In wake of Parkland school shooting Oregon Governor signs new gun control legislation into law. Minnesota state representative also introduces legislation, gets death threats.

Kate Brown

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed new gun safety legislation into law on Monday, making the state the first to tighten its firearm regulations since last month’s mass shooting at a high school in Florida. 

The bill expands an existing law to prevent intimate partners who have a domestic violence or stalking conviction from buying and keeping guns. Until now, the state’s law only applied to married partners, and the new measure closes what was termed the “boyfriend loophole.” 

“I’m proud to sign this bill, making Oregon the first state to take action to prevent senseless gun violence since the tragedy in Parkland, Florida,” Brown said in a statement. “Today marks an important milestone, but we know we have more to do. It’s long past time we hold the White House and Congress accountable. Now’s the time to enact real change and federal gun safety legislation.” 

The bill was introduced in January, but the governor called it “historic” because state legislators decided to advance the measure in response to the Parkland shooting.

Well this is good news, and I am guessing that this is only the beginning.

Especially if those amazing Parkland students have anything to say about it.

"To every spokeswoman with an hourglass who uses free speech to alter and undermine what our flag represents...Your Time is running out. The clock starts now."
-@sarahchad_ #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/k29FB2vHPI

— Sarah Chadwick// #NEVERAGAIN (@sarahchad_) March 6, 2018

However a state representative in Minnesota also wanted to introduce legislation to deal with gun violence, things did not go well.

Courtesy of Fox 9: 

Over the last week, Democrat State Representative Linda Slocum has received thousands of emails since introducing one of the most expansive gun control bills in Minnesota. 

Most have been critical, some have been downright nasty. She's been cussed out, compared to Hitler, called a whale and other sexually lewd comments, but one message stood out from the rest. 

“He threatened to kill me,” said Slocum. 

The Richfield representative was startled when she listened to the man's voicemail and then a follow-up email. She does not want to identify him because of safety concerns, but described part of his message to Fox 9.

“I have my gun and I’m ready to come and get you and it was very threatening,” said Slocum. 

As a former teacher and a long-time politician, Slocum says she's used to being called every name in the book, but this was different. She contacted the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office who is now investigating the threat. 

“I will file charges if I hear from him again,” she said.

So when somebody threatens to take away their little metal penis extenders, the knee jerk reaction is to threaten them with said metal penis extender?

In my opinion that right there is reason enough to lose access to those metal penis extenders.

I'm just saying.

Oregon county Republican party to use militia members for security, because nothing can go wrong there.

Courtesy of The Portland Mercury:  

The Multnomah County Republican Party (MCRP) has formally decided to pair up with right-wing militia groups to run security at local events. 

The formal resolution was passed on on Monday and its text was leaked to the Mercury Friday morning. MCRP Chairman James Buchal, despite being displeased with the leak, confirmed his group approved pairing up with the Oregon Three Percenters and Oath Keepers via a resolution earlier this week: 

Proposed Resolution of Chairman Buchal: Resolve that the MCRP may utilize volunteers from the Oregon Three Percenters, Oath Keepers, and other security groups. To provide security where such volunteers are certified to provide private security service by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. Kay Bridges moved and Janice Dysinger seconded. Resolution passed. 

Such arrangements have already caused uproar. At the June 4 rally, a militia member was spotted helping a federal cop detain and arrest a protester. The Department of Justice announced it would investigate the incident. 

Militia groups have also previously volunteered as security at pro-Donald Trump rallies in Lake Oswego in March and at Patriot Prayer's Vancouver, WA, rally in April. 

Sure nothing like having a bunch of Rambo wannabes running around with automatic weapons, to "keep the peace."

Perfectly safe, if you're not an immigrant, Muslim, or minority that is.

The Chairman of the Multnomah County Republican Party cannot understand what all of the fuss is about:

"I don't understand how it's a whole hell of a lot different than rich people hiring private security guards," explained Buchal about the volunteer militias. "I don't understand why it's so different."

Well maybe it's due to the fact that typically private security personnel are ex-cops, or ex-military, with years of training who are not spending their weekends dressing up like GI Joe and pretending to kill Nazis, ISIS terrorists, or, in more southern states, union soldiers.

I'm just saying.

The domestic terrorists who took over the wildlife refuge in Oregon are totally pissy that they might be on a terrorist watch list.

Jon Ritzheimer, claims he is not a terrorist. Uh huh.

Courtesy of Oregon Live: 

Some Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupiers appear to have jumped from one conflict with the federal government straight into another: At least three claim to now be in a federal database of known or suspected terrorists. 

Jason Blomgren, 42, Jon Ritzheimer, 33, and Jeff Banta, 47, believe they're on the terrorist watch list, created in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to track people who could be a threat to national security. 

All three said federal airport agents have pulled them out of regular screening lines to pat them down and question them when they've tried to fly. Ritzheimer also said he got extra scrutiny when police stopped him for a minor traffic accident. 

They said their boarding passes get marked with "SSSS," widely acknowledged among civil rights attorneys as the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration's notice to give somebody special screening at the airport. Any law enforcement official checking Blomgren's criminal history could see a warning to approach him with caution because he may be a member of a terrorist organization.

What the hell is this country coming to when armed men can't take over a government facility without finding themselves labeled as terrorists and treated as if they might be dangerous? 

But hey, I think that these pinheads can look forward to some good news on that front.

I have a feeling that the Trump Administration is going to turn a blind eye to any domestic terrorism without links to Islam.

I imagine that the new motto for law enforcement when it comes to terrorism will be, "If they brown, take cover on the ground. But if they white, they alright."

Yep good news for them, not such goods news for all of us.

Oregon standoff protesters found not guilty.

Courtesy of The Guardian: 

A jury has found that brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy were not guilty of conspiring against the government, a surprising end to the high-profile Oregon standoff trial that sparked national debates about public lands and the rights of ranchers in the American west. 

The decision, unveiled in federal court in Portland on Thursday, is a blow to the US government, which had aggressively prosecuted the rightwing activists who led an armed takeover of public property to protest American land-use regulations. 

The Bundy brothers, who orchestrated a 2 January takeover of the Malheur national wildlife refuge, were acquitted on a number of serious charges, along with five other defendants. Only a day earlier the court dismissed a juror over fears of bias, raising concerns that the trial would drag on for weeks. 

“We are just so excited,” Angie Bundy, Ryan’s wife, told the Guardian after the verdict was announced. “We’ve been praying hard, and we knew they hadn’t done anything wrong.” 

They illegally took over a federal building, damaged government property, and threatened violence against law enforcement, and they just get to walk?

The whole case was a like a circus side show from the start with all kinds of bizarre demands from the Bundy boys, including asking to be paid a million dollars for being a defendant, and a request for the return of their guns, not to mention that at one point Ryan Bundy tried to break out of prison.

In fact even the end of this trial was insane.

At one point the defendants attorney was tackled to the ground and tazed, for reasons that remain a little unclear.

Ultimately I see this as setting a really bad precedent that is only going to encourage more of these sovereign citizen types to stage protests and take up arms against the federal government, and that can only lead to more people being killed.

For those who are curious there is a Twitter account from an Orgeonian reporter that will bring you right up to speed on all of this. 

Two more idiots from that Oregon standoff are pleading guilty. One of them was a Trump campaign official.

Courtesy of TPM:

Jerry DeLemus, a co-chair of Veterans for Trump in New Hampshire, is expected to plead guilty for his role in the 2014 militia standoff at the Bundy family's Nevada ranch, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Tuesday. 

In a court filing, Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro said DeLemus has indicated he would change his plea on August 23 after signing a plea agreement. 

DeLemus, who had been listed as an alternate delegate for Donald Trump to the RNC weeks after his indictment, faces nine federal charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime against the country and threatening a federal law enforcement officer.

I have to say that I am constantly impressed with the character of the people who support Donald Trump. (I totally typed that with a straight face. You'll just have to take my word for it.)

DeLemus is not alone in striking a plea deal.

Courtesy of KGW:

A former Marine whose appearances in widely shared videos made him one of the most recognizable figures during the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge pleaded guilty Monday for his role in the weekslong standoff with authorities. 

Jon Ritzheimer, 32, admitted that he conspired with Ammon Bundy and others to prevent U.S. Interior Department employees from doing their jobs at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and they did so by threats of force or intimidation. 

Prosecutors dropped two charges as part of a plea agreement - theft of government property and possessing a firearm on federal property. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel said prosecutors will recommend 2½ years in prison when the Arizona man is sentenced in May. Ritzheimer's attorney, Terri Wood, can argue for less.

You may remember Ritzheimer as the guy who made this cringe worthy/hysterical video before going to the Oregon wildlife refuge.

That video only gets funnier now that we know he caved like a little bitch in order to avoid a long prison sentence.

Which leaves Ryan Bundy, who recently got into a scuffle with the guards, and his brother Ammon Bundy, who is still fighting his incarceration, behind.

Seriously what did these idiots think was going to happen to them?

While one of the Oregon standoff militia members faces a possible 12 year sentence, a Bundy boy attempts a prison break.

Ryan Bundy

Courtesy of The Guardian:  

Ryan Bundy, a protester who helped lead the Oregon militia standoff, attempted to escape jail with a rope made of bedsheets, federal prosecutors alleged in court on Monday.

Hole on, hold on, do they KNOW he was planning to use the sheets to escape?


In a pretrial hearing on Monday in court in Portland, federal officials accused Ryan of attempting to escape Multnomah county jail, disclosing that deputies found the inmate on 8 April with torn sheets braided together under his mattress, the Oregonian reported. 

Prosecutors said that deputies also found two strips of torn sheets, extra pillowcases, towels and unauthorized food containers. 

Bundy responded that he was a “rancher trying to practice braiding rope”, adding: “It’s self-serving speculation and simply not true, your honor,” according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

See? He had simply made the 12 to 15 feet of braided bed sheets to pass the time.

After all they won't even let him have his guns.

Of course one could hardly blame Bundy for wanting to make a break for it.

After all one of his boys may soon be facing a long ass prison sentence.

Courtesy of Oregon Live:   

Ryan Payne, who led tactical training for the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation and is accused of organizing "armed protection'' in a 2014 standoff with federal officers in Nevada, faces a recommended 12 years in prison under plea deals fashioned in both states. 

On Tuesday, Payne, 32, entered a guilty plea to the federal charge of conspiracy in Oregon.

Damn, twelve years is an awful long time to go without fondling your shiny metal penis extenders.

On the other hand if Ryan Buncy gets a similar sentence just think how long he will have to work on that new rope?

Ryan Bundy upset that he cannot wear his magic Mormon underwear or have his guns in jail. Wait, what?

So apparently through his attorney Ryan Bundy wrote up a list, probably in crayon, of his grievances.

Believe it or not jail is not the theme park atmosphere that the Bundy boys were hoping for and Ryan for one is having a series of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.

According to the complaint: 

“My rights are being violated. My right to life is being violated. All of my First Amendment rights are being violated. My right to freedom of religion is being violated. I cannot participate in religious activities and temple covenants, and wear religious garments (Magic Mormon underwear.). I could wear them at Henderson, but MCDC is depriving me of the right to wear them. My right to freedom of speech is being hampered by monitoring and recording. My right to freedom of assembly is being violated; I am not allowed to see my brother and move about.

Can you believe it?

It's almost as if Bundy gave up a bunch of rights by breaking the law or something.

And here's the kicker:

My Second Amendment rights are being violated. I never waived that right.

Well that is the last straw my friends. After all what is a man like Ryan Bundy without his metal penis extenders?

Less than man, that's what!

Damn this actually needs its own category for stupidity.

(H/T to Wonkette.)

Portland school board bans textbooks that question climate change.

Courtesy of Oregon Live:

The Portland Public Schools Board on Tuesday decided to ban any classroom materials that cast doubt on climate change. The resolution passed unanimously and requires that textbooks and other material purchased by the district present climate change as a fact rather than theory. 

Material will also need to present human activity as one of the phenomenon's causes. 

In testimony to the board, Bill Bigelow, a former Portland teacher, told district officials that "we don't want kids in Portland learning material courtesy of the fossil fuel industry." 

Bigelow said that material that treats climate change as anything other than fact is published by companies making concessions for fossil fuel companies. He pointed to words such as "might," "may" and "could" in educational materials.

Gee textbooks that contain actual facts and to do not promote misinformation. What a truly novel concept.

My understanding is that Portland is the first school board to take such an aggressive stance to protect their students from fossil fuel company propaganda.

Let's hope they are not the last.

Democratic Primary Open Thread. Update!

So today there are two primaries for Democrats to use to pretend that the nomination is still in contention.

One is in Kentucky and their polls close in about an hour and half from when this gets posted.

The second is in Oregon and that sucker is still five hours and a half away.

There is by the way every possibility that Sanders will win both of these tonight, but of course it is unlikely that it will be a large enough win to gain him more than about half the delegates. And that is simply not going to help.

By the way there is the letter that Bernie Sanders wrote in response to what happened in Nevada this weekend.

Here it is in its entirety:

“It is imperative that the Democratic leadership, both nationally and in the states, understand that the political world is changing and that millions of Americans are outraged at establishment politics and establishment economics. The people of this country want a government which represents all of us, not just the 1 percent, super PACs and wealthy campaign contributors. 

“The Democratic Party has a choice. It can open its doors and welcome into the party people who are prepared to fight for real economic and social change – people who are willing to take on Wall Street, corporate greed and a fossil fuel industry which is destroying this planet. Or the party can choose to maintain its status quo structure, remain dependent on big-money campaign contributions and be a party with limited participation and limited energy. 

“Within the last few days there have been a number of criticisms made against my campaign organization. Party leaders in Nevada, for example, claim that the Sanders campaign has a ‘penchant for violence.’ That is nonsense. Our campaign has held giant rallies all across this country, including in high-crime areas, and there have been zero reports of violence. Our campaign of course believes in non-violent change and it goes without saying that I condemn any and all forms of violence, including the personal harassment of individuals. But, when we speak of violence, I should add here that months ago, during the Nevada campaign, shots were fired into my campaign office in Nevada and apartment housing complex my campaign staff lived in was broken into and ransacked. 

“If the Democratic Party is to be successful in November, it is imperative that all state parties treat our campaign supporters with fairness and the respect that they have earned. I am happy to say that has been the case at state conventions in Maine, Alaska, Colorado and Hawaii where good discussions were held and democratic decisions were reached. Unfortunately, that was not the case at the Nevada convention. At that convention the Democratic leadership used its power to prevent a fair and transparent process from taking place. Among other things: 

The chair of the convention announced that the convention rules passed on voice vote, when the vote was a clear no-vote. At the very least, the Chair should have allowed for a headcount. 

The chair allowed its Credentials Committee to en mass rule that 64 delegates were ineligible without offering an opportunity for 58 of them to be heard. That decision enabled the Clinton campaign to end up with a 30-vote majority. 

The chair refused to acknowledge any motions made from the floor or allow votes on them. The chair refused to accept any petitions for amendments to the rules that were properly submitted. 

“These are on top of failures at the precinct and county conventions including trying to depose and then threaten with arrest the Clark County convention credentials chair because she was operating too fairly.”

So as you can see there was not an explicit call for non-violence though there was plenty of blame for any aggression aimed at the Democrats.

Actually it kind of reads like a list of demands by a hostage taker.

Update: Here are some of the threats sent to Nevada Democratic party chair Roberta Lange after the convention.

Nothing that was done, or could have been done, at the convention excuses this.

Update: Hillary Clinton wins!

Holy crap that took forever. Let's hope that Oregon is not quite such a nail biter.

Update 2: And now Sanders wins Oregon. 

It looks like in this case the delegates are pretty evenly split as well.

WTF?

"Be the Bern. Be the Bern. Be the Bern." pic.twitter.com/EIkDU6g8WV

— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) May 14, 2016

Uh....okay.

So is this the "Cult of Bernie" now?

Getting harder and harder to take these people seriously. 

Cell phone footage from inside LaVoy Finicum's truck before, during, and after he was shot by law enforcement.

Just so you know the footage does NOT show Finicum being shot, however it is somewhat graphic in nature.

I found this footage on Reddit yesterday and I thought that it was worth sharing, if for no other reason than to give some perspective on what the people in the vehicle were thinking and how they perceived the police actions directed at them.

The video is a little confusing so here is a different perspective of the incident as taken from a helicopter. 

Oregon man goes on shooting spree inside his own home because, well "he had all these guns."

Image courtesy of Raw Story

Courtesy of KITV: 

Oregon City Police Department arrested Steven Scholz, 66, after they say he intentionally "shot up" his home Saturday morning. Police say Scholz fired his gun multiple times and its bullets hit neighboring houses and a parked car. 

"I figured I'd just shoot at random because I had all these guns," Scholz said. 

During a jailhouse interview, Scholz said he wouldn't have fired his gun if he'd known his neighbors were home. 

"Hurting my neighbors is the last thing I want to do," Scholz adds. "I love them guys, I would lay down my life for them. They have families; I have nothing." 

Scholz's next door neighbor Deanna Segura said multiple bullets went through her home and one bullet missed her son by about a minute.

The NRA urges everybody to buy as many guns and as much ammunition as possible because President Obama is coming to take our guns, and of course terrorists are lurking behind every bush, and then nothing ever happens.

So there you are staring at your vast collection of guns and piles of ammo thinking, "Well I have to do SOMETHING with it."

Makes perfect sense.

More guns in the hands of Americans means more senseless shootings and more people put in jeopardy. I don't know why this is so hard for people to understand. 

From his Oregon jail cell Ammon Bundy says he misses his family, but says standoff was worth it.

Courtesy of Oregon Live:  


He hung his head and talked softly when he described how hard it is being away from his wife and children. 

"We are in here locked away and our families are trying to survive, and they're struggling out there especially when we were the primary breadwinners,'' he said. "My babies are at home. My beautiful wife is at home. Everything is at risk right now for us, as far as our income, our house. But we have to ask ourselves – was it worth it? I believe it was.''

Bundy says that he reads scripture each day and then shares them during his nightly 15 minute phone call with his family.

He also claims that he takes inspiration from the words of Martin Luther King Jr..

You know if he were really paying attention to the teachings of Christ and the words of MLK he might realize that what he did was against EVERYTHING they stood for.

While Jesus, as he is described in the Bible, might have been cool with a peaceful protest, it is highly unlikely that he would have given his blessing to allowing those protesters to bring automatic weapons to the standoff with them.

And as for Martin Luther King Jr., can we even imagine how differently the civil rights movement would have turned out if the marchers in Selma had been brandishing firearms?

We STILL would not have equal rights in this country.

No what Ammon and his idiot friends fail to understand is that showing up ready to kill, means that you are also showing up ready to lose your freedom or your life. And that after the fact the only people who will feel sympathy for your cause are the same ignoramuses who also read words of peace and interpret them as declarations of war.

Feds arrest co-chair of Donald Trump's veteran coalition for participation in Bundy standoff.

Courtesy of OPB: 

Federal authorities on Thursday arrested a New Hampshire man for his role in a standoff by Nevada ranchers opposed to federal control of public lands. 

Gerald DeLemus, of Rochester, was named in an indictment in Nevada as a “mid-level leader” and organizer of a conspiracy to recruit, organize, train and provide support to armed men and other followers of rancher Cliven Bundy. 

DeLemus, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and tea party activist, last year signed on as a member of presidential candidate Donald Trump’s New Hampshire veterans coalition. A July news release posted on Trump’s website listed DeLemus as a co-chair.

What? You mean people associated with the Donald Trump campaign are in trouble with the law?

Who could have predicted such a thing?

DeLemus was not the only person caught in the FBI's net. They also indicted and arrested thirteen others: 

A superseding criminal indictment was returned by the grand jury on Wednesday, March 2, and now charges a total of 19 defendants. The 14 new defendants are Melvin D. Bundy, 41, of Round Mountain, Nev., David H. Bundy, 39, of Delta, Utah, Brian D. Cavalier, 44, of Bunkerville, Nev., Blaine Cooper, 36, of Humboldt, Ariz., Gerald A. DeLemus, 61, of Rochester, N.H., Eric J. Parker, 32, of Hailey, Idaho, O. Scott Drexler, 44, of Challis, Idaho, Richard R. Lovelien, 52, of Westville, Okla., Steven A. Stewart, 36, of Hailey, Idaho, Todd C. Engel, 48, of Boundary County, Idaho, Gregory P. Burleson, 52, of Phoenix, Ariz., Joseph D. O’Shaughnessy, 43, of Cottonwood, Ariz., and Micah L. McGuire, 31, and Jason D. Woods, 30, both of Chandler, Ariz. 

Twelve defendants were arrested earlier today. Two defendants, Brian D. Cavalier and Blaine Cooper, were already in federal custody in the District of Oregon. 

“These indictments and subsequent arrests send an irrefutable message to the American people that our determination remains steadfast to protect them and pursue individuals who participate in violent acts of this nature,” said Special Agent in Charge Bucheit.

Wow, look at all the Bundy's. I wonder if there are any Bundy family members NOT in jail?

Gee what kind of country are we becoming when a man cannot gather a small army of heavily armed idiots to engage the federal government in a standoff?

You know besides a country of laws of course?

One of the former Oregon protesters files claim against feds of $666,666,666,666.66 for damages she suffered from "works of the devil."

Shawna Cox

Courtesy of KATU:  

Shawna Cox, one of Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupiers facing federal charges, has filed a court document claiming federal damages from the works of the devil for $666,666,666,666.66. (Oh, well that seems like a reasonable amount.)

The document was filed in US District Court Wednesday, and quickly tossed by a judge who said Cox's claims were "not cognizable in this criminal proceeding and will not be addressed in this case."

The document also accuses the Feds of trying to execute her and the other occupiers.

Well damn, I guess they DO suck at their job then don't they?

Cox also claimed that the Malheur Wildlife Refuge federal employees did not refuse to show up for work out of fear of being shot, but rather because they felt guilty.

I don't know what they are supposed to feel guilty about but it apparently makes sense to this lunatic, but sadly for her not to the judge.

Happy Valentine's Day courtesy of the currently incarcerated Oregon standoff protesters.

And of course let's not forget the guy who started the whole thing.

Yep, nothing says I love you quite as much as getting yourself arrested while under the mistaken impression that you are protecting the rights of people who do not even know that you exist.

Gee, I wonder if these folks have met any new valentines since they entered the penal system?

(Source.)

So the Oregon standoff ends with a whimper and not with a bang bang.

Courtesy of Oregon Live:

The four remaining occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge surrendered Thursday morning, bringing an end to the standoff on its 41st day. 

 Jeff Banta, Sean Anderson, Sandy Anderson and David Fry were taken into FBI custody. Fry was the last to surrender, finally emerging after an extended phone dialogue with supporters who tried for over an hour after the others left to get him to walk out. 

FBI agents in armored vehicles had moved in Wednesday night on the four still at the refuge, hemming them into their camp and insisting they put down their guns and surrender.

And for those who thought these Rambo wannabes were going to go out in a blaze of glory, this is how that went down this morning: 

Three of the four walked out to waiting F.B.I. agents over the course of a few minutes after 9:30 a.m., but the fourth, David Fry, at first said he would not. 

In an extraordinary, hourslong negotiation with supporters and F.B.I. agent, with thousands of people listening to the conversation on a live stream online, he aired a wide range of grievances, said he was suicidal, and said repeatedly that his choice was “liberty or death.” Ultimately he gave himself up without a fight.

I swear that after spending much of the morning listening to the livestream that I have lost just about as many brain cells as I do listening to a Sarah Palin speech.

In fact these are clearly her kind of people.

Not only did they have no clear idea of what they were "fighting" for, but they seemed to believe that they were participating in some kind of eternal struggle between good and evil, often claiming that only God could determine how the whole thing would end.

At one point a female on the phone with the protesters warned them that Satan was directing the actions of the federal agents and that they needed to resist giving in to trickery.

The protesters themselves kept talking about seeing religious signs in flashlight beams, firelight, and weather patterns. And no I'm NOT making that up. 

On Twitter there were plenty of accusations that liberals were hoping for a massacre, but at least in my case I am very glad that everybody, on both sides, survived this encounter.

And if I were working with the FBI I would suggest that these people receive some kind of psychiatric help, because batshit crazy is not a strong enough term to describe some the of crap they were saying.

Also keep in mind that the ONLY reason these idiots were able to hold off the police for so long is because they had access to high powered weapons. And of course it didn't hurt that they were white.

FBI surrounds final members of the Oregon standoff, inspiring the most unhinged livestream that you will ever hear. Update!

So last night Dennis Zaki, and a number of you guys, sent me links to a livestream that was being broadcast from that federal wildlife refuge in Oregon.

Apparently the FBI had moved in to surround the last four remaining "protesters" and those inside were essentially losing their minds in response.

If you visit TPM this morning you can hear a replay of the audio recorded last night. But I warn you mouthfuls of coffee WILL be spewed in response.

Here is a little of what TPM reported last night:

It could not be immediately confirmed who could be heard on the live stream from the refuge, but based on who is known to be still at the refuge and the context of the highly agitated conversations, it appeared to include occupiers Sean Anderson and his wife Sandy. Sean Anderson could be heard shouting loudly about his concerns that he would go to prison if he did surrender and that he would be separated from his wife Sandy. In the background, Sandy Anderson could be heard saying she was afraid she “would never see the light of day again.” 

"Kill us and get it over with," Sandy Anderson screamed at one point. 

Assemblywoman Fiore was on the phone with the Andersons and could be heard on the live stream. She tried to keep the occupiers calm by asking them to "stay alive" and reflect on their families who would miss them, but the emotions were running high. 

“They were not in our lives before all this,” Sean Anderson said. “That does not matter here.” 

At one point, Sean Anderson blamed the media’s lack of interest in the standoff. 

“They are covering it now because they hope there is bloodshed,” Sean screamed about what he viewed as media bias.

Oregon Live has updates here as well.  And here is the Twitter response.

I hope that you all get the chance to hear some of the live feed, because trust me there is no amount of transcribing or describing that can do it justice.

To simply say that these four, and those on the phones talking to them, are unhinged is the understatement of the decade.

From what I was able to glean from the lunacy, is that the four are hoping that Franklin Graham will arrive this morning and help them surrender so that the FBI will not "gun them down."

Of course the FBI have repeatedly said that they want this to end peacefully, and have clearly bent over backwards to keep from having to shoot these idiots. (Actually you can find a statement to that effect on TPM as well.)

In the meantime Cliven Bundy, who was on the way to join the protesters has been arrested in the Portland International Airport.

I guess at some point this morning this will all come to an end, which will be good news for the people of Oregon, but a real blow to fans of improvisational comedy around the world.

Update: New livestream here.  Not nearly as entertaining unfortunately.

Federal grand jury indicts Ammon Bundy and nine others involved in Oregon standoff.

Wait, indicted? Who said anything about getting indicted?

Courtesy of KOIN: 

A federal grand jury has indicted the leader of the armed standoff at an Oregon wildlife refuge and his followers. 

Federal prosecutor Geoff Barrow says the indictment involves the 11 people arrested so far “and others,” perhaps a reference to the four holdouts still occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. 

The indictment was sealed Wednesday afternoon, but Barrow says it would be made public within 24 hours.

Here is who has been arrested so far: 

The FBI arrested Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, Brian Cavalier, Shawna Cox, Ryan Payne, Joseph O’Shaughnessy, Peter Santilli, Duane Ehmer, Jason Patrick and Dylan Anderson on probable cause. Six were arrested during a traffic stop along Hwy 395, others arrested at or near the refuge. 

Arizona resident Jon Ritzheimer was also arrested in connection to the occupation but remains in custody in Arizona.

So I guess now we will see if these yahoos really have the courage of their convictions, or if they simply thought that the federal government was going to be too intimidated by their awesome facial hair and Brokeback Mountain cosplay to actually arrest them.

Personally I think that loudmouth Ritzheimer will be the first to crack the minute he hears the door slam on his prison cell.

Oh yeah, he's going to crack. In fact I bet he's been giving up his pals for over a week now.

Overruling the statement by his son Cliven Bundy is urging the Oregon protesters to stay put and not give up.

Courtesy of the Guardian:

Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who led a standoff with the federal government in 2014, wants the protesters in Oregon to stand their ground – directly defying the message of his son, Ammon. 

Days after militia leader Ammon Bundy, now in jail in Portland, Oregon, called on the final four occupiers at the Malheur national wildlife refuge to surrender and go home, the elder Bundy sent a letter to government officials declaring that the armed militia would not be backing down. 

“This is notice that We the People of Harney County and also We the People of the citizens of the United States DO GIVE NOTICE THAT WE WILL RETAIN POSSESSION OF THE HARNEY COUNTY RESOURCE CENTER,” Cliven wrote in the letter, which he sent on Monday to the local sheriff, Oregon governor Kate Brown, and the White House.

Apparently the protesters renamed the refuge the "Harney County Resource Center" because...because they're assholes that's why.

Bundy also said this in an interview:

“What this is saying is that Cliven Bundy is taking control of things,” Cliven said in an interview from his ranch in Bunkerville, Nevada, on Monday afternoon. “If we don’t retain it, then we’ve lost everything that we’ve done in the last two months. We’re not gonna give up.” 

He added: “This is not Ammon’s message. This is my message ... We’ve made a decision to retain it ... The feds are going to get out of there.”

Bundy does not believe that his son's statement is real and thinks that it was released under duress. 

I have little doubt that this will inspire more people to join these idiots, and that means it is only a matter of time before somebody else gets shot and killed.

Which seems to be exactly what Bundy and his supporters are hoping will happen.