Posse Stromitatus?

David Strom is the President of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota and a jovial, ebullient fellow. He gets a lot of flack for daring to stand up and protect Minnesota citizens and businesses from the groping, confiscatory paws of government. The local media has described David as a villain, compared him to the devil, and painted him as public enemy #1. For the most part, he revels in such abuse, regarding it (rightly) as a sign of the effectiveness of the Taxpayers League.

But the latest smear to emerge against Strom and the Taxpayers League is no laughing matter. An article written by Corporal Timothy Jensen, President of the Minnesota State Patrol Trooper's Association compares Strom and the Taxpayers League with the Posse Comitatus (Latin: "power or force of the county"), a lunatic fringe racist organization with a history of violence:

As radical as the Posse Comitatus is about protesting taxes, we have a radical anti-tax organization within our own state that advocates some of the same Posse principles Where the Posse uses violence and irrational right-wing beliefs to advance its cause, our Minnesota organization uses money, threats and political blackmail to enforce its anti-tax, anti-government agenda.

The organization is proud of its "no new taxes" pledge it has blackmailed many of our elected officials into signing, and posts its conquests prominently on its website. Although the organization isn't obviously violent, its final result is just as dangerous. We have radicals dictating how our quality of life will be affected.

Mitch Berg is all over this outrageous defamation and I strongly encourage you to read his analysis, especially the background of the infamous 1983 Posse Comitatus shootings in North Dakota. He also provides a copy of Jensen's article and suggestions of what we can do to express our displeasure with Corporal Jensen. Chumley at Plastic Hallway and Doug from Bogus Gold are also on the case.

For me, Jensen's most egregious comment (other than his claim to be a conservative) is:

"Although the organization isn't obviously violent, its final result is just as dangerous."

When he says that the Taxpayers League "isn't obviously violent", his implication is that it has the capacity to be violent, but we just haven't seen it manifested yet. And the claim that the end result if the goals of the Taxpayers League and Posse Comitatus are achieved would be the same is ludicrous.

The Taxpayers League:

The Taxpayers League of Minnesota is a nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots taxpayer advocacy organization which fights for lower taxes, limited government and full empowerment of taxpaying citizens in accordance with Constitutional principles.

The Taxpayers League's mission is to represent Minnesotans who believe in limited government, low taxation, local control, free enterprise and the Constitutional principles set out by our nation's founders.

The Taxpayers League is fighting to reduce and reform taxation, eliminate government waste, and improve efficiency. It serves as a strong voice for all taxpaying citizens in Minnesota.

The Posse Comitatus:

I ask you now to join with us, our duly elected Sheriff's and kindred in our plan to take back this nation county by county and force this domestic enemy, this non-white alien invasion from our shores. Hail YHVH and our Victory!

and

Since we, the people, the upright members of the body politic, are the rulers and masters in this self-governing REPUBLIC, is it right that our public servants should attempt to REVERSE ROLES with us? Is it right that they should tell us that THEY and the MASTERS and that WE are now the SERVANTS? If so - WHAT IS THE FINAL SOLUTION?

(Interesting side note: one of the links on the Posse Comitatus web page is to the Earth Liberation Front. Talk about strange bedfellows. This gives me an idea. I'll write a post comparing ELF and the National Audubon Society, 'cause, you know, "the final results are just as dangerous.")

Corporal Jensen's article is beyond the pale and nothing less than an immediate retraction and apology to David Strom and the Taxpayers League (perhaps live on this Saturday's Taxpayers League show on the Patriot) will suffice. This cannot stand.