Reassessing Violent Groups on the Right

In the past few days, the tense armed standoff in Nevada between Federal law enforcement officers and armed self-styled "patriot" militia, and the murder of three people outside Jewish facilities in Overland, Kansas by a white supremacist have put the spotlight on the extremist right wing in this country.  As Rachel Maddow pointed out in last night's broadcast, monitoring and combatting homegrown terrorism on the far right receives scant resources and attention compared with international terrorism.

Back in 2009, a report by the Department of Homeland Security that had been commissioned by the Bush Administration noted the rise of self-styled "patriot" groups, armed militias, neo-Nazi and white supremacist organizations.  The right wing establishment was quick to denounce the report, despite its origins in the Bush Administration, as a sign of hostility of the 3-month old Obama Administration to "conservatives."  As Esquire's Charles P. Pierce notes, the events of the past week should caution us not to dismiss the warning signs that were raised five years ago.