I'm sorry, I don't get why these folks aren't getting arrested or

[sjdnb]

at least brought in for questioning.

"Idaho GOP Gov. hopeful jokes about buying ‘tags’ to hunt Obama"
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/08/27/idaho-gop-gov-hopeful-jokes-about-buying-tags-to-hunt-obama/

It's vile/bad enough when a few wackos in the citizenry implies these threats, but when party reps/leaders starts doing it, it makes all the yahoos think its okay.

[RagAss]

1. Real funny guy.

Must be easy to talk shit like this in Bumfuck, Idaho.

[Dogmudgeon]

2. A lot of people are wondering the same thing

And more of them live in Idaho than most of us ever thought.

The GOP may seem to be ferally effective right now, during the Summer recess, but they are slowly-but-surely destroying their collective reputation. All this wacko behavior is going to last longer in the public mind than the "dirty hippie" stereotypes ever did.

--d!

[The Magistrate]

3. They Certainly Should Be, Ma'am

Laws on the Federal books clearly fit the situation.

[inna]

4. "Ma'am" - the pomposity is nauseating.

[The Magistrate]

5. Always A Skunk At The Wedding, Ma'am....

You will find you lack the capacity to bother me in the slightest degree....

[inna]

6. ?

[cliffordu]

12. I'd make sure I was in my weight class BEFORE lacing on the gloves....

:rofl:

[NYC_SKP]

27. .

damn you for warning her... :mad:

:P

[cliffordu]

35. Just trying to ruin the fun......

'Specially yours.

:rofl:

[grantcart]

9. It is in the nature of things that some forces should be left in their intuitive state

and not unneccessarily disparaged. It is well known in this part of the woods that the last poor poster that needlessly rankled the Magistrate is still having nightmares and scheduling twice a week sessions with their therapist.

Is it really pomposity or is it alerting the poster that a naturally superior force is on the hunt? These are debates that occur late at night in the quiet dank cells where illegal whiskey is sold and degenerate DUers gather to contemplate the darker mysteries of DU. And while the vast majority form with the latter there are a few that will side with the former but they do so quietly and in a whisper. For those that have ventured to raise the issue directly and in sunlight we know little. After several rounds of intellectual combat the reckless interlocutor is cut with a fatal (although slow bleeding) blow and the wounded poster wanders leaving a crimson trail and with the lesson well learned and observed the masses recede until someone overcome with cheap booze or an excessively long period of enforced celibacy finds a momentary lack of sensibility and offers up the next potential victim. The crowds will gather and in bated breath they will ask themselves the same question; will the poster take the polite rebuff or will they be drawn into a contest that will satisfy the bloodlust of the spectators but come to the same knowing conlcusion,

you don't fuck with the Magistrate?

[inna]

10. lol! + 10!

[cliffordu]

13. Beautiful, man, just beautiful.

[grantcart]

23. and a poster's life was saved too

[unblock]

19. duzy!

[NYC_SKP]

26. "Don't touch that..."

"It will burn you..."

These are precious moments!

How someone could NOT know better, not know that no good come of this for them?

The magistrate.

Yeah, good luck with that, Ma'am.

:P

BTW, Great reply, written in the style of the Magistrate's cryptic signature.

:toast:

[krispos42]

33. Nice!

:thumbsup:

[malaise]

39. Beautiful - freaking beautiful

:yourock:


you don't fuck with the Magistrate :rofl:

[Kerrytravelers]

7. I was wondering the same thing myself, sir.

Threatening the life of the President, even in "jest," must somehow be illegal.

[The Magistrate]

15. Oh, It Is, Ma'am: The Law On The Subject Is Pretty Clear

"Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

By no means all such threats are prosecuted, but the Idaho candidate certainly should receive a visit from a couple of well dressed agents, with a press photographer in tow, at the minimum.

A good deal of what is passing for political discourse on the right this summer clearly violates the old Smith Act:

Sec. 2. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person--

(1) to knowingly or willfully advocate, abet, advise, or teach the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government;

(2) with the intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any government in the United States, to print, publish, edit, issue, circulate, sell, distribute, or publicly display any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence;

(3) to organize or help to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any government in the United States by force or violence; or to be or become a member of, or affiliate with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof.

These laws really ought to be used in the present circumstances. They certainly apply to conduct widely known and well reported. Arrests, the costs of legal defense, etc., would put a serious crimp in this nonesense.

[Kerrytravelers]

18. Sir, as I always defer to your knowledge in these matters, as you know from experience, I ask you

what it will take to hold those clearly accountable responsible? What is the process by which these individuals would be held accountable? Witnesses to the offense? An electronic memo to the Secret Service?

In slang, the vernacular I most often use, I think it totally sucks that these a*holes are threatening the life of our President and there isn't anyone doing a damn thing about it. What is up with that????

I, as always, defer to you, dear Sir.

[The Magistrate]

22. Unfortunately, Ma'am, These Are More Political Than Legal Decisions

It is not quite the same thing as calling 911 when you see a man brandishing a pistol on the corner of your block, which will certainly draw a squad car to the scene in moments. Clear as the wording of the laws are, and even as the relevant case law from the Supreme Court is, it is customary for the Secret Service and Federal prosecutors to give great latitude to the First Amendment in matters that can pass as political expression. Reports to the Secret Service, complaints to Federal prosecutors, will not guarantee action, certainly not individually. A flood of them, however, could have some influence. It would make clear there is a political constituency for properly enforcing these laws. My guess is that President Obama is of the 'let 'em yap' school of crowd control, and that this style has been communicated through the enforcement bureaucracy. It also strikes me as likely that there is already some degree of agent infiltration, and recruiting of informers, going on already in some of the more wild-eyed bodies of these insurrectionists (for when all is said and done, that is precisely what they are).

[Tim01]

11. Oh, hey, check it out. It's Jonh Wayne. nt

[brewens]

8. Why am I not surprised?

Because I live in Idaho. I'm actually in one of the more Democratic areas. Lewiston, in the north central part.
I posted somewhere on here what I said to our Governors (C.L. "Butch" Otter) brother. I sked him if his brother got that nickname from Larry Craig!
Idiots like that Rammell guy make us the laughing stock of the nation. Before him it Was Helen Chenowith, Larry Craig and host of others.

[Union Yes]

14. Because we are no longer a nation of laws or justice.

[onenote]

16. probably because the secret service has enough on its hands with potentially credible threats

and is able to distinguish bullcrap like that spewed by the idaho candidate from a real threat that deserves its attention

[The Magistrate]

17. The Way To Cut Down On That Number, Sir, Is To Squeeze Out The Amateurs

When people doing this sort of thing, particularly those with so high a profile as a credible aspirant for state-wide office, receive visits and are subjected to official interviews, the quantity of this sort of thing will dwindle. It is necessary to cut down on the 'fun factor'....

[orleans]

20. i couldn't agree more

we were in a thread the other night regarding this sort of thing

i am truly amazed that people are getting away with this crap.

[Mythbuster]

21. 5 years ago...

A statement like that would have bought you a trip on Blackwater's Rendition Airlines. Now, people open carry assault rifles around the President, politicians act like little bullies on the playground with their hate speech against the President and Hate Radio is allowed to all but call for outright anarchy against the President. Maybe we need to allocate some Stimulus funds for a little more Secret Service funding. As much as I hate to think it, these kind of fools are going to preach some double digit IQ'd redneck into acting, and when that happens, the ones really responsible won't be the ones held accountable like they should be.

[grantcart]

24. welcome to DU

[Mythbuster]

25. Thanks!

I see lot's of great opinions expressed here... a fine bunch!

[csziggy]

34. I'd much rather live in this America than in Bush's America

As much as I fear for President Obama's safety, I am glad to see freedom of speech and freedom of expression truly honored rather than just given lip service.

It does worry me that the rhetoric is escalating. I had hoped when the gun carrying protestors where tolerated, they would calm down - but of course with the Fox News idiots egging them on, it just emboldens them.

[Mythbuster]

40. Missed your reply earlier,

but thanks for that perspective. I too am glad to see peoples rights actually being honored, in spite of the Right chanting Obama is trampling on peoples rights, when the fact is, he's actually honoring peoples rights. Where the hell were they when Bush/Cheney practically abandoned The Constitution?? Like you, I fear for Obama's safety... I just hope the agencies are doing everything they can within the law to contained and deal with these lunatics.

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. This is the reason

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

As much as I hate the fact that they are making these statements, they can. And all the nonsense of bush arresting you for doing that... fine... so it is fine that the President of the United States orders that the Constitution be violated?

This is a civics lesson... and unfortunately until somebody really tries something it has not yet crossed the line into screaming fire in a crowded theater.

I'd rather live in a nation where these kooks are more or less tolerated by the way.

[The Magistrate]

29. That Does Not Apply, Ma'am, To Threats Of Assassination Or Inciting Armed Rebellion

Both those things are going on today, frequently before video cameras....

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. The problem is that they have not crossed the line legally yet

the operative word is YET.

That is why they are still saying it is a joke.

Now if people believe they have, find a DA willing to prosecute.

Now once they cross the line and they will, by all means prosecute.

I fear that the line will not be crossed until an attempt is made... but that is the way laws are made or regulations passed, on blood.

[The Magistrate]

31. They Have, Ma'am, Under Both Letter Of Statute And Existing Case Law

It is a policy decision of the administration not to prosecute, but exercise of discretion by enforcement authorities should not be mistaken for lack of the elements if crime being present. Whether such over-looking of offenses is wise or not is a separate question.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Will see

[Kerrytravelers]

36. Yet?

Well... if they're standing around with semi-automatics (from what I gather) and are holding signs indicating that blood needs to water the tree of liberty (which I've seen,) then I'm thinking that "yet" is mighty close to "pull the trigger." Even if it's pulling the trigger while aiming in the air, someone could be hurt and intimidation would definitely happen.

"Yet" isn't something that anyone wants.

[Kablooie]

37. It's just a silly joke intended to inspire some crazy to assisinate the Pres. No big deal.

[The Magistrate]

38. Indeed, Sir

Our country will rue the day if these things are not prosecuted vigorously, starting now.

[Control-Z]

41. And of course, he saw no reason to apologize.

Fucker.

'Rammell told The Associated Press Thursday he was just being sarcastic and sees no reason to apologize for the comment.'

[The Magistrate]

42. Criminals Seldom see Any Reason To Apologize For Their Crimes, Ma'am