Today on “Face The Nation”, David Axelrod said one of the most sinister things anyone in the Obama administration has said thus far. From Fox News online:

Axelrod was asked on CBS’ “Face the Nation” for his opinion on what the show’s host described as “this spreading and very public disaffection with not only the government, but especially the Obama administration.”

Axelrod replied: “I think any time that you have severe economic conditions, there is always an element of disaffection that can mutate into something that’s unhealthy.”

“Unhealthy?” the moderator repeated.

“This is a country where we value our liberties and our ability to express ourselves. And so far these are expressions,” Axelrod answered.

Did you catch that? Tea Parties could mutate into something “unhealthy” – a little euphemism for “violent”. Axelrod believes we’re all a little crazy because of the “severe economic conditions”, but he thinks some people, like Republicans at a McCain / Palin rally, will probably take it one step further.

Have you heard it before? I know, I know, passionate Republicans were excoriated for actually cheering during Palin speeches which were critical of The One. Worthless hacks like David Gergen and Paul Begala muttered darkly about concerns of violence, setting the table for this quite nicely – but that was just talk. We now have the big guns jumping on the bandwagon.

Back-up straight from the DHS:

Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy…

Which isn’t the real concern. This is, and always has been:

Many rightwing extremists are antagonistic toward the new presidential administration…

So far though, “these are expressions”, not anything more. But we know that “expressions” can qualify as “hate speech” at the drop of a hat or the whim of a judge. Label it, criminalize it, then eliminate it.  

Heck, it’s backed up by the DHS:

DHS/I&A will be working with its state and local partners over the next several months to ascertain with greater regional specificity the rise in rightwing extremist activity in the United States…

And what better tool to help with this domestic terrorism prevention policy than – say it with me – FISA.  I wondered why the concern from the left over Obama’s continuation and expansion of this program died down as soon as it rose, and now I know why.  In an attempt to fight terrorism abroad, the Bush administration gave Barack Obama the perfect tool to eliminate dissent here at home, and the left knows it.

We are the new terrorists. Radical Islam is no longer the enemy. Barack Obama has made that plain. Radical Love for one’s country through opposition to this surreal administration is the true enemy while at the same time being the first identifiable symptom of a domestic terrorist. Passion is expression is hate is violence is criminal. Count on it.

It took me a little while to put two and two – DHS and FISA – together.  And my opinion doesn’t come from some fever swamp filled with black helicopters, they come from the words of those at the highest levels of this administration.

As was noted on another diary which has made it to the “recommended” list, the construction of the gallows upon which Lady Liberty will die has taken the left generations to build, piece by painstaking piece. It is now complete, and I wonder which one of us will be the first to garner the attention of the government through the DHS, and be treated to the power of FISA. Hell, they may even want to keep Gitmo open if this thing works out.

You know, when you say the name in light of all of this – Department of Homeland Security – it really begins to sound a little sickening.