Threats Against Congress Triple

Rep. Stephen I. Cohen (D-Tenn.) received an email this week that said, "If our tea parties had hoods, we would burn your [expletive] on a cross on the White House front lawn." He's not the only one who has been threatened. Fueled in party by anger over the new health care law, serious threats against members of Congress have almost tripled in the last three months, according to federal law enforcement agents. Lawmakers reported 42 threats in the first three months of this year, compared with 15 threats in the last three months of 2009, The Washington Post reports. Most recently, Gregory L. Giutsi was arrested and charged with threatening House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The incidents have ranged from "very vulgar to serious threats, including death threats," Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Terrance W. Gainer said, adding that House members have received "significantly more" threats than Senators.