I didn't need a report to tell me this bit of news.

Economic downturn, African American president, got it. How about the Republican Party and their conservative media mouthpieces stoking the flames? I'd put that above the economy and black president.

The Republican party didn't lose an election, they were crippled, possibly mortally wounded. They're beginning to appeal to the worst of the worst in desperation now. And let's face it, they've been appealing to a pretty rank crowd for years. It's all or nothing for them at this point.

Part of the problem is that mainstream media outlets still present this garbage as legitimate political discourse instead of the lunatic raving it truly is.

If something horrible happens like another Oklahoma City don't point to the economy and the President. Point to the real culprits who are encouraging a dark and dangerous element.

Just the fact that this report exists will be used as proof by right wing wackos that they are being persecuted and will probably be used as an excuse if a domestic terror incident actually occurs. It's a self fulfilling prophecy.

"...the usual worry about an impending 'New World Order.'"

Those worriers are just getting their panties in a wad over the past. The New World Order arrived in America a while back in the form of corporations transferring countless U.S. jobs to foreign shores. The New World Order is called global capitalism, and it's here to stay.

which exists more in fiction than in real life, has gone down a notch. (I found out the FBI considers acts of Civil Disobedience with regard to the environment ecoterrorism).

However, in the past nine years, they did look the other way with the rise of Proto and neo fascist and militia groups. (you know armed vigilantes patrolling the border) while looking for hippies....

Nice to know that there some adults in charge who are serious about the threats of real domestic terrorism.

Is it any wonder that when you all these politicians and talking heads, saying the sky is falling, somebody might decide to take matters into their own hands. Unfortunately, we don't have too many in the media pointing out that the statements of people like congresswomen Michelle Bachmann are pure paranoid fantasy. Instead they have acted as a bullhorn for the chicken little brigades notion that we are being overun by godless commies and other boogymen. They are very smart to be taking a serious look into this type of reaction. Too bad we have a media that loves crazy talk.

I just read the report. It's rough operational definition of right wing extremist groups is here:

Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

This is essentially describing Fox programming. Moreover, the DHS report specifically cites "internet chatter" as the means for dissemination of hate speech. It does not address RNC and Republican congressional messaging, television and radio commentators. This, in my view, is a major omission,

...set fire to Hummers on a dealer's lot, it's called "terrorism," but not vandalism for some odd reason.

If a right-wing group takes up arms against the government or bombs/kills American civilians, you can bet Beck, Hannity, O'Really, et al, will declare the event a bold patriotic step forward for free (white) Americans.

Oddly enough, I had recently ordered "The Survivors" on DVD recently because of how much Glenn Beck reminded me of the weirdos we had in the recession of 1975-8. Back then, they were Survivalists, and they were sure that Minorities were coming to take over civilization.

Well, of course, things improved, and the disappointed apocalypse seekers split into three groups. One group went back to being regular humans. One became eschatology junkies of various religions. One became the Militia Movement that eventually gave us the delightful Timothy McVeigh. When I heard Beck putting on his crazy hat and talking through it as loudly as possible, I thought, "Oh, I've heard this before, only without the mass audience."

Can the Canadians carve out a portion of Manitoba for them? Can we get a chunk of North Dakota for them? They can sales tax themselves into prosperity. They can tea bag themselves all night long and caress their assault weapons, and they'll need a visa to travel into the rest of the civilized world.

I wonder if the right wing will be okay with rounding up white christian men and sending them off to countries that torture to get information from them. They seem all too eager to do so to Muslim men.

This is not a joke. We need to start rounding up several hundred thousand Americans and putting them in camps, preferably in

Alaska or Montana. The white right devil is a threat to us all. We need to preserve the fatherland.

I was deeply involved in researching, reporting on, and warning about the militia movement in the run-up to Oklahoma City. A few points.

This report should be taken seriously because it is accurate. The current backlash does recall the right-wing backlash of the early 90s.

So called wingnuts should not be dismissed because of their lunatic views -- they should be understood as presenting a real and serious potential danger.

A major difference between now and before is the level of cheerleading at the outset from right-wing political figures and major outlets, such as Fox News. Although Fox did not create the Patriot/militia movement -- it has a momentum of its own -- this high visibility cheerleading increases the volatility of the situation.

Another major difference is the fact that a major governmental body, such as DHS, is explicitly recognizing the danger. In the early 90s, it was practically impossible to get the attention of anyone in a position of major responsibility in any organization -- inside or outside the government -- to take the situation seriously.

Everyone should take the situation seriously. Attention must be paid.