Randall Terry took time out of his twelve-city, "Defeat Sotomayor" tour yesterday to grace the National Press Club's podium. His message? Expect more domestic terrorism in response to health care reform.
PFAW's Right Wing Watch has the goods:
Earlier this week Terry called for the rejection of the bill and warned of "violent convulsions" of a level that hasn't been seen since the Civil War if the bill is passed.
At today’s press conference, however, Terry was quick to point out that he has supposedly been a "non-violent" leader for 25 years, and he ridiculed those who accuse him and other right-wing leaders of "stirring up domestic terrorism":
But when Terry predicted the consequences of passing the bill, he seemed to exalt in warning of "random acts of violence" and violent "reprisals against those deemed guilty":
We, for one, think it’s absolutely right to connect the dots between violent rhetoric and violent acts.
But of course, Randall Terry isn't encouraging those who might commit "random acts of violence" against "those deemed guilty." Fliers like this one aren't intended to incite violence. If any of his followers decide to go vigilante and start assassinating people they "deem guilty," well, that's not Terry's problem. He's not putting the idea in their heads that violence against the "guilty" is a reasonable response to political differences, so don't go blaming him when someone else gets killed. Like Dr. Tiller.
There's a larger issue than just Terry's dangerous crazy here, though. He's doing the Republican's dirty work. If any liberal organization went anywhere near this crazy, you know Democratic members of Congress would be falling all over themselves to apologize from the floor of the House. Look what happened with MoveOn and the "Betrayus" ad. When are Republicans going to denounce this?
As Christy says,
[I]t's well past time that GOP lawmakers were asked -- clearly and without any ambiguity -- what they think of Terry's fire and brimstone violence stoking on behalf of their policy agenda.
Because they cannot have it both ways any more that Terry can.
Using Terry's dangerous rhetoric to push the Republican policy agenda makes them just as responsible for the ends of those means as Terry is.
Either you embrace the violent ends that result from this and take responsibility. Or you denounce it for what it is: dangerous violence stoking rhetoric that poses a public threat, and is designed to scare public officials into inaction through threats of violence and retribution against their safety.