ATF disrupts skinhead plot to assassinate Obama

[Kanada Kev]

WTF?

Federal agents have broken up a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 102 black people in a Tennessee murder spree, the ATF said Monday

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081027/ap_on_el_pr/skinhead_plot

Edited October 28, 2008 by Guest

[Davey Boy 2.0]

never underestimate the power of racism on simpletons

[Hal Johnson]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4617490.ece

This article says that the dudes were found with Bullet Proof Vests and a Sniper Rifle. They're White Supremacists who claim they wanted to assassinate Obama. Yet officials seem to have dismissed them as guys that were "high on drugs and not legitimate threats". WTF is that?? How much more legitimate can you possibly get?

[Hal Johnson]

From that article:

"Three white supremacists with a sniper rifle and high on drugs who were arrested near the Democratic convention in Denver will not face charges even though officials believe that they wanted to assassinate Barack Obama.

The FBI and the US Secret Service carried out an “intensive†investigation into the plot — in which the supremacists talked of shooting Mr Obama as he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in an open-air sports stadium on Thursday night — but found insufficient evidence of a “true threatâ€."

[Kanada Kev]

This guy looks like he wears makeup like Stephen Harper!!!

[Hal Johnson]

Nope, no threat there. Guy looks perfectly normal.

[ollie]

You! Out of the gene pool, now!

[SmoothedShredder]

Wow... some simpleton ideas in this thread. Way to lower the bar Kev.

[d_rawk]

In fairness to KK, it isn't a disimilar shade of eyeshadow ...

[phishtaper]

yeah Kev, way to lower the bar.

[Kanada Kev]

Wow... some simpleton ideas in this thread. Way to lower the bar Kev.

Hey, little people need to be able to get their drinks too!!!

[SmoothedShredder]

Disgusting. Resume your hate parade hippies.

[d_rawk]

Disgusting

Really? I actually thought the little dude pouring the jager looked pretty hot. I mean, cut is cut ..

SS - let's talk frank instead of beating around the bush. What and where is the hatred? I do recognize that these things can be perpetuated unconsciously, and it's one of the things that makes me an insufferable dick - that I can't help but point to them when I see them. So I genuinely trust that you are seeing something that the rest of us aren't, and I want to know what it is.

I didn't understand KK's comment as a slam against TVs or TSs, but rather as a little poke at Harper's image-makeover electioneering (personal political bias may lead me to see this as more amusing than it would be to some others, granted). Little people isn't a slur, it is an adoption of neutral language as generally (but not universally) preferred by little people. Trotting out an image for comedic effect is potentially exploitative, I'll concede that, but I don't think nearly approaches the level of 'hate'.

I'm very recalcitrant when it comes to these things myself, I'm just not sure what you are seeing that I'm missing.

[ollie]

I didn't understand KK's comment as a slam against TVs or TSs, but rather as a little poke at Harper's image-makeover electioneering (personal political bias may lead me to see this as more amusing than it would be to some others, granted).

I also thought it was a reference to his image makeover but upon deeper reflection maybe SS thinks KK is comparing SH with the nazis?

[d_rawk]

Ahh, ok. That angle hadn't occurred to me.

[Hal Johnson]

That's what I was trying to figure out.

Personally, Im surprised that more people arent intrigued by this story in itself. Dudes plotted to kill Obama, but got let off b/c they were "high on meth."

Now, they say that there was an extensive investigation, and one could argue that they were just silly twenty something skin-heads playing "let's assassinate a presidential candidate while high, and in the possession of firearms," a game, we all like to play as innocent fun sometimes, but c'mon...

[ollie]

Now, they say that there was an extensive investigation, and one could argue that they were just silly twenty something skin-heads playing "let's assassinate a presidential candidate while high, and in the possession of firearms," a game, we all like to play as innocent fun sometimes, but c'mon...

I hate to be this cynical but it's almost like they got off for being white, if ya know what I mean.

[SmoothedShredder]

Sure interesting story... but... lets equate Canada's Prime Minister with a sniper holding Neo-Nazi?! And no, I'm not defending it/him or anything... I just thought it was a completely out of place comment... waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off topic, and totally juvenile.

You want Harper out of office? Come up with an alternative... if this is your alternative. No wonder he is where he is.

[d_rawk]

Nobody equated them - you're reading too much into it. Someone made the observation that in the photograph the guy looks as though he is wearing the same make-up as Harper wears. And he's right.

If Dion or Layton - or May for that matter - wore the same thing it would still be humorous. It's about style, dahling.

[ollie]

and totally juvenile.

Since when has that been out of place around here?

[Birdy]

Since when did long eyelashes equate as makeup?

Nothing in that pic reminds me of Stephen Harper. Brilliant imagery? Not really. Slam? Probably. Actually, most definitely.

If this neo-nazi were sitting around a fireplace in a sweatervest, I could see the correlation. Otherwise, I'm with SS.

[ollie]

When you're always looking for Harper slams you'll see them everywhere.

[d_rawk]

Well, brilliant would be stretching it for sure - cutely (hopefully self-awarely) juvenile (can't deny everything to SS) though, I think. I could see Mercer doing that bit, for example.

I'm actually amazed that you don't see it. The neo-nazi's tinge is probably more owing to some sort of shadow, thyroid condition, sleep deprivation or something, but it is almost perfectly the same shade as that which Muntean has been known to slather on Harper (much, I'm sure, to Harper's chagrin). C'mon, there is at least a modicum of humour there, even if not remotely high-brow.

Maybe the underlying subject matter of Nazis and assassination plots are too sour of subjects to play coy with. Ok. I can respect that. But if this is about having a political leader that we've got a personal stake in getting a bit of ribbing, it just seems too sensitive. Jeebus, I used to have Trudeau cut-out dress up doll books (hmm .. and look how I turned out .. ok, score one for your team )

[phishtaper]

i just saw it as a funny little quip about how lots of people - like me - have made fun of the fact that steve looks like he's got eye make-up on.

the fact that buddy has a swastika never made me equate steve with being nazi. but i guess if you've thought about him being, or not being, a nazi, i can see why you'd see that in the comment.

jeesh, now im just embarrased by the lame pun of my limbo / lowering the bar theme and kev's like lenny bruce here.

[Birdy]

Day 57 of Steve Harper Slam Watch:

D_jango - really now? Are we going by 'tinge'? If that's the case, I could pick out half the people I walk by on the street to be Harper look alikes.

If there is an underlying association of nazis and assassination plots -- it's absolutely fucking insulting on all counts. Not to go on a crusade or anything, but it is. I don't really think, considering the sensitivity of the subject, anyone should find it even in the slightest bit appropriate as ribbing material. Disgusting is an understatement.