A Minneapolis 'End the Fed' rally on April 25, 2009 (Photo: Chris Steller, Minnesota Independent)

An “End the Fed” group that will rally this afternoon outside the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank hasn’t felt a backlash since Wednesday’s arrest of James von Brunn in the fatal shooting of a guard at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Von Brunn, who mixed anti-Semitism with antipathy for the Federal Reserve, served six years in prison for his 1981 attempt to take Federal Reserve board members captive.

Conservative Web outlets with whom von Brunn consorted quickly moved to dissociate themselves from the 88-year-old white supremacist after Tuesday’s shooting.

But von Brunn’s anti-Fed crimes and comments haven’t affected the local End the Fed group, according to spokeswoman Melissa Hill, although she noted that the Holocaust Museum shooting was only two days ago. “It’ll be interesting to see at the rally,” Hill told the Minnesota Independent this morning.

“I’m hoping it doesn’t become a big issue because that guy was a hardcore Nazi,” Hill said. “At our meetings, no one’s come out with that crap. If they did, they’d be kicked out.”

Hill explained that among End the Fed groups across the country, Minnesota’s is far from von Brunn’s rightwing extremism. The Minnesota group “leans towards the left, because of our location,” she said.

Today’s rally is the third the group has held at the plaza in front of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters on the downtown Minneapolis riverfront. They seek to draw attention to the Fed’s role in the current economic crisis, the country’s monetary policy and the federal bailout of the financial industry — and ultimately to get the laws creating the Fed repealed.

They’re also urging passage of a bill in Congress to audit the Federal Reserve Bank. Since the group’s last rally in April, the bill, authored by End the Fed hero Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, has 220 co-sponsors – enough votes to ensure passage. Supporters in Minnesota include all House members except Democratic Reps. Keith Ellison, Betty McCollum and Jim Oberstar. Two Democrats, Reps. Tim Walz and Collin Peterson, have joined the state’s Republicans in backing the bill.

Hill isn’t holding out much hope that the rally will change the holdouts’ minds. But she said the bill has gained the support of a number of Democrats, including (yesterday) Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio.

The rally starts at 3 p.m., with a speech at 5 p.m. by former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr’s partner on the 2008 Libertarian Party presidential ticket, small-government author and talk show host Wayne Allyn Root.

After the murder of Dr. George Tiller nearly two weeks ago and yesterday’s shootings at the Holocaust Museum by a man with white supremacist ties, some civil rights organizations — including the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League — say that a Homeland Security report on rightwing extremism was correct in its focus.

But have Minnesota lawmakers changed their stance on the then-controversial report?

Here are reactions from key legislators at the time of the report’s release. They have not come out with any statements on the topic since yesterday’s shootings.

Rep. Michele Bachmann:

“The Homeland Security secretary has redefined pro-life, gun-owning veterans, who like smaller government, and who believe America should secure our borders against invasion from illegal aliens, are labeled the domestic right-wing extremists.”

Rep. John Kline:

“Our country is indeed at risk from those who reject the American way of life and our ideals. Sadly, a report recently released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suggests we are in danger from those that believe in issues such as pro-life legislation and limited government and should focus preventative efforts accordingly.”

Gov. Tim Pawlenty:

There is a — kind of a media perspective that, if you’re conservative, you’re somehow, you know, deranged, or you’re somehow deficient, that, if you were a rational, well-thought-of, intelligent person, that you — you couldn’t be a conservative.

So, that’s embedded, I think, as a bias in our media culture more broadly. And it’s insidious, and it’s unfair, and I think they should be called on it.

And I — I heard your report earlier that Secretary Napolitano at least partially apologized. They should fully apologize.”

The Minnesota Independent has sought comment from all three legislators; we’ll print whatever replies we get.

Von Brunn allegedly stormed the entrance of the museum wielding a “long gun,” which prompted museum security guards to open fire. Von Brunn and a security guard were reportedly injured and taken to an area hospital.

Early reports suggest that von Brunn was involved with the white supremacy group Stormfront and was a contributor to the right-wing forum FreeRepublic.com.

Update: Security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns, a 38-year-old who worked at the Holocaust Museum for six years, has died at George Washington University Hospital. The museum will be closed tomorrow in his honor.