By Richard Sisk at nydailynews.com:
Former President Bill Clinton warned Friday that the anti-government fringe could provoke the kind of political extremism that preceded the Oklahoma City bombing.
"Before the bombing occurred, there was a sort of fever" in the political dialogue that was in ways similar in content to the anger currently boiling up on talk radio and on the Internet, Clinton said at a forum on the 15th anniversary of the attack by Timothy McVeigh that killed 168.
"The fabric of American life had been unraveling" in 1995 amid high unemployment, Clinton said.
"The structure of the Cold War -- the clear bipolar world -- was coming to an end," Clinton said. "There were more and more people having trouble figuring out where they fit in. It is true that we see some of that today."
Clinton said people have the right "to advocate whatever the livin' Sam Hill they want to advocate" but they must observe "the basic line dividing criticism from violence or its advocacy."
The enthusiasm for the current Tea Party movement was essentially within bounds, Clinton said.
"This Tea Party movement can be a healthy thing if they are making us justify every dollar of taxes we raise and every dollar of money we've spent," Clinton said.
"But when you get mad, sometimes you end up producing the exact opposite result of what you say you are for."
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When I heard about this I again thought WTF? Bill Clinton needs to remember it was under his watch that the ATF seiged the Branch Davidian Ranch in Waco killing 76 people that was the final straw that so enraged lunatic Timothy McVeigh (the OKC bomber) . . . .
To compare everyday Americans that are standing up against government spending and the dismantling of our constitution to inspiring another homegrown terrorist attack is an outrage.
When the dems try to pass the “cap and trade” bill I bet you won’t hear Billy boy talk about how the Global Warming fanatics encourage groups like (ELF) the Earth Liberation Front who use arson and every other means to stop economic growth which they consider endangers the environment.
There are plenty of wackos out there that will use any excuse to cause terror and try to destroy our country, but for Clinton to use the tea partiers as an example shows that the left is really just grasping at straws.
Hey Bill - The tea partiers are for building up America NOT tearing it down ! ! ! !
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http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/04/16/2010-04-16_former_president_clinton_warns_tea_party_could_feed_same_extremism_that_led_to_o.html
