Gabrielle Giffords Supporters Donate $358,000 To Her Re-Election Campaign

WASHINGTON -- Donors from around the country have donated about $358,000 to the re-election campaign of Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in the event she attempts to seek political office again.

Giffords was critically wounded by a gunshot to the head in January during a shooting rampage in Tucson. She has been undergoing extensive therapy in Houston and it's unknown whether she'll be able to resume her duties or seek elective office again.

But supporters want to be ready just in case. Colleagues organized a fundraiser on her behalf in March.

Her campaign's fundraising report shows that political action committees generated about two-thirds of the donations during the first quarter of 2011. The other third came from individuals, many from the Tucson area.

In all, her campaign has about $556,000 in the bank.

U.S. Hate Groups Top 1,000

The number of active hate groups in the United States topped 1,000 for the first time and the antigovernment “Patriot” movement expanded dramatically for the second straight year as the radical right showed continued explosive growth in 2010.

Several factors fueled the growth: resentment over the changing racial demographics of the country, frustration over the lagging economy, and the mainstreaming of conspiracy theories and other demonizing propaganda aimed at minorities and the government.

The report is in the Spring 2011 issue of the SPLC’s quarterly investigative journal Intelligence Report. The Hate Map also contains a comprehensive, state-by-state listing of hate groups and their locations.

Spring 2011 issue of the SPLC's Intelligence Report

“Far-right extremists remain highly energized, even as politicians across the country co-opt many of the radical ideas and issues that are important to them,” said Mark Potok, editor of the Intelligence Report. “This success in having their voices heard in the political arena, where they have long occupied the fringe of conservative thought, might eventually take the wind out of their sails, but so far we’re not seeing any sign of that.”

The SPLC documented 1,002 hate groups operating in 2010 – a 7.5 percent increase from the 932 groups active a year earlier and a 66 percent rise since 2000. It is the first time the number of hate groups has topped 1,000 since the SPLC began counting them in the 1980s.

But the most dramatic growth in the radical right came in the antigovernment “Patriot” movement. These conspiracy-minded organizations, which see the federal government as their primary enemy, grew by 61 percent over the previous year. Their numbers increased to 824 groups in 2010, from 512 groups a year earlier. Previously, the only higher count of Patriot groups came in 1996, during the movement’s heyday, when the SPLC found 858 groups. Militias, the paramilitary arm of the Patriot movement, grew from 127 groups to 330 – a 160 percent increase.

“Nativist extremist” groups – organizations that go beyond mere advocacy of restrictive immigration policy to actually confront or harass suspected undocumented immigrants or their employers – saw their numbers increase by 3 percent, from 309 groups to 319.

Taken together, these three strands of the radical right – hate groups, nativist extremist groups and Patriot organizations – increased from 1,753 groups in 2009 to 2,145 in 2010, a 22 percent rise. That followed a 2008-09 increase of 40 percent.

Mainstream politicians have promoted many of the ideas and conspiracy theories important to these groups. Last April, for example, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed S.B. 1070, the harshest state anti-immigrant law in the country, setting off a flood of proposals for similar laws. State legislators also have offered proposals that would roll back birthright citizenship, bar judges from considering Islamic law in state courtrooms, institute an alternative currency, and even allow a state to disregard federal laws and regulations.

Meanwhile, there are growing signs that the extremist movement is already producing significant acts of terrorism.

In an 11-day period this January, a neo-Nazi was arrested as he headed for the Arizona border with a dozen homemade grenades; a terrorist bomb attack on a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Spokane, Wash., was averted when police dismantled a sophisticated bomb; and a man who officials said had a long history of antigovernment activities was arrested in a car filled with explosives outside a packed mosque in Dearborn, Mich.

That’s in addition to the attempted assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona, an attack that left six dead that same month. The assailant appeared to be severely mentally ill, but he also seemed to have absorbed certain ideas from the radical right, including the notion that the federal government is evil.

Last May, two police officers in West Memphis, Ark., were murdered when they stopped a van driven by a father-son team from the “sovereign citizens” movement, part of the larger Patriot movement. Eight law enforcement officers have been killed by radical-right extremists since President Obama was elected.

The hate groups listed in this report include neo-Nazis, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, racist skinheads, Klansmen and black separatists. Other hate groups on the list target gays or immigrants, and some specialize in producing racist music or propaganda denying the Holocaust.

Jobless claims climb by 35,000

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The number of Americans filing for their first week of unemployment benefits jumped sharply last week, two weeks after hitting a 2-1/2 year low below 400,000.

There were 445,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended Jan. 8, the Labor Department said in a weekly report Thursday.

That's up 35,000 from a revised 410,000 the previous week -- when jobless claims climbed back above 400,000 after falling below that mark for the first time in more than two years.

Last week's rise was bigger than expected. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast initial claims to edge up to 415,000 in the latest report.

"Looking at the weekly numbers is like looking at the stock market on a day-to-day basis, you can expect a few ups and downs without a real reason," said Peter Maris, founder and principal at Resource Financial Group. "But the trend is still that jobless claims are stabilizing and the jobs picture is gradually getting better."

Maris said the labor market will continue to be slow to recover as employers remain cautious about hiring -- even though they have the money.

"Jobs are being posted but many employers just don't seem to be filling the jobs -- they are being cautious and either being too picky or waiting to see what the government is going to do on certain issues," said Maris."I think there will be a sharp decline [in jobless claims] as soon as the government comes out with tax incentives and does something to help small businesses," he added.

The 4-week moving average -- a figure that tries to smooth out week-to-week volatility -- remained encouraging, edging up 5,500 to 416,500 from the previous week's revised average of 411,000.

Continuing claims: The government said 3,879,000 people filed continuing claims in the week ended Jan. 1, the most recent data available. That was down 248,000 from the preceding week's revised 4,127,000 claims.

Ongoing claims reflect people who are filing for their second week or more, until their standard benefits run out -- usually after 26 weeks. Economists expected claims to ease to 4,080,000 in the latest week.

The 4-week moving average for continuing claims was 4,056,500, a decline of 72,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,128,500. 

NY Gov. David Paterson Fined $62,000 Over Yankee Tickets

ALBANY, N.Y. – New York Gov.David Paterson contradicted his staff, the Yankees and common sense when he falsely claimed he always intended to pay for five tickets to the first game of the 2009 World Series at Yankee Stadium, a state commission said in assessing him a $62,125 fine.

In a report released Monday, the Commission on Public Integrity said Paterson performed no ceremonial function at the game, which still would not have entitled him to free tickets for his son and son’s friend. The others were used by the governor and the two staff members. He and two of his staff paid for four of the tickets a few days later.

“The moral and ethical tone of any organization is set at the top. Unfortunately, the governor set a totally inappropriate tone by his dishonest and unethical conduct,” said commission Chairman Michael Cherkasky. “Such conduct cannot be tolerated by any New York State employee, particularly our governor.”

The commission said the civil penalty consists of the $2,125 value of the tickets and $60,000 for three violations of the state’s public officer’s law.

Paterson had said it was his duty to attend the opening series game at the new Bronx stadium. A call to his lawyer Theodore Wells Jr. was not immediately returned Monday.

There was a question whether the Democratic governor gave “intentionally false testimony” to the commission about having written an $850 check in advance for two tickets, special counsel Judith Kaye, the state’s former chief judge, said in an August report.

However, Kaye said the perjury issue was “clouded” by the way Paterson’s commission testimony was given, with the entries read aloud to the legally blind governor, instead of him personally examining a check that was not filled out in his own handwriting.

Wells said then that Paterson didn’t lie, and he noted Kaye’s report didn’t recommend bringing charges.

However, she said the evidence warranted consideration of criminal charges.

Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares said in August the case was under consideration but they would have no comment until the review was complete.

Calls to Soares’ office were not immediately returned Monday.