If Ted Cruz Is A Real Conservative, Why Isn't He In Burns, Oregon With That Engraved Shotgun Of His?

Right-wing terrorist Ammon Bundy loves showing off his taser "wounds"

What are we to make out of this episode of domestic terrorism in Burns, Oregon? Maybe Ammon Bundy's crackpot father should have been dealt with more like the law deals with terrorists in places other than Nevada? He still owes a million dollars to the American taxpayer and his lenient treatment-- to put it mildly-- seems to have enabled the even crazier son (we'll get to what precisely "crazy" means in a moment). A little background: Ammon Bundy and a few pals, armed and ready to kill or be killed, according to their own words, took over a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service building 30 miles from Burns in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday to protest that two local ranchers were given jail sentences that they feel are too long. Bundy admits having planned this and he unsuccessfully tried recruiting some local folks as well. All schools in Harney County are closed while the terrorists are holding the building.

As you would expect, Fox News was on-air pouring gasoline on an already explosive situation and one of their regular contributors, crackpot Deneen Borelli, either didn't understand what was happening or was purposely lying to stir up an incident. "What people need to understand what is going on in Oregon, it is really an overgrowth of government. Government gone wild is outreach of government. You have these individuals who are trying to save their property, save their ranch because the overrun of government is not doing that. Government own as substantial amount of property in the west. These individuals were trying to save their property." Not just incoherent, but devoid of facts, utterly and completely. Fits the ideology but wrong page in the talking points. That's Fox! Yesterday, Kasich, who has heard of Oregon, claimed in Des Moines that he hadn't heard anything about a standoff with the right-wing terrorists. Maybe if they had turbans...

Last time the Bundy family decided to try a little armed insurrection, they were supported by Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Dr. Ben, Mike Huckabee and Herr Trumpf. Trumpf was on with Sean Hannity while the Cliven Bundy insurrection was in full swing, saying "I like him, I like his spirit, his spunk and the people that are so loyal… I respect him... He’s in a great position to cut a great deal and I think that’s what he should do." Can't wait to see what these 5 clowns have to say about Oregon. So far they're all ducking the questions. Now about the explanation of "crazy" I promised... [Oh, wait.... we have an UPDATE: Cruz said "naughty, naughty... no violence please before the election." Actually, what the Texas dipshit said was "Every one of us has a constitutional right to protest, to speak our minds. But we don't have a constitutional right to use force and violence and to threaten force and violence on others. And so it is our hope that the protesters there will stand down peaceably, that there will not be a violent confrontation." I wonder if Trumpf takes the opportunity to bury him in Iowa now.]

Buzzfeed reporter Mary Ann Georgantopoulos shared a documents from a Bundy lawsuit against the government. It's virtually impossible to read this stuff and come away thinking these are sane, rational people. Here's a taste:

Barack Obama was not a natural born citizen therefore he has no authority to take over peoples land under imminent domain. Mr. Obama blackmailed and covertly threatened Donald Trump with building code regulation violations, property tax fraud, illegally operating offshore tax havens for betting with Federal indictments unless he shuts up and stops the Birther movement because Mr. Obama fears he will be exposed for his covert and sinister ties to Iran’s Hezbollah network.

The suit claims "all Americans are in danger" and demanded investigations into the "atrocities" committed by "these orgie, sex deviants." These are the lunatics Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Trumpf were championing. The suit also claims, somewhat bizarrely, that the Benghazi attack was "implemented so George Bush could somehow feel vindicated for 9/11." I'm sure it all makes sense if you watch enough Fox News and Alex Jones, preferably at the same time, although the strangest part of the suit was a claim by Bundy that President Obama invited him to the Oval Office and forced him to perform oral sex on Sunny and Bo, the Obama family's dogs. No, really: "Mr. Obama has portrayed himself as hope and change, the only hope he gave me was gay rights with dildo enhancements. Thank you Mayor Rob Ford and Philadelphia Parole officer Agent Fletcher they give a good warm tickle when performing tooth extracts on my genital area. Mr. Obama is a a phycosomatic [sic] sex freak. Mr. Obama had me and agent Fletcher perform oral sex on Sunny + Bo in the Oval office.

Bundy thinks he's a whistleblower and warned that if his claims aren't brought to light, America will "be the new Africa and are [sic] citizens will be sleeping in tents and washing clothes in puddles by 2022 while China donates rice to us on a camel drone from Pakistan why we are celebrating Kwanza with pet turtles." Sounds perfect for a Trumpf or Cruz cabinet secretary.

Rep. Donna Edwards, the candidate Blue America endorsed for the open Maryland Senate seat, looked a little more deeply into this incident of domestic terrorism and violent extremism than Ted Cruz did. Labeling this "Radical Mormon Terrorism" isn't going to do anything to solve this, although it's the Republican way to view this kind of reactionary violent outburst. Like many in Congress, Donna said she is "deeply troubled." But then she started looking at the asymmetry of the response from law enforcement. Keep in the back of your mind how the Cleveland police responded to 12 year old Tamir Rice playing with a toy gun compared to how law enforcement is dealing with these heavily armed insurrectionists. Donna:

"Since the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement, activists protesting the deaths of an unarmed 18-year-old on a city street or the tragic death of a 25-year-old in the back of a police van, have been referred to variously as 'thugs,' 'criminals,' and 'drug users.' To the contrary, most of these protests and protesters have been peaceful, and organizers have sought and obtained permission to peaceably assemble in exercise of their Constitutional rights. But in Oregon, a group of armed men illegally occupying a federal building have been referred to as an 'armed militia,' or simply 'occupiers,' as though that behavior is acceptable in a nation of laws. What is happening in Oregon is not protest sanctioned by the Constitution, it is lawbreaking.

"Our nation's press has a long history of shining a light on tough truths and asking tough questions. At this moment, the media have a responsibility to avoid language that paints these armed militants in a positive light. They are breaking the law. Moreover, the media do great injustice to our Constitution by equating that lawlessness with the legitimate exercise of Constitutional rights by unarmed citizens who have come together to peacefully protest an end to violence in cities like Ferguson, Baltimore, and elsewhere. One could not imagine a group of armed black men taking over an unoccupied federal building in one of our nation's cities as they have in Oregon. It is time to tell that tough truth.

"These moments cry out for leadership-- by political leaders, the media, and the public. It is time for those of us who value our Constitution to end that silence."

And by leaders, Blue America isn't looking at partisan hacks, whether Ted Cruz, and Mike Huckabee or visionless humbugs like Chris Van Hollen and Chuck Schumer. Think about helping to elect Donna to the U.S. Senate. We need her point of view there as well as her passion, energy and sense of Justice.

Ammon Bundy always sports a Black Lives Don't Matter insignia

UPDATE: Grijalva Resolution Against Armed Insurrectionists

This afternoon Raúl Grijalva will be introducing a congressional resolution condemning the illegal armed occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, calling on the Bundy people to put down their weapons and surrender to law enforcement officials immediately (without the "let's make a deal" bargaining Trumpf has suggested in the past). Grijalva: "This is not a romantic instance of Western self-reliance or an excusable moment of heated rhetoric. This is armed occupation of public property by people who have threatened deadly force. No one should play the game of publicly wringing their hands at these criminals' tactics even as they cheer on their 'message,' least of all Congress. The refuge is public land bought and paid for by the American people for public benefit and enjoyment. No one is entitled to demand it for themselves or steal it by force. I call on every one of my colleagues to support this resolution and work closely with responsible people in their home districts to make sure this isn’t repeated."