It all started, as these things often do, with Michelle Malkin:

Yesterday, Roger Hedgecock and the Liberty Papers posted an unclassified DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis report titled:

Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.

Malkin called the DHS report (from “Obama’s” DHS) “a sweeping indictment of conservatives.”  She seems to think this report represents some sort of plot by leftists in the Obama administration to target people like herself and her merry band of teabaggers.

Actually, no.  The report focuses on rightwing extremism, not conservatism as a whole. [NOTE: As Dave Neiwart points out, the word “conservative” appears nowhere in the report].  There’s a difference.

Rightwing extremist:

Rightwing conservative pundit:

Now, both rightwingers are subjectively reprehensible, but only one was objectively responsible for a terrorist attack which killed 168 people in Oklahoma City in 1995, the largest domestic terrorist bombing in the United States before 9/11.

And I would suggest that the Department of Homeland Security ought to keep their eyes on those like Timothy McVeigh.  Or Eric Rudolph.  Which is what the report says.

*I* can tell the difference.  Why can’t Michelle?  (And no, she’s not the only one: see here and here and here and here; [UPDATE: Even Newt Gingrich tweets: “The person who drafted the outrageous homeland security memo smearing veterans and conservatives should be fired”])

Michelle, you’re so vain.  You probably think that report is about you.  It’s not.  It speak volumes about Michelle Malkin that she thinks the report is about her and people who are fed up with Obama policies (i.e., the people attending these tea bag protests).

As the report states, the charged anti-Obama political climate, couple with economic concerns, does serve as a breeding ground for radical homegrown rightwing terrorists.  Case in point, from only last month:

BELFAST, Maine — James G. Cummings, who police say was shot to death by his wife two months ago, allegedly had a cache of radioactive materials in his home suitable for building a “dirty bomb.”

***

…[F]our 1-gallon containers of 35 percent hydrogen peroxide, uranium, thorium, lithium metal, thermite, aluminum powder, beryllium, boron, black iron oxide and magnesium ribbon were found in the home.

Also found was literature on how to build “dirty bombs” and information about cesium-137, strontium-90 and cobalt-60, radioactive materials. The FBI report also stated there was evidence linking James Cummings to white supremacist groups…

Cummings’ wife, Amber B. Cummings, 31, told investigators that her husband spoke of “dirty bombs,” according to the report, and mixed chemicals in her kitchen sink. She allegedly told police that Cummings subjected her to years of mental, physical and sexual abuse. She also said that Cummings was “very upset” when Barack Obama was elected president.

Another thing that Malkin et al probably failed to consider is that the research, prepration and authoring of this report was probably started prior to Obama’s inauguration, by some career person at DHS.  Pinning it on “Obama’s DHS” is laughable.

But, you ask, doesn’t the report explicitly single out riight wing extremism, as the title suggests?  Aren’t the critics right about that?

Well, this report singles out rightwing extremism.  But the DHS has issued other reports singling out leftwing extremism.  Maybe those didn’t generate that much of a fuss.  After all, the last leftwing terrorist attack was probably by the Weather Underground…. in the late 1960’s.