So Democrat Rep. Brian Baird, WA-03, is going to do telephone town halls instead of play along with the infantile tactics of the tea birthers. From The Columbian:
“What we’re seeing right now is close to Brown Shirt tactics,” Baird, D-Vancouver, said in a phone interview. “I mean that very seriously.”
As a friend of mine says, right on with your right on. It’s about time someone called this crap what it is. The right has been throwing Nazi analogies around like it’s going out of style, and now they’ll get their panties all in a bunch about Baird’s comment, no doubt. Too bad.
Oh, they just want to dissent? Then why has a certain right-wing radio host and her Vancouver based Republican blogger been dogging Baird about having town halls since last month?
Too bad for them, Baird is smart enough not to play their stupid game. And to the inevitable cries that Baird is afraid to have a town hall, I think we all know that’s complete baloney. He’s had a ton of them, including the beating he took when he decided to back the surge in Iraq, so so he’s no shrinking violet.
Naturally, what the righties backing the insurance companies want is that everyone lose sight of the true goal, which is decent health care reform. Regular people who don’t believe the birfers need to weigh in, and you don’t need a town hall to do it, telephones and email still work.
Look, the Republicans are enjoying all this because when the only power you have is destructive, that’s what you use, like a misbehaving child. And like a spoiled child, the GOP hasn’t really gamed this out all the way. Health care reform is coming, and if the right’s only reaction is to be destructive, then they have abdicated any moral right to have a say in what happens. They can tell it all to their hired professional liars on AM radio and television, the rest of the country has reality to deal with.
Sniveling little pussy Brian. How pathetic, all partisanship aside.
Good for Congressman Baird for calling it what is.
What a load of crap. Baird is AFRAID of his own constituency. Union goons, loyal to the Democrats, are now going to “police” the town hall meetings. Gonna enjoy beating up some old ladies, Jon?
What a bunch of whiney losers. Get somebody to change your diapers, you pathetic assholes.
TOOOOOO funny!
Rep. Reichert (R WA-08) is also doing a phone version.
Isn’t this the same Brian Baird who mislead the public about being a family man…when he was porkin’ an aid???
Isn’t this the same guy?
Brown Shirt tactics??
Between Obama, Pelosi and Baird…doesn’t seem like the Dems are too serious about “bringing us all together”…does it?????????
Folks in power should welcome challenges.
These “Progressives” attack the “minority”.
Oooooooops, I don’t think folks like me are really the minority anymore.
He doesn’t, however, pork sheep.
And if you think you are not in the majority anymore, just continue your delusion until the next election, when we’ll see how well the republican obstructionist tactics and lying works.
we don’t mind watching hypocritical jerks like you make fools of yourselves.
Health care reform is passing, fools. And the GOP has been whining, crying, and warning of terrible, terrible things for weeks and public opinion is not moving. It’s papsing, and on our side we’ll just all smile as it does.
6 Cyn
(sorry, had wrong number/name)
Yeah? Bring it on. You guys couldn’t get elected dogcatcher, and sending out loutish shock troops isn’t making your brand more attractive.
Cyn brings new meaning to the phrase “eating mutton.”
I now know why Cyn is in Montana. The wingnut big city trolls want goats and Cyn only has used sheep.
EKIM–
Read your last post.
Is this a reflection of how pathetic your life is??
Inslee did a GREAT job in his phone-in town hall…took on the silly questions one by one and blew them away. Just tried to phone into MY congressman’s town hall, but Reichert’s system failed and we all got bumped off. Clearly government’s effectiveness depends on who is running it.
Wow! Teh stupid buuuurrrnnns sometin’ mighty fierce down southaways:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM64ABmhXXs
I mean the white folks are so skeeeeeerred of what they’re hearing from Rush, Sean’s Insanity, etc…
Causing a ruckus at a townhall to prevent others from voicing their opinion is apparently what these right wing idiots think is free speech.
Their opinion seems to be that if you don’t allow them to limit everyone elses free speeh, you are limiting their free speech.
My response to such a person would be to let them have their say for a moment and if they won’t pipe down, feed them a good old knuckle sandwich.
The health care protesters remind me of a toddler banging on a toy with a hammer. By god he’s gonna get the square peg into the round hole even if it takes all summer!
Goldman Sachs wives also cause a ruckus.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08.....183044.htm
It must really, really suck to wait in line with folks slightly less rich than yourself.
Code Pink and their ilk are patriots.
Americans who actually believe communism isn’t the American answer are Nazis.
Interesting.
The cyniklown calling someone ELSE pathetic.
That’s rich.
Not much happened in Rep. Reichert’s telephone townhall once people were able to call in. His primary concern seemed to be preventing a single-payer system. I didn’t hear anything about patient’s rights or any effort to curb private insurance companies’ abuses. The citizens who asked questions of him were mostly of the “gov’t can’t do anything right” crowd.
There are ways to manage crowds with hecklers and screamers, to make them look foolish and discourage others from joining in. That, and encouraging friends and supporters to show up, would be a better way to handle potentially disruptive Town Hall meetings. Digital and telephone versions don’t cut it.
Sin @12
Nah. It’s just a comment on why you have to sell your sheep as used merchandise.
re 21: This is not a ‘Jerry Seinfeld’ moment. These are organized disruptors who need some serious dissuasion — one way or the other.
How about policemen with Tasers?
@22 Used sheep. heh- Good one.
Do you know how Marvin and Mr. Klynical practice safe sex? heh- They mark a big “X” on the sheep that kick.
I don’t fully understand the anger of the left at organized protest.
These are the same people who cheered when idiot college students blocked 1-5 through Seattle at rush hour to make a statement about Iraq.
These people cheered at the crazy woman who stalked George Bush at his ranch in Texas. Supposedly this was for her son, but it stood in defiance of everything that son believed.
These are the same people who think that all the hippies and deadbeats from the 60’s were something other than criminals for draft dodging.
I agree with the premise guys. Civil discourse is required to convince our legislators that not every multi trillion dollar legislative act needs to go through without scrutiny. Doing something in a hurry is usually much worse than doing nothing at all.
But here’s the thing. My representatives are not listening. Polls are slipping on the issue of nationalized health, or the euphamism of ‘public option.’ This health care bill is so flawed in every way that it would be much more useful to point out the flaws and beat it on that level. Childish yelling and chanting is not helpful. But the mom in tennis shoes isn’t listening when we do that.
So how would you guys handle it? Oh yeah, the above examples demonstrate the answer.
Hippies and deadbeats were the 1960’s draft dodgers? How would you define draft dodging?
@25 “I don’t fully understand the anger of the left at organized protest.”
Turn on your favorite TV show, then have a friend bang on a garbage can lid with a hammer six inches from your ear, and you’ll get the idea.
For the too-stupid-to-understand-crowd: Your freedom to shout your opinion stops where my right to hear the speaker begins.
@25 (continued) “But here’s the thing. My representatives are not listening.”
Sure they are. They’re just not listening to you, that’s all, because you’re part of a small minority. They’re listening to the vast majority of Americans who want health care reform.
lostinblue- inciting violence is a line which should not be crossed. Death threats to elected officials have been reported, incited by the exaggerated rhetoric from the right. We had an election. It was quite clear what was on the Democrat’s generally and Obama’s agenda specifically.
You don’t like it, win the next election.
to follow on Roger @ 28- was your representative’s stance on health care clear at the time of the election? Side question- did you try to find out? If your representative did in fact make their position known and was elected with that position, then I assert hey should not listen to you.
re 25: “I don’t fully understand the anger of the left at organized protest.”
What are they protesting — specifically. What proposed action or policy are these people so upset about?