It was only a matter of time.
While “Chris” was the guy who carried around the assault rifle at the Obama event in Phoenix yesterday, it appears to have been another guy, Ernest Hancock, who organized the whole thing. And Hancock, who was also on the scene with a holstered handgun, turns out to have had very close ties to a 90s-era Arizona militia group called the ‘Viper Militia’ most of whose members were eventually sent to federal prison on various weapons and explosives charges tied to plans to bomb federal buildings.
Sound familiar.
In other words, the Viper Militia folks were sort of Tim McVeigh also-rans from back in the glory days. Hancock, though not indicted himself, was their main public advocate. He was clearly close to these folks while they were plotting. And now he’s the guy coming up with the idea to send a bunch of guys with guns to greet President Obama. Feel better now?
Justin Elliott has the full story.