GOP strategy - disrupted Dem town hall meetings

[MaggieMae]

Clinton was a moderate, Obama is as far left as you can be without being a communist. There is your difference.

Obama spends like he is on speed, passed an 800 billion dollar no-stimulus stimulus bill before he gave anyone time to read it. Then signed a 480 billion dollar Omnibus bill with 9,000 earmarks. Remember his promice of transperency and the "I will not sign anything with earmarks," statements he made. I do. The bailouts of our financial sector and GM. Now a 1 TRILLION dollar healthcare takeover and you wonder why people are upset. Just wait until Cap and Trade goes before the senate, another huge tax on American business that will cause the loss of a few million more jobs.

I am telling you that these are not just conservative republicans, they are democrats and independents as well.

And..... as I stated in a much earlier post, if I were one of those congressmen who voted for that stimulus bill, be it republican or democrat, I would be hiring extra security for my trip home. The people are pissed and they aren't gonna take it any more.

Yea Maple...we could have pushed the economy over the edge of the cliff Bush drove it to and let states issue pink slips to policemen, firemen and teachers...just like the Republicans wanted...

Thank God Obama won and will be in the White House for 8 years of progress...America has HAD it with right wing pea brain government...

Since January, the GOP has shown it's TRUE colors...F_CK America and it's people, they ONLY care about PARTY...

you mean like the DEMS did for 8 FUCKING YEARS

Hey, dopey, now you're bashing Clinton's Republican Congress.

 

[MaggieMae]

Obama leaves his meetings open.

Like hell.

You know DUDE, there are skeptics and then there are cynics... you are way beyond that...do you live in a hole or under a house? There is more than just BLACK...

I think Dude is just bored. Seems he might be recovering from a series of facial reconstruction, since this is the third avatar photo, each one not looking anything like the prior one (assuming that's him and not his boyfriends).

{Yeah, I can be a real bitch too, before anyone accuses me.}

 

[MaggieMae]

Right wing UN-American activity...

"the days of civil town halls are now “over.”" Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), chairman of the NRCC

sounds like a familiar tactic

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aAU76bqL4Y]YouTube - Code Pink removed from Petraeus hearing[/ame]

Sure, but how many of them were there? Six? They didn't arrive in caravans.

 

[Fatality]

Right wing UN-American activity...

"the days of civil town halls are now “over.”" Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), chairman of the NRCC

sounds like a familiar tactic

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aAU76bqL4Y]YouTube - Code Pink removed from Petraeus hearing[/ame]

Sure, but how many of them were there? Six? They didn't arrive in caravans.

**sniffle sniffle**

 

[MaggieMae]

Like hell.

I agree....Obama's meetings are staged, and the ones who ask the questions are chosen beforehand. Every now and then he will allow a FOX reporter to ask a question, but after he got is ass burned last time with the question of "what took you so long?" I don't think he will do that anymore.

we have actually seen a few proven instances of this.

Most recent was at the press meeting where a blogger was pulled from the crowd to ask the question, as obama put it, "we previously discussed"

Are we now talking about town hall meetings or press conferences? There hasn't been a single president since before Nixon who allowed every member of the press corps to jump up and start yelling questions at him. Since every time Obama holds a press conference, the Internet (including this board) is abuzz with any gaffs or unanswered/ambiguous questions, it seems a little disingenuous to accuse Obama of having pre-screened to reporter and his/her question. And questions from the audience in town hall meetings can indeed get a little touchy. Pay attention.

 

[MaggieMae]

And I suppose Julio the ass spelunking tweaker was just another dipshit off the street, too.

YouTube - Raw Video: Getting the Last Question

And you know that he WASN'T...how? Picky picky picky. What a fucking joke you are. Do you have the entire library of all of Obama's campaign speeches? Get a life.

 

[Navy1960]

This thread contends that republicans are "disrupting townhall meetings" or something to the effect and are somehow not sincere in their efforts because they are likely paif to do so. I find this claim amusing considering the fact that this tactic is a tried and true one used on both sides of the isle. I seem to recall just recently during the healthcare hearings groups of Doctors , part of a paid advocacy group doing the same thing on behalf of the healthcare bill. Over the last several years, you have had many groups, among them EDF, Code Pink, ADL, RNC welcoming committee, and many others doing the exact same thing. They like those recent groups of Americans that are expressing their opinion in the various townhall meetings are exercising a 1st Amendment right that has been won with the blood of millions of Americans and have every right to do so. It is only when we seek to deny people the right to express themselves and their opinions that we cease to become a free nation. While it's clear that the thread author does not care much for the opinion expressed by those in the various townhalls and he has every right to do so, however those in the townhalls have their rights to express them. It makes no sense at all to hold up individuals that you support in their efforts to disrupt meetings only because you agree with them and then seek to somehow in the same breath make a claim that these people have no right to express theirs only because you disagree. While I may not agree with groups like Code Pink, and many others they have every right to do the things they do and would support them in making their voices heard even though I do not agree with them. In conclusion there are many Americans that see this healthcare issue as an intrusion issue and while some may not agree with that, they are like you entitled to their opinion. Of course if we want to debate the issue of what these various groups have as a way of connections in funding then I'm sure we all might find the same thing applies to every group no matter what the political view expressed.

 

[MaggieMae]

So? This is how townhalls should work.

You want mindless drones nodding to everything the speaker says, go hire Karl Rove and his staged crap.

If the policy can't be defended by the speaker, then it's not a policy that's worth having.

Oh bullcrap. How old are you, twelve? I've been to every one of my town meetings prior to election day where the public can air their grievances and ask questions of the speakers, and they ALL were respectful even though often visibly angry. They didn't arrive en mass with hate signs and spittle dripping from their rabid mouths.

Maggie, there you go spouting off without researching again. The memo clearly states that the protest signs should not be brought into the townhall, and that the attendees need to be prepared and respectful.

Yer on the losing end of this one. Better read the actual memo Maggie before you look like more of a fool.

I've read it, and posted it, with my question remaining, why don't they follow the rules?

If my overly defined examples seem too outrageous, I have been using my imagination judging by what I see posted on USMB and elsewhere and applied that to what protesters are (and will) act like in person. Would any of you suddenly turn into civil-minded folks interested in a calm C&A session if you were looking right at your most hated rival? I wonder.

A day later, I find that this subject was nowhere to be found on cable news today, yet several examples last week of unruly behavior were newsworthy even BEFORE Congress adjourns and even reaches their home town destinations. Could it be that evil "liberal" media is surpressing this? Hmmm...

 

[Fatality]

. Would any of you suddenly turn into civil-minded folks interested in a calm C&A session if you were looking right at your most hated rival? I wonder.

youre not entitled to it, you have to earn it and you have not earned it.

 

[MaggieMae]

Wow, let's count the lies here:



Lie #1. Nowhere in the memo does it say anything about outsiders. As a matter of fact the memo outlines how people within the district should respond and organize when notice of a future townhall is posted.



Lie #2. The memo only says that the members need to spread out among the hall and sit up front. This is in no way "artificially inflating numbers".



Lie #3. The memo clearly states that the members should not carry on and make a scene.



Lie #4. The memo clearly states that the members need to be prepared with specific questions pertaining to the issue and also be prepared with a pointed and direct follow up question. This is not, as you characterize, "not having an intelligent debate". If the representative cannot answer a question which pertains to the debate, and this rattles him, well then too damn bad.

You fail. Utterly and completely. You are only embarrassing yourself. Better quit while you are ahead.

Then why aren't they doing that? Simple question.

Just so ya know, my contention has always been that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the strategies outlined in the memo. If people are truly disorderly then they should be escorted out by the authorities. I am not defending them. At all. They are hurtful to the national debate, not helpful. But nice try at changing our little debate here to something it wasn't.

But since you opened up this particular can of worms here, your job in order to back it up now is to post the minutes of all the townhall meetings across the country and show that the majority of the people that are opposed to the representatives position (the "they" in your sentence) descend into shouting matches with the rep or others. Keep in mind all the time that I'm not defending those people one iota.

I mean, since yer painting with a broad brush, the least you can do is back it up.

We'll be waiting...better start hitting google.

Count on it. But they haven't recessed yet. I would love nothing more if people INTENDING to be disruptive woke up and realized how counterproductive it would be ... to their own cause...

 

[MaggieMae]

Keep in mind that "Town Hall Meetings" are supposed to be citizen's meetings not democrat citizen's meetings. If they are meant to be Democrat meetings they would be campaign events. We are not in the campaign season now, we are in a season of public input and debate for and about policies being proposed into bills to be voted on in both houses of congess. This is how representative democracy works.

Obama leaves his meetings open. Bush carefully screened his audiences, usually relying on military audiences.

Yup, and that was absolute f'ing bullshit.

Bush had no business being president. Period. It was almost like he was trying to flush this country down the toilet. Obama seems intent on doing the same. Luckily America i s a lot more resilient than any one man or one administration. This is why we'll outlast Obama as well.

If whoever "we" is supposed to represent, you're so far in the minority you'll never make a dent. If so, where were "you" for the past decade?

 

[MaggieMae]

stop using the bullshit from thinkprogress
moron

Come back when your mommy teaches you to construct more than a single sentence pea brain...it IS your MO...LOL

come back when you can do more than copy & paste from moronic sites like thinkprogress

Hey moron--do you know any word other than MORON? Here, I'll help you out:

feeble-minded, mentally handicapped, imbecile, idiot, simpleton, dullard, dunce, blockhead, mental defective, cretin, tomfool, dunderhead, lunkhead, muttonhead, numskull, dimwit, retard, halfwit, boob, dingbat, saphead, loon, fool.

At least using a mix of adjectives would indicate you have more than a sixth grade education.

 

[MaggieMae]

I hated seeing those Code Pink gals interrupting congressional meetings with outbursts....

I didn't say they should be banned, but it was very disruptive and did nothing to serve a purpose other than being disruptive....

I agree. I also didn't like Cindy Sheehan's antics. I mean camping out at the Crawford ranch? Yeah, that worked well.

 

[MaggieMae]

This thread contends that republicans are "disrupting townhall meetings" or something to the effect and are somehow not sincere in their efforts because they are likely paif to do so. I find this claim amusing considering the fact that this tactic is a tried and true one used on both sides of the isle. I seem to recall just recently during the healthcare hearings groups of Doctors , part of a paid advocacy group doing the same thing on behalf of the healthcare bill. Over the last several years, you have had many groups, among them EDF, Code Pink, ADL, RNC welcoming committee, and many others doing the exact same thing. They like those recent groups of Americans that are expressing their opinion in the various townhall meetings are exercising a 1st Amendment right that has been won with the blood of millions of Americans and have every right to do so. It is only when we seek to deny people the right to express themselves and their opinions that we cease to become a free nation. While it's clear that the thread author does not care much for the opinion expressed by those in the various townhalls and he has every right to do so, however those in the townhalls have their rights to express them. It makes no sense at all to hold up individuals that you support in their efforts to disrupt meetings only because you agree with them and then seek to somehow in the same breath make a claim that these people have no right to express theirs only because you disagree. While I may not agree with groups like Code Pink, and many others they have every right to do the things they do and would support them in making their voices heard even though I do not agree with them. In conclusion there are many Americans that see this healthcare issue as an intrusion issue and while some may not agree with that, they are like you entitled to their opinion. Of course if we want to debate the issue of what these various groups have as a way of connections in funding then I'm sure we all might find the same thing applies to every group no matter what the political view expressed.

Believe it or not, I always read your soft-spoken posts, Navy, and I fully understand where you are coming from ideologically. All I have to say in defense of becoming upset about the potential for mob-scene disruptions during the month of August is that when I see gun sales through the roof and ammunition flying off the shelves to the point there is a shortage nationwide, I become extremely uneasy that there are indeed forces at work to violently undermine this country by attacking its leadership. That's probably the subject for a whole new thread, and one I think I'll work on.

 

[MaggieMae]

. Would any of you suddenly turn into civil-minded folks interested in a calm C&A session if you were looking right at your most hated rival? I wonder.

youre not entitled to it, you have to earn it and you have not earned it.

Huh??

 

[Navy1960]

While I apprecite your passion for the issues Maggie and respect them as well, my point here is to simply make the case that the people that are expressing their opinions are just as passionate in their views as those that wish the Govt. to offer healthcare. I think it's always a good thing to question those that are in power, because it is they who work for you and not the other way around. Frequently it's my opinion and this goes for both sides, that too many willingly accept what those that represent them are saying without question. It is one thing to respect the office in which they hold it's another to be able to question the actions of the office holder. I have said this a while back though Maggie, I'm under no illusions here, in the end we all live together in the same nation and it's my belief that we all share a desire to see costs go down in healthcare. It's how we get there thats the real issue at hand. When we all can see that we all have the same goal to bring down costs and recognize that no matter who prevails we will all have to live with those choices perhaps that will provide many with the stimulus needed to actuallty make a difference. Those that represent us in congress be they Republicans or Democrats are there to work for us and we as citizens have a duty to hold them accountable for their actions on our behalf. I have a deep belief Maggie that when we as citizens begin to do this then the "change" that so many desire won't take long to be put into place. I have the utmost respect for anyone and even those I have had issues with, who express themselves and are engaged in their nations future. You see, after 20 plus years in the Navy everyone of you here on whatever side you represent validate with your passion all the sacrifice made by myself , my family and all the good men and women that served with me. So keep expressing your opinion Maggie, as I would never advocate otherwise.

 

[del]

Excuse me? Hitler's crowds were all Nazis sympathizers, by the way, hardly protesters. Try not checking your brains at the door every time you enter this gate. Once again, there is a HUGE difference between exercising the right to free speech and storming the stage, asshole.

the only one bringing up hitler is you, liebchen.

i'm sorry that you're such a stooge of the govt that you think some sort of kowtowing is required when dealing with elected officials, aka "public servants". it comes with the territory and fortunately, most of them seem to realize it.

auf weidersehn, kleiner kuchen.

Why do you think I'm German, asshole? And please stop your horseshit by suggesting your subtle HITLER-ESQUE comparison was unintended. You're not fooling anyone, idiot. I'm a fiery red-head of Irish descent, by the way.

mutti!?

 

[del]

Excuse me? Hitler's crowds were all Nazis sympathizers, by the way, hardly protesters. Try not checking your brains at the door every time you enter this gate. Once again, there is a HUGE difference between exercising the right to free speech and storming the stage, asshole.

the only one bringing up hitler is you, liebchen.

i'm sorry that you're such a stooge of the govt that you think some sort of kowtowing is required when dealing with elected officials, aka "public servants". it comes with the territory and fortunately, most of them seem to realize it.

auf weidersehn, kleiner kuchen.

Directly from the playbook for disrupting town hall meetings. It calls for LISTENING, asshole.

The Battle Plan

Ironically, it is YOU who chose to use the word "kowtow" with respect to these meetings, whereas I referred to it as public reaction to Hitler.

tissue?

 

[Bfgrn]

While I apprecite your passion for the issues Maggie and respect them as well, my point here is to simply make the case that the people that are expressing their opinions are just as passionate in their views as those that wish the Govt. to offer healthcare. I think it's always a good thing to question those that are in power, because it is they who work for you and not the other way around. Frequently it's my opinion and this goes for both sides, that too many willingly accept what those that represent them are saying without question. It is one thing to respect the office in which they hold it's another to be able to question the actions of the office holder. I have said this a while back though Maggie, I'm under no illusions here, in the end we all live together in the same nation and it's my belief that we all share a desire to see costs go down in healthcare. It's how we get there thats the real issue at hand. When we all can see that we all have the same goal to bring down costs and recognize that no matter who prevails we will all have to live with those choices perhaps that will provide many with the stimulus needed to actuallty make a difference. Those that represent us in congress be they Republicans or Democrats are there to work for us and we as citizens have a duty to hold them accountable for their actions on our behalf. I have a deep belief Maggie that when we as citizens begin to do this then the "change" that so many desire won't take long to be put into place. I have the utmost respect for anyone and even those I have had issues with, who express themselves and are engaged in their nations future. You see, after 20 plus years in the Navy everyone of you here on whatever side you represent validate with your passion all the sacrifice made by myself , my family and all the good men and women that served with me. So keep expressing your opinion Maggie, as I would never advocate otherwise.

I would take the opinions of those on the right as sincere IF they had made the same effort to "question the actions of the office holder" on the War in Iraq and HOW it would be PAID for... it wasn't even included in the budget...

A very well know economist estimates the long term cost of that war will be THREE TRILLION dollars, for WHAT, so Iraq can have new roads, bridges and hospitals? So no bid contractors with favor in the VP's office can rip off tax payers by OVERcharging for INcomplete projects...even with such INcompetence that American soldiers were electrocuted taking a SHOWER?

WHERE is the OUTrage and holding elected officials accountable? The current health care system is costing Americans lives...that is a FACT. Some Americans that can't afford heath insurance will DIE because they didn't get proper medical checkups, treatment and medicine...others will live, just lose all their life savings....

Yet Republicans that held both houses of Congress and the White House NEVER proposed health care reform... But NOW we're supposed to believe they WANT reform and have a better plan?

Sometimes the word BULLSHIT applies...

BULLSHIT!!!

 

[DiveCon]

Yea Maple...we could have pushed the economy over the edge of the cliff Bush drove it to and let states issue pink slips to policemen, firemen and teachers...just like the Republicans wanted...

Thank God Obama won and will be in the White House for 8 years of progress...America has HAD it with right wing pea brain government...

Since January, the GOP has shown it's TRUE colors...F_CK America and it's people, they ONLY care about PARTY...

you mean like the DEMS did for 8 FUCKING YEARS

Hey, dopey, now you're bashing Clinton's Republican Congress.

sorry moron, clinton was not in office for the last 8 years

WOW, can you be any more stupid????