Fox News
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano apologized to veterans after a report issued by her department said troops returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were at risk for being recruited by right-wing extremists.
“To the extent veterans read it as an accusation — and apology is owed,” she said in an on-air interview on FOX News Thursday, a day after veterans’ groups and members of Congress blasted her for the report, which they said libeled members of the armed forces.
“The last thing I want to do is offend or castigate all veterans. To the contrary, let’s meet and clear the air,” she said.
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That man should resign.
artist on April 16, 2009 at 9:44 AM
Apology not accepted.
Anna on April 16, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Mr. Napolitano needs a better barber.
jake-the-goose on April 16, 2009 at 9:46 AM
LOL. So coming from Americans we have the label “terrorism” come back into vogue. But if it’s muslims (who aren’t Precedent of the US) trying to kill us then it isn’t “terrorism” but “man-caused disasters”. Unreal. Just unreal.
Napolitano must resign.
progressoverpeace on April 16, 2009 at 9:47 AM
“Not an accusation, but an assessment”. In other words, “not potentially unfounded suspicion, but the truth”. Wonderful.
LibTired on April 16, 2009 at 9:47 AM
So, she says it needed a footnote for veterans but the rest of the report is just fine.
eforhan on April 16, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Bull Dyke.
Firebird on April 16, 2009 at 9:48 AM
too late, we know what you meant and we won’t forget.
rob verdi on April 16, 2009 at 9:49 AM
The Left always gets away with “apologies” like that. “To the morons who were offended……” The Right: never.
Marcus on April 16, 2009 at 9:50 AM
Henry Higgins just got his wish.
BigD on April 16, 2009 at 9:52 AM
To be fair, does anyone on the right ever have the sheer gall to issue such barely veiled non-apologies for anything? I’m drawing a blank.
Cylor on April 16, 2009 at 9:52 AM
“Just the right wing ones”.
LibTired on April 16, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Rocky Maddow would love Mr. Napolitano. Have they met?
PimFortuynsGhost on April 16, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Is she related to Judge Napolitano? Not that it matters. Just curious.
Not only did she slam vets, she slammed everyone with a differing point of view from the current administration. We should ALL be offended.
Oink on April 16, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Never Been Kissed.
BigD on April 16, 2009 at 9:56 AM
Go Home Reno!
Go Home Reno!
gatorboy on April 16, 2009 at 9:57 AM
Fair enough. I hope they take her up on the meeting.
misslizzi on April 16, 2009 at 9:59 AM
On the CBS Early Show, she pretty much defended the report and stated that if the game of words are played – wordsmiths have a tendency to “armchair quarterback” after everything is done.
Yeah… that’s the ticket. Words, it is all just words.
Why do they think that is a cogent argument? Because sadly, with a lot of people it looks like it is working;
kybowexar on April 16, 2009 at 10:00 AM
She is dangerously stupid in my opinion. What she is saying is that one of America’s biggest threats are patriotic Americans. The very people who have put their lives on the line to protect our country are, in the eyes of the left, criminals.
She should be fired and everyone involved in writing that report should follow her out the door.
Guardian on April 16, 2009 at 10:01 AM
As opposed to hurling any further (yet deserved) personal insults at “him”, I propose that we just get to the root cause: Napolitano is just another in a series of incompetent boobs placed in positions of strategic importance to our national well-being. It’s the “AGENDA” of the left. Not to fix or improve, but to destroy as much as possible, our national heritage, standing, economy, communication, culture, etc., so as to make way for the final power grab.
HomeoftheBrave on April 16, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Whew, I didn’t think I was nuts. Now I have proof!
Hey, wait a damn minute….
So you’re saying it’s our fault for “thinking” what you reported was an accusation against us.
Oh sure, that’s how you’re going to round us all up. Now I feel nuts again.
hawkdriver on April 16, 2009 at 10:01 AM
The veternas? Only the veterans?
She and DHS insulted a HUGE segment of the population.
Apology NOT accepted. Better luck next time.
newton on April 16, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Too little too late. These people are shooting themselves in the foot faster than I would have predicted.
sherry on April 16, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Hey, Barry, why not just finish it and turn over Homeland Security to Hugo Chavez.
petefrt on April 16, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Well she is correct, veterans are the biggest threats. The biggest threats to Obama’s insane regime.
Grafted on April 16, 2009 at 10:05 AM
Why can’t John McCain, a veteran of note, make statements about this instead of seemingly trying to divide the GOP?
Snowed In on April 16, 2009 at 10:06 AM
That man should resign.
artist on April 16, 2009 at 9:44 AM
LOL!!
I heard last night on Fox that the report was commissioned under Bush. That said, it came out under Napolitano. I think she should have squashed it, personally.
JAM on April 16, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Uh, that’s not going to cut it. No vet I know is going to think that is sincere. And it doesn’t in any way go far enough.
t.ferg on April 16, 2009 at 10:08 AM
I guess Leftwing extremists that spike trees, burn SUV’s, throw blood, campout in ditches, live in trees, block military convoys, block traffic, riot, burn homes and businesses, destroy private property are all normal behavior and ok with this nutjob admin. But protest high taxes and uncontrolled spending needs a report from Janet Waco’s bull dyke twin sister.
lasertex on April 16, 2009 at 10:09 AM
It’s not going to cut it, but I think it’s a sign that Napolitano’s figured out that this issue’s *not* going away unless she actively does something to kill the controversy.
I think she was hoping that it would just fade into the ether on its own, but when the American Legion and others are calling you out on it, that’s not really an option.
teke184 on April 16, 2009 at 10:10 AM
So you still assessed that veterans can be extremists?
“situational awareness” – Sounds like the liberal definition of profiling.
Between the attempt to make veterans pay for health care AND assessing them as extremists – 2010 will mark the first step towards Republicans taking back the House and will signal the ignorance and radical agenda of the Dems.
Odie1941 on April 16, 2009 at 10:10 AM
What is the difference between a right wing extremist and a community organizer? A community organizer is in the White House.
munseym on April 16, 2009 at 10:10 AM
I love vets…
BUT I AM SICK OF PEOPLE JUST DEFENDING THEM. They aren’t the only ones who got the shaft.
DEFEND RIGHT TO LIFERS. DEFEND FEDERALISTS. DEFEND GUN OWNERS.
This is a non apologize. I apologize like this when I still maintain my overarching point while looking contrite. It’s a ruse.
WHERE THE CRAP ARE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THIS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Mommypundit on April 16, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Deer in the headlights moment for her/him. RESIGN!
apco on April 16, 2009 at 10:11 AM
What a weak-@ssed non-apology. Not even the active voice “I apologize”, but the passive voice “an apology is owed.”
Who is apologizing, Napolitano?
rbj on April 16, 2009 at 10:15 AM
Veterans owe the Divine Miss N an apology for not meekly accepting their new status, of course.
Snowed In on April 16, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Isn’t one of your officials Arlen Specter-R?
LOL
misslizzi on April 16, 2009 at 10:19 AM
[Force Choke]
Apology accepted, Captain Needa
eaglescout1998 on April 16, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Yes, Napolitano needs to either resign or be hounded from office. She is a clear and present danger to both the nation, and the Constitution.
A clueless, ignorant, arrogant party hack with no concern for anything other than maintaining herself and her party in power, slurping at the public trough, regardless of the cost to the citizens and the country.
AW1 Tim on April 16, 2009 at 10:21 AM
According to the latest DHS memo, apologies have been renamed “differently sincere obfuscational blame-shifting statements.”
Jim Treacher on April 16, 2009 at 10:23 AM
I heard last night on Fox that the report was commissioned under Bush. That said, it came out under Napolitano. I think she should have squashed it, personally.
JAM on April 16, 2009 at 10:07 AM
You know that is complete BS
youngO on April 16, 2009 at 10:25 AM
What a sleazeball. First you throw out a massive hack political smear, then a pathetic non-apology.
Here’s a hint, apologies don’t consist of further accusations (you misread me), and they don’t use the passive voice “an apology is owed”.
SHE owes a Hell of a lot more than an apology, she’s committed defamation against millions of innocents, and abused her appointed political position to do so.
Merovign on April 16, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Hey, let’s put the friggin’ Lunch Lady in charge of DHS.
Rhinoboy on April 16, 2009 at 10:25 AM
WHERE THE CRAP ARE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THIS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Mommypundit on April 16, 2009 at 10:11 AM
We have none
youngO on April 16, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Wait, which Democrat are you talking about again?
Snowed In on April 16, 2009 at 10:27 AM
JUDGE ANDREW NAPOLITANO: Six Things You Should Know About the Homeland Security Report on ‘Rightwing Extremism’
By Judge Andrew Napolitano
FOX News Senior Judicial Analyst
…
4. The summary (unclassified) document is terrifying. One can only imagine what is contained in the classified version. This document runs directly counter to numerous U.S. Supreme decisions prohibiting the government from engaging in any activities that could serve to chill the exercise of expressive liberties. Liberties are chilled, in constitutional parlance, when people are afraid to express themselves for fear of government omnipresence, monitoring, or reprisals. The document also informs the reader that Big Brother is watching both public and private behavior.
5. The whole purpose of the First Amendment is to guarantee open, broad, robust debate on the policies and personnel of the government. The First Amendment presumes that individuals — NOT THE GOVERNMENT — are free to choose what they believe and espouse, what they read and say, and with whom they associate in public and in private. The writers of this abominable report are particularly concerned with the expression of opinions that might be used to fuel ideas that challenge federal authority or favor state and local government over the federal government. Unfortunately, legislation passed during the past eight years gives the DHS and the FBI the tools to monitor everything from a telephone conversation to the keystrokes used on a personal computer without a warrant issued by a federal judge.
6. My guess is that the sentiments revealed in the report I read are the tip of an iceberg that the DHS would prefer to keep submerged until it needs to reveal it. This iceberg is the heavy-hand of government; a government with large and awful eyes, in whose heart there is no love for freedom, and on whose face there is no smile.
TheBigOldDog on April 16, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Just that one part, Jan? Really?
Exactly. Too bad you can’t unring a bell.
At least we extremist rightwingers are in good company, unlike our prog friends.
No Hope®. (<–That photo’s a keeper.)
Rae on April 16, 2009 at 10:35 AM
I’m gonna go out on a limb and answer an earlier question with: no, Andrew and Janet Napolitano are not related.
Snowed In on April 16, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Yes, where the hell ARE they?
So far I’ve seen nothing in the news to indicate any of them are doing anything on the Hill about this or taking any stand on it whatever, for that matter.
As Beck would say, it’s DISENFRANCHISEMENT, largely by our own people.
petefrt on April 16, 2009 at 10:35 AM
it would make for interesting family reunions if they were!
TheBigOldDog on April 16, 2009 at 10:37 AM
When a conservative says something stupid (or even when a conservative says something that’s just taken wildly out of context by the Professionally Aggravated class) he apologizes; and then he the CORRECTS any possible misunderstanding. Liberals “accept” that apology the same way sharks accept chum: as an invitation to move in for the kill.
But is Napolitano going to change – or even bother to clarify – ONE WORD of the report?
Of course not.
She’s just going to keep saying she’s sorry that veterans are all too stupid to understand why it’s a good thing the Obama administration considers them terrorists.
logis on April 16, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Sounds like the thief who isn’t sorry at all that he stole, but he’s sorry he got caught.
No….on my veteran husband and son’s behalf, apology not accepted.
ladyingray on April 16, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Napolitano’s report adds another cornerstone to Thought/Speech Police Headquarters. If they can’t nail you for hate speech, then they can tag you as a threat to homeland security.
But we will continue to have free speech, so long as you watch what you say.
petefrt on April 16, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Napolitano nails it. I recall saying something like this was going to happen maybe two weeks ago, our new overlords using the anti-terror apparatus to terrorize their political opposition. That was quick!
Beagle on April 16, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Why not? She saw that Holder was able to call us “a nation of cowards” and get away scot-free. And I am really ticked that none of the GOP is even bothering to nail her on the idea that muslims only cause “man-caused disasters” while American servicemen are addressed as potential terrorists.
progressoverpeace on April 16, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Last night, on O’Reilly, Dennis Miller said that Janny Nap has a haircut like Frank Luntz’s.
Thread winner. This was no apology; it was the classic non-apology apology that bases everything on the “feelings” of those insulted. Screw you, Janny. You’re a disgraceful joke. As soon as Obama nominated her, I realized that he considers Homeland Security a joke and a waste of resources.
BuckeyeSam on April 16, 2009 at 10:45 AM
No, it’s defamation when some unemployable moonbat calls Republicans “Nazis,” and again when CBS news repeats it a hundred times.
But when the head of a US law enforcement agency accuses everyone who criticizes her administration of being a terrorist – that’s not an insult; that’s a THREAT.
logis on April 16, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Diver, meet muff.
TexasJew on April 16, 2009 at 10:56 AM
fixed typo. bugged me.
Mommypundit on April 16, 2009 at 11:01 AM
I totally agree.
Mommypundit on April 16, 2009 at 11:05 AM
You know that is complete BS
youngO on April 16, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Why? These reports take months to compile. I have no doubt that it was commissioned under the previous adminstration, but was painted much too broadly. As noted, the liberal domestic terrorist report, which came out in Jan., was specific, this one is very general so as to indict the entire right-wing.
Isn’t it ironic, this is what the left accused Bush of doing. Targeting American individuals and groups. The fact that the Bush administration never abused that power by going after leftards, but this DHS under a liberal adminstration is actually doing what the liberals said Bush would do is very, well ironic. Yet, they won’t raise one hair of protest about it. Hypocisy thy name is Liberal.
JAM on April 16, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Translation: Sorry if we offended you, you child-murdering rapist criminals, you.
Physics Geek on April 16, 2009 at 11:17 AM
OK, let’s see. From the DHS report:
From HA commenter Guardian:
Hmmm. Seems there’s only one “dangerously stupid” person writing here, and it sure isn’t the DHS. Please point to the part of the assessment that claims “one of America’s biggest threats are patriotic Americans.”
Seems the VFW is also “dangerously stupid” apparently. Glen M. Gardner Jr., national commander described it for what it is:
After Tim McVeigh and Oklahoma City, the DHS would be remiss in its obligations not to consider all possibilities.
Grow Fins on April 16, 2009 at 11:34 AM
Translation: “Ok, they said I had to apologize to the vets, but the rest of you can go straight to he11.”
I cannot believe the hypocrisy. To get perspective, switch out the terms to leftist causes du jour, called out by a Republican admin. It would never happen without a public lynching resulting.
hoosiermama on April 16, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Some help, please. I couldn’t find where the Senate has actually voted for her for that position or does she even need a Senate vote?
Tom
marinetbryant on April 16, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Got that vets? You owe Mr. Napolitano an appology for reading his words wrong.
DamnCat on April 16, 2009 at 11:40 AM
This is an assessment, not an accusation:
This administration is completely off their rockers…they are a bunch of leftwing extremists, and potentially very dangerous.
This is an assessment, not an accusation…
right2bright on April 16, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Wait a second…everyone knows that the only people who join the military were Hispanics and African-Americans that were desperate for any sort of work.
So they are saying that right-wing extreamist groups are made up of Hispanics and African-American? That sounds like profiling to me!
DamnCat on April 16, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Funny how nobody on the right said a word when the Bush Administration FBI issued their July 2008 report “White Supremacist Recruitment of Military Personnel since 9/11″
Similar language. Similar assumptions:
Grow Fins on April 16, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Similar language…you mean they are both written in English, that’s about it.
One talks about all veterans, and the other talks about specific people already in extreme groups.
It is the difference between a ALF group members and the people who work for the Humane Society. Or the difference between going to a Mosque, and the man holding a knife to a pilots throat…funny how Janet never got around saying that all Muslim’s are suspects…
right2bright on April 16, 2009 at 12:11 PM
http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0409/One_Question_Napolitano.html
Napolitano’s conditions for appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe today were that they could ask only one question, with no follow-ups on the “extremism” report.
This has the makings of a problem for the administration that they *will* have to deal with, even though they’re just hoping it will go away.
teke184 on April 16, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Napolitano’s apology is BS and misses the point completely.
flipflop on April 16, 2009 at 12:26 PM
Actually, one assesses the potential for right wing extremist recruitment among veterans, and the earlier reports supports that assessment as reasonable. Because there is evidence for contacts between neo-nazi groups and veterans, as the FBI report documents.
But of course, you all know this. This panty-twisting over the report is simple politics.
Grow Fins on April 16, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Is this what you’re looking for?
misslizzi on April 16, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Why the f*ck would any veteran want to meet with this, er, [self deleted]?
funky chicken on April 16, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Did Sarah Brady have a hand in writing this report? Thats how parts of it read.
meci on April 16, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Grow Fins on April 16, 2009 at 11:59 AM
I’m a military wife, and I’ve said for years that Bush didn’t support the troops worth a warm bucket of spit. He kept Gordon England at the Pentagon, he said nothing in defense of the guys from Haditha, he said nothing about the fact that the snaggle-toothed losers at Abu Grabass were not representative of the active duty force or even 99.9% of Nat’l Guard people, he kept cutting the active duty force numbers all the way through FY 2007, etc, etc, etc.
But most people on the right howled and screamed BDS at me every time I brought that stuff up.
Bush drove up deficits because of out of control domestic porkfest spending, and his huge increases in foreign aid, particularly to Africa.
But way too many on the right try to say it was because of spending for the military. It’s just not true, tragically.
funky chicken on April 16, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Thats no apology AT ALL. RESIGN you incompetent idiot.
dogsoldier on April 16, 2009 at 12:45 PM
And not a tea bag in sight.
Grow Fins on April 16, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Gah! Not a family-friendly photo. You’ll burn pixels.
Feedie on April 16, 2009 at 12:53 PM
I guess your relatives all look like Paris Hilton, right?
Grow Fins on April 16, 2009 at 12:56 PM
The difference being???
jdkchem on April 16, 2009 at 1:02 PM
You are right; all excellent points. The unprincipled hate-fest from lefty-media drowned out all principled criticism of the deranged dynast. The media wouldn’t tell the truth because they agreed with the most damaging behaviors of Bush (open borders, Haditha, spending, persecution of soldiers and border patrol). Many people were numbed by this and saw all criticism as BDS.
Yet, it is criticism from his own side that could’ve helped him the most. He resented that most of all, to his disgrace. The Bushes were always affected more by elitist media, being fellow elites.
Feedie on April 16, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Some “apology”. Remember the nonstop grovelling every Republican in the world had to do for “macaca”? When only PhD zoologists, and dead, french-speaking African colonialists knew what a macaca was?
LibTired on April 16, 2009 at 2:41 PM
I am afraid that you are absolutely correct and that they’ll do something to make sure people can only vote Democrat by 2012, maybe sooner.
Al in St. Lou on April 16, 2009 at 3:28 PM
Napolitano hates black people.
logis on April 16, 2009 at 4:16 PM