Have you fought at your Town Hall meeting today?

[BigWoof31]

Got aggression? Think those dastardly libs/repubs are ruining healthcare? Why not fight in front of your elected representatives?

Six people, including P-D reporter, arrested at Carnahan meeting - STLtoday.com

White House to Democrats: 'Punch back twice as hard' - Carrie Budoff Brown - POLITICO.com

Health Care Town Hall Turns Violent in Tampa - Political News - FOXNews.com

YouTube - Kathy Castor - Healthcare Town Hall...

[BigWoof31]

Welcome Home To Vitriol, Chaos At Local Meetings | TriCities


Peggy Noonan: ‘You Are Terrifying Us’ - WSJ.com

[MaxBuck]

Originally Posted by BigWoof31

Welcome Home To Vitriol, Chaos At Local Meetings | TriCities

Peggy Noonan: ?You Are Terrifying Us? - WSJ.com

That second link is a great find.

Republicans and Democrats both have a recent history of demonizing those who disagree with them. It really needs to stop. Pelosi and her ilk need to tone down the rhetoric and realize that there are valid concerns relative to Democrat proposals to reform healthcare in our nation, and they need to learn that listening is an important skill.

[BigWoof31]

Time for another beer sumit?

With one twist. The black victim was a conservative, and the assailants may well have been union thugs

Patterico’s Pontifications ? Angry Mob of Racist Extremists Beats Black Man at Town Hall Meeting


Conservatives have to feel like momentum is clearly on their side when they read colums like this. When Ivory Tower lefty writers like Krugman are calling you a racist - you know you're movement has serious legs and is winning the war.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/op...=1&ref=opinion

[fourteenandoh]

I was watching Olbermann last night and he asked a guest (with a straight face), "can we just get down to it and ask ourselves what this is really about. these people are just unhappy with the color of the president's skin aren't they?" I just started laughing. The people in these videos are asking valid questions, and are not getting straight answers.

[CookyPuss]

Big Picture | TPM

The reports from the ground are still sketchy. But in both cases of unrest this evening we appear to have a similar pattern. Relatively small venues (200 to 300 size spaces) get quickly filled to capacity. The doors get closed because of fire codes. And then locked out teabag activists start banging on doors and windows demanding to be let in and yelling about various forms of political oppression. From what I can tell, the shoving and whatever fisticuffs took place grew from that.

In post-event retellings on the right fire code enforcement became a form of political repression of teabaggers.

More broadly, there's a more general pattern -- escalating mayhem and near-riot behavior from teabaggers escalating into physical confrontations. Already, not surprisingly, right wing websites are attempting to blame these developments on pro-health care reform advocates.

Late Update: I have an unconfirmed report that what touched off the outburst at the St. Louis event was that after the doors had been shut, two SEIU employees who were staffing the event (SEIU was a sponsor) came to the door and were allowed in. This provoked the teabag contingent, who believed this was prima facie evidence of discrimination against their political views.

Video of this moment after the jump ...

Damned communist fire codes!!!

[BigWoof31]

Originally Posted by fourteenandoh

I was watching Olbermann last night and he asked a guest (with a straight face), "can we just get down to it and ask ourselves what this is really about. these people are just unhappy with the color of the president's skin aren't they?" I just started laughing. The people in these videos are asking valid questions, and are not getting straight answers.

Absolutely correct. The President hasn't written one word of the bill - it's all been done in congress and people like Olbermann have the nads to suggest they're opposing the bill because the gentlemen who signs the bill into law is black.

In a normal campaign setting - accusations of racism would be enough to get independents to cower and move left.
But when you start talking about people's healthcare and their ability to keep their family healthy - hell, scream "RACIST" all you want - it isn't going to make a difference and you aren't going to intimidate anyone.

[BigWoof31]

Originally Posted by MuckFich06

Big Picture | TPM

Damned communist fire codes!!!

You left out the part where the black conservative was called an Uncle Tom and was beaten by the two union members (who were then arrested for assualt while he was taken to the hospital).

But - I mean - good post, I guess.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by fourteenandoh

I was watching Olbermann last night and he asked a guest (with a straight face), "can we just get down to it and ask ourselves what this is really about. these people are just unhappy with the color of the president's skin aren't they?"

Unfortunately, he sounds like some posters. Any criticism is deemed racist, which is a helluva lot easier than trying to logically defend a position with an intellectually valid argument. Any fool can play the race card.

[methomps]

I think manufactured grassroots activism is a sad state of affairs.

[Gatorubet]

Originally Posted by Jake

Unfortunately, he sounds like some posters. Any criticism is deemed racist, which is a helluva lot easier than trying to logically defend a position with an intellectually valid argument. Any fool can play the race card.

But it takes a special kind of fool to ignore race as an issue when it is present and not recognized.

Jk Jake

[fourteenandoh]

Originally Posted by methomps

I think manufactured grassroots activism is a sad state of affairs.

i would argue that it was there from the beginning. they (the corporations) have jumped on the bandwagon and helped fund the movement. in addition, who cares who funds it if the points are valid? IMO, it is a big mistake to write these people off.

['BusNative]

Originally Posted by fourteenandoh

i would argue that it was there from the beginning. they (the corporations) have jumped on the bandwagon and helped fund the movement. in addition, who cares who funds it if the points are valid? IMO, it is a big mistake to write these people off.

Why don't the corporations just come out and fight their own fights rather than make it seem as if "regular" Americans are asking these questions?

[fourteenandoh]

Originally Posted by 'BusNative

Why don't the corporations just come out and fight their own fights rather than make it seem as if "regular" Americans are asking these questions?

if the folks are there and already have the questions themselves, why not help them?

['BusNative]

Originally Posted by fourteenandoh

if the folks are there and already have the questions themselves, why not help them?

That's what I thought the rub is turning out to be - they wouldn't be otherwise... its the lobbyists that are organizing the people...