Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) on Wednesday characterized the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge in protest of additional jail sentences for a pair of local ranchers as “civil disobedience,” The Hill reported.
Labrador had previously come down on the side of the law when Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy refused to pay a fine for letting his animals graze on federal land, leading to a standoff with federal agents in 2014. At the time, Labrador said Bundy should’ve paid the fees.
But Cliven’s son, Ammon Bundy, is now leading a group of armed militiamen who’ve taken over the isolated Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Bundy had recently moved to Idaho, the state Labrador represents, from Arizona.
At an event on Capitol Hill sponsored by the Heritage Foundation, Labrador didn’t condemn Bundy’s cause. He even went as far as calling the re-sentencing of the ranchers, Dwight and Steven Hammond, “unjust,” according to the report.
“They’re trying to express their frustration,” Labrador said of the militiamen, as quoted by The Hill. “And I think civil disobedience has been something that for the most part the liberal media used to stand up for. But apparently there’s some exceptions to that.”
Labrador added that the group was frustrated about land that’s been taken over by the federal government and thought that government officials weren’t listening anymore.
“And that’s what leads to what so far has been a peaceful takeover of an abandoned building, by the way,” he said, as quoted by The Hill.
I wonder what old Raul would say if a bunch of left wing demonstrators occupied his congressional office? What is the difference Raul?
Contrary to what this steaming pantload believes the federal government hasn’t “taken over” any land.
The Malheur Preserve was created in 1908 by Teddy Roosevelt—from land the federal government has owned since Oregon was just a territory.
Prior to that, it was Paiute Indian land.
If a group of Black Lives Matter folks performed this kind of “civil disobedience” they would already be in jail, if not dead.
Raul Labrador has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is too stupid to serve in Congress.
Raul’s probably packing, too, so it could get messy.
Not peaceful, armed. They are taking a position of intimidation, not peace.
The instant you hear the old canard: “Liberal Media” you know that the speaker is just full of shit and tap-dancing as fast as he can to get out of the question.