"Information provided to this office by Karl Rove and Marc Racicot indicates that extremists dressed as Santa Claus are anticipating near-term attacks at shopping malls and other holiday events.

Karl says that it is crucial to our re-election campaign next year to suggest the possibility of such attacks against the homeland around the holiday season and beyond.

Karl also says to say this trumped up threat, is perhaps greater now than at any point since Sept 11, but then again maybe not.

Karl calls this 'stoking the public's sense of paranoia' to make people more inclined to vote for Generalbushimo in 2004," said Ridge.