Threatening politics

Saturday, May 29, 2010 | 2:04 a.m.

Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., received a startling voice mail last year. The caller said, “I voted for you. If you vote for that stimulus package, I’m gonna kill you. Simple as that.”

As Politico.com reported this week, the caller turned out to be a 70-year-old man who reportedly had a history of mental illness — and a cache of guns. The FBI said the man had beaten and choked his wife in the weeks before he called Shuler. The woman told investigators that she went to sleep with a can of mace under her pillow.

Agents asked the man why he threatened Shuler. He said, “I was trying to work the political scene.”

Unfortunately, he’s not the only one who thinks politics is about threats. Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer told Politico that threats against members of Congress were up 300 percent in the first few months of 2010. Politico documented threats against seven members of Congress, but noted that there may be more. The FBI does not release information on open investigations.

Gainer said that at any given time, there are about a dozen open cases of threats against members of Congress, but most are relatively minor. Recently, however, there has been an increase in serious threats.

One man threatened Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., in several messages left at her offices. In one, he said, “We’re going to get you with a lot of (expletive) bolt action. Like we did RFK. Like we did MLK.” The man told investigators that after hearing talk about the Fairness Doctrine, he was afraid government would try to stop the radio programs of right-wing talkers Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh.

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., was out walking with his daughter in his home district when a black SUV pulled up. The driver told him, “You’ve got a bull’s-eye on your head. You’re gonna die, (expletive).”

Police said the man told them that Ryan had “blood on his hands” because of his support for the Iraq war.

Threats like these have made Capitol Police ramp up efforts to protect members of Congress. Capitol Police noted that in fiscal year 2009, the number of suspicious packages nearly tripled, and the number of bomb sweeps nearly doubled. There was also a 100 percent increase in “dignitary protection” assignments at congressional events, such as town-hall meetings, because of threats. For example, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., was told that someone would “(expletive) her up” if she held a town-hall meeting in her district.

The rise in threats not so coincidentally follows the incredible vitriol emanating from talk radio and a few politicians, notably from the far right. Instead of debating ideas, too many people have made vicious attacks and vilified people and ideas. This type of rhetoric is unacceptable. If people want to oppose each other politically, they should do so civilly. Instead of threats, people should give democracy a chance and try the ballot box.