Bush Administration labeled Bundy Ranch-style outlaws domestic terrorists

[kpete]

The Bundy Ranch controversy has now divided Nevada's two United States Senators. While Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) referred to Bundy's armed supporters as "domestic terrorists," his Republican colleague Dean Heller praised them as "patriots."

Their disagreement begs the question: What do you call someone who owes the United States government a million dollars and threatens violence against federal officials seeking to collect it? Whatever you may believe, for the Bush administration there was no doubt about the answer. The likes of Cliven Bundy and his gun-toting militia allies would indeed be considered domestic terrorists.

That's the inescapable conclusion from the FBI's report, "Terrorism 2002-2005." The document didn't merely define "domestic terrorism" as "the unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or Puerto Rico without foreign direction committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives." The Bureau also provided some helpful histories of domestic terrorism the FBI successfully prevented.

For example, consider the 2003 arrest of David Hinkson, a tax evader who owed the IRS over a million dollars. As the FBI's terrorism report summed it up:

On April 4, 2003, the FBI arrested David Roland Hinkson, a constitutionalist and tax protestor, for attempting to arrange the murders of a federal judge, an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and an IRS Agent whom he blamed for his legal problems regarding a tax evasion case against him. Between December 2002 and March 2003, Hinkson offered two individuals $10,000 for committing all three murders. On January 27, 2005, Hinkson was found guilty on three counts of solicitation to commit murder after a three week jury trial in Boise, Idaho. On June 3, 2005, Hinkson was sentenced to 43 years in federal prison.

Now, Cliven Bundy, backed by his well-armed well-wishers, claims he "a citizen of Nevada and not a citizen of the territory of the United States." Of course, he is a United States citizen, one who owes the government of his 317 million fellow citizens a million dollars for the privilege of receiving what it is, after all, "food stamps for cows." At best, that makes Bundy a deadbeat. And by threatening federal officials just trying to collect the long overdue payment on the money he owes, Bundy and his Bundy Ranch gunmen make themselves domestic terrorists.

At least according to President Bush's FBI.

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More to support this here:
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/terrorism-2002-2005
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/19/1293258/-Bush-Administration-labeled-Bundy-Ranch-style-outlaws-domestic-terrorists

[Jesus Malverde]

1. Going to the bush admin for a precedent

Is just awkward.

[Thinkingabout]

2. Maybe Sean forgot about what Bush said, the RW eants to blame Obama for

Everything but the militia may not have shown up if W was still president but the I may be wrong. This bunch has been pushing for something since Obama was elected in 2008.

[Nevernose]

3. Your post gives credence to a RW talking point

It's not about the "million dollars." That's Bundy-world logic -- "The Gubmint sent int he army to collect their taxes!!!"

The truth is, the Bundys went berserk after the BLM rounded up the cattle that Bundy allowed, despite court orders, to run wild on public land and cause environmental damage in a fragile place. The money angle is just that, a bullshit ANGLE. In fact, Mr. Bundy has permission to run 150 head on public land, but he refuses to even follow that compromise.

Other than that, great research.

[JEFF9K]

4. They should be arrested ...

... and so should their supporters, including right-wing fraudcasters who encourage them.

[etherealtruth]

7. A stopped clock is right twice a day

The Bush admin was certainly right about this