Newt Gingrich: Terrorist Tweeter

In the early hours of April 15, 2009, Newt Gingrich tweeted the following:

"Amazingly white house spokesman used terrorism to describe worrying about americans [sic] but the word has been banned for descriving [sic] foreigners" [Twitter.com/newtgingrich]

Presumably, this tweet is in response to the release of the "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment" [PDF] report issued by the Department of Homeland Security this week. The Washington Times reported that White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said, "The President is focused not on politics but rather taking the steps necessary to protect all Americans from the threat of violence and terrorism regardless of its origins." [Washington Times, 4/14/09]

Mr. Gingrich's tweet begs the question - since when has "terrorism" been banned to describe foreigners? President Obama used the word several times in an April 3rd town hall during his recent European trip: "We were attacked by an al Qaeda network that killed thousands on American soil, including French and Germans. Along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, those terrorists are still plotting today. And they're - if there is another al Qaeda attack, it is just as likely, if not more, that it will be here in Europe in a European city. So I've made a commitment to Afghanistan, and I've asked our NATO partners for more civilian and military support and assistance. We do this with a clear purpose: to root out the terrorists who threaten all of us..." [WhiteHouse.gov, 4/3/09; emphasis added]