There's been a ridiculous push by the left to categorize anyone who disagrees with the President's healthcare agenda as part of some corporate/GOP-funded pod people. Have these people seen the state of the Republican Party lately? I'd be surprised if they could even have the competence to hire someone to answer the phone at RNC headquarters. But, this isn't just your standard bottom-feeders in blogoland either, the DNC has made a video calling protesters an angry mob. The gentleman in unpleated Dockers hanging an effigy of some other guy in unpleated Dockers seems to have ignited that convenient outrage amongst Obama supporters where you can demonize your opponents as boorish rubes. TPM is shocked that one Democratic congressman received a death threat:
"The call to the D.C. office was, 'Miller could lose his life over this,'" said Canipe. "Our staffer took it so seriously, he confirmed what the guy was saying. He said, 'Sir is that a threat?' and at that time our staffer was getting the phone number off caller ID and turning it over to the Capitol Police."It's a sad reality, but in America if you are a public figure you're probably going to get death threats and you're probably going to have a creepy stalker. The secret service fields 3,000 threats a year against the President. There are always going to be crazies in America, and I don't know why they should define a broad section of the American people unless you're looking for low-hanging fruit to criticize your political opponents. This attempt to equate anyone who disagrees with Obamacare as some sort of lowlife thug seems to be the only strategy the Democrats have at the moment as support for this federally-subsidized monstrosity goes down the tubes. As ABC's Jake Tapper notes, the non-support for Obamacare seems to be genuine.
See what the others have said:
12 comments:
you know there is a difference between disagreeing with health policy and organizing people to disrupt town halls. I can't believe you're ignoring the memo that basically outlines how to heckle and shout down elected reps, plus the Repub politicians who "wink wink" encourage this tactic. If you disagree with your rep, and I am sure there are many, there are civil ways to state such. What's going on out there in tea-bag land is really disturbing.
I saw one video where a normal person asked a disruptive guy, "don't you believe in rights to health?" and this asshole said "Well, I believe in the 2d amendment." that's a threat. Add that to your "concealed weapons OMG the UN in black helicopters are coming" post, and one can see things spiraling out of hand quickly.
Be careful what you ask for and support... it's going to bite you in the ass.
Hey Lt, I linked this article in my blog, Rightward Leaning. Good stuff. Thanks.
Not a pretty scene in Tampa tonight at Kathy Castor's meeting. Hell, the ones who couldn't get in due to the fire code banged on the windows outside until police got em to quit. No interest at all in free speech. Most of them looked like big Matlock fans.
A few crazies act way out of line and all of a sudden everybody that thinks this "reform" sucks is labeled a bunch of morons and extremists. I guess it's only ok to be against something if your a lefty, we don't have that same right.
It sucks to be profiled.
Yeah but it's not just "a few crazies" is it. Every righty has the same opportunities and priviledges as the lefties, even though the righties seem to enjoy limiting more rights and priviledges than the lefties. But your opportunities for constructive dialogue end when you start shouting "FIRE" in a crowded theater and then tripping the people trying to get out of the building.
Robert,
Thanx!
Wek,
Mmaaaatttllooccckkk! I still remember that Simpsons episode.
AA,
Good call.
J.,
I'm not advocating violence, but I think the 2nd amendment is an important right to exercise, but that post didn't have anything to do with shooting liberals or anything. I was just commenting on the irony that the President has definitely been the Firearms Salesman of the Year.
As for the Town Hall crazies, sure there's always going to be crazies, but I'm skeptical of the White House and DNCs characterization that anyone who isn't onboard with healthcare is automatically a crazy. It's some pretty aggressive demonization of the opposition. But there's so much at stake at politics these days, it's pretty much what we have as a result.
J,
Wek, you weren't this gentleman getting slapped were you?
Let's be clear that these are organized "crazies" not just a few loose cannons, and we'll agree to disagree about government's role in ensuring adequate health care.
"Instead, hundreds of vocal critics turned out, many of them saying they had been spurred on through the Tampa 912 activist group promoted by conservative radio and television personality Glenn Beck. Others had received e-mails from the Hillsborough Republican Party that urged people to speak out against the plan and offered talking points."
If the best the DNC can do to convince the public that another deficit-inducing government plan is that "Republicans are mean", it's gonna be a rough four years for the Obama administration trying to get anything done without pissing off more people.
Here's Krugman saying the healthcare protesters are all racists. LOL. Do you agree with this shit? Or are you willing to admit that some progressive columnists/bloggers are talking this too far.
Haha! That wasn't me getting slapped around, but I did endure a few blows from canes and a denture-bite mark on my forearm.
The people causing the trouble the town halls aren't any different than the people who heckled Bush any chance they got. And niether were put up to it by the DNC or the RNC.
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