Tagged: Militia

Posted: September 16, 2011 at 12:12 pm

Montana Conference Sparked FBI Investigation, Documents Show

An FBI investigation into a plot to kill Alaska state troopers was prompted by a right-wing conference in Montana that featured speeches by those involved in the plot, new court documents show.

Media Matters is reporting this week on the Montana angle of the story of Schaefer Cox, who has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder (among other things). Cox was a featured speaker at the Celebrating Conservatism convention (also called the Liberty Convention), where he bragged in front of the audience about commanding a 3,500 strong armed militia and creating a new court system to supplant federal courts.

“According to the new documents, FBI agents began investigating Cox following a series of speeches he gave in Montana in 2009 and 2010.”

You can read more here about the specifics of Shaeffer Cox’s plot. Media Matters goes on to write that

“Although it’s unclear from the court filing who exactly sponsored the Montana gathering where Cox made his speeches or who recorded his comments, it does report that several concerned citizens approached the FBI in Montana in 2010 to express their concern over Cox advocating violence and calling for the overthrow of the government.

It may be unclear from the court filing who sponsored the gathering, but it has always been clear to anyone who reads the Cowgirl blog. We reported here in 2010 that Rick Breckenridge was a platinum sponsor of “Liberty Convention 2010”. Breckenridge was a candidate for the GOP chairmanship in 2008, and was also campaign treasurer for Derek Skees when he ran for Whitefish legislator. Skees is now a statewide candidate, for the job of State Auditor. Skees later admitted to attending the conference.

As we reported at the time, the “Liberty Convention 2010” was a nest for white supremacists, racists, anti-Semites and militia figures, as well as just plain-old right wing nutjobs. This blog strongly suggested that the media should inquire further as to who, among GOP politicians in this state, was in attendance, but mostly to no avail.

Only the Flathead Beacon seemed interested in looking into the matter. They interviewed Skees, and he said that yes, he attended the conference, but that “he wasn’t aware that any extremists would be there“ or aware of the speakers views, event though people like Chuck Baldwin, Shaffer Cox, Red Beckman were on the program, and even though Skees’ own campaign treasurer was one of the main sponsors of the event.

It can be assumed safely that other GOP officials and candidates were at the conference, but it will require investigative reporting to confirm to this.

Posted: April 22, 2011 at 12:20 pm

Fringe Political Element’s Election Plot Uncovered

The Missoulian is reporting that a cabal of far right wingers that are part of a “fringe political element” has launched a campaign to take over the board of trustees at Flathead Valley Community College.

I can understand why local community leaders are afraid. School board races are often the starting points of future political careers, and the slate of far-right extremists will only end up dragging area schools into senseless and divisive “culture war” battles on issues that have nothing to do with public education, solely to promote their far-right views.

What’s worse, the move comes on the heels of Chuck Baldwin’s tirade in favor of making Montana into a right-wing mecca and that his machinations are in preparation for “a coming battle.” (Baldwin is the father of sect member Tim Baldwin.)

As the Missoulian reports, in addition to Ed Berry, the founder of Montana’s most extreme online forums Edberry.com and PolyMontana.com, the challengers running for three of four open college trustee positions are:

“Tim Baldwin, an attorney and the son of Chuck Baldwin, the 2008 presidential nominee for the national Constitution Party;”

“Roland Horst of Bigfork, where he is a board member of the Prolife Coalition” - the group whose leader was raided for Medicaid fraud; and,

“Glenn Wehe of Columbia Falls, a board member on the Evergreen School District and an active supporter of Senate Bill 114, which would have given county sheriffs authority trumping that of the federal government” – one of the nuttiest bills of the Legislative Session.

The candidates are so far to the right that even local conservatives are coming out in opposition to the extremists.

No doubt the extremists will pull the old “they’re lying about me!” response, but I don’t see where the wiggle room is. You lead these movements, you live with the consequences. You start a forum for the most far-right commentary in the state, you own it (like Obama owning Jeremiah Wright. Remember that, Ed?). You join a board of directors led by a woman suspected of defrauding the taxpayers of Montana, you own that too.

Posted: March 9, 2011 at 9:21 pm

Right-Wing Editor of the Daily Inter Lake is Way Far Gone

A week after writing an editorial in which he offered an impassioned defense of birthers, birther bills and the birther movement, Frank Miele–the ultra-right-wing editor of the Flathead Daily Inter Lake–has outdone himself.

Miele’s latest column takes aim at the “far left wing Associated Press” and the AP’s state-wide profile last week about the Tea Party. That story gave a fairly benign description of all of the bills and proposals that the Tea Party has pushed forward in the legislature.

Laments Miele:

“I wish I could go through the entire story with you, and highlight all of the unfair reporting, but it would just take too long.”

What’s really hilarious (or absolutely frightening) about Miele is how far gone he is. He cites this paragraph in AP reporter Matt Gouras’s article…

“With each bill, newly elected Tea Party lawmakers are offering Montanans a vision of the future. Their state would be a place where officials can ignore U.S. laws, force FBI agents to get a sheriff’s OK before arresting anyone, ban abortions, limit sex education in schools and create armed citizen militias”

…as the “only fair reporting in the AP article.” In other words, Miele agrees with everything in the above paragraph.

What upsets Miele is that Mr. Gouras goes on to suggest that a number of Montanans are turned off by the agenda described above. The nerve of the AP to make such a suggestion. Miele says he sees nothing wrong with abortion bans, states’ rights, nullification and militias. Miele sees all of these items as totally reasonable, and he is outraged the the Associated Press would presume to write an article suggesting that any portion of Montana should be turned off by these elements of the Tea Party agenda.

This guy Miele is half a sandwich shy of a picnic, and no progressive in the Flathead Valley should ever pay 50 cents for the Flathead Interlake. Read it online, and then only for the entertainment value.

Posted: February 17, 2011 at 7:04 am

Nutjob Bills in the Montana Legislature

For your reading pleasure, here are some of the major pieces of legislation that have been put forward by the Tea Party Republicans who are now in control of the legislature. This is not a joke. These are real bills, and they are currently taking priority in the Montana legislature. Enjoy.

Welcome to the land of nutters, the Montana Legislature.

1. Legalize hunting with hand-thrown spear (Senate Bill 112)

2. Create fully-armed militia in every town (House Bill 278)

3. Allow legislators to carry weapons in the Capitol (Senate Bill 279)

4. Create an 11 person panel with authority to nullify all federal laws (House Bill 382)

5 Allow guns in schools (House Bill 558)

6. Eliminate educational requirements for persons seeking job of State Superintendent of Schools (HB 154)

7. Lift nuclear ban for purpose of building a nuclear reactor in the Flathead Valley (House Bill 326)

8. Withdraw the United States of America from the United Nations (Senate Joint Resolution 2)

9. Eliminate all state incentives for developing wind power (House Bill 244)

10. Omit Barack Obama’s name from the 2012, ballot because his father was born outside of America (House Bill 205)(this guy was on CNN this week)

11. Compulsory marriage counseling for people seeking a divorce (House Bill 438)

12. Give sheriffs authority over the federal government in terror investigations (Senate Bill 114)

13. Legalize hunting with silencers (House Bill 174)

14. Lift the prohibition on carrying concealed weapons in bars, churches and banks (House Bill 384)

15. Eliminate law that requires landlords to install carbon monoxide detectors (House Bill 354)

16. Require the federal government to prove in court that the National Parks were lawfully aquired. (House Bill 506)

17. Officially designate the “Code of the West” as the “Code of Montana” (Senate Bill 216)

UPDATE: 18. Declare that global warming is good. (House Bill 549)

h/t RastaMon for this photo.

Posted: February 4, 2011 at 7:55 am

Some Questions On the Montana GOP’s Militia Proposal

Tim Ravndal kindly shared with the rest of the world last night the real meaning of Wendy Warburton’s (R-Havre) HB 278.

Why do we need a militia? What’s wrong with the Montana National Guard? Does Warburton have a personal hatred of the Havre outpost?

The conspiracy theory crowd believe that President Obama has activated a “private army” and that the law authorizing this was “hidden in the Health Care Bill,” is this why Warburton is bringing the bill forward?

Is this because our President is a black man? What IS the deal with all the ties between Montana militia groups and white supremacists?

Posted: October 10, 2010 at 1:30 pm

Expert Links TEA Party to White Supremacists, Anti-Semites and Militia

A national expert on the extreme right told Montanans this weekend that the TEA Party movement has strong ties to white supremacists, anti-Semites and militia backers in a presentation to the Montana Human Rights Network conference in Missoula.

In case you missed the conference, the Missoulian’s article on the topic is a must read:

They’re doing their best to spit-shine their image,” he said. “They’re not all about cutting taxes.”

He was careful to say, of course, that many tea party members don’t embrace radical beliefs. He also said the tea parties are here to stay.

“The tea parties aren’t going away after the midterm elections, as much as we hope they will,” Burghart said.

No, they are’t going away yet. They are going to be here for the session where they will fight to enact a slate of legislation such as Montana has never seen before.

Only, then, after the public realizes just how out of the mainstream some of these views really are, will we be able to oust them in the 2012 election cycle.

Posted: October 7, 2010 at 5:38 pm

Bozeman At Risk of Electing Militia Candidate

Bozeman might unwittingly be sending a miltia man to the legislature. Here are some bits of information about GOP candidate Tom Burnett, who is running against JP Pomnichowski, and who seems to have dabbled in some of the darker endeavors of the Far Right fringe.

Casey Emerson, a former legislator himself, is one of Bozeman’s most infamous supporters of the militia movement, even hosting meetings in his business King Tool, where they have entertained such speakers as Militia of Montana co-founder John Trochmann and notorious Nazi sympathizer Red Beckman. He’s also an apologist for the Montana Freeman:

Casey Emerson of Bozeman, a man with ties to the militia movement, advocated serious concessions on the part of the government, including offering them money, dismissing some of the charges, and allowing them to give a presentation on national television. He also suggested that the Freemen be allowed to face a “common law” jury, “so they can get their bitching done.”

So which candidates meets the standard for Casey Emerson’s support this election cycle? Only one. TEA Party Republican Tom Burnett. Burnett received a contribution from Mr. Emerson of $40. That’s not a whole lot of money, but the question is, why is this nut-case supporting Burnett, and what does Burnett have to say about it?