In a stunning display of candor the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) of Montgomery, Alabama admitted today that it does not monitor "the extreme Left" although for years the organization has billed itself as a watchdog of hate groups.

The admission came during a phone interview conducted by Charles C.W. Cooke of National Review, during which Cooke asked a spokesman for SPLC if the organization had plans to begin to track the Occupy movement in light of the foiled terrorist attempt to blow up a bridge in Cleveland, Ohio.

The suspects who were arrested in the case are connected directly to the Occupy movement.

According to Cooke the person who first answered his call at SPLC appeared stunned by the question. She then transferred him to a representative who was conducting an international conference on right wing extremism.

In an interview that took on the characteristics of a cat and mouse game, the spokesman offered various nebulous reasons for the Center's practice of avoiding the tracking of left wing groups.

Finally, Cooke managed to pin down the spokesman on a key point, which led to a stunning admission that SPLC has never been willing to make in the past. The following excerpt sets the stage:

And then he went on a long speech about “anti-abortion extremists” that had very little to do with what I was asking, but no doubt made him feel good. I met this with silence, so he said that, really, the SPLC only tracks those who commit violence or who seek to destroy whole systems in the name of an ideology.

“Isn’t that exactly what happened in Cleveland?” I asked. “These five men, all linked with Occupy Wall Street, attempted to blow up a bridge as an overture to the wholesale destruction of Cleveland, Ohio, and in the name of anarchism. They also looked to blow up the Republican convention.”

“They were anarchists,” he repeated.

“Yes?”

He paused. “We’re not really set up to cover the extreme Left.”

soooeeee: I just can't help but using the most descriptive term I can find for people like West.

The truth hurts. West is a nutcake for making these wild, crazy in the head accusations, like the accusations made by Joe McCarthy. West has yet to offer proof to backup his claims, also much like the claims of another nutball in congress Michelle Bachmann.

My remarks are meant to be offensive because West is very offensive and he is Republican making it all the more fun.

@Bertha: No, I send money to people who support the limitation of women's rights.

Since your screen name indicates you are female, you should be ashamed of yourself in criticizing the SPLC which has worked for many years to ensure your rights as a woman.

I don't care that much about Dees' home, I care deply about the work done by the SPLC.

Uh, Lib in Cobb: not good for your argument for YOU to to type the word "nutcake". (but funny and self-descriptive)

Since the election of President Obama, the "wingers" have resorted to an attempt in table turning, in that they now claim, "We're not the racists the Liberals are the racists". The "wingers" we're the very first to claim that, "Racism is over because we now have a African American president". In reality nothing could be further from the truth. A primary example of this table turning is this nonsensical blog by the resident "winger" DA King, who is now calling the SPLC race baiters.

DA, you are the exact type of "winger" who angers the thinking portion of the population with your attempts in veiling your own hatred. Your hatred is visible and you cannot dress it up as patriotism, so don't further insult us by telling us that we Liberals and groups like the SPLC are the race baiters. Your ignorance is more apparent than your hatred.

@Robert: BTW, you seem to forget that Allen West is a nut cake, as in McCarthy kind of nut cake, who claims there are 80 Communists in the US Congress. West has yet to name names or provide proof of these mindless accusations. Another soft in the head Republican. Yup, yup, yup, Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

If you wish to align yourself with nut jobs like West, you have that right. There are plenty to choose from in the GOP, you have the pick of the litter. Examples: Palin, Akin, Bachmann, Perry, Brewer, Cain, Gingrich. If you would like more suggestions, feel free to ask.

LIb in Cobb from you post below - " we wish for a white only America?"

Don't you ever get tired of proving how mindless you are here on this blog? I AM A PROUD AFRICAN-AMERICAN. Do I wish for a white only America because I agree with King on immigration and enforcement? Does Congressman Allen West wish for a white only America? BTW Lib - and Kevin Foley, Allen west is still black.

Lib, you are a tytpical Obama voter and SPLC type.

Has anyone seen Kevin Foley and SPLC Mark Potok in the same room? Ever? Foley, you crack me up with your "shoot the messenger" line. You are a race-baiting fraud and you can't hide that fact.

Oh, Kevin. We must remind you again that we can all read your silly postings and your attacks on DA when he rejects your demands to redefine the English language to suit your amnesty position.

Kevin. You aren't fooling anyone with this. To refresh your memory on "shooting the messenger" Kevin, I'll repost just some of the racebaiting attacks you have done here (see below) - Kevin, are you an SPLC donor? I hope so!

Kevin Foley, the shooter -"

Evidently Mr. King is more comfortable down there on the low road with his VDARE colleagues. He responded to my well-mannered suggestions with a smug, condescending justification of his brand of racial prejudice. Yes, Mr. King, it's racial. You can stop pretending now. Along with Jan Brewer and Joe Arpaio, you've simply found a way to camouflage your bias against Latinos and Hispanics by wrapping yourself in the American flag and crying "our laws are being broken!". And like a lot of demagogues you're even somewhat famous hereabouts, where it's not terribly difficult to find other bigoted bullies who'll line up with you.

Haven't we seen this movie before? It used to be "uppity Negros" who "didn't know their place" in the old Jim Crow era; burning Freedom Rider buses, poll taxes, and Bull Connor's attack dogs. Now it's undocumented workers, most of whom find themselves employed and often exploited by American business owners, doing the dirty jobs none of us want to do: Cleaning toilets, washing dishes, gutting chickens, digging holes. And D.A. King adds to their misery.' Remember Kevin?

Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - Politics Progressive

Lib, you are just the type of rube who deserves to be taken in by these charlatans. PLEASE tell me you are one of the people who sends Morris Dees money to redecorate his home and the Poverty Palace in Montgomery? I am laughing at you as I see the photos included in the links in htis blog showing the inside of "poverty" Morris Dees house. You are dangerous because you are unable to think Lib. I mean Kevin. I mean liberal nut-ball.

When you don't like the message, shoot the messenger, Mr. King's usual M.O.

@Pro American: The SPLC is currently tracking over 1000 groups which are well armed and considered dangerous. Wade Michael Page who was responsible for the recent murders at a Sikh Temple in WI was also being tracked by the SPLC.

The SPLC is NOT attempting to turn us into a Marist police state. They are attempting to keep us safe. How could you be so obtuse that you don't recognize this? I certainly recommend that you re-evealuate your thinking regarding the SPLC.

My post addressed to Snake should have been addressed to Bruce, not that it really matters.

@anonymous: It's nice to see that you are reading my posts closely enough to pickup my typos. There is then hope for you to learn something.

Snake: Since the Boy Scouts exclude the gay population from their organization, they deserve to be called a hate group. The Boy Scouts are not a hate group in the same sense as the klan but it is still hate. Their decisions and policies are based in ignorance just on different levels, it is still hate.

Lib in Cobb:

You have got to be a right winger trying to make fun of liberals by portraying them as witless fools.

DJT: Legitimate conservatives are currently waging war on minorities, the poor, women, the middle clas, voters rights, unions, healthcare for all. I don't know why you would think the conservatives are being painted/smeared with a broad brush. I don't suppose you have heard about Todd Akin waging his personal war on women who have been raped? Any other questions? Keep listening to Rush, it keeps you misinformed. You have the absolute right to vote for whom ever you wish, you have the absolute responsibility to be informed. You are badly uniformed.

The SPLC is a radical-left group that has no respect for civil liberties. One of its many disgusting tactics is listing law-abiding organizations it hates as "hate groups," and then sending that list to law enforcement agencies. The clear intent is to encourage law enforcement to view their members as criminals.

The SPLC tries to influence police because it wants a police state. The Marxist SPLC is a Red supremacist group.

What makes the Southern Poverty Law Center

particularly odious is its habit of taking

legitimate conservatives and jumbling

them with genuine hate groups (the Klan,

Aryan Nation, skinheads, etc.), to make it

appear that there’s a logical relationship

between opposing affirmative action and

lynching, or demands for an end to government

services for illegal aliens and attacks on

dark-skinned immigrants. The late novelist/

philosopher Ayn Rand called this “the broadbrush

smear.”

Much like Kevin Foley.