Right-Wing Militia Vs Feds In Nevada

*Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy speaks like a man from another century. In an interview with conservative radio host Dana Loesch, Bundy claims that "this is a sovereign state of Nevada." Though he swears that he will "abide by all of Nevada state laws," he adds that "I don't recognize [the] United States Government as even existing."
Last week, that idiosyncratic belief nearly triggered a violent conflict with federal officials. For two decades, those officials have tried and failed to keep Bundy from illegally grazing his cattle on federal land. They've obtained three court orders — one of them as long ago as 1998 — requiring Bundy to remove his cattle from federal land. The more recent orders, both from 2013, gave Bundy 45 days to comply or else "the United States is entitled to seize and remove to impound any of Bundy's cattle that remain in trespass." Bundy did not comply, and government-hired wranglers began rounding up Bundy's livestock last Saturday. Egged on by media figures like Fox News' Sean Hannity and Tea Party groups like the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity, Bundy quickly became a conservative celebrity — including among right-wing fringe groups. By Wednesday, right-wing militia members began to arrive in Nevada to "provide armed response" to federal officials seeking to enforce the court order. As the potential for violence escalated, the feds decided to back down...* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

*Read more here from IAN MILLHISER at Think Progress: