When Will Steven L Anderson Be Arrested?

Who is Steven L Anderson? In order to answer that question, we have to start with Christopher Broughton.

So who's Christopher Broughton? From the Arizona Republic:

The man who drew international attention by bringing an assault rifle to President Barack Obama's rally on Monday is a Phoenix resident with ties to several anti-government or Nativist groups.

The man, who until now has been identified only as "Chris B," is actually 28-year-old Christopher Broughton, a former employee of a Tempe plastic-mold manufacturer.

Oh, that guy.

Talkingpointsmemo picks up the story:

Chris Broughton, the man who brought an assault rifle and a handgun to the Obama event in Arizona last week, attended a fiery anti-Obama sermon the day before the event, in which Pastor Steven Anderson said he was going to "pray for Barack Obama to die and go to hell", Anderson confirmed to TPMmuckraker today..

But this isn't about the well-armed, anti-Obama, fundamentalist-Christian, well-armed, right-wing militia member. It's about his pastor, Steven L Anderson and what he said that Sunday.

To get a feel for where Anderson is coming from, you should read some previous non-Obama rantings (h/t to Pam's House Blend for the partial transcript). Here's Anderson on the Death Penalty:

The same God who instituted the death penalty for murders is the same god who instituted the death penalty for rapists and for homosexuals, sodomites and queers.

Immediately preceding that sentence, he said that the greatest hypocrite in the world is one who believes in the death penalty for murderers but not for homosexuals.

So that's the heady theological atmosphere Christopher Broughton found himself breathing the Sunday before toting a weapon to an Obama rally.

So let's get back to the sermon. (which you can listen to it here.)

He begins with Psalm 58 and drawing parallels between an aborted fetus and the "melted snail" of verse 8. Then:

But let me tell you something: I don't love Barack Obama. I don't respect Barack Obama. I don't obey Barack Obama. And I'd like Barack Obama to melt like a snail tonight. Because he needs to recompense, he needs to reap what he's sown.

You see, any Christian will tell you that someone who commits murder should get the death penalty. Because that's what it says in Genesis Chapter 9, that's what it says in the Mosaic Law, that's what it teaches us throughout the Bible. 'Who so sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.' 'From the image of God created he Man.'

And when Barack Obama is gonna push his partial birth abortion, his salty saline solution abortion, hey, he deserves to be punished for what he's done. I'm not going to pray for God to bless Barack Obama. This is my prayer tonight to Barack Obama.

...Now, look, if somebody wants me, it somebody twisted my arm and tells me to pray for Barack Obama, this is what I'm going to pray, because this is the only prayer that applies to him: 'Break his teeth, O God, in his mouth. You know, as a snail which melteth, let him pass away. Like the untimely birth of a woman, that he thinks -- he calls it a woman's right to choose, you know, he thinks it's so wonderful. He ought to be aborted. It ought to be, 'Abort Obama.'

This coming from a man who already believes that abortion=murder.

Now let's look at the law (the real law, not the Biblical law). Specifically US Code Title 18>Part I>Chapter 41> > § 871:

Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. [emphasis added.]

So why hasn't Steven Anderson been arrested? He's preaching that President Obama needs to be punished for what he's done, to have his teeth broken and finally to be "aborted."

Need I remind anyone that in 2005 (when there was a Republican in the White House):

In Denver last year, three people were thrown out of a Bush town-hall meeting on Social Security after they arrived in a car sporting a bumper sticker that proclaimed: "No more blood for oil" and wore T-shirts under their other clothes that said "Stop the Lies."

Does Anderson get away with threatening the life of the President of the United States (or otherwise inciting violence against the President) because the current President is a Democrat or the current threatener is quoting his Bible while doing it?

Steven L Anderson needs to be arrested and charged with threatening the life of the President of the United States of America.

Note: Lynn Cullen was talking about this on her show today. (Note: The link will only be live for a week or so. After that you'll have to go through iTunes to hear the show.)

UPDATE: TPM is reporting that the Secret Service has interviewed Anderson.