Major Nativist Extremist Group May Be at End of its Rope
, head of the nativist extremist Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), is blaming the 鈥渁uthoritarian and dictatorial actions of Obama鈥� for a budget shortfall that may force his group to shut down in January.
Gheen cited four 鈥渕ajor causes鈥� for the financial squeeze, including: (1) 鈥淭he horrific political and economic environment we find ourselves in as a nation at this time鈥�; (2) GOP presidential candidates who, he feels, are not hard-line enough on immigration; (3) 鈥淭he authoritarian and dictatorial actions of Obama, who has 鈥� demoralized some of our supporters who are throwing their hands up in exhaustion instead of rallying against Obama鈥�; and (4) 鈥渢echnical issues鈥� involving the website and E-mail distribution list.
Conspicuously absent from this litany of grievances is the possibility that ALIPAC supporters are simply tired of Gheen鈥檚 antics. Never a master of public appearances, the shrill and thin-skinned nativist made national headlines in August when he that 鈥渋llegal and violent鈥� 鈥渆xtra-political activities鈥� might be the only way to save 鈥渨hite America鈥� from 鈥淒ictator Barack Obama.鈥� A few days later, he a chance to explain himself, telling radio host Alan Colmes that it was 鈥渞idiculous鈥� for anyone to imagine he thought violence was the only way to stop Obama, complaining of exploitation by his 鈥減olitical opposition.鈥� In June, he launched an 鈥渋mpeach Obama鈥� campaign, accusing the president of treason and urging his followers to 鈥渄emand鈥� action from their representatives. Three months before that, he earned a sharp rebuke from North Carolina state Rep. Rick Glazier, who , described Gheen鈥檚 rhetoric as 鈥渦gly,鈥� 鈥渉ateful,鈥� 鈥渧icious,鈥� and 鈥渄espicable鈥� during a public debate over an anti-immigrant bill.
Of course, none of this comes out in his latest appeal to supporters, which focuses instead on the supposed machinations of 鈥渁lien invasion supporters鈥� plotting to take Gheen and ALIPAC down.
Exhorting his followers not to lose hope (or put away their wallets), Gheen promised to use the money he鈥檚 sure they鈥檒l sent to remake ALIPAC sleeker and more efficient. 鈥淸W]e are going to attempt a bold, and yet risky, maneuver to launch what we are calling ALIPAC 2.0,鈥� he wrote. In addition to E-mails and phone appeals, the group plans to raise money by auctioning off some 鈥渟econdary websites,鈥� most of which are devoted to calling for boycotts of brands Gheen believes are in cahoots with undocumented immigrants and the villainous 鈥渙pen borders lobby.鈥�
Touching on the possibility that engaging in hysterical anti-Obama rhetoric and freaking out every time a GOP candidate suggests creating a path to citizenship for certain undocumented immigrants may not have been the best idea, Gheen also said that ALIPAC will 鈥済reatly limit our efforts in presidential politics as our organization is not in a position of strength necessary to engage on that level and withstand the loss of support that comes with such maneuvers.鈥�
He closed by urging his followers to keep the faith, writing in typical breathless fashion, 鈥淣ecessity is the mother of invention and we are fighting for the survival of America and we are Americans who will prevail God willing.鈥�
