Princeton Pro-Life flag display in front of Frist Campus Center was destroyed early Thursday morning.

The 347 flags on the north lawn were meant to represent the lives of students who might have become members of the University's Class of 2010 had abortion not been legalized.

Pro-Life president Tom Haine '08 said the vandalism took place sometime between the hours of 11 p.m. Wednesday and 4 a.m. Thursday.

Latest two stories found via FIRE. Last Climate of Fear post.

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April 27, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 44

This is an important update to the climate of fear part 36 post. If you recall a Milwaukee prosecuter had reached a plea deal with the thugs who had slashed the tires of vans rented by Republicans to take people to the polls on election day. According to the plea deal most of the defendents would plead no contest and not serve any jail time. I wrote at the time:

So the lesson here: In Milwaukee it is ok to use violence to prevent hundreds of people from voting. You will not go to jail.

Looks like I was wrong! The judge threw out the sentencing part of the plea deal so the defendents who plead no contest will go to jail for 4 to 6 months. He also chewed them out for trying to disenfranchise voters. Good for him. JS Online reports:

Calling the vandalism more than harmless hijinks, Brennan admonished the four men, including the sons of two prominent Milwaukee politicians, for disenfranchising voters. The judge said he had received letters from Milwaukee County citizens upset over the crime.

'They see you tampering with something they consider sacred and that's the ballot box,' Brennan said during a two-hour sentencing this morning.

Michael Pratt, 33, and Lewis Caldwell, 29, were each sentenced to six months in jail while Lavelle Mohammad, 36, got five months and Sowande Omokunde, 26, got four months. Each was also fined $1,000. They will be eligible for work release and were allowed to surrender to begin their sentences within two weeks.

Pratt is the son of former Acting Mayor Marvin Pratt and Omokunde is the son of U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.)

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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April 18, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 43

At North Kentuky University a student pro-life group set up a university approved display made up of a bunch of crosses. A Professor there thought freedom of speech meant vandalism so she had her students destroy the display.

Northern Kentucky University President James Votruba has confirmed that Dr. Sally Jacobsen said that she encouraged students to practice their freedom of speech by pulling down the crosses during her British Literature class, which meets on Wednesday evenings.

Thankfully the president of the university did the right thing and removed the professor from all of her teaching responsibilities and she will be leaving at the end of the semester. He also sent out a good email about how universities are supposed to function:

The action taken by the University should be considered in the context of Professor Jacobsen's entire 27 year career at NKU. Nevertheless, her recent lapse of judgment was severe and, for a period of time, has caused some in our community and beyond to question whether Northern Kentucky University upholds freedom of expression. My answer to this question is an unequivocal yes. NKU lives its commitment to free expression and responds when that commitment has been compromised.

America is, today, debating a variety of polarizing issues around which people feel great passion. It is not surprising that these strong sentiments find their way onto college campuses. However, our role is to add light to these debates, not more heat. If we don't serve this role, who will?

The earlier article said the pro-life group was pressing charges and I think a few months in jail might teach the professor how she should not vandalize property or tried to use violence to silence opposing views.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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April 10, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 42

Violence by pro illegal immigration protesters continues to spread across the country. One anti-illegal immigration protester in Maine was taken away in an ambulence after being beaten by a masked youth. Boston.com reports:

Dozens of people pressing for rights for illegal immigrants gathered for a peaceful demonstration on Monday just minutes after a counter-protestor was bloodied by a teenager who hid his face with a bandanna.

The attacker, described as a Hispanic teenager, went after one of three white people carrying signs arguing that illegals have no rights, police said.

As the teen fled, the victim dropped to the pavement after being hit with something heavy that the teen had carried, possibly in a sock or a bandanna, said Portland Police Sgt. Robin Gauvin. There were no arrests as of late afternoon.

The victim, identified as Robert Gorman, 23, of Portland, was hauled away in an ambulance minutes before 200 people gathered. He was treated and released from Maine Medical Center.

At the Dallas protest on Saturday, blogger Random Numbers had his camera smashed by a a group of pro illegal immigration thugs as he tried to take pictures of protesters with racist signs. He then had to flee for safety, but he luckily escaped injury:

For the most part, the protest was peaceful. The organizers were smarter than the idiots who set up those disgraces last week, and they passed out US flags and suggested that Mexican flags be less prominant. On the march from the Virgin of Guadelupe to City Hall, I got a lot of pics of really cute babes young women and thought that this one might do these folks some good in the PR department.

Then came the ugliness. There was a very millitant group holding provocative signs and loaded down with very angry looking young men. Some were shouting 'Gringos go back to Europe!' and waving fists. Che was all over the place and the reconquista theme was all over them.

I was trying to get a good shot of a sign with Che Guevera on it when my camera was slapped out of my hand and kicked down the street. I turned to the asshole who decided he didn't like me and found myself facing about a half-dozen Latino males approx 19-25 years old and looking like trouble.

'You got a problem, white boy?' said the thug closest to me.

I decided to employ the better part of valor - I bugged out.

I was in downtown San Antonio during the time of the protests today, but I did not see anything from my sixth floor vantage point when I looked out around noon and was busy and away from windows the rest of the afternoon.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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March 29, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 41

This barely qualifies as a climate of fear because there was no violence or threat of violence, but there was still a crime that was politically motivated. I included it mainly because I was impressed that this case is still going as I thought it ended years ago. Anyways, in 1996 Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) obtained an illegally recorded phone call of current house majority leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio). Instead of turning the recording over to police like he should have, McDermott gave it to reporters.

I wonder if any other congressmen have been convicted of violating the rights of other congressmen before? Or if any congressman have been ordered to pay another congressman over a half million dollars by a court. I know the case of congressman Preston Smith Brooks (Democrat South Carolina) who was shot by Texas Senator Louis T. Wigfall before Wigfall became a Senator. Brooks later beat Senator Charles Sumner (Mass. Whig/Free Soil/Rep) unconscious on the Senate floor with his cane after Sumner made fun of Brooks speech impediment and said Brooks had a harlot named slavery. Nowadays that would result in a several lawsuits and definitely be a climate of fear entry.

Anyways, an appeals court just ruled against McDermott.

Here is the AP story:

WASHINGTON, D.C. A federal appeals court ruled today that Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., violated federal law by turning over an illegally taped telephone call to reporters nearly a decade ago.

In a 2-1 opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that McDermott violated the rights of House Majority Leader John Boehner, who was heard on the 1996 call involving former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

The court ordered McDermott to pay Boehner more than $700,000 for leaking the taped conversation. The figure includes $60,000 in damages and more than $600,000 in legal costs.

McDermott leaked a tape of a 1996 cell phone call involving former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to The New York Times and other news organizations.

Previous Climate of Fear

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March 16, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 40

This is probably the worst entry I have had to do in my climate of fear series. I have meant to post about it since it first happened, but have not had the opportunity. You have probably hear about so here is the take of Eric Pfeiffer of the Weekly Standard on the former UNC student named Mohammed who decided the best way to protest America was to drive an SUV into a crowd of innocent college students. For some reason many people do not think this counts as terrorism and some major news organizations have ignored the story, even though Mohammed has been very open that this was religiously motivated violence against innocent people in order to create fear and make a political point:

IT WASN'T A CAR BOMB, but the University of North Carolina must now come to terms with its first potential case of vehicular terrorism after an Iranian born, recent UNC graduate confessed to authorities his motive for driving a rented Jeep Grand Cherokee across the UNC campus into nine students was to "avenge the deaths of Muslims around the world."

"The Pit" is a popular area on the UNC campus and on Friday, March 3rd, made a ripe target for 22-year-old Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, who simply said "Yes," when asked by reporters if he was trying to kill people. No one was seriously injured in the attack even though Taheri-azar admits to renting the heaviest model available to inflict the largest amount of damage.

Taheri-azar is already facing nine counts of "attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill." If convicted, he could face more than 100 years in prison and is currently being held on $5.5 million bail. No one appears to question the validity of his surrender and subsequent confession, which included his intent to "punish the government of the United States for their actions around the world." Nonetheless, there is a heated debate as to whether or not his actions amount to terror.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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March 06, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 39

Environmental terrorism is one of the more violent forms of political intimidation in America today. Fortunately the Federal government takes it seriously and is prosecuting people and institutions for it. The New York Times reports:

An animal rights group and six of its members were convicted of terrorism and Internet stalking yesterday by a federal jury that found them guilty of using their Web site to incite attacks on those who did business with or worked for a British company that runs an animal testing laboratory in New Jersey.

The good part is that prosecuters are going after groups that act as non-violent fronts, but still facilitate and support political violence done by their associates:

Although federal prosecutors presented no evidence that the defendants directly participated in the vandalism and violence, they showed jurors that members of the group made speeches and Web postings from 2000 to 2004 that celebrated the violence and repeatedly used the word "we" to claim credit for it.

Prosecutors also produced telephone records indicating that the president of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, Kevin Kjonaas, called a man charged with bombing a California biotech lab shortly after the explosion.

Jurors were also shown a videotape of the group's director, Lauren Gazzola, at a protest in Boston, making reference to the previous acts of violence and warning a target, "The police can't protect you!"

In related news, here is a Guardian column by Timothy Garton Ash on related political violence by animal rights terrorists in England:

It was a bright cold day in February, and the digital watches were blinking thirteen. Across the street from the concrete skeleton of a large building, a noisy crowd was repetitively chanting "Stop the Oxford animal lab! Stop the Oxford animal lab!" Just around the corner, at least 500 demonstrators, among them many Oxford university students, gave their vocal reply: "Stand up for science! Stand up for research! No more threats, no more fear! Animal research, wanted here!" A student wordsmith had obviously worked hard on the chants, which continued with "Pro-science! Pro-gress! Pro-test!". Then there crackled through an oldfashioned electronic megaphone the voices of Oxford academics, a doctoral student and, most movingly, the mother of a disabled child. They explained howprogress in medicine depends on carefully regulated animal tests and called on us to resist the "animal rights terrorists". A large banner held aloft in the middle of the crowd proclaimed "Vegetarians against the Alf". Alf stands for Animal Liberation Front, the extremist animal rights network which has attempted (sometimes violently, sometimes successfully) to intimidate universities into not doing research on animals.

Ash goes on to distinguish between legal political speech and illegal political threats:

If someone says "the Nazis didn't kill so many Jews and had no plan for their systematic extermination", he is a distorter of history who deserves to be intellectually refuted and morally condemned, but not imprisoned. If, however, someone says "kill the Jews", or "kill the Muslims", or "kill the Americans", or "kill the animal experimenters", and points to particular groups of Jews, Muslims, Americans or animal experimenters, they should be met with the full rigour of the law. That's why, of all the recent high-profile cases where free speech has been at issue, that of the London-based hatepreacher Abu Hamza is the only one where I feel a criminal conviction was justified. Not because he was a Muslim rather than a Christian, a Jew or a secular European. No. Because he was guilty of incitement to murder. This is the line on which we must take our stand. Facing down intimidation, backed by the threat of violence, is the key to resisting the creeping tyranny of the group veto. Here there can be no compromise.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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February 20, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 38

Dozens of people all over the world have been killed in violent protests over some cartoons of Muhammed the newspaper Jyllands-Posten published. (people being murdered over cartoons still sounds stupid no matter how many times I read it) My climate of fear postings are limited to polically/viewpoint motivated crime in the US so I have not included any here. Until now. The Muslim cartoon violence has spread to the US. The Gallup Independent newspaper had its office windows smashed, probably in retaliation for publishing the cartoons:

Someone shattered The Independent's glass entrance doors late Wednesday.

At about 10 p.m., an unknown individual threw a pair of fist-sized rocks at the doors, which caused the glass to shatter but not break. The rocks were covered in black marker with the phrases "public apology or else?" "think twice" and "repent, condemn or else?"

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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February 11, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 37

Here is the latest entry, this time from William and Mary college, where a non-violent anti-abortion demonstrator was beat up by someone who disagreed with her protest:

Officials at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg say a female student taking part in an anti-abortion demonstration at the school was punched and knocked down by another woman.

College authorities are withholding the victim's name. She told campus police she was passing out literature Tuesday night during a demonstration by a group called William and Mary Students for Life.

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January 23, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 36

This is an update on our last climate of fear post. Four of the defendents in the Milwaukee tire slash case pleaded no constest to charges, while the fifth was found not guilty. According to the plea bargain none will serve any jail time. Sean Hackbarth writes

Milwaukee District Attorney E. Michael McCann's office is known as a plea bargain machine. Conservatives were pleasantly surprised when his office took the Milwaukee 5 to trial. Prosecutors went through eight days of testimony and arguments and put it in the jury's hands. Until a few hours ago it seemed like we would have a verdict, but that wasn't the case. Prosecutors gave up at the first sign of a deadlocked jury and cut-and-run by handing out plea bargains:

So the lesson here: In Milwaukee it is ok to use violence to prevent hundreds of people from voting. You will not go to jail. This is especially disturbing for Wisconson since they have same day registration and you do not have to bring any ID to vote or to register to vote, which is why last election Milwaukee had over 100% eligible voter turnout. If you got up early enough on election day you can slash tires early in the morning so your opponents can not get to the polls, then go vote a couple dozen times across the city without any fear of being punished for your actions. If you have time you can even drive up to Minnesotta and vote a couple dozen more times there. But that would be a busy day.

At the bear minimum Wisconson, or any other state that does not require ID or allows same day registration, needs to require that voters be marked with indelible ink. I would go further and add these other refroms as well.

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January 16, 2006

Climate of Fear Part 35

This is an update to a previous climate of fear post. If you do not remember, for election day 2004 the republicans in Milwaukee had rented a bunch of vehicles for get out the vote efforts. That morning someone slashed the tires on over 20 of the vehicles. The trial for those indivuals accussed of slashing the tires has now started. Derrick Nunnally of the Journal Sentinal wrote on the 8th of this month:

Fourteen months after President George W. Bush was re-elected without carrying Wisconsin, five men who worked for the Kerry-Edwards campaign, including the sons of two prominent Milwaukee politicians, go on trial today on felony counts of vandalism in the tire-slashing of more than 20 vehicles rented by Republican campaigners.

Previous climate of fear post.

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November 08, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 34

This case is still under investigation, but if the attack was politically motivated, it is an obvious instance of the climate of fear. The Hill reports:

The FBI and Capitol Police are investigating the vicious attack of a top Senate staffer at her home last week amid concerns that the assault might be related to her work on the Finance Committee.

Emilia DiSanto, chief investigator for committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), arrived at her suburban Virginia home after work Wednesday about 6:30 p.m. As she was unloading belongings from her car, a 6-foot-1-inch white man dressed in black struck her repeatedly with an unidentified object believed to be a baseball bat.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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November 03, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 33

Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele has repeatedly been the victims of crimes because of his race and political beliefs. He is a black Republican. Because of this he has been the victim of assault while speaking at a university. That particular assault could probably be considered a hate crime because it is obvious that it was racially motivated. While I am not a big fan of hate crime laws, if we have them they need to be used equally.

The most well known crime committed against Lt. Gov. Steele was when the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fraudulently obtained his credit report. The Washington Times writes:

Two members of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have resigned after admitting they obtained Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele's credit report. Phil Singer, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), said the two staffers told committee officials in July what they had done.

Previous climate of fear post.

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November 02, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 32

Deroy Murdock has a good in depth article on the threats and violence coming from the California Teachers Union against supporters of proposition 75. These threats have included threats of prosecution for daring to speak out in favor of teachers controlling their dues as well as anonymous letters threatening violence placed in the school mailboxes of teachers who support the proposition. The prosecutors have so far declined to prosecute people for speaking because even after McCain_Feingold speaking about politics is not always a crime. However, the threats of violence have led many supporters of the proposition to remain silent. Murdock writes:

"This is a freedom-of-choice issue," Sandra Crandall, a Kindergarten teacher in her 36th year of service in Fountain Valley, said in the September 18 Los Angeles Times. "The issue is so simple, my Kindergarten children understand it. Ask permission. Ask permission on how to use my hard-earned money."

That innocuous comment triggered a rabid response to Crandall, who was selected last year as both Moiola Elementary School's and the Fountain Valley School District's Teacher of the Year. "You are a scab and a traitor and don't deserve to be a teacher," read an anonymous letter she received September 21 in her school mailbox from "Four Pro-union teachers who think you and the governor and the Republican party stink." The writers continued: "You not only deserve to be shunned by your colleagues, you deserve to be bitch slapped in public by all the teachers you work with for demonstrating such a high level of right wing drivel and stupidity." They added: "Do us all a favor, shut your mouth and stop providing ammunition to the enemy."

"This is what happens when someone speaks out," Crandall tells me. "That's why so few teachers speak out even though there are so many who think like me . . . There is an intimidation factor that causes teachers to stay quiet."

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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October 29, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 31

A bunch of union thugs in California beat up a lone non-violent protester of proposition 75. Prop 75 is sponsered by governor Schwarzenegger and would protect union workers' paychecks from going to polical causes they do not support. The political teen has more including links to download the video of the assault.

Here is a passage from the California Republican Party's press release on the incident:

While $115 million has been spent by public employee unions to oppose the reform initiatives and promote a message that the voices of their members will be silenced if Prop 75 passes, an angry mob of dues paying union members showed what little respect they have for free speech by physically attacking a woman who spoke out in support of the governors reform initiatives.

A single Schwarzenegger supporter struggles to hold her ground in a rally against the governors special election initiatives. Opponents tried to hit her with their signs and some blocked news cameras as she argued her point. The crowd turns quickly, grabbing her signs and tearing them up. Even a woman wearing an orange security vest rips up the Vote Yes signs.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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October 05, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 30

Some Bush opponents let a veteran know what they think of his politics by repeatedly vandalizing his house:

But he says that in the last year the mailbox has been blown up twice with fireworks. The house has been egged. Paint has been thrown on the house too. The flags have been torn down and ripped up more than once.

And the 101st Airborne flag has had the word "murder" and a swastika written on it with a permanent marker.

I wonder if the irony of this last bit of vandalism is lost on these particular vandals:

In two-foot tall letters on the side of his house facing Meridian someone painted "Bush Nazis."

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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September 26, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 29

Some of Senator Chuck Schumer's employees have been caught trying to get a credit report on Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, one of Schumer's political opponents. This is a felony because they used his social security number and lied in order to obtain the report and it is against federal law to do this. It is unclear when Schumer learned of this and if it was he who contacted the FBI about his employees behavior or if it was the other way around. Remarkably even though his employees have committed a felony they have not been fired, only suspended with pay.

I think this story qualifies as a climate of fear case even though no violence occurred because they were breaking the law in order to go after and possibly intimidate a political opponent. Hugh Hewitt has advice for the employees and has some questions for reporters to ask Schumer.

The main question is did Senator Schumer know that his employees were doing this and if they did not do it with his authorization, did he contact and cooperate with federal investigators. Captains Quarters has more background info on the two staffers in trouble.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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September 07, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 28

The peace loving activists of Berkeley show how much they love peace by calling for the murder of Republican officials they do not like. Andrew McCarthy reports on one Rick Sterling's plans

Sterling comes out of the box with this: "If Paul Wolfowitz thinks his enemies are trying to assassinate him, I think we really ought to go ahead and do it. This man is a terrific danger. We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability."

MrCarthy also suggests that the proper response may be to arrest and try Sterling for violating Federal law

Federal law makes it a felony to solicit or endeavor to persuade others to commit acts of violence if such acts would themselves be punishable under the U.S. penal code. (Title 18 U.S. Code, Section 373). In this instance, the code does criminalize violence and threats of violence against public officials. Specifically, it is a federal crime to "forcibly assault[] or intimidate[]" current and former federal officers "on account of the performance of official duties" during their terms in office.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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August 23, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 27

How do Cindy Sheehan's supporters show how much they are dedicated to peace? Maybe by making bomb threats to a Bush supporter's business in Crawford, Texas. Powerline has the details:

Our correspondent Gene Allen reports that just a few minutes ago, an unidentified man telephoned the Yellow Rose Gift Shop in Crawford, Texas and said, "Your shop is going up in smoke, you better get out now." Law enforcement is on the scene.

Gene describes the Yellow Rose as "a pro-Bush gift shop with a Ten Commandments monument out front. It is located across the street from the Coffee Station, down the street from the Crawford Peace House."

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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August 10, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 26

What is the best way for someone to show there displeasure with president Bush? Rampant vandalism of Bush supporters cars of course. News9 Reports:

DENVER - Denver police say a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force has admitted to vandalizing cars bearing pro-President Bush bumper stickers at Denver International Airport.

Police say he's responsible for thousands of dollars in damage on at least 12 cars. Lt. Colonel Alexis Fecteau, 42, of Colorado Springs, turned himself in to Denver police Friday.

I am wondering what his commanding officer thinks about all this. Dangerous Dan thinks he will do great on the Democratc lecture circuit once his time in prison is through:

What will be fun to watch is what the anti-Bush crowd do with this. He is a high-ranking officer, after all, who is, clearly, virulently against Bush. If they can get their hands on him for some quotes, they’ll do it. You can look at the DU forums now and get an idea of their reaction.

Previous climate of fear posting.

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July 27, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 25

Its been over a month since my last climate of fear posting, but this one is particularly disturbing. While this may have been a random act of violence and vandalism because of the symoblism involved in the attack it seems likely that it was not a random act. Here is the story from The Cincinnati Enquirer:

American flags, lining the lawn of the mother- and father-in-law of fallen U.S. Army Pfc. Timothy Hines Jr., were heaped in a pile early Saturday and burned under a car parked in front of the home - less than 24 hours after Hines was buried in Cincinnati's Spring Grove Cemetery.

Captain Ed seems pretty sure this was Leftist anti-American violence:

It doesn't take Scotland Yard or Hercule Poirot to figure out that the arsonists had a problem with the American flags. Likely, the arsonist(s) knew nothing about the funeral, but got offended by the sight of so many American flags at one house. They probably presumed that the flags constituted a statement about support for the Iraq War, and America in general, and decided that the appropriate response was to burn the family to death, and failing that, at least get their car. (Maybe it was even an SUV -- making it doubly satisfying for the arsonists.) Fortunately the car alarm went off before the fuel tank exploded and involved the entire house, or else the Wessels could have lost much more than a car and the flags that honored their son-in-law and his sacrifice to this country.

This doesn't constitute protest or political speech; it reflects madness. America-haters have come unhinged. When displaying our country's flag makes a dead soldier's family a target for political violence -- and there seems to be little doubt of the nature of this attack -- something terrible has gone wrong with the Left.

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May 27, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 24 / Minutemen Part 11

In Garden Grove, California a crowd of angry opponents of the Minuteman Project attacked people who attended a speach by James Gilchrist, the founder of the Minuteman Project. Here is the Los Angeles Times article about it:

The motorist had attended Gilchrist's speech and was leaving when protesters began hitting his van with placards and other objects, said Garden Grove Police Lt. David Kivler. The driver, who was not identified but spoke to a KCAL-TV Channel 9 reporter, said he gunned his car engine to get away from the crowd.

The anti-Minutemen protestors also attacked a group of police officers:

He said protesters began throwing filled soda cans at the assembled Garden Grove, Anaheim and CHP officers. At least eight people were arrested on suspicion of felony assault, while others were booked for disturbing the peace.

A witness, Eric Garcia, 22, of Anaheim said the evening turned ugly about 9 p.m. after the talk.

He said some protesters were in a driveway when someone in a car tried to leave and made contact with the group. "Then all hell broke loose," Garcia said. "People started throwing things, like rocks and bricks and stuff."

Is it really a surpirse that people who have no respect for one law are so quick to assault the people entrusted to enforce other laws? What might be even more disturbing was how quick the minutemen opponents were to assault people who attended a speech they did not like.

Previous minutemen post. Previous Climate of Fear post.

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May 05, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 23

Cafe press encourages the killing of Republicans. (via LGF)

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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April 27, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 22

Air America has let the president know what the station's host thinks of him by firing gunshots. Rhodes, the host of the show then joked

What is with all the killing?

Apparently the station thinks it is appropriate to publically threaten with violence elected political figures they do not like.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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April 25, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 21

A peace activist punched a 49 year old woman who had a support the troops sign. His fellow peace activists seem fine with violence as long as it is against pro-troops people. Here is the account from the Columbia Daily Tribune:

"Two of the guys from the corner walked down with a big sign that read "End the occupation," " she remembers. One of them started taking pictures of a Preckshot supporter across the street, she says. "At some point, the other guy starts coming toward me."

For a diminutive woman, Preckshot can handle herself. Shes a former police officer, and she isnt easily intimidated. Still, a young man coming at her waving a sign in her face seemed a little aggressive, particularly from somebody supposedly advocating peace.

The man stepped closer. She backed off a step. He shoved a sign in her face, and she backed off once again.

"Dont touch me!" she told him.

Then, she says, he pushed her.

"He started taunting me and reached out and pushed on my shoulder," Preckshot says. "Each time he pushed, it got a little harder. When I saw his hand come at me again, I grabbed it. I felt fearful."

As Preckshot pushed the mans hand away, "he slugged me right in the face," she says.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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April 13, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 20

Michelle Malkin has pictures of merchandise from Cafe Press advocating the assassination of the president. Cafe Press has removed the items from its site. Earlier Cafe Press has items calling for Tom Delay's death. Malkin also has this link to a story about artist encouraging the assassination of the president.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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April 07, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 19

Conservative writer and speaker David Horowitz was assaulted last night while giving a speech at Butler University. (via Michelle Malkin) I read Horowitz's book Radical Son a few years ago and in it he details why he stopped being a radical leftist and eventually voted for Reagan. One of the main reasons was the radical left's toleration for violence against innocents, including the suspected murder (by a member of the Black Panthers) of a woman Horowitz knew.

Also, a violent protest by students at UC Santa Cruz interrupted a career fair and drove several military recruiters off the campus.

Students had to present identification at the door and reporters asking to enter were screened. That didnt stop the student protesters. About 75 of them pushed their way in, carrying signs and a banner that said "Military Off Our Campus."

Around 11 years ago when I was looking at colleges I toured UC Santa Cruz's campus. Of all the universities I toured, UCSC was the only one where the tour guide was obviously not very bright. Her tour, which included pointing out the co-ed bathrooms, convinced me that it was not the right institution for me and I never applied.

Previous climate of fear post.

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April 01, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 18

Pat Buchanan was assaulted yesterday by a student while answering questions at Western Michigan University. Yahoo News reports:

Commentator and former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan cut short an appearance after an opponent of his conservative views doused him with salad dressing.

Previous Climate of Fear Post.

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March 30, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 17

Conservative writer William Kristol was assaulted by a student last night while giving a speech at Earlham College.

Previous Climate of Fear Post.

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Climate of Fear Part 16

Anti-Bush vandals damaged a memorial for medal of honor winners. Steve Jefferson of WTHR Indianapolis reports,

Investigators believe the suspects hit the canal walls with spray paint late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. They sprayed names, symbols and even profanities against President Bush at the congressional medal of honor memorial. What's worse is the damage to the two glass memorial panels which will cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Meanwhile Paul Krugman writes,

America isn't yet a place where liberal politicians, and even conservatives who aren't sufficiently hard-line, fear assassination. But unless moderates take a stand against the growing power of domestic extremists, it can happen here.

Krugman is talking about possible political assassinations by Christian extremists. No word yet if Krugman is afraid of the liberal extremists assassinating Republicans, even though there have been many non-lethal violent attacks against Republicans over the past few months. Unless moderates take a stand against the growing power of domestic extremists, it can happen here.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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March 21, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 15

This may be random vandalism, but the Republican party headquarters in Port Angeles had several concrete blocks thrown through it windows. I found this story through Sound Politics which points out there were also recent attacks in Bellevue and Spokane.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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March 11, 2005

Climate of Fear Update

Here is an update on the Milwaukee trial of Democrats who are accused of slashing the tires of Republican vans last election day, “ “Milwaukee County Court Commissioner Barry Phillips ordered the five, including the sons of U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, and former Acting Milwaukee Mayor Marvin Pratt, to each stand trial on a felony charge of criminal damage to property. Two Democratic campaign workers who were sent to Wisconsin in the final weeks leading up to Nov. 2, Levar Stoney and Opel Simmons, testified the five were laughing and joking as they talked about what they had collectively done at the Republican office a couple of miles away.” (Via wizbang)

Also from Wizbang is this story about how a Republican in New Hampshire jammed Democrat get out of the vote phones in 2002 on election day is going to prison. “McGee last July admitted developing and carrying out a scheme to block get-out-the-vote phone bank lines at five state Democratic offices and the non-partisan Manchester Professional Fire Fighters Association for 85 minutes on the morning of the 2002 election.”

In kind of related news, union members in Detroit are acting like jerks towards Marines who own foreign cars or who support Bush, “Marines at nearby Marine Corps Reserve Center say on Tuesday morning, the director of security at the UAW told them that while they support the troops, Marines driving foreign vehicles or sporting a President George Bush bumper sticker were no longer welcome to park there.”

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March 10, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 14

It has been over a month since my last climate of fear post. Here is the story from Tampa where a Bush hater went into a fit of rage, "A Tampa man is out of jail after a possible road rage incident that gives new meaning to the term "driving left of center."

Nathan Winkler, 31, was arrested overnight and charged with aggravated stalking for allegedly terrorizing a mother and her two children.

According to police, Winkler pulled up alongside Michelle Fernandez as she was headed south on Armenia and began beeping his horn and flailing his arms, pointing at her. Fernandez, meanwhile, could not see Winkler's face because of a handmade sign in his window that read, "Never forget Bush's illegal oil war murdered thousands in Iraq." "

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January 24, 2005

Climate of Fear Update

Back on November 12 of last year I wrote this post about how several Democrats were suspected of slashing the tires of Republican get out the vote vehicles in Wisconson. Here is the update: 'Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann filed felony charges against five Democrat Party employees who slashed tires on 25 vehicles rented by RPW for get out the vote activities in last Novembers elections. Those charged include the sons of U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and former Milwaukee Mayor Marvin Pratt.'

Also according the charges filed they also had plans to vandalize the Republican headquarters in Milwaukee. Wisconson has had other troubling voter fraud incidents as well with there being far more votes then eligible voters. No word yet on whether Barbara Boxer cried about this.

Update to this update: It just gets more intereesting. The Washington Post reports: 'Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Seth Boffeli said the five were paid employees of the presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) but were not acting on behalf of the campaign or party.'

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January 20, 2005

Climate of Fear Part 13

Thankfully I have not had to do any climate of fear posts recently. However with today's inauguration you could bet that the crazy lefties were not going to take losing peacefully. So here are a few examples of leftists using violence today to assault those they dislike or who disagree with them.

People in Seattle protest Bush's inauguration by assaulting members of the U.S. military and destroying government property. Here is a picture.

Near the inauguration itself several peace protesters assaulted members of the pro-American ProtestWarrior group for expressing a contrary opinion in support of Bush. The Washington Post reports: '"Your purpose is to instigate people. You're going to have to leave!" shouted the "marshal," DAWN's term for their ad hoc security force. "We're staying here," Kobrin replied. Then he went down under a hail of black boots. Once the marshals pulled the anarchists away, ProtestWarrior sued for peace and made for the exit. Their chant of "Four more years!" was answered by the anarchists' reply: "Wah wah wah!" It wasn't much of a contest. ProtestWarrior's contingent numbered 13, the other side in the hundreds. If they won any hearts and minds, no one said so. "I expected it, but I didn't expect to be kicked in the back," Kobrin said later.'

And here is a picture of Dick Cheney's limo after someone assaulted it today.

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December 09, 2004

State of Fear

Bryan Curtis in Slate has an insightful critique of Michael Chricton’s latest novel State of Fear that makes many of the same points I made earlier. State of Fear (which could be the name Chricton chose for any of his novels) is about environmentalists who wreck havoc on consumers through weather changing machines. Chricton does his homework and has a good sense of what his readers will care about. He also is willing to tackle a wide range of subjects and has fairly memorable plots with very forgettable characters.

However, the Curits errs on thinking that Chricton is “right wing.” He seems more like a conservative to me and by conservative I mean someone who does not like change. He did not like Japan becoming more powerful in the eighties in Rising Sun, he did not like the growth of new technologies in Prey, etc.. Curtis writes, “But Chricton's books have suffered as his right-leaning politics have come to the fore. Titles like Rising Sun, Disclosure, and Airframe (about the mendacity of the electronic media) were naked political screeds designed to land him on the op-ed page.” I have not read Disclosure, but Airframe at least is hardly a right wing polemic and is much more about the aeronautics industry than it is about the media. It does make the media look bad in some parts, but the reporter in the story does a fairly good job of fact checking before running a story. The book makes union thugs some of the major bad guys, but it does the same thing with corporate executives who are the main villain Chricton uses in many books. The book is also very clear in predicting that the deregulation of airlines championed by many converatives (not Chhricton reactionary style conservatives) is going to cause commercial jets to constantly fall from the sky. Like many of Chricton’s other dire predictions this has not happened yet.

Update: Peter Robinson in the corner has a post with related views on Chricton's fear-mongering including examples I forgot like Westworld, The Andromeda Strain, and The Terminal Man.

UPdate #2: John Adler of the corner says that Chricton is only a contrarian and argues aginst whatever scientific/corporate/political fad is up and coming.

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December 07, 2004

Environmentalist Arson?

I have worried about leftist violence if Bush won reelection before. Although this is not specifically election related and there have been no arrests yet, this huge case of arson looks like it may be the work of radical environmentalists who failed to legally stop the construction. Steven Hayward in the corner has similar worries.

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November 10, 2004

Climate of Fear Part 12

I forgot to link to this story earlier, but on election day the tires were slahed on 30 vehicles Republicans in Wisconson had rented to transport voters to the polls. The police have arrested several suspects including the son of recently elected Democrat congresswoman Gwen Moore and police want to talk with Michael Pratt, the son of Democrat Marvin Pratt, the former mayor Milwakee. It is really hard for me to take Democrats complaints about stolen elections seriously when it looks like the children of their political leaders are doing stuff like this.

Posted by Pete at 09:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 07, 2004

Climate of Fear Part 11

San Fransisco State University is not a safe places to be if you are a Republican or Jewish. There have been repeated attacks against Jews there over the past few years for which the attackers were not punished. And this week Republicans were attacked by a mob on election day for supporting Bush. When the victims asked campus police for protection they were told they would not arrest the attackers and should leave instead.

At this point I do not think there is any reason to treat this university as a serious place of higher learning as it does not protect minority view points or even minority safety. Maybe it is time for them to lose their status as an accredited university.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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November 06, 2004

Climate of Fear Part 10

And so it continues. This time in North Carolina as people unhappy with the election outcome break into a Republican office, vandalize it, and burn stuff.

Previous Climate of Fear post.

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November 04, 2004

Pictures of the Day

This is why I will never live in San Fransisco. San Fransiscans upset with Bush being reelected show their unhappiness by swearing a lot, attacking police officers, and setting stuff on fire. (via LGF) One of the best parts of a Bush victory is that people like this are really upset today.

Posted by Pete at 04:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 03, 2004

DU Threats

Why we should still be worried even though it looks like bush won. This post and many others like it at Democratic Underground (too many websites and Apple Wine Product to keep track of where I found this link think either Dangerous Dan or the Corner). Many Bush haters will not take this election result peacefully. I think we should take statements like: I will fight these thugs in the streets; The revolution starts tonight; Something tells me I may get in a fist-fight tomorrow...Well, only until I pick up a club or something; etc. very seriously. That combined with the many statements that most Americans are idiots/brainwashed or Kerry really won do not bode well. I hope there are not riots or assassination attempts, but I would not be surprised if there are.

Edwards just came on TV. Says he will fight for every vote!? That is it. Please not another Florida. Please for the sake of our nation and the democratic experiment have as much class as Nixon.

Posted by Pete at 01:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 02, 2004

Let us not be like the Dutch

The Dutch have not been doing well recently. First a Dutch politician who was critical of intolerance in Islam, Pim Fortuyn, was assinated (his killer said he did it for muslims) and now it appears that a muslim has murdered a Dutch film maker for criticizing Islam. This is why I post the climate of fear postings. It has happened hear before and can happen hear again and almost did the other day when someone attempted to assasinate congresswoman Kathleen Harris (R-Florida). Even today in Wisconsin tires were slashed on 30 Republican rented vehicles preventing them from taking voters to vote for Bush.

Posted by Pete at 09:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 01, 2004

Climate of Fear Part 9

Now Democrat teachers are physically attacking Republican students for being Republicans(via the corner). Thankfully they have a written confession from the teacher and the victim of the assault will be pressing charges.

Previous Climate of Fear posting.

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October 27, 2004

Climate of Fear Part 8

We now have the first assassination attempt of this election by a Democrat against a Republican office holder. The smoking gun reports that Barry Seltzer, a registered Democrat, attempted to run over Republican congresswoman Kathleen Harris of Florida and several of her fellow Republicans with his car (via drudge).

Previous climate of fear posting.

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October 24, 2004

Climate of Fear Part 7

After people have repeatedly threatened the Multnomah County Republican office in Portland with violence and eventually smashed the offices windows the executive director of the Oregon Democrat Party had this to say: But the fact is that the reason the Republican Party is feigning righteous indignation is because they don't want to talk about the 30,000 jobs lost and the 180,000 Oregonians who have lost health care.

There have also been smashed windows in a Flagstaff Republican office.

In Florida Democrats physically stopped Republicans from voting.

And to throw in one last comment on the civility of the left, here is a quote yearning for someone to murder Bush from the Guardian: The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr - where are you now that we need you?

Previous Climate of Fear post

Update: For a more humorous take on this disturbing trend a Slate reporter went into Kerry country with a Bush T-shirt on and into Bush country with a Kerry T-shirt. (via dangerous dan) He was sworn at in Kerry country and people in Bush country for the most part ignored him. Slate has slowly replaced Salon as my source for a liberal perspective on things because of stories like this. A reporter suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome (of which Salon is in full outbreak) would not have had the guts or insight to do the Bush Shirt part.

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October 14, 2004

A Climate of Fear Part 6

Finally a tiny break in the climate of fear as two Bush supporters set up a trap for a pro Kerry thief in Washington (via drudge). They hid out in the woods with a video camera after some of their pro Bush signs were stolen and caught someone stealing their new signs and handed him over to the police. Unfortunately one of the two Bush supporters is too fearful of reprisals against him and his property to give his name.

Previous Climate of Fear posts can be found here.

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October 12, 2004

Disgruntled Democrats

For anyone who thinks I exagerate threat from disgruntled Democrats, go read this thread at Deomcratic Underground where the posters discuss various forms of terrorism that could be used to stop the broadcast of an anti-Kerry documentary. For instance this comment by one poster: Yes, i was thinking the same thing. Anyone have friends at the power company so they could cause a blackout or something? Like make a trasformer blow? I think that could be the only way to stop this is to make the power go out.

(via the corner)

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October 11, 2004

A Climate of Fear Part 5

The Bush campaign has sent this letter to the AFL-CIO asking them to stop having their thugs assault and intimidate Bush supporters.

According to this Wall Street Journal column the violence by Kerry supporters was worse than I had realized in Florida. One of the Bush volunteers had to go the hospital after a Kerry supporter forced his was into the building and broke the volunteers arm.

In a possible related story in Spokane the Bush/Cheney headquarters was broken into and equipment was stolen.

When will Kerry tell his supporters to stop assaulting and intimidating Bush supporters?

Previous Climate of Fear postings can be found here.

Update: Oops, that was the Spokane Bush office not the Seattle Bush office that was broken into.

Posted by Pete at 04:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 07, 2004

Climate of Fear Part 4

Democrats are now joking about and making excuses for people trying to kill Republicans. Jim Gray, chairman of the Knox County Democratic Party had several choice words about the incident after someone shot at the Bush/Cheney headquarters in Knox County (via instapundit). First the joke that the Republicans: could be happy that at least one Democrat supports the Second Amendment. He also tried to make an excuse for the shooter: But I mentioned it could be someone mad that their yard sign was stolen.

Here are pictures of the Knox shooting that Jim Gray is making lame excuses for. (also via instapundit)

Professor Brainbridge also has a good list of many of the recent violent anti-democratic actions of Kerry supporters. He is specifically telling Kerry to call of his thugs. As of this writing Kerry still has not done so.

Finally National Review has an article today about the Anti Bush/Republican violence. Stanley Kurtz talks to many Bush supporters who have had their signs stolen and have sufformed from keyed cars and other forms of intimidation. He comes to the same conclusion that I have: There is a climate of fear.

Previous Climate of Fear entries:

Climate of Fear Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Update: Over at powerline they have the text of a letter from fifty congressmen to Attorney General John Ashcroft that requests investigations into some of the recent attacks against Republicans. Unfortunately powerline does not provide a link to the letter or say who signed it so I do not know if only Republicans signed the letter.

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October 06, 2004

Climate of Fear Part 3

The Kerry Spot has a long post up with several new incidents of voter intimidation by Kerry supporters. They are happening across the country and are worse than in most years. So far no one has been killed, but that is because Bush supporters have been lucky. There have been multiple cases where Bush supporters could have been killed. Besides the cases (including shootings) listed in previous posts (here and here) on this blog we now have reports of arson and vandalism doing damage in the thousands of dollars. In many cases the vandals seem to be armed as well, with bayonets and other weapons. Thankfully the police have caught some of these criminals and they will be prosecuted.

It is ironic that one of the forms of vandalism that seems common is to spray paint or burn swastikas on the property of Bush supporters. A few weeks ago Al Gore called people who criticize Democrats on the internet digital brown shirts. So far Gore has made no comment on the actual brown shirts trying to intimidate and kill Bush supporters. And neither has any other prominent Democrat as far as I can tell.

The Kerry spot says that now is the time to stand up to these thugs even if it means hiding your signs at night to protect them. I have a W 04 sticker on my car and no Kerry supporter is going to scare me out of keeping it there.

Update: Two more updates. Kerry supporters trespassed and disrupted the Wisconsin Republican headquarters yesterday (via drudge). Powerline has more commentary on the Wisconsin attack and also uses the brownshirts analogy. Kerry (and most of the media) is still silent on the violent and anti-democratic actions of his supporters.

Posted by Pete at 04:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 05, 2004

Climate of Fear Part 2

Here is my original Climate of Fear post.

This is starting to get scary. Shots were fired into the Bush/Cheney campaign headquarters in Knox. A few weeks ago someone shot at the republican headquarters in Huntington.

Republicans are scared to put Bush posters and stickers on their lawns and cars. And from this story about the defacing of Bush signs, it appears their fears are justified. If Bush wins I fear it will only get worse as a lot of Democractic Underground types will not accept a Bush victory peacefully.

Update: Now they are even using chainsaws against Bush supporters. (via instapundit)

Second update: Now they have destroyed the Bush/Cheney headquarters in Orlando, Florida.

Posted by Pete at 01:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 26, 2004

Climate of fear

Go read this article about political intimidation. Do any partisans of either stripe out there feel this way or have you had signs destroyed, etc.? I have heard stories from old time Texas Republicans that this sort of thing used to be common decades ago, especially in the Valley area with even Democrat police officers pulling over Republicans on their way to party meetings.

Maybe its because I am in Texas, but even though I spend most of my time on a liberal college campus filled with Kerry stickers, it never crossed my mind that someone would damage my car over my W'04 sticker. That may be because half of the cars on the road here have the same sticker or a very similar one on them, unless I am on campus where my car is quite unique. Were I to still live in Southern California, I suspect I would have debated for a while, but probably put the sticker on anyway, since I do not care about my car and the bile that would build up in other drivers would be worth it.

Oh, and Dan Rather should be fired.

Posted by Pete at 05:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 22, 2004

Toby Keith

As Glenn Reynolds likes to say, theyre not anti-war. Just on the other side.

Here is the story (via instapundit) of a soldier beaten up after a Toby Keith concert for wearing an Iraqi liberation T-shirt.

The only thing I do not get about this story is why would the assailant be at a Toby Keith concert?

Oh, and Dan Rather should be fired.

Posted by Pete at 08:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 17, 2004

More info on the Picture of the Day

According to Michelle Malkin, the thugs who tore up the little girl's sign were union workers and the union president has now apologized for their behavior.

Oh, and Dan Rather should be fired.

Update: LGF has another photo.

Posted by Pete at 02:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Picture of the Day

John Kerry supporters are now intimidating and assaulting 3 year old girls who like George W. Bush. I posted earlier on this subject. If Bush wins this election, there will probably be violence by the other side. And it will be more than just ripping up signs held be little girls. Powerline has more thoughts. Related post here if you think I may be exagerating. Oh, and Dan Rather should be fired.

Posted by Pete at 08:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 15, 2004

Democrats and Violence

How likely is it that if Bush wins, which looks increasingly likely, there is going be a violent response? This authur thinks it is rather likely and I think I agree with him. I do not know if it will go as far as a Democratic Underground type trying to kill Bush, but at this point that would not surprise me. You can only call Bush Hitler so many times before someone starts to believe you and acts on it.

Oh, and Dan Rather should be fired.

Posted by Pete at 07:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack