Presumably, this guy is a member of Democracy For America, who was egged on by Howard Dean’s extreme rhetoric.
In any case, glad the authorities are on it and here’s hoping that neither Cantor nor any other member of Congress continues to be threatened.
Zifnab
One of these days, a Republican is going to get a bad taste of wacko-bearing-firearms, and we’re going to see the tide turn on NRA hegemony. Nothing spurs a Congressman’s vote like self-preservation.
RSR
Yearrgghhh!
cervantes
actually the guy is a raving psycho who has made thousands of threats against politicians of all ideological stripes, including BHO. For whatever reason, they just decided to pick him up now.
kindness
Maybe he’s a firedoglaker….
Jude
Now that’s some quality snark there. Heh. “Howard Dean’s extreme rhetoric.”
mantis
Prediction: You will see no Democratic members of Congress or prominent liberal talkers or bloggers explaining how people are rightfully upset at Eric Cantor, who is destroying the country, that their anger is completely justified, as Eric Cantor is a tyrant who will make us all slaves, and oh by the way we don’t condone this totally justified violence.
Therein lies the difference.
Dreggas
@Zifnab:
It was a wacko who shot at Saint Reagan and what did the wingers do? Go after the guy who took the bullet for him, Brady, when Brady worked to get gun regulations put in place.
4tehlulz
Oh hey it’s the new Ward Churchill.
Pasquinade
I’ll see your one certifiably crazy Dem contributor, and raise you 9 rightwing Christianist SEDITIONISTS
Indictment: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/03/29/stone.pdf
Zifnab
@Dreggas: Last I checked, the Brady Bill passed. Sure, the extreme right wing threw a hissy fit and the bill was boiled down quite a bit, but they got a majority and they got it signed.
That’s not nothin’.
goblue72
They don’t call them Deaniacs for nothing. Although I would think this guy would have filmed himself in an orange knit hat if he was one. And rolled up shirtsleeves.
Svensker
Oh shit, the nutjob claims to be a Shia Muslim. The hooting and hollering from the weird sisters should start any minute now…
dadanarchist
As always memorandum serves its purpose as thermometer of wingnuttism.
They are already all over the Eric Cantor threat, yet only a few have had anythings substantial to say about the Huteree arrests.
Other than Atlas Jugs complaining about the arrest of Christian terrorists when there are so many unarrested Muslims out there, like the bombers who attacked the Moscow subway this morning (yeah, I don’t follow her “mind” either….)
kay
According to the federal complaint against him, Norman Leboon of Philadelphia has admitted making some 2,000 videos that contained threats. A sampling of his “work” reveals rambling incoherent videos that mix pseudo-religious incantations with random warnings and threats. In one video he addresses President Obama, Vice President Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid by name and says, “Your punishment is coming, the swine, it will be severe, and you will beg for mercy to your god, it will be severe, you will know god’s swine, god has warned you.”
Another religious nut.
some other guy
Has the Republican blogosphere collected curled up into a naked weeping ball in the corner of their closet, one hand shakily clutching their gun and the other uncontrollably stroking their only-barely-aptly-named manhood, rock hard due to their fear fetish.
Hope you all already ate lunch!
Allan
Fixed.
Answer: They elected the ringleader, GHWBush, to the Presidency in ’88 when Reagan failed to die as planned.
Michael D.
On the other hand, CNN Headline News is still reporting (as of 10 minutes ago) that Cantor’s office was shot at a few days ago.
Cantor’s office has reportedly been attacked a lot over the past year. Most notably by:
1. Rain
2. Snow
3. Leaves
geg6
@kay:
I am seriously beginning to think that the majority of the religious are nuts. I simply don’t see many reasons NOT to think so and the not-nuts ones are few and far between.
Michael D.
@Zifnab:
This, of course, would assume deductive reasoning abilities, familiarity with correlation, etc..
YellowJournalism
Did he hold another press conference blaming Dems for using threats for political gain?
YellowJournalism
Don’t forget all those acts of vandalism where dogs stopped to pee.
mcc
@YellowJournalism: Actually, if you’ll check the TPM story it turns out the statement Cantor’s office issued about Mr. Enoch is extremely calm and restrained!
Zuzu's Petals
@mantis:
And I don’t remember any Dem congresspeople waving and giving the thumbs up and giving speeches to crowds holding signs like “We Came Unarmed (This Time).” Especially after pics of same hit the front pages.
JGabriel
DougJ @ Top:
Heh. Apparently, that guy threatening Cantor also threatened Obama.
.
mellowjohn
wait a minute. isn’t the FBI one of those horribly inefficient government agencies that can’t do anything right?
Shalimar
@Michael D.: It’s not just CNN. From Justin Elliot’s TPM article on the arrest:
Wasn’t TPM the outlet that broke the reporting that the window that was hit was downstairs from the unmarked Cantor office? Even they have trouble keeping reality straight.
Dr. I. F. Stone
“…here’s hoping that neither Cantor nor any other member of Congress continues to be threatened.”
Amen.
Michael D.
@Shalimar: The bullet DID land there. But like the snow, rain, and leaves, it wasn’t aimed there.
Ash Can
First and foremost, thank goodness this brain-dead fuckwit saw fit to post his shit on YouTube, so that the authorities could nab him right away without any actual damage being done.
Having said that, I’m going to be completely ignoring the news on this, lest I drown in false equivalency.
mantis
@Michael D.:
But like the snow, rain, and leaves, it wasn’t aimed there.
Right. All snow is aimed at Al Gore anyway, because Jebus hates him. Because he’s fat.
licensed to kill time
This Norman Leboon guy (what a name) is pretty clearly mentally ill. I am glad he was arrested; perhaps he can get some psychiatric help. I do wonder why he wasn’t arrested on the basis of the 1,999 other videos he allegedly posted on YouTube – why now, why Cantor?
The sad part of this is how it will give some equivalence to the “other side gets threats, too!” argument. And they will play that card for all it is worth, ignoring the very real incitement coming from Republican leaders and spokespeople and wild-eyed teabaggers.
I don’t want any politicians being threatened. I’m glad this guy was just a loon. I’m sorry that this will be used to diminish the real possibility of violence, the signs of which are far more prevalent on the Republican/right/conservative/teabagger end of the spectrum.
Crap, it feels like the 60’s all over again, but in Bizarro World.
dadanarchist
The Gateway Pundit is practically jacking himself red with glee…
asiangrrlMN
@licensed to kill time: Yep. I agree with you. He threatened plenty of Dems, too. However, now that he threatened Cantor, they take him seriously?
I don’t want any Congresspeople threatened/harmed, either, but this is clearly not a case of a Dem-leaning person going after a Republican–even though I’m sure the right will try to make it so.
Dork
You mean people use YouTube for something other than Muppet Show reruns and clips of great 80’s videos?
MattF
Well, so the reason he threatened Cantor was that he’d already threatened just about everyone else. Sigh. I suppose that it’s possible that he’ll get some help now, if he’s lucky.
I’m reminded of an old friend of mine who worked on organizing Bush-The-First’s Vice Presidential correspondence. Y’see, people who write to the Vice President are the ones who have already written to the Pope and Santa Claus and gotten negative replies.
mcc
@asiangrrlMN: In the Cantor video Mr. Enoch specifically said he was going to put a bullet in Cantor’s head. That seems like a different class of thing from the Pelosi and Obama threats, which were kind of more ambiguous “God shall strike you down” sorts of things. It seems most likely that the reason he was arrested for the Cantor video and not the other videos is he finally managed to cross a line where law enforcement suddenly had authority to step in.
licensed to kill time
@mcc: That’s a good point, that the specific threat crossed a line. I wonder if law enforcement was monitoring him already on the basis of his past threats?
beergoggles
What’s sad is that religious loons need to threaten politicians to get arrested. Threaten your run of the mill minority and it’s all still fun and games.
Randy P
@Michael D.:
Well, it landed in an office on the first floor of the same building as his campaign office.
Although it wasn’t actually his campaign office. It was the office of some consultants who have been used on his campaign.
But other than that, yeah, a bullet landed in Eric Cantor’s campaign office.
Leelee for Obama
I am glad that the FBI has taken this guy seriously, and that he is now, presumably, not wandering about freely. I think things have finally gotten to the point where the authorities at all levels are paying attention when threats of whatever weight are out in the internets. It seems to me that there is a level of crazed that had to be reached before people would be arrested for sounding like this guy. The Hutaree militia comes to mind. Did these whackos really think no one would grab them up? Even the “regular” militia people were working against them! THAT”S some kind of CRAZY!
I do not want threats aimed at anyone, for any reason. Whethter I agree with them or not, threats and violence are not ever the answer.
I doubt ‘ol Eric will finally say something like this, but it would certainly be refreshing.
mcc
@licensed to kill time: I think you might find this NPR story about the exact mechanics of the arrest interesting.
@beergoggles: They arrested that guy who made death threats against Elton John two weeks ago!
beergoggles
@mcc: ok so celebrities and politicians. I don’t think that disproves my point.
Zifnab
@asiangrrlMN:
No, they take him seriously now because Cantor is getting flayed for his “I’m a victim, too-oo-oo!” pity parade over last week. And Cantor needed a more realistic threat to suggest violence against Congressmen was bipartisan.
He’s more concerned with winning the latest news cycle than in dealing with policy or addressing the rising wave of violence.
God willing, when this guy gets washed through another news cycle, Cantor’s claim will look even more ridiculous as it’s exposed that this guy has threatened just about everybody holding an office above dog catcher.
licensed to kill time
@mcc:
That is interesting, thank you for the link. I wonder who sent the video to the FBI? YouTube, or a concerned citizen? The feds moved pretty fast on it, too.
People are nuts to post some of the crap they do online. It always amazes me.
mcc
@beergoggles:
You’re probably right, really.
Anya
This guy sounds like many of my clients. I am working with a guy who is in love with Michelle O. and who believes Mr. O is keeping her from her true love. He also believes God ordained that they be together and their union will save the world. I don’t know why but many individual’s delusions manifests in a religious believes these days.
LD50
@Anya:
This is not new. Many individual delusions have made their way into the established doctrines of religions. Some might say that many/most religions are nothing but ‘individual delusions’.
Anyway, once a delusion is accepted as ‘what God wants’, then you can get all kinds of people helping you make the delusion a reality.
Anya
Here is the same guy threatening to burn down the malls because of a movie about pigs. He clearly has mental health issues. Wonkette also has other videos of him threatening other people.
http://wonkette.com/414502/gay-muslim-nutter-will-burn-down-the-malls-unless-this-filthy-pig-movie-babe-is-not-destroyed
Cris
You bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal.
Scruffy McSnufflepuss
The guy’s from Philadelphia. That city’s about as liberal as they come. Clearly, he’s a left-wing extremist.
Dr. Loveless
I was hoping this guy and his delusions would be something I could point and laugh at, but as I find out more, I just feel sorry for him — he’s so clearly mentally ill and in need of professional help.
Damn you, Empathy. Why can’t I quit you?
beergoggles
@mcc: altho how’s this for lulz..
Anya
@LD50: I agree with you about religious delusions but these days more and more people’s delusions are mostly about religion. I know that delusions are mostly culture specific and event focused. People have delusions about what they know, that is why you see many people having delusions about CIA planting chips in their brain or Christ or Mohamed talking to them, but most people’s delusions that I see these days are centered around religious believes, i.e. god told them to kill someone, or similar stuff. I think it’s because religion is more present in the public discourse than it used to be in the past.
My father is from a Muslim background and he says growing up, religion was not this much in his live or around him. His homeland was more secular than it is today. I think all around the world religious fanatics have corrupted many institutions, so it’s so accessible and present in our lives.
Ecks
@LD50: You need to get over this irrational hostility to religion. Yes, a lot of bad things get done in its name, but the same is true of flags, promises, and love (John Lenon wasn’t shot to please a god, it was to win a girl’s heart). These things have all also produced lies, deceit, and heartfelt bliss. Just like religion.
Much as you or I may find religion implausible:
a) It is impossible to definitively refute. There is no test you could possibly carry out where “if the liquid in this test tube turns blue we can know for sure that God does not exist.” That’s the thing about ineffable, it is immune to proof one way or the other. Call religion improbable if you like, but it is not impossible.
b) There’s solid psychological data now suggesting that religion is, on the whole, a force for good. Religious people are happier than others, and the more often they go to church, the more true that is. They give more to charity (which is still true, just, when you remove “churches” from charitable giving). Maybe these things are due to God, and maybe they are just the benefits of belonging to a community that regularly meets, but who cares. If it makes people’s lives better then who am I to get all snotty about it, and who are you either.
BTW, Prominent social psychologist David Myers has written a book about this. He’s a great writer and a great guy, (he has the #1 selling psychology and social psychology textbooks, which are worth millions a year, and gives it all to charity each year, retaining only a very modest salary – religious charity in action)
Hart Williams
Sure is fascinating timing that suddenly a ‘threat’ to Cantor appears and is pushed to the front of the news cycle and the GOP narrative that it’s LIBERULZ who are creating all the violence and hatespeak.
Especially when the guy’s got a long loony track record and was arrested over the weekend.
(And Jim “fish story” Hoft at Gateway Dimwit leads with “Obama contributor!” as though it reflexively PROVES, implicitly, that Obama either ordered or influenced the YouTube Terror.)
As they taught me in newsrooms back when reporting was actually not a shameful profession, “if something seems too good to be true, it almost always is.”
Just sayin’.
DavidTC
Has anyone noticed that left politicians tends to get threatened and killed for political view…whereas the right just seems to get attacked by loonies? This guy, who threatened Obama, Hinkley, who actually plotted to kill Carter first and was mentally ill, etc.
And somehow that’s ‘equivalent’?
Likewise, non-violent burning down of golf courses and stuff is the same as plotting to kill policemen and blow up a funeral. And there was another example a few months ago, that slips my mind, of an apparent ‘left-wing’ shooting that also turned out to be a mentally ill person.
At some point, an honest media would look around and say: You know, it doesn’t seem like anyone on the right has been injured or threatened to be injured for left political motives. Whereas people on the right seem to threaten or injure people on the left all the time for political motives. (And the actual crazies seems to target whoever. If they’re going after both parties, it’s a fair bet they’re crazy, or at least so far to one side or another you can’t really blame anyone.)
Of course, correlation doesn’t equal causation.
It might just be that violent people are more inclined to have right-leaning political views. Or might be less intelligent and hence unable to come up with other ways of expressing their dislike. Or, in this cause, it might be causative, and the people are the same, but the right leadership is encouraging them in more violent ways.
Or, my theory, the crazy ‘fringe’ is a good deal close to the right’s ‘center’ than the crazy fringe on the other side, so people can slip into that much easier, and sound like sane people most of the time. I.e, on the left, people ‘near’ violence sound like crazy Marxists who don’t want to resort to violence yet, whereas on the right, people ‘near’ violence sound like perfectly normal Tea Partiers who don’t want to resort to violence yet. And so people who are pretending they aren’t at the point of violence fit in a lot better on the right.
But no matter how you look at it, it doesn’t really look that good for the right.
DavidTC
Oh, I remember the other thing I was thinking off. It wasn’t a mentally ill person (Not in the legal sense, anyway.), it was just a ‘normal’ murder spree.
It was the murder spree by that guy who decided to kill everyone who pissed him off, and he killed an anti-abortion protester who had an especially graphic sign…and two other people who had annoyed him also.
Now, obviously, that’s not acceptable behavior, but it’s hardly politically motivated, no matter how much the right wants to play the victim. Yes, he got killed because of an anti-abortion sign, but it was ‘I hate that sign with the dead baby, and I’m out doing my daily murdering, so I’ll get him too’, not ‘I hate people protesting abortion’.