Hate Groups Riled Up Over Prospect of President Obama

Hate Beginning to Emerge?

While most white power groups have drawn the line at mentioning violence against Obama, a recent example shows that some long-kept quiet feelings of hate groups are beginning to emerge, according to equality advocates.

"Most white supremacist groups are trying to figure out how they can make hay out of an Obama presidency," said Southern Poverty Law Center director Mark Potok, who is in charge of the center's Intelligence Project.

A prime example, said Potok, is Bill White, the self-described neo-Nazi and leader of the American National Socialist Workers Party who was indicted last week for allegedly soliciting injury to a member of a jury that convicted a white supremacist four years ago for soliciting the murder of a federal judge in Chicago. The case revolves around White's alleged posting of the juror's home address and phone numbers to a website that officials have since taken down.

But there is an item marked as an exhibit inside the criminal complaint which stands out: a full-color magazine cover showing an image of Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama waving to a crowd, targeted by a swastika and a rifle's crosshairs. Bold words read, "Kill This N*****?"

The complaint says the cover was posted on White's website on Sept. 9, 2008, along with a comment which sought $10,000 to print 20,000 copies of it before the upcoming election.

The Illinois office of the U.S. Attorney would not comment about the magazine cover or its relevancy to the current charge against White.

As the historic race to the White House nears to an end, Deborah Lauter, civil rights director of the Anti-Defamation League, said tension is mounting and "everyone is on high alert."

She said yesterday's arrest of the two Tennessee men is of great concern.

"What it showed us is that white extremists who have a propensity to act out during a presidential campaign in fact were prepared to do that," said Lauter, adding that the incident showed that "our fears unfortunately can be realized."

The SWA said that while one of the men was affiliated with the SWA earlier this year, he has since been ousted, and the alliance has not been in contact with either Cowart or Schlesselman.

White isn't making any statements at this time, but his attorney, Bill Cleaveland, said "he is preparing to defend himself on the charge."

White told the New York Times last month that he was planning to use an $8,000 donation from a Michigan supporter to print and distribute 20,000 copies of the magazine cover on the latest issue of The Nationalist Socialist to white working-class neighborhoods. The Times article said White "said the cover was satirical and pointed to a subheading that read, "Negro Deification and the 'Obama Assassination' Myth"."

He gained notoriety for his extreme comments and internet postings, including one in which he essentially encouraged the lynching of the Jena 6, according to the FBI. This recent criminal complaint in White's case says the web site that he maintained until the FBI recently shut it down contained editorial comments of concern, such as anti-Semitic rants and references to lynchings.

White, who lives in Roanoke, is currently jailed without bond in the Roanoke City Jail in the custody of the U.S. Marshals, while he awaits extradition to federal court in Chicago. His attorney said White will fight the transfer so that he can take care of his local rental properties and his wife and 8-month old daughter.

The Illinois office of the U.S. Attorney says a tentative arraignment date for White in Chicago is set for Nov. 12.

Teri Whitcraft, Asa Eslocker, Joanna Jennings, and Rehab El-Buri contributed to this report.