Once They Know Suspect Isn't A Teabagger, Relieved Republicans Go Back To Whipping Up Hysteria

[onehandle]

Yes, now that the Republicans and their assorted right-wing soul mates have been reassured that the main suspect in the Times Square bombing attempt isn't a teabagger, they are (of course) back beating the drums of panic:

Yesterday, when the primary suspect in the attempted bombing of Times Square was a middle aged white guy, Republican leaders were the picture of calm, sober leadership. High ranking Republicans on committees related to national security like Pete Hoekstra and Peter King urged people not to jump to conclusions, while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised New Yorkers for not succumbing to fear. Likewise, hawkish Senator Joe Lieberman, who has tended to side with Republicans on national security issues, issued a statement yesterday saying, “More than anything, terrorists want to instill terror. They want to create a wide and broad sense of fear among ordinary people. The resilience shown by New Yorkers robs terrorists of that power."

That was yesterday. Today, as in the aftermath of the failed underwear bombing on Christmas Day, Republicans are eager to give that power back. With the Justice Department announcing the arrest of Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-born American citizen and Connecticut resident in connection with the failed plot, Republicans have returned to their usual script. Contrasting McConnell's careful statement from yesterday, Rep. Eric Cantor complained that Americans really don't live in the kind of perpetual panic that the threat of terrorism necessitates:

Cantor complained that the public "goes on heightened alert" after such incidents for "hours and days rather than permanently" and thatObama aides "tend to give these warnings due attention only in limited spurts."

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/once-they-know-suspect-isnt-teabagger

[Robb]

1. Well, DU worked the same deal in reverse.

The important distinction being that we don't set the agenda for public policy.

[annabanana]

2. Peter Fuckin' King once again covers himself in neocon shit...

...Suggests that the Times Square guy should be stripped of his citizenship immediately. . .

"NO RIGHTS FOR YOU"

[Rebubula]

3. If he is guilty...

...I have no problem with this.

[annabanana]

4. If the American judicial system, working the way it always has

decides that de-citizenizing the man (after conviction) is appropriate, neither do I.

It has only been done, so far, against Nazis from WWII who had been living under the radar in the US, years later....

[Subdivisions]

5. I made a similar observation yesterday...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8271576

And I've heard this morning that the Senate Homeland Security Committee was due to hold a hearing today on small arms and terrorists inside the U.S. will add "home made bombs" to the agenda. Which causes me to point to another post I made regarding the Times Square dud bomb, in the interest of tracking my prediction:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=8256524

Edited to add: The hearing I mentioned above is LIVE now here:

http://www.cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN3.aspx

Sen Collins has already mentioned propane bottles but did not elaborate, instead returning to the core agenda of small arms and terrorism for the time being.

[kentuck]

6. Which goes to prove...

they believed the tea-baggers were capable of such an act, just as we believed. Even knowing that, they continue to provoke them.

[Robb]

7. Nailed it. nt

[onehandle]

8. Exactly. Only a matter of time. nt