OPINION:
Your excellent report titled “Federal agency warns of radicals on right” (Page 1, Tuesday), revealing the Department of Homeland Security’s intent to focus on what it called “rightwing extremist activity,” missed the mark in its characterization of the White House’s position. According to the report, the White House had “distanced itself from the analysis.”
Yet one need only read the quotation from White House spokesman Nick Shapiro immediately following to see that President Obama seems to be completely onboard with the analysis. Mr. Shapiro said, “The president is focused not on politics but rather taking the steps necessary to protect all Americans from the threat of violence and terrorism regardless of its origins.” This quotation does nothing to discredit what is a very shaky investigation based on nothing, as the article pointed out.
If it is true, as Homeland Security states, that it does not have any “specific information that domestic rightwing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence,” then why is the president allowing our tax dollars to be spent on a fishing expedition?
Mr. Obama is ultimately responsible for the work that is done by the Department of Homeland Security, and he cannot separate himself rhetorically from its exploits. It is hardly far-fetched to think he is onboard with the report.
Consider what we have seen from past Democratic administrations. In 1994, under the direction of former President Bill Clinton and former Attorney General Janet Reno, the Department of Justice launched a politically driven investigation of pro-life and religious leaders called the “Violence Against Abortion Providers Conspiracy.” That investigation was “charged with determining whether there was a nationwide conspiracy to commit acts of violence against reproductive health care providers.”
Naturally, no wrongdoing was ever found. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the harassment then, and it won’t stop now.
MARIO DIAZ
Policy director for legal issues
Concerned Women for America
Washington
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