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the Senate and the House … on Wednesday

04/21/2010 Nativegrl77

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF APRIL 21, 2010
111TH CONGRESS – SECOND SESSION

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.

7:34 P.M. –

The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on April 22, 2010. On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.

Mr. Smith (NJ) moved that the House do now adjourn.

4:29 P.M. –

SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

4:28 P.M. –

Mr. Bartlett requested the following general leaves to address the House on April 28: Mr. Jones for 5 min, and Mr. Moran of KS for 5 min. Mr. Bartlett requested that Mr. Forbes be allowed to address the House for 5 minutes on April 22.

4:09 P.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.

H. Res. 1216:: congratulating Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin on his tenth year of service as Chaplain of the House of Representatives

4:08 P.M. –

On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 412 – 0 (Roll no. 216). Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

3:59 P.M. –

Considered as unfinished business.

H. Res. 1104:: supporting the mission and goals of 2010 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to increase public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of victims and survivors of crime in the United States, no matter their country of origin or their creed, and to commemorate the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme of “Crime Victims’ Rights: Fairness. Dignity. Respect.”

3:52 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 417 – 0 (Roll no. 215).

H. Res. 1104:: supporting the mission and goals of 2010 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to increase public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of victims and survivors of crime in the United States, no matter their country of origin or their creed, and to commemorate the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme of “Crime Victims’ Rights: Fairness. Dignity. Respect.”

3:44 P.M. –

On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Roll Call 215 – 2/3 Yea and Nay vote pending. Considered as unfinished business.

S. 1963:: to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide assistance to caregivers of veterans, to improve the provision of health care to veterans, and for other purposes

3:43 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays (2/3 required): (Roll No. 214).

3:07 P.M. –

Considered as unfinished business.

3:06 P.M. –

UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of motions to suspend the rules which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.

H. Res. 1276:: recognizing the continued importance of volunteerism and national service and the anniversary of the signing of the landmark service legislation, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

3:05 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

2:58 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 1276. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Sablan moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

H. Res. 1270:: expressing support for Mathematics Awareness Month

2:57 P.M. –

At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

2:48 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 1270. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Sablan moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

H.R. 1585:: to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve standards for physical education

2:47 P.M. –

The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection. Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

H.R. 1585:: to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve standards for physical education

2:25 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1585. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Sablan moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

H. Res. 1239:: commending the University of Connecticut Huskies for their historic win in the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament

2:24 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

2:11 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 1239. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Sablan moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended.

H. Res. 1182:: congratulating Radford University on the 100th anniversary of the university

2:10 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

2:01 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 1182. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Sablan moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

H. Res. 1262:: expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the fire at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Washington

2:00 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

1:49 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 1262. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Ms. Speier moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

H. Res. 855:: expressing support for designation of May 1 as “Silver Star Service Banner Day”

1:48 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

1:42 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 855. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Ms. Speier moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

H. Con. Res. 255:: commemorating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and honoring the founder of Earth Day, the late Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin

1:41 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

1:25 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Con. Res. 255. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Ms. Speier moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended.

H. Res. 1281:: celebrating the life and achievements of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height and recognizing her life-long dedication and leadership in the struggle for human rights and equality for all people until her death at age 98 on April 20, 2010

1:24 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

1:23 P.M. –

On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

H. Res. 1281:: celebrating the life and achievements of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height and recognizing her life-long dedication and leadership in the struggle for human rights and equality for all people until her death at age 98 on April 20, 2010

12:27 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 1281. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Conyers moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

H. Res. 1116:: supporting the goals and ideals of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week

12:26 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

12:04 P.M. –: DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 1116. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mrs. Capps moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

H. Res. 1216:

congratulating Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin on his tenth year of service as Chaplain of the House of Representatives
12:03 P.M. –: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

11:24 A.M. –: DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 1216. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Capuano moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

S. 1963:

to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide assistance to caregivers of veterans, to improve the provision of health care to veterans, and for other purposes
11:23 A.M. –: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

10:33 A.M. –: DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1963. Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Filner moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
10:32 A.M. –: The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be postponed until the conclusion of general debate on all suspensions.

The Senate Convenes: 9:30amET

Morning Business for 1 hour with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. The Majority will control the first 30 minutes and the Republicans will control the final 30 minutes.

Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination of Christopher Schroeder to be Assistant Attorney General. There will be up to 3 hours for debate equally divided prior to a vote on confirmation of the Schroeder nomination.

Upon disposition of the nomination, the Senate will consider the nomination of Thomas Valaskie to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. There will be up to 3 hours for debate prior to a vote on confirmation of the Valaskie nomination.

Votes:
121: Confirmation of Christopher Schroeder to be an Assistant Attorney General;
Confirmed: 72-24

122: Confirmation of Thomas Vanaskie, of Pennsylvania, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit;
Confirmed: 77-20

Unanimous Consent:
Adopted H.Con.Res.222, a concurrent resolution recognizing the leadership and historical contributions of Dr. Hector Garcia to the Hispanic community and his remarkable efforts to combat racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States.

Adopted S.Res.483, a resolution congratulating the Republic of Serbia’s application for European Union membership and recognizing Serbia’s active efforts to integrate into Europe and the global community.

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Too big for jail … BoldProgressives.org

04/20/2010 Nativegrl77

The SEC sued Wall Street titan Goldman Sachs for fraud.

Sign our petition supporting members of Congress calling for a CRIMINAL investigation of Wall Street execs.

The SEC made international headlines Friday by suing Wall Street titan Goldman Sachs for fraud.

That’s a great step, but Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and others in Congress are boldly urging the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation of Goldman and others who may have broken the law as they devastated our economy.

Now is the moment to make clear: Nobody on Wall Street is “too big for jail.”

When we get 10,000 signatures, we’ll deliver this petition to the Justice Department so they know the public supports Rep. Kaptur and that her request for accountability must be taken seriously.

We’ll also give the signatures personally to Rep. Kaptur — to help her persuade more members of Congress to join her cause. Please sign the petition today.

Goldman Sachs is accused of selling mortgages they knew were toxic, hiding that fact from the public, and allowing a key investor to make billions (with a b) by betting against those investments. Goldman made billions as well.

“Morally bankrupt” is how Britain’s Prime Minister describes it. “Criminal fraud on a historic scale” is what Rep. Kaptur’s letter says.

Thanks for being a bold progressive,

— Aaron Swartz, Stephanie Taylor, Adam Green, Shaunna Thomas, and the PCCC team

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Tuesday News tips … &c-span.org live stream

04/20/2010 Nativegrl77

So, the financial reform conflict between the Democratic and Republican Political Parties have been portrayed as the next big fight though if responsible smart and lucid; the Republicans would find it in their best interest not to be the Political Party of no in a moment when most Americans helped Wall Street and the Banks get back on track then have them turn their backs on Main Street …

It is strange to know that all 41Republicans are willing to slow down progress, block progress for All Americans; though it will help shine a light on who We the People should be voting for in not only the November elections but for 2012 as well; who in their right mind would vote no just because a Bill that has all the requirements to reform financial institutions that did dirty to people and shoved our economy into the ditch with bad behavior just shy of illegal just because it was written by the governing party?

The Political Party of No should be challenged on the floor of both the House and Senate so those who wrongly believe Republicans are for the people can see it for themselves as well hear it being said by the very people willing to say we care much more about ourselves then Americans or the need to regulate big Banks, AIG types and Wall Street. While it is important that Congress should be legislating together because Americans do want bipartisanship if possible, but not if it means sacrificing the peoples business and again Republicans have clearly decided to be on the wrong side of reform.

Other News … tips

**The special elections polls in Hawaii are getting tight …Hawaii gotv for Hanabusa

The Department of Education “will no longer allow universities to rely solely on student surveys to prove they are meeting the requirements of the gender-equity law known as Title IX, a reversal of a Bush administration policy that had been opposed by the N.C.A.A. and women’s sports advocates.” In advance of today’s announcement, Vice President Biden said, “Making Title IX as strong as possible is a no-brainer.“TP

**Did Scott Brown lie about how many jobs would be lost if financial reform is implemented?

**Is anyone else surprised and maybe offended by what could possibly be a new rightnetwork that spews right wing agenda loud and clear…and headed by Kelsey Grammer … WHAT!! our EX- Fab guy who created so many programs for people of colour … i say boycott this BS of a show

Dorothy Height

Passes Away at 98

More than 1,500 lobbyists, financial institution executives, and bankers have “made their way to the Senate committee that…will take up legislation to rein in derivatives, the complex securities at the heart of the financial crisis, the billion-dollar bank bailouts and the fraud case filed last week against Goldman Sachs.” JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said new regulation rules “will be negative” for Wall Street TP

**Because the President decided to bail out GM and def going against Republicans/others on the right over 240thou auto-workers(Americans) were able to keep their jobs and now GM is paying back the loan …almost 5years ahead of schedule.

**Boeing has given 300 layoff notices to Washington State workers and is now outsourcing work to California

**Washington State Mayor will veto any panhandling bill that does not deal with the act/ the Seattle City Council vote that passed the law was only 5-4

**Discovery made a safe landing today after 2weeks in space

**Ken Vogel from Politico states that Foxnews is not doing anything illegal by hosting or raising money, sponsoring political action commte is not illegal; i do not believe it

**The Supreme court voted 8-1 against a possible law to ban videos of animal videos because of the violence or slaughter;animal cruelty…the court stated it would go against freedom of speech

Legalizing Racial Profiling in IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

C-SPAN.org

White House Press Briefing 4/19

Defense Briefing on Haiti

Sens. Dodd & Warner on Wall Street

NPC: From Earlier National Press Conference Luncheon

AFL-CIO 2010 Legilslative Conference

OK City Ceremony: From Earlier 4/19

CWC Hearing: Morning Session CWC Hearing: Afternoon Session War time Contracting CWC Event Details

——————————————————————————–

Bernanke: Need to Address Problems in Financial Regulations. “We must eliminate the gaps in our financial regulatory framework that allow large, complex, interconnected firms like Lehman to operate without robust consolidated supervision,“ Fed Chair Ben Bernanke said in prepared testimony for today’s House Financial Services Committee hearing. The committee is holding a hearing examining Lehman Brothers, which was the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Lehman Bros. Hearing: Panels 1 & 2 Lehman Bros. Hearing: Panels 3 & 4

Examiner’s report on Lehman failure

Lehman Bros. Hearing: LIVE on C-SPAN3

House Cmte on Financial Services: Testimony

Proposed Bank Tax Would Recoup TARP Funds. As part of a plan to recover funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), Pres. Obama has proposed a tax on banks that received TARP funds. Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), will hear from Neil Barofsky, the inspector general with oversight of the program, to explain how the tax would be structured and estimate its economic impact. This is the first in a series of hearings examining a multi-faceted plan to establish a bank tax on nation’s largest financial institutions.

Senate Hearing: From Earlier

AP: Schumer wants bank tax included

TARP quarterly report

Reuters: Levin: Bank tax weighed but no VAT

Border Security: Moving Beyond the Virtual Fence. A variety of government officials from the U.S. and Mexico will meet in Washington today and discuss U.S./ Mexico border security and the border fence project. The Homeland Security Committee is expected to hear criticism on the “failure” of border enforcement policy and “limited funding,” according to the mayor of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.

Senate Hearing: From Earlier

Hearing Witness List

AZ Republic: McCain, Kyl back bill

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World warming to US under President Obama, BBC poll suggests …

04/19/2010 Nativegrl77

Graph showing positive negative views of selected=

Views of the US around the world have improved sharply over the past year, a BBC World Service poll suggests.

For the first time since the annual poll began in 2005, America’s influence in the world is now seen as more positive than negative.

The improved scores for the US coincided with Barack Obama becoming president, a BBC correspondent notes.

As in 2009, Germany is viewed most favourably while Iran and Pakistan are seen as the most negative influences.

Nearly 30,000 people in 28 countries were interviewed for the poll, between November 2009 and February 2010.

Fifteen of the countries have been surveyed every year since 2005, allowing long-term trends to be discerned.

In these nations – or 14 of them, not including the US itself – positive views of the US fell to a low of 28% on average in 2007, from 38% in 2005, but recovered to 35% in 2009 and 40% in this year’s poll.

After a year, it appears the ‘Obama effect’ is real

Steven Kull, director of Pipa

Meanwhile, perceptions of China in the 14 other countries have been declining – falling from 49% on average in 2005, to 34% in 2009 and 2010.

“People around the world today view the United States more positively than at any time since the second Iraq war,” said Doug Miller, chairman of international polling firm GlobeScan, which carried out the poll with the Program on International Policy Attitudes (Pipa) at the University of Maryland.

“While still well below that of countries like Germany and the UK, the global standing of the US is clearly on the rise again.”

China ‘in neutral’

Pipa director Steven Kull noted: “After a year, it appears the ‘Obama effect’ is real.

Chart showing positive and negative views of US

“Its influence on people’s views worldwide, though, is to soften the negative aspects of the United States’ image, while positive aspects are not yet coming into strong focus.”

He added: “While China’s image is stuck in neutral, America has motored past it in the global soft-power competition.”

Of the full list of 28 countries surveyed this year, the US is viewed positively in 19 (20 including the US itself), while six lean negative and two are divided.

Compared with 2009, positive views of the US jumped 21% in Germany, 18 in Russia, 14 in Portugal and 13 in Chile – though Russia and Germany continued to have a negative view of the US overall.

SEE THE FULL RESULTS

Detailed poll findings [3MB]

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Meanwhile, negative opinions of the US declined by 23% in Spain, 14 in France and 10 in the UK, with the result that all three lean towards a positive view of the country.

In only two of the 28 countries, Turkey and Pakistan, do more than 50% have a negative view of the US.

Germany is the most favourably viewed nation (an average of 59% positive), followed by Japan (53%), the United Kingdom (52%), Canada (51%), and France (49%). The European Union is viewed positively by 53%.

In contrast, Iran is the least favourably viewed nation (15%), followed by Pakistan (16%), North Korea (17%), Israel (19%) and Russia (30%).

The 15 countries included in the poll every year since 2005 are: Australia, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia, Turkey, the UK and the US.

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Pentagon decides it’s time to clamp down on the right-wing extremists infiltrating ranks of U.S. military

04/16/2010 Nativegrl77

By David Neiwert

Crooks and Liars

Janet Napolitano is probably getting some satisfaction from the fact that reality has proven the bulletin issued by her Homeland Security department last year — warning that the nation was about to be hit by a fresh wave of right-wing extremism and its attendant violence — all too prescient.

Especially the part where it warned that these extremists were working hard to recruit military veterans:

Returning veterans possess combat skills and experience that are attractive to rightwing extremists. DHS/I&A is concerned that rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to boost their violent capabilities.

At the time the bulletin was issued, the right-wing media put up a hue and cry claiming that DHS was smearing veterans as potential terrorist threats, and demanding Napolitano’s head. And even though Napolitano rebutted their nonsense, the conventional-wisdom talking point out of the affair was that DHS had unfairly smeared folks in the military.

Now it’s clear that the Pentagon is aware that it has a problem: From Stars and Stripes:

The Pentagon is cracking down on extremism in its ranks with a new set of rules restricting servicemembers from participating on the Web sites of supremacist groups.

A new Defense Department directive on dissident and political activity issued on November 27 — the first since 1996 — says servicemembers “must not actively advocate supremacist doctrine, ideology, or causes.” This includes writing blogs or posting on Web sites.

… Last July, Stars and Stripes reported that 130 members of newsaxon.org, a social networking Web site affiliated with the National Socialist Movement, had listed “military” as their job in “Facebook”-style user profiles. Swatsikas, Nazi symbolism and militant imagery emblazon the site.

…

Army and Defense Department officials said at the time that extremist activity was not considered “an Army-wide issue.” And there was confusion, Potok said, about what defined “active participation.” Previously, membership alone in an extremist group was not enough for disciplinary action, though banned activities included distributing materials and demonstrating.

“The one worry here is that enforcement of these regulations may be very uneven. It leaves the decision up to local commanders and we’ve really yet to see how that’s going to work,” Potok said. “The hope is that this clarifies that even advocacy of these kinds of ideas is not consistent with being in the military.”

The arrests of the Hutaree militia made clear that the concern was full grounded in reality. As Newsweek observed in its report on the rise of right-wing extremists:

The rambling rants of the Hutaree might seem funny, in a sick sort of way, but they are far from harmless. The FBI busted nine members last month for allegedly plotting to trigger an “uprising” against the government by assassinating a local police officer and then ambushing colleagues who attended the funeral by blowing up improvised explosive devices. They may have had some professional instruction: one of the men in the group, Michael Meeks, is a Persian Gulf War veteran who served four years in the Marines and was a decorated rifle expert, according to Marine Corps records. Another member, Kristopher Sickles, is an Army vet (discharged “under other than honorable conditions,” according to prosecutors).

After all, as we explained at the time, the DHS report’s assessment of the situation vis a vis veterans was if anything understated:

This is, in fact, precisely accurate — and as we pointed out White Supremacist Recruitment of Military Personnel Since 9/11) found that the numbers of identifiable neo-Nazis within the ranks was quite small (only a little over 200), but warned:

Military experience—ranging from failure at basic training to success in special operations forces—is found throughout the white supremacist extremist movement. FBI reporting indicates extremist leaders have historically favored recruiting active and former military personnel for their knowledge of firearms, explosives, and tactical skills and their access to weapons and intelligence in preparation for an anticipated war against the federal government, Jews, and people of color.

… The prestige which the extremist movement bestows upon members with military experience grants them the potential for influence beyond their numbers. Most extremist groups have some members with military experience, and those with military experience often hold positions of authority within the groups to which they belong.

… Military experience—often regardless of its length or type—distinguishes one within the extremist movement. While those with military backgrounds constitute a small percentage of white supremacist extremists, FBI investigations indicate they frequently have higher profiles within the movement, including recruitment and leadership roles.

… New groups led or significantly populated by military veterans could very likely pursue more operationally minded agendas with greater tactical confidence. In addition, the military training veterans bring to the movement and their potential to pass this training on to others can increase the ability of lone offenders to carry out violence from the movement’s fringes.

This is underscored by a Wall Street Journal story today outlining the FBI work that both produced this assessment and the operation that followed:

The FBI said in the memo that its conclusion about a surge in such activities was based on confidential sources, undercover operations, reporting from other law-enforcement agencies and publicly available information. The memo said the main goal of the multipronged operation was to get a better handle on “the scope of this emerging threat.” The operation also seeks to identify gaps in intelligence efforts surrounding these groups and their leaders.

The aim of the FBI’s effort with the Defense Department, which was rolled into the Vigilant Eagle program, is to “share information regarding Iraqi and Afghanistan war veterans whose involvement in white supremacy and/or militia sovereign citizen extremist groups poses a domestic terrorism threat,” according to the Feb. 23 FBI memo.

Michael Ward, FBI deputy assistant director for counterterrorism, said in an interview Thursday that the portion of the operation focusing on the military related only to veterans who draw the attention of Defense Department officials for joining white-supremacist or other extremist groups.

“We’re not doing an investigation into the military, we’re not looking at former military members,” he said. “It would have to be something they were concerned about, or someone they’re concerned is involved” with extremist groups.

It’s important to understand how FBI investigations into these kinds of activities take place: The FBI is constrained by DOJ guidelines that do not allow them to investigate organizations merely because of incendiary rhetoric or politically worrisome beliefs. They only open investigations into the activities of members of such groups when there is evidence of actual criminal activity.

And it’s at that time that the presence of an extremist with a military background becomes not merely relevant, but potentially important. This is especially so considering one of the realities of the extremist right — namely, that the vast majority of its members are incapable of anything remotely resembling a terrorist act; what they actually specialize in is the Verbose Bellyache. Yet simultaneously they have developed over recent years a decidedly militaristic culture that prizes actual military background.

So when investigators begin dealing with potential criminal or terrorist activity by right-wing extremists, the presence and involvement of people with military backgrounds — particularly with skill at armaments — is a huge red flag. Because these kinds of people transform these groups from Verbose Bellyachers to potentially competent — lethally competent — extremist cells.

The most famous example of this, of course, is Timothy McVeigh. But — contrary to what the right-wing talkers have been saying this week — McVeigh is hardly the only example of what happens when an alienated veteran is radicalized by these kinds of belief systems — he’s just the most famous. There have, in fact, been a number of veterans who have played significant roles in the radical right in recent years, including acting as terrorists. Besides McVeigh, for instance, there is also Eric Rudolph, who spent two years in the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, attending the Air Assault School there, and earning the rank of Specialist/E-4.

Then there was our old friend Col. James “Bo” Gritz, ex-Green Beret and Special Forces veteran:

Though he adamantly denied harboring such beliefs much of the time he was promoting militias back in the 1990s, Gritz is now a full-fledged adherent of Christian Identity.

More recently — and certainly more relevant to the point here — there’s the case of Kody Brittingham, recently of the U.S. Marines:

Brittingham, 20, was with Headquarters and Support Battalion, 2nd Tank Battalion, when he allegedly made the threats against Obama, president-elect at the time. Brittingham was administratively separated from the Corps on Jan. 3.

Brittingham’s legal troubles began in mid-December, when he and three other Lejeune Marines were arrested by Jacksonville police in connection with attempted robbery. He was charged Dec. 16 with attempted robbery, breaking and entering, and conspiracy. His bond was set at that time.

After his arrest, Naval investigators found a journal allegedly written by Brittingham in his barracks room, containing plans on how to kill the president and white supremacist material, a federal law enforcement official told The Daily News of Jacksonville.

This points to a significant dimension of the problem: The recruitment of young men into the military who already harbor white-supremacist beliefs.

It’s been long reported that hate groups and other extremists, including neo-Nazis, have been making actual inroads into the ranks of the military in recent years. A July 2006 report by the SPLC found this infiltration occurring at an alarming rate. Neo-Nazis “stretch across all branches of service, they are linking up across the branches once they’re inside, and they are hard-core,” Department of Defense gang detective Scott Barfield told the SPLC. “We’ve got Aryan Nations graffiti in Baghdad,” he added. “That’s a problem.”

The source of the problem, as the report explained, was the extreme pressure military recruiters were under to fill their recruitment quotas. “Recruiters are knowingly allowing neo-Nazis and white supremacists to join the armed forces,” said Barfield, “and commanders don’t remove them . . . even after we positively identify them as extremists or gang members.” The military downplayed a neo-Nazi presence in the ranks, Barfield added, “because then parents who are already worried about their kids signing up and dying in Iraq are going to be even more reluctant about their kids enlisting if they feel they’ll be exposed to gangs and white supremacists.”