Fox Nation, WND spread falsehood about yet another Obama appointee

Linking to a WorldNetDaily post, Fox Nation falsely claimed that Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (D), who President Obama has appointed to the newly created, bipartisan Council of Governors, “links Christians with violence.” In fact, the report by a Missouri state agency to which the post referred did not reference Christianity, but rather noted ties between the radical “Christian Identity” movement -- identified by the Anti-Defamation League as a “racist and anti-Semitic religious sect” linked to several terrorist attacks -- and the militia movement.

Fox Nation claims Missouri Gov. Nixon “links Christians with violence”

Fox Nation asserts: “Another Obama Nominee Links Christians with Violence.” The Fox Nation posted a picture of Nixon over the headline “Another Obama Nominee Links Christians with Violence”:

Right-click here to download pictures. To help protect your privacy, Outlook prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. ?ui=2&view=att&th=126aeeaab4e23c8c&attid=0.1&disp=attd&realattid=ii_126aeeaab4e23c8c&zw

Fox Nation linked to WND article headlined: “Obama's new pick: Gov. of state that linked Christians, violence.” The Fox Nation post linked to a February 7 WND article that bore the headline: “Obama's new pick: Gov. of state that linked Christians, violence.” The WND article asserted:

It was in 2009 when the MIAC [Missouri Information Analysis Center] issued a report that not only linked conservative groups to domestic terrorism and warned law enforcement to watch for vehicles with bumper stickers promoting Paul and Baldwin, it also warned police to watch out for individuals with “radical” ideologies based on Christian views, such as opposing illegal immigration, abortion and federal taxes.

In fact, neither Nixon nor MIAC “linked Christians with violence”

Report actually linked “members of the militia movement” to the ideology of “Christian Identity.” The February 2009 MIAC Strategic Report titled “The Modern Militia Movement” did not mention “Christians” at all. Instead, it stated that “members of the militia movement often subscribe” to extremist movements, such as the “Christian Identity” sect:

Militia Trends:

Ideologies

Members of the militia movement often subscribe to the ideology of other right-wing extremist movements such as:

Christian Identity: Religious ideology popular in extreme right-wing circles. Adherents believe that whites of European decent can be traced back to the “Lost Tribes of Israel.” Many consider Jews to be the Satanic offspring of Eve and the Serpent, while non-whites are “mud people” created before Adam and Eve.

MIAC language came from ADL, who identified Christian Identity a “racist and anti-Semitic religious sect.” The language used to describe Christian Identity adherents in the MIAC report comes directly from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which states that Christian Identity is a “racist and anti-Semitic religious sect.” ADL also says of Christian Identity adherents: “Overall level of criminal activity is high, ranging from hate crimes to acts of terrorism.” From ADL:

Christian Identity

Origins: Mid-20th Century (origins date to mid-19th Century)
Background: A racist and anti-Semitic religious sect whose adherents believe that white people of European descent are the descendants of the “Lost Tribes” of ancient Israel.
Influential Personalities: Howard Rand, William Cameron, Wesley Swift, Bertrand Comparet, Richard Butler, William Potter Gale, James K. Warner, Sheldon Emry, Dave Barley, Pete Peters
Ideology: Anti-Semitic, racist, anti-government, conspiratorial
Outreach: Churches, pamphlets, tracts, books, shortwave radio, Web sites Estimated Size: 25,000 to 50,000
Criminal activity: Overall level of criminal activity is high, ranging from hate crimes to acts of terrorism

Christian Identity is a religious ideology popular in extreme right-wing circles. Adherents believe that whites of European descent can be traced back to the “Lost Tribes of Israel.” Many consider Jews to be the Satanic offspring of Eve and the Serpent, while non-whites are “mud peoples” created before Adam and Eve. Its virulent racist and anti-Semitic beliefs are usually accompanied by extreme anti-government sentiments. Despite its small size, Christian Identity influences virtually all white supremacist and extreme anti-government movements. It has also informed criminal behavior ranging from hate crimes to acts of terrorism.

ADL has linked Christian Identity to multiple terrorist attacks. According to the ADL, “In the 1990s, Identity criminal activity continued apace, including efforts by an Oklahoma Identity minister, Willie Ray Lampley, to commit a series of bombings in the summer of 1995 in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing by Timothy McVeigh.” ADL also states:

In 1998, Eric Rudolph, who had been associated with Identity ministers such as Nord Davis and Dan Gayman, became a fugitive after allegedly bombing gay bars, the Atlanta Summer Olympics, and an abortion clinic. The following year, Buford Furrow, a former Aryan Nations security guard, went on a shooting spree at a Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles, wounding four children and an adult, and later killing a Filipino-American postal worker.

Report reportedly “developed” under GOP governor

Report was reportedly “developed” under previous the previous governor, a Republican. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in June 2009: “Republicans, particularly Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, seized on the report as an opportunity to attack Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat. The report came out on Nixon's watch, though it was developed under the previous governor, Matt Blunt."

WND falsely claimed report said to “watch out” for those “opposing... abortion”

From the WorldNetDaily article:

It was in 2009 when the MIAC issued a report that not only linked conservative groups to domestic terrorism and warned law enforcement to watch for vehicles with bumper stickers promoting Paul and Baldwin, it also warned police to watch out for individuals with “radical” ideologies based on Christian views, such as opposing illegal immigration, abortion and federal taxes.

Report actually linked militia to “anti abortionist[s] like Olympic Park Bomber. The report actually states:

Members of the militia movement often subscribe to the ideology of other right-wing extremist movements such as:

[...]

Militant Abortion: Ant Abortionists have been known to take up arms in support of their belief. Eric Rudolph who was responsible for the Atlanta Olympic Park Bombing and abortion clinics was an anti abortionist.

Fox Nation previously suggested Obama nominee's criticism of Christian Identity referred to Christians

Fox Nation previously linked to a video of Erroll Southers, then the Obama administration nominee to be chief of the Transportation Security Administration, with the text, “The most threatening homegrown terror groups in the U.S. are 'Christian identity-oriented,' 'anti-government, anti-abortion,' 'survivalist,' 'white supremacist' groups.” In fact, Southers was referring to members of the Christian Identity group.