GOP Rep. Herger Praises Self-Identified Right-Wing Terrorist As a ‘Great American’

Rep. Wally Herger
Rep. Wally Herger
Was Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh a “great American?” How about Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph?

In light of his statements during a town hall on Aug. 18, it would be good to hear whether Rep. Wally Herger, a Republican representing a rural district near the California-Oregon border, agrees that these killers are “great Americans.”

At the town hall, Herger — a Mormon and former oil executive who has served in Congress since 1987 — first stoked hatred for the U.S. government by right-wingers in the crowd of 2,000 by spuriously claiming that health-insurance reform is dangerous:

“Our democracy has never been threatened as much as it is today,” Herger said to a loud standing ovation.

But it was during the public comment period that Rep. Herger embraced an apparently treasonous declaration from Bert Stead of Redding, who claimed lineage back to the Mayflower:

[Stead] said “they did not arrive holding their hands out for help.”

“I am a proud right wing terrorist,” he declared to cheers.

Herger praised the man’s attitude.

“Amen, God bless you,” Herger said with a broad smile. “There is a great American.”

A U.S. congressman saluting a self-declared “right wing terrorist” represents a potentially deadly new low in the Republican campaign this summer to preserve trillions of dollars in profits for the health-insurance lobby.

In 1995, right-wing terrorist McVeigh killed dozens of children, women and men when he and others blew up a federal office building in Oklahoma City. Months later, Eric Rudolph set off a series of bombs, including one at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, that killed one person and injured 111 others.

In July of 2008, William Adkisson, whose penchant for violence was goaded by right-wing radio and Fox News hosts, opened fire during a children’s play in a Knoxville church, killing two adults and wounding seven. Earlier this year, right-wing terrorist Scott Roeder allegedly murdered Dr. George Tiller, an abortion provider in Witchita.

Earlier this month, an armed man seeking publicity showed up outside a town hall meeting conducted by Pres. Obama in New Hampshire. Later, 12 armed men appeared outside a town hall in Arizona.

While the mainstream media has mostly ignored Rep. Herger’s apparently whole-hearted approval of right-wing violence, he was lambasted on MSNBC last night:

“This is the dangerous edge in which these people, including some elected officials, are now dancing,” [“Hardball” host Chris] Matthews told his TV audience. “We have been here before. Words lead to actions, words create the national mood, the mood creates a license, people take that license and use it. I am not spelling it out any further because I don’t want to.”

[“Countdown” host Keith] Olbermann ripped Herger for failing to put Stead in his place.

“Even if he was being allegorical or hyperbolic, you’re a U.S. Congressman, damn it. You’re bound by oath to uphold the Constitution,” Olbermann said.

Olbermann told Herger it was his duty to tell Stead what the word “terrorist” meant and “how many Americans have died at the hands of terrorists.” If Herger can’t do that, then “you’re not entitled to serve as Redding’s dog catcher, let alone to be in the House of Representatives,” Olbermann said.

When asked for response by a reporter from the Redding Record-Searchlight, Herger spokesperson Matt Lavoie said the congressman was unavailable but Lavoie characterized Stead’s declaration aligning himself with killers like McVeigh and Rudolph as “sarcasm.”

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2 thoughts on “GOP Rep. Herger Praises Self-Identified Right-Wing Terrorist As a ‘Great American’”

  1. Well, just look at that knuckle-dragger. He looks like either a guy you might see working at one of those ring-toss games on the midway at the county fair or a septic tank pumping specialist.

  2. My husband is a septic tank pump specialist, and he would be offended to be compared to this extremist jerk who is inciting hate and much worse.

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