More anti-anti-Census nonsense: Bill Press calls for Erick Erickson’s arrest
Lib-talker Bill Press is not only a liar. He’s a silly harridan. And he proves the point I’ve been making since last year about the Left’s criminalization of dissent over the census.
First, Press grossly distorts what Erick Erickson of RedState said about the census. Via Human Events:
At Tuesday’s White House press briefing, Bill Press, a former California Democratic Party chairman as well as a former CNN contributor who no longer works for the network, said, “Erick Erickson’s a commentator for CNN. A couple of days ago, he said he was not going to fill out his census form and if a census worker came to the door, he said he would quote ‘pull out my wife’s shotgun and see how that little twerp likes being scared at the door.’”
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, under the delusion that Bill Press was telling the truth, replied, “It should concern CNN, if — probably first and foremost. It probably concerns his wife as well.”
Here’s the real story: Last Thursday, filling in on a local radio station in Georgia, Erickson launched into a ten minute defense of filling out the census, delving into its impact at the local level, and ridiculing those who claim the information requested by the census is unconstitutional. You can listen to the audio here. It is quite clear that Erickson strongly urges his listeners to complete the census. No one who listened to Erickson’s broadcast could have concluded otherwise.
Among the choice bits, Erickson said, “It’s a constitutional obligation. How can a 21st Century society function without knowing how many people are actually living in the country, legally versus illegally for that matter? What’s the harm with filling out the census? The Constitution — for those of you who say I’m not filling out the census — it’s in the freaking Constitution. You got to fill out your census.”
About nine minutes into his radio monologue, Erickson switched gears and began to discuss the American Community Survey (ACS), a survey carried out by the Commerce Department’s Census Bureau. Many conservatives say the ACS is an overreach of the Commerce Department’s authority to conduct the census. Among other things, this survey, which is not the census, requires individuals to tell the government details about their finances, whether they have a flush toilet in their home, their commute to work, and other matters in a clear invasion of privacy.
Erickson went on to say: “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.” He later clarified repeatedly “both that he never said he would shoot the ACS surveyor, commenting that only an anti-gun urban liberal would confuse ‘scared’ with ‘shoot,’ and that, as he said but the left chose to ignore, the scenario only played out if the ‘ACS twerp’ tried to ‘throw [him] in jail,” according to Human Events.
No matter. Press is now calling for Erickson’s arrest:
Why is Mr. Erickson still at large? He is as dangerous as any member of any armed militia who threatens the life of federal agents….
Two things to remember: One, the census is no threat to anybody, and it IS required by the U.S. Constitution.
Two, I’m all for freedom of speech, but threats to assassinate government officials is not protected by the First Amendment.
Lock Erick Erickson up – and throw the key away.
Two things to remember:
One, Erickson doesn’t oppose the census, never said it was a “threat to anybody,” and pointed out himself that it’s a “constitutional obligation.”
Two, Erickson never threatened to “assassinate” anyone.
But the bitter Press is rushing to play judge, jury, and jail warden to smear Erickson — and bully conservatives who dare to say anything negative about the Obama administration’s politicitzied, profligate enumeration methods and Census Bureau initiatives.
Oh, and you needn’t hold your breath for selective ACLU free-speech absolutists to call him out.
Criticizing the feds’ increasing invasions of privacy is not a crime.
Lucky for Bill Press, neither is rank buffoonery.
***
Funny. I went back and couldn’t find a single time when Press criticized the actual assassination chic of the Bush years. But that’s just how the Left’s selective civility police have always rolled…
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
 |
Your Census dollars at work: $100,000 Vegas junket to Treasure Island, baby
September 21, 2010 10:43 AM by Michelle Malkin
45 Comments
Unemployment at 9.5%; another Obama econ adviser bails; Mrs. Obama hits the beach
August 6, 2010 08:54 AM by Michelle Malkin
77 Comments
9.9%
May 7, 2010 10:49 AM by Michelle Malkin
201 CommentsYour Census boondoggle story of the week
May 5, 2010 05:14 PM by Michelle Malkin
46 CommentsLeft-wing lawyers: Minority criminals have a right to Census boondoggle jobs, too!
April 13, 2010 01:47 PM by Michelle Malkin
30 Comments
Today’s unemployment figures — and more Census workers’ true confessions
April 2, 2010 10:07 AM by Michelle Malkin
60 Comments
Categories: census
Villainous Company
» Must Read Post of the Day. Possibly, the YearSister Toldjah
» Barack Obama: Can we call him a Socialist now?
Okay, so he didn’t urge listeners to not complete their census forms but the opposite. Let’s arrest him for that! The time for talk is done. Arrest that man!
If more of the MSM come to their census (sorry for the pun) we might be on our way towards a more enlightened electorate, and less Democrats/Marxists in office.
Ironic that it seems CNN is displaying contrition for their complicity in the Obama coup, if only for the sake of ratings. Getting the truth out there is always a good thing.
He’s as dangerous as any member? How about the deaf, dumb and blind kid?
I thought all the lefty weenies believe the term militia can only mean a Government force. At least that’s what they say when attacking the Second Amendment.
Besides, of what use would an unarmed militia be?
What would Mr. Press think if Uncle Ernie visited him at his to conduct a survey?
MM, I had to look up the word “harridan” – and I like it! It describes Bill DePressed very nicely!
…visited him at his house to conduct….
Apologies.
Need – more – coffee….
On April 8th, 2010 at 11:36 am, granite said:
What would Mr. Press think if Uncle Ernie visited him at his house to conduct a survey?
Forgot to include:
Or perhaps Cousin Kevin?
So I didn’t listen to Erickson’s rant, yet, but I have to ask two questions.
1) All I see in the constitution is a requirement to enumerate. E-num-er-ate. Not determine the racial makeup. And not anything other than determining the number of people in the household. Congress can determine the *manner* in which the census is carried out, but there’s no authorization for collecting any more information than the number.
2) Given that the entirety of constitution is strictly a description of the limited powers of the Federal Government, on what basis does Erickson, or anyone else, think that in this specific clause, there is any kind of individual mandate? The government is required to ask me. I am not required to answer.
Granted, I didn’t refuse to answer question 1. How the heck else are we suppose to get proper representation in the House, otherwise? So I think it’s foolish to refuse to answer question 1. I consider any other questions none of the government’s business. And I would be at my door with a shotgun, as well, if I was threatened with arrest for refusing.
As far as “threating the life of federal agents” goes, Bill Press would do well to remember a quote from the founder of his own party: “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”
Hey, I have a cousin Kevin!
Jackweed, thy name is Press.
An obvious question: don’t these buffoons ever do a fact-check on anything that they get lathered up about, before making a fool of themselves?
Of course, the Lame-Stream-Media will cover for them, and tell the reader that certainly they would have said that, if they had had a chance.
The ACLU – Anti-Christian Lawyers Union – isn’t interested in conservative’s civil liberties. They’d rather threaten small towns around the country because they might have a tiny, little cross in their city seals or some words that are offensive to them like Jesus, or God, or the 10 Commandments.
Forget about the biggest civil liberties that are being attacked, like freedom of speech or the right to bear arms. Those aren’t worthy of their lofty, marxist goals.
I wonder what Bill Press’ problem is? I wonder if he has some kind of mental disease that is causing him to say things like this? It could be a mental condition.
For some reason, I can’t say the ACLU was communist when founded, with links, on this site. It disappears into the ether. Please look it up the history of the ACLU if you doubt it.
There HAS to be medical help for Bill Press- medication, counseling, a good beating, something to help this poor deluded jerk. Of medication & counseling I know little but I could help this man. At least I would feel better.
The tyranny of the Left’s criminalization of dissent is pretty much, exactly really, what the Founders warned us about at the very start of this nation. As we know these Fascists care nothing about our Bill of Negative Rights we have been warned. Armed militia he says?
I know the weenies, Leftist and trolls reject that and thus I reject the weenies, Leftist and trolls.
Battle at Lexington Green, 1775The British Major then swung his sword, and said, ‘Lay down your arms, you damned rebels,
No Major, no Mr. Press I do not believe we will.
Everyone feel okay about all of these laptops containing everything an enterprising part-time census worker would need to set himself up (or a friend) in the identification theft business are just sitting there ready to be “stolen”?
Yes, he does. It’s called liberalism.
Bill Press? HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA
Is he trying to get in Obamao’s cabinet?
Haha this is so funny! That loser Erick banned people from his site that are birthers. His excuse is that birthers makes people on the right look crazy and gives the left more ammunition to use against the right.
Now look what he just done with his BIG MOUTH. He made the right look crazy and has given the left more ammo. LOSER!!!
And no I wasn’t banned from his site. I hardly ever visit it.
Not exactly news to me – his column appears weekly (weakly?) in the Reading (PA) Eagle. Good for laughs, but not for anything useful. Press is a moonbat of the lowest order.
Apparently you misread Michelle’s post. Re-read it. Your comment makes no sense given the facts.
Bill Press is still alive?
Oh course it makes sense. That idiot Erick should know by now that anything anyone say on the right will be misconstrued by people left.
Bill Press.
Never heard of him. But he sure does sound like a harridan. Sure has his panties in a bunch. Good one Michelle!
Be that as it may, Conservatives should never use the noun “shotgun” unless the verb in the sentence is “cling”.
By the way, if Erik Erickson had made this same comment on his own RedState blog? Guess what?
Yep. He’d be banned. I guarantee it.
Erickson and Press are both big-talking, do-little p*ss**s.
Hmmm….Liberalism, I’m thinking. Yup, that’s gotta be it. If diagnosed and intensively treated early enough, it can be cured.
Well, if you mean taking up phyiscal space and breathing, evidently….his mind is a different matter, entirely.
Didn’t Press used to be on some sort of “Two Idiots on Television” show with Pat Buchanan?
I can’t tell the difference between Matthews and Press. Not that it matters. They both have slightly better manners than Olbermann, and don’t look quite as scary as Helen Thomas. Helen Thomas is the living harridan, and Molly Ivins is the dead one.
That, and change the channel, is all you need to know about the progressive media.
The census is not a threat.
The census data in the hands of the White House is a threat.
I’m waiting to get arrested for contaminating my census form. The government needs to be colorblind.
Who? Oh, he used to be on CNN, no wonder I’ve never heard of him.
Here’s the Wikipedia entry on the American Community Survey.
I’m not a Paulian, but I liked Ron Paul’s columns on the American Community Survey, here and here. His solution is to vote out the stupid before the new survey system becomes entrenched.
Following the mandates of the Constitution occur only when it serves the political elites. The rest of the time they avoid knowing that it exists.
Wasn’t that a segment of SNL back in the ’70′s or ’80s?
We havn’t received anything at all from the census as yet–not by mail or in person.
Moe..: “Press!”
Larry: “Press!”
Curly: “Pull! Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!”
“Niagara Falls!!!! Slowly I turned….“
what would you expect from Press, he is a demorat, their mouth moves, lies come out, it’s in their DNA.
Yeah, It was called CrossFart or something like that.
It would appear that the only way left for Press to get any attention is to spread a lie.
No doubt the MSM will repeat this lie and pay Press a few bucks to shill for it.
Press is a bad embalming case on steroids. The stare, the words that flow from a brain long gone. Scary!
I would love to get an ACS survey. I would tell them that I:
– have no toilet
– commute to work by canoe
Sorry, there’s more.
I am paid in animal pelts.
I am illiterate.
I speak Zulu at home.
Don’t fight this insanity. Have fun with it.
(I live in the Bay Area and we are used to this lunacy.).
On April 8th, 2010 at 1:27 pm, Dave Turson said:
Ron Paul says some things I agree with. (Those two articles you linked come to mind).
He also says some things I disagree with.
Rep. Paul is a polarizing figure, I guess. Most people that I’ve heard either love him, hate him, or don’t really know who he is.
Mention him to his detractors and you are labeled a “Paul-Bot” and dismissed as a crackpot.
Criticize him to his supporters and you are a big-government-loving, Constitution-and-liberty-hating leftist pig.
I guess I’m just biased towards my own point of view (aren’t we all), but to me the most sensible approach is to do as I do and say “I agree with him on some things and disagree with him on others.
To his credit, he seems to be consistent. He has his views on the nature of the Constitution and the U.S. Government and he sticks to them regardless (at least as far as I have seen).
On April 8th, 2010 at 8:07 pm, sdillard said:
Be careful. The left might want to arrest you for that.
As I said in the other thread about CNN…the left is DESPERATE for ANYTHING to smear the right with, and the Tea Party.
Who are you going to believe? The left, whose “facts” are what they say they are? or your lying ears?
This might be a good Freedom of Information Act request for Michelle after the census is done.
1. How many electronic devices used to collect information have been lost/stolen?
2. What will happen to any electronic device used to gather personal data during the census?
3. What is your process for ensuring any personal data is wiped from devices used prior to disposal?
How many of these devices will end up on E-bay or government surplus sales sites?
…with nothing done to wipe the data?
OwebowmaO didn’t include the third thing in his Bitter Clinger comment.
Yeah, I have no problem Bitterly Clinging to the Constitution.
While a Constitutionally mandated task, IMHO, the census house to house count has outlived it usefulness and has become a politically corrupt tool.
If we really need to count folks, just add up those who pay more taxes than handouts and those who get more handouts than pay taxes — hard to imagine anyone of relevance who isn’t in one or the other category. Minimally, it seems gubermint should be able to get their act together enough to collate this info.
If a state gains or loses people, it will still gain or lose Congresscritters. Forget gerrymandered Congressional districts — just elect House members at large within a state — no need for districts. Gerrymandered districts are a the heart of the political divide that is pushing our nation apart. Districts have been turned into gerrymandered incumbent monarchies, with most incumbents just needing to file for reelection to get re-elected. Most never have to appeal to any general electorate — they’ve got their special interest gerrymandered district.
This creates the political and moral wedge that is driving our nation apart. If the House members all ran at large, they’d all have to run toward the middle AND they’d all have to run for office — there would be no safe seats. Not to go unmentioned, with everyone running for election at large, the public at large would become more literate about the issues facing the nation, since no longer would most people be in a safe seat where it hardly mattered whether you paid attention or not, or even voted…
When a liberal says he’s all FOR a certain right, you can bet he isnt.
if {existing/probable rep is conservative}
then {turn in census}
else {do not turn in census}
Treat as opportunity to ‘vote’.
Irrelivant Bill Press is still wasting oxygen? I can’t believe the man is even out of the mental institution. The only people who lend any credence to Bill Press are his immediate family members.
No one has ever said the actual census is unconstitutional. Clearly it is not. What Erickson and others are objecting to is the unconstitutional American Community Survey.
Any twit invading my space demanding I participate will be met with stiff resistance. I refuse to participate in the ACS.