I see Gibbs Pelosi-O and others are on rant of calling anyone or movement against programs "Angry Mobs"
---any thoughts?
---any thoughts?
Mobs
- Thread starter DOGS THAT BARK
- Start date
they sent the seiu and union thugs to these "townhall" meetings...what once what was fractious back and forth debate is now intimidation and physical violence...
community organizers don't like it when communities organize.....lol
community organizers don't like it when communities organize.....lol
I can pretty well look at signs and see which/whose protests are or organized.
When you have manufactured signs vs folks with home made signs I can figure out grass root from organized.
I kinda like Boxers analogy they weren't "dressed" like grass roots people.
Michele Malikin had a few pics of Boxers Dems grass roots attire-
Dreadlocks, black power fists, and militant berets are de rigeur:
Nothing spells genuine grass-roots like blood-red paint:
Feathers keep it real:
When in doubt, go bullhorns and keffiyeh:
Prove your bona fides through flag desecration:
Profanity = sincerity:
More profanity, with Pelosi-approved swastikas:
Less is more:
When you have manufactured signs vs folks with home made signs I can figure out grass root from organized.
I kinda like Boxers analogy they weren't "dressed" like grass roots people.
Michele Malikin had a few pics of Boxers Dems grass roots attire-
Dreadlocks, black power fists, and militant berets are de rigeur:
Nothing spells genuine grass-roots like blood-red paint:
Feathers keep it real:
When in doubt, go bullhorns and keffiyeh:
Prove your bona fides through flag desecration:
Profanity = sincerity:
More profanity, with Pelosi-approved swastikas:
Less is more:
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- Feb 26, 2001
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/opinion/07krugman.html
There?s a famous Norman Rockwell painting titled ?Freedom of Speech,? depicting an idealized American town meeting. The painting, part of a series illustrating F.D.R.?s ?Four Freedoms,? shows an ordinary citizen expressing an unpopular opinion. His neighbors obviously don?t like what he?s saying, but they?re letting him speak his mind.
That?s a far cry from what has been happening at recent town halls, where angry protesters ? some of them, with no apparent sense of irony, shouting ?This is America!? ? have been drowning out, and in some cases threatening, members of Congress trying to talk about health reform.
Some commentators have tried to play down the mob aspect of these scenes, likening the campaign against health reform to the campaign against Social Security privatization back in 2005. But there?s no comparison. I?ve gone through many news reports from 2005, and while anti-privatization activists were sometimes raucous and rude, I can?t find any examples of congressmen shouted down, congressmen hanged in effigy, congressmen surrounded and followed by taunting crowds.
And I can?t find any counterpart to the death threats at least one congressman has received.
So this is something new and ugly. What?s behind it?
Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, has compared the scenes at health care town halls to the ?Brooks Brothers riot? in 2000 ? the demonstration that disrupted the vote count in Miami and arguably helped send George W. Bush to the White House. Portrayed at the time as local protesters, many of the rioters were actually G.O.P. staffers flown in from Washington.
But Mr. Gibbs is probably only half right. Yes, well-heeled interest groups are helping to organize the town hall mobs. Key organizers include two Astroturf (fake grass-roots) organizations: FreedomWorks, run by the former House majority leader Dick Armey, and a new organization called Conservatives for Patients? Rights.
The latter group, by the way, is run by Rick Scott, the former head of Columbia/HCA, a for-profit hospital chain. Mr. Scott was forced out of that job amid a fraud investigation; the company eventually pleaded guilty to charges of overbilling state and federal health plans, paying $1.7 billion ? yes, that?s ?billion? ? in fines. You can?t make this stuff up.
But while the organizers are as crass as they come, I haven?t seen any evidence that the people disrupting those town halls are Florida-style rent-a-mobs. For the most part, the protesters appear to be genuinely angry. The question is, what are they angry about?
There was a telling incident at a town hall held by Representative Gene Green, D-Tex. An activist turned to his fellow attendees and asked if they ?oppose any form of socialized or government-run health care.? Nearly all did. Then Representative Green asked how many of those present were on Medicare. Almost half raised their hands.
Now, people who don?t know that Medicare is a government program probably aren?t reacting to what President Obama is actually proposing. They may believe some of the disinformation opponents of health care reform are spreading, like the claim that the Obama plan will lead to euthanasia for the elderly. (That particular claim is coming straight from House Republican leaders.) But they?re probably reacting less to what Mr. Obama is doing, or even to what they?ve heard about what he?s doing, than to who he is.
That is, the driving force behind the town hall mobs is probably the same cultural and racial anxiety that?s behind the ?birther? movement, which denies Mr. Obama?s citizenship. Senator Dick Durbin has suggested that the birthers and the health care protesters are one and the same; we don?t know how many of the protesters are birthers, but it wouldn?t be surprising if it?s a substantial fraction.
And cynical political operators are exploiting that anxiety to further the economic interests of their backers.
Does this sound familiar? It should: it?s a strategy that has played a central role in American politics ever since Richard Nixon realized that he could advance Republican fortunes by appealing to the racial fears of working-class whites.
Many people hoped that last year?s election would mark the end of the ?angry white voter? era in America. Indeed, voters who can be swayed by appeals to cultural and racial fear are a declining share of the electorate.
But right now Mr. Obama?s backers seem to lack all conviction, perhaps because the prosaic reality of his administration isn?t living up to their dreams of transformation. Meanwhile, the angry right is filled with a passionate intensity.
And if Mr. Obama can?t recapture some of the passion of 2008, can?t inspire his supporters to stand up and be heard, health care reform may well fail.
There?s a famous Norman Rockwell painting titled ?Freedom of Speech,? depicting an idealized American town meeting. The painting, part of a series illustrating F.D.R.?s ?Four Freedoms,? shows an ordinary citizen expressing an unpopular opinion. His neighbors obviously don?t like what he?s saying, but they?re letting him speak his mind.
That?s a far cry from what has been happening at recent town halls, where angry protesters ? some of them, with no apparent sense of irony, shouting ?This is America!? ? have been drowning out, and in some cases threatening, members of Congress trying to talk about health reform.
Some commentators have tried to play down the mob aspect of these scenes, likening the campaign against health reform to the campaign against Social Security privatization back in 2005. But there?s no comparison. I?ve gone through many news reports from 2005, and while anti-privatization activists were sometimes raucous and rude, I can?t find any examples of congressmen shouted down, congressmen hanged in effigy, congressmen surrounded and followed by taunting crowds.
And I can?t find any counterpart to the death threats at least one congressman has received.
So this is something new and ugly. What?s behind it?
Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, has compared the scenes at health care town halls to the ?Brooks Brothers riot? in 2000 ? the demonstration that disrupted the vote count in Miami and arguably helped send George W. Bush to the White House. Portrayed at the time as local protesters, many of the rioters were actually G.O.P. staffers flown in from Washington.
But Mr. Gibbs is probably only half right. Yes, well-heeled interest groups are helping to organize the town hall mobs. Key organizers include two Astroturf (fake grass-roots) organizations: FreedomWorks, run by the former House majority leader Dick Armey, and a new organization called Conservatives for Patients? Rights.
The latter group, by the way, is run by Rick Scott, the former head of Columbia/HCA, a for-profit hospital chain. Mr. Scott was forced out of that job amid a fraud investigation; the company eventually pleaded guilty to charges of overbilling state and federal health plans, paying $1.7 billion ? yes, that?s ?billion? ? in fines. You can?t make this stuff up.
But while the organizers are as crass as they come, I haven?t seen any evidence that the people disrupting those town halls are Florida-style rent-a-mobs. For the most part, the protesters appear to be genuinely angry. The question is, what are they angry about?
There was a telling incident at a town hall held by Representative Gene Green, D-Tex. An activist turned to his fellow attendees and asked if they ?oppose any form of socialized or government-run health care.? Nearly all did. Then Representative Green asked how many of those present were on Medicare. Almost half raised their hands.
Now, people who don?t know that Medicare is a government program probably aren?t reacting to what President Obama is actually proposing. They may believe some of the disinformation opponents of health care reform are spreading, like the claim that the Obama plan will lead to euthanasia for the elderly. (That particular claim is coming straight from House Republican leaders.) But they?re probably reacting less to what Mr. Obama is doing, or even to what they?ve heard about what he?s doing, than to who he is.
That is, the driving force behind the town hall mobs is probably the same cultural and racial anxiety that?s behind the ?birther? movement, which denies Mr. Obama?s citizenship. Senator Dick Durbin has suggested that the birthers and the health care protesters are one and the same; we don?t know how many of the protesters are birthers, but it wouldn?t be surprising if it?s a substantial fraction.
And cynical political operators are exploiting that anxiety to further the economic interests of their backers.
Does this sound familiar? It should: it?s a strategy that has played a central role in American politics ever since Richard Nixon realized that he could advance Republican fortunes by appealing to the racial fears of working-class whites.
Many people hoped that last year?s election would mark the end of the ?angry white voter? era in America. Indeed, voters who can be swayed by appeals to cultural and racial fear are a declining share of the electorate.
But right now Mr. Obama?s backers seem to lack all conviction, perhaps because the prosaic reality of his administration isn?t living up to their dreams of transformation. Meanwhile, the angry right is filled with a passionate intensity.
And if Mr. Obama can?t recapture some of the passion of 2008, can?t inspire his supporters to stand up and be heard, health care reform may well fail.
just step back and think about why this is happening.....
seriously...why is this so contentious?....
if the dem leadership(in the wh,the senate and house) had allowed hearings, had allowed input from the republicans, independents, or any one at all, there wouldn`t be such an uproar....
bock himself says, "I'm not sure what is in the bill"...democrat leaders in the house and senate say the same and that they haven`t even read the bill....
bock and the dems aren`t sure of what it is, how it will work, what it will cost, how to get it working, on and on.....
now americans(particularly the elderly) are angry,scared and confused, and obama and the dems who set it all in motion, point their fingers at the american people saying,"its your fault",,,"sit down and shut up ". ...
then they sick the seiu and union thugs on them...
yeah..people are upset...
seriously...why is this so contentious?....
if the dem leadership(in the wh,the senate and house) had allowed hearings, had allowed input from the republicans, independents, or any one at all, there wouldn`t be such an uproar....
bock himself says, "I'm not sure what is in the bill"...democrat leaders in the house and senate say the same and that they haven`t even read the bill....
bock and the dems aren`t sure of what it is, how it will work, what it will cost, how to get it working, on and on.....
now americans(particularly the elderly) are angry,scared and confused, and obama and the dems who set it all in motion, point their fingers at the american people saying,"its your fault",,,"sit down and shut up ". ...
then they sick the seiu and union thugs on them...
yeah..people are upset...
Actually I check out her blog weekly--and like her a lot--out of list of drudge contributors below she and Krauthammer are only 2 I make conscious effort to read. The 2 I read today are noted in diff color
<HR><! L I N K S S E C O N D C O L U M N>MATT DRUDGE
3 AM GIRLS
CINDY ADAMS
MARC AMBINDER
KURT ANDERSEN
JONATHAN ALTER
ARMY ARCHERD
BAZ BAMIGBOYE
DAVE BARRY
PETER BART
STEPHEN BATTAGLIO
BIZARRE [SUN]
GLORIA BORGER
BRENT BOZELL
DAVID BRODER
DAVID BROOKS
PAT BUCHANAN
HOWIE CARR
MONA CHAREN
ELEANOR CLIFT
RICHARD COHEN
JOE CONASON
DAVID CORN
ANN COULTER
JIM CRAMER
CRAIG CRAWFORD
STANLEY CROUCH
LOU DOBBS
DE BORCHGRAVE
MAUREEN DOWD
STEVE DUNLEAVY
ROGER EBERT
LARRY ELDER
SUSAN ESTRICH
JOSEPH FARAH
SUZANNE FIELDS
HOWARD FINEMAN
NIKKI FINKE
FIRST DRAFT [REUTERS]
FISHBOWL, DC
FISHBOWL, NYC
ROGER FRIEDMAN
JOHN FUND
LEAH GARCHIK
GATECRASHER
BILL GERTZ
GEORGIE GEYER
JIM GLASSMAN
JONAH GOLDBERG
ELLEN GOODMAN
MARTIN GROVE
MARK HALPERIN
CARL HIAASEN
NAT HENTOFF
PEREZ HILTON
CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS
HUGH HEWITT
INSIDE BELTWAY
INSIDE POLITICS
INSIDE THE RING
AL KAMEN
MICKEY KAUS
KEITH J. KELLY
MICHAEL KINSLEY
JOE KLEIN
HARRY KNOWLES
KRAUTHAMMER
NICHOLAS KRISTOF
PAUL KRUGMAN
LARRY KUDLOW
HOWIE KURTZ
JOHN LEO
DAVID LIMBAUGH
RUSH LIMBAUGH
HAL LINDSEY
RICH LOWRY
MICHELLE MALKIN
DICK MORRIS
PEGGY NOONAN
BOB NOVAK
OFF THE RECORD
MARVIN OLASKY
BILL O'REILLY
PAGE SIX
CAMILLE PAGLIA
ANDREA PEYSER
JIM PINKERTON
BILL PRESS
WES PRUDEN
ANNA QUINDLEN
FRANK RICH
REX REED
RICHARD REEVES
RELIABLE SOURCE
RICHARD ROEPER
RUSH/MOLLOY
SCHLAFLY
TOM SHALES
LIZ SMITH
MICHAEL SNEED
JOE SOBRAN
THOMAS SOWELL
MARK STEYN
ANDREW SULLIVAN
HELEN THOMAS
CAL THOMAS
TV COLUMN
TV NEWSER
TV PROGRAMMING INSIDER
VEGAS CONFIDENTIAL
JEFFREY WELLS
WASHINGTON WHISPERS
GEORGE WILL
WALTER WILLIAMS
JAMES WOLCOTT
MORT ZUCKERMAN
BILL ZWECKER
TU I am not familiar with black body you speak of--but I can say I lost no sleep over female activist that laid down in front of bulldozer in Gaza Strip
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Corrie
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Starting to see and hear of many of these meeting disruptions and how they are coming about - plenty of them are being organized by selective interest groups, insurance companies, others that stand to lose a lot if they are no longer allowed to conduct business unfettered and unregulated.
It's kind of funny, really, now that there are violent protests that are from Wayne's BAYSE, it's all good. Make no mistake, I do understand people being frustrated, and I have no problem with people voicing unhappiness and trying to be heard. I'm all for it. But to somehow gloss over the fact that there is plenty of organization, planning, and money going into these "movements" and "impromptu" shows, is either not genuine, or not facing facts. Of course, Rush is helping that along, and I'm sure the others are gonna hop "right" along with him.
No doubt you don't like people messing with the insurance status quo, Wayne. I do appreciate your concern in that area, from a personal standpoint.
It's kind of funny, really, now that there are violent protests that are from Wayne's BAYSE, it's all good. Make no mistake, I do understand people being frustrated, and I have no problem with people voicing unhappiness and trying to be heard. I'm all for it. But to somehow gloss over the fact that there is plenty of organization, planning, and money going into these "movements" and "impromptu" shows, is either not genuine, or not facing facts. Of course, Rush is helping that along, and I'm sure the others are gonna hop "right" along with him.
No doubt you don't like people messing with the insurance status quo, Wayne. I do appreciate your concern in that area, from a personal standpoint.
It is odd to see conservatives protest Chad--can't say I jhave ever seen that in my lifetime--except for a few special interest groups-pro life.
For most part of ones I've seen most have civil--but the few where they shout down the speakers is certainly an embarrassment and turn off.
The speakers that come (regardless of politics) need to have their say and freedom of speech respected--and any rebuttles can follow in civil manner.
Unless they start being more respectful we will not have any more town hall meetings--other than the White House pre picked audience and canned questions spoofs.
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here`s the "mob"..
STOP THEM!!!
There are the fools that I always see with the Palin bumper stickers.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124960404730212955.html
and about that recession?...i guess we will all need to tighten our belts a little bit more so these blood sucking ticks can travel in comfort on our dime(and not participate in the 3rd world healthcare plan they`re forcing on the rest of us)....
the gall of these hypocrites......
and about that recession?...i guess we will all need to tighten our belts a little bit more so these blood sucking ticks can travel in comfort on our dime(and not participate in the 3rd world healthcare plan they`re forcing on the rest of us)....
the gall of these hypocrites......
A couple of interesting points in that story - I see the WSJ has stepped up its tone and right-angle quite a bit under Rupert these days.
First, these are air force planes, and are part of the military fleet. I did find the comments from the Pentagon spokesperson saying how they only ask for what they need and don't try to get anything extra to be pretty funny, tho...
And this, to give the story some perspective, considering your angle, Wease:
Mr. Brachman said Air Force's passenger planes were mostly used by military officials, the White House and other members of the Executive Branch. Over the past five years, 44% of the use of the planes has been for the military, 42% for the administration and 14.5% for members of Congress, Mr. Brachman said.
So, although the story makes for a good rip on congress, of course, but not sure it's really on point as overly rippable. Seems like the planes have been used during the Bush Administration for the executive branch and for military officials 86% of the time, and by congress 14.5% of the time. Maybe your feathers should ruffle in the appropriate direction? :shrug:
First, these are air force planes, and are part of the military fleet. I did find the comments from the Pentagon spokesperson saying how they only ask for what they need and don't try to get anything extra to be pretty funny, tho...
And this, to give the story some perspective, considering your angle, Wease:
Mr. Brachman said Air Force's passenger planes were mostly used by military officials, the White House and other members of the Executive Branch. Over the past five years, 44% of the use of the planes has been for the military, 42% for the administration and 14.5% for members of Congress, Mr. Brachman said.
So, although the story makes for a good rip on congress, of course, but not sure it's really on point as overly rippable. Seems like the planes have been used during the Bush Administration for the executive branch and for military officials 86% of the time, and by congress 14.5% of the time. Maybe your feathers should ruffle in the appropriate direction? :shrug:
yep would say most men then are vets that served in time of war--most the women grandmothers--
Certainly doesn't appear to be any of DA Base there--they all look like typical tax payers dont see any that would fit your food stamp-welfare-police record-70%- illigitimacy-masked -code pink crews
I would agree with you- looks like most the people I saw with conservative stickers and support the troops ribbons also.
Also have one other question for O-Gibbs and Dems about these minority isolated mobs--
Since all polls show majority americans disapprove of their healthcare reform in recent polls--how can they be labeled monority dissenting mobs. :0corn
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You may recall that Adolph Hitler rode to power on the backs of angry mobs. If you don't, then do a little reading about 1930s Germany and the rise of the Nazis.
It's an old tactic, and always follows the same three steps.
1. Angry, shouting, unruly mobs, which then escalate to -
2. Wanton destruction of property, which then escalates to -
3. Killing.
These simple-minded folks are being incited to violence by the likes of Savage, Beck, Hannity and Limbaugh.
Here's an example of the results of their incitement -
Adkisson also reportedly admitted that he had been planning the attack for at least a week and "chose this church intentionally," because "he was targeting liberals in general, and gays."
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/07/shooting-at-uu-church-in-knoxville.html
Adkisson's apartment was filled with books and newsletters penned by Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and other right-wing hate talkers.
http://washouts.blogspot.com/2009/07/one-year-ago-knoxville-church-shooting.html
The First Amendment does not protect speech intended to incite violence.
I listen to each on a daily basis and they do not advocate violence, you are just another liberal posting here that does not know shit
Yeah comparing Obama to Hitler is done out of love.
Those guys are trying to get people scared into thinking that Obama is a nazi who is going to kill them.
This is just like O'Reilly going after the dr tiller all these years.
Nothing illegal about what they do but when you continue to scare the simple minded some are going to turn to violence.
'tis you, hedge who doesn't know shit.
"I?ll tell you who should be tortured and killed at Guantanamo ? every filthy Democrat in the U.S. Congress." ? Sean Hannity
"Liberalism is the greatest threat this country faces." ? Rush Limbaugh
"It is not a stretch to say that MoveOn is the new Klan." ? Bill O?Reilly
"I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could." ? Glenn Beck
"I don?t see any difference between [Arianna] Huffington and the Nazis." ? Bill O?Reilly
"There are things in life worth fighting and dying for and one of ?em is making sure Nancy Pelosi doesn?t become the [House] speaker." ? Sean Hannity
"We need to execute people like John Walker in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed, too." ? Ann Coulter
