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    Conservative Blogger Erick Erickson Threatens to Shoot Census Workers

    By Michael Wolraich on Thu, 04/01/2010 - 9:03pm | Politics, Humor & Satire

    Erick Erickson, the founder of political blog RedState.com, which CNN calls "the preeminent right of center community online," has threatened to drive off census workers with a shotgun if they ask him how many times he flushes the toilet and other highly classified information.

     

    ERICKSON: This is crazy. What gives the Commerce Department the right to ask me how often I flush my toilet? Or about going to work? I'm not filling out this form. I dare them to try and come throw me in jail. I dare them to. Pull out my wife's shotgun and see how that little ACS twerp likes being scared at the door. They're not going on my property. They can't do that. They don't have the legal right, and yet they're trying.

    I have a few questions for Mr. Erickson:

    1. You realize that you can't be arrested for refusing to discuss your bathroom habits or any other census question, right?

    2. You realize that you can be arrested for threatening an unarmed doorknocker with your wife's shotgun, right?

    3. How do you respond to Jehovah's Witnesses? Trick-or-Treaters? Girl Scout cookie sellers?

    4. Shouldn't you ask your wife's permission before brandishing her shotgun at a census worker?

    5. Have you explored non-violent alternatives? Such as politely declining? Pretending that you're not home? Posting a large sign that says "Beware of Right-of-Center Blogger?"

    6. Haven't there been enough gun threats lately?

    7. What's your middle name?

    Incidentally, Erickson will soon join a new CNN show called John King, USA. According to Sam Feist, CNN political director and vice president of Washington-based programming,

    Erick's a perfect fit for John King, USA, because not only is he an agenda-setter whose words are closely watched in Washington, but as a person who still lives in small-town America, Erick is in touch with the very people John hopes to reach. With Erick's exceptional knowledge of politics, as well as his role as a conservative opinion leader, he will add an important voice to CNN's ideologically diverse group of political contributors.

    I look forward to hearing Erickson's agenda-setting, ideologically diverse knowledge of politics on CNN.

     

    More on the kinder, gentler, CNNier Erickson at MediaMatters.org.

    Late update: After the ensuing uproar, Erickson logically defended himself against critics by playing the abortion card:

    You people are nuts. Absolute nuts. Where do you get off misconstruing that I'm agitating for killing Census workers when you people are out there advocating for the killing of the unborn on a regular basis. You have no shame.

    Erickson evidently has a curious notion of the concept of shame.

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    I'm currently writing a book, How Bill O'Reilly Saved Christmas, and Other Right-Wing Persecution Fantasies, to be published in October. For more sad tales of right-wing suffering, read my persecution politics series at dagblog.com.

     

    Topics: 
    Politics
    Humor & Satire

    Comments

    Shooting census workers somehow just seems wrong. Even if your constitution guarantees you that right. They should at least get a head start, no?

    As Jon Stewart pointed out tonight, CNN really sucks -- even when they just try to be Fox News Lite.


    by acanuck on Fri, 04/02/2010 - 2:38am

    I have it on good authority* that his middle name is Erica. You can imagine why he wouldn't willingly divulge that piece of information, however.

    *If you can't trust a homeless man with a hot tip, who can you trust?


    by Nebton on Fri, 04/02/2010 - 9:33am

    Just found this gem -- Erickson's previous threat to aim his weapon at government bureaucrats. It was in response to Washington state's ban of phosphate-based dish washer detergents:

    Washington State has turned its residents into a group of drug runners — crossing state lines to buy dish washer detergent with phosphate. At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?...Were I in Washington State, I’d be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation.

    http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/03/31/at-what-point-do-people-revolt/

    Forget about Tea Parties. It's time for a Cleaning Product Revolt.


    by Michael Wolraich on Fri, 04/02/2010 - 4:58pm

    Follow-up: Erickson's response to critics...

    And yet they're out there saying, "Oh, Erick Erickson. He's encouraging us to kill Census workers. He's so evil and mean. And he works for CNN." You know, I -- long ago I realized -- well, not that long ago, a year or so ago, that people linger on every word I say. Well, linger on these words, please: You people are nuts. Absolute nuts. Where do you get off misconstruing that I'm agitating for killing Census workers when you people are out there advocating for the killing of the unborn on a regular basis. You have no shame.

    No shame, indeed.


    by Michael Wolraich on Wed, 04/07/2010 - 4:10pm