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Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of Michigan Citizens for Science and co-founder of The Panda's Thumb. He has written for such publications as The Bard, Skeptic and Reports of the National Center for Science Education, spoken in front of many organizations and conferences, and appeared on nationally syndicated radio shows and on C-SPAN. Ed is also a Fellow with the Center for Independent Media and the host of Declaring Independence, a one hour weekly political talk show on WPRR in Grand Rapids, Michigan.(static)

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Former Assistant AG on Terror Watch List

Posted on: July 20, 2008 9:23 AM, by Ed Brayton

AP reports that Jim Robinson, a former Assistant Attorney General, is on the terrorist watch list. Don't you feel safer now?

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Comments

Ed, I e-mailed you a piece on this very issue. Go here.

Not only is this guy on the list, but a reporter for CNN who did a story on him was promptly put on the list as well. How much more useless can the list get?

Posted by: FishyFred | July 20, 2008 10:35 AM

@FishyFred: Sounds like the list isn't useless after all. It's just that the uses are largely unsavory.

Posted by: phisrow | July 20, 2008 11:42 AM

As I discussed in my blog entry on this subject(
http://religionsetspolitics.blogspot.com/2008/07/jim-robinson-is-on-terror-watchlist.html ) one very interesting thing about this is the individual's name "Jim Robinson." We aren't talking about someone with a foreign sounding name that got on the list. This is a good old double-barreled Caucasian Protestant name. The generic American needs to wake up and realize that they are getting hit by this also.

Posted by: Joshua Zelinsky | July 20, 2008 1:04 PM

No way is this truly funny, but it's still hilarious. I'm ROFLingMAO, just as I almost always do when my irony meter overloads and explodes. (It's the usual deal, "if I didn't laugh, I'd cry.")

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to Home Depot and buy a new one. Third time - or maybe fourth, I've lost count - in the last week, plus gas. Damn, but this $#!+ is getting expensive! =8-O

Posted by: themadlolscientist | July 20, 2008 2:35 PM

*taps mysterious microphone recently pushed through ceiling light socket* "Yes, I feel incredibly safe."

Posted by: Julian | July 20, 2008 4:57 PM

I've got a family member with that name... maybe HE is the terrorist. And to think I just saw in the last get together.

madlolscientist: I recommend a bulk dealer for the irony detectors. They don't seem to last these day as long as in the old days.

Posted by: daenku32 | July 20, 2008 4:58 PM

Now if we could just get every other Bush Administration political appointee onto that list, I'd start to feel a bit safer...

Posted by: Tom | July 20, 2008 10:32 PM

Reminds me of this satire post I did years ago on racial profiling where Ashcroft and Bush were a perfect match for the profile.

Posted by: No One Of Consequence | July 21, 2008 9:44 AM

As I discussed in my blog entry on this subject( http://religionsetspolitics.blogspot.com/2008/07/jim-robinson-is-on-terror-watchlist.html ) one very interesting thing about this is the individual's name "Jim Robinson." We aren't talking about someone with a foreign sounding name that got on the list. This is a good old double-barreled Caucasian Protestant name. The generic American needs to wake up and realize that they are getting hit by this also.

OK I don't disput your general point but I'm in a pedantic mood and have to point out that the name Robinson is not

double-barreled

specifically Protestant,

or Caucasian

Posted by: Matty | July 21, 2008 11:01 AM