ABC's The Note: Health care mini-mobs have it "figured out"
August 20, 2009 2:09 pm ET by Eric Boehlert
Here's The Note item on a Bloomberg News piece:
One side has it figured out: “The town-hall meeting, a format as old as democracy and a staple of congressional recesses, has taken on new force this summer, with consequences that so far have backfired on the president’s efforts to retake control of the health-care debate,” Bloomberg’s John McCormick writes. “Obama’s electronic brigade of supporters, meanwhile, has so far struggled to find traction to help push policy initiatives, something the White House is trying to change.”
Behold the genius of the mini-mobs! Politically, they have it "figured out." They've unleashed a "new force this summer" and have seized control of the health care 'debate.' How did the mini-mobs do it? On that count, ABC and Bloomberg News remain politely mum today.
There are no references to shrieking free-for-alls, loaded guns, swastikas, Nazi posters, shouts of "Heil Hitler. Neither The Note nor Bloomberg News bother to mention the death threats that have been issued, the politicians tied up in effigy, or the acts of mini-mob vandalism that have taken place.
Why dwell on the unpleasant details people? All ABC and Bloomberg News care about is that the mini-mobs are winning and seizing control of the debate (thanks to the press), and that they have it "figured out."
Seriously, though: "...consequences that so far have backfired on the president's efforts..."? Who's writing this column? Mrs. Bush's 3rd grade remedial English-as-a-second-language class?
Incidentally, after years of losing at chess, I finally "figured out" the game. It's a simple strategy of overturning the board and screaming at the top of my lungs. I haven't lost a game since I started doing this. It's really backfired on my opponents.
I was in attendance in Phoenix on Monday, for President Obama's speech to the VFW - among 1500 to 2000 pro-reform demonstrators. We outnumbered the anti-reform protestors by 3 to 1. Yet, the local media either ignored us completely or said that we had a couple hundred more. Those who covered us gave far more screen time to the rightwing protestors - I guess we would have to carry firearms to get any attention at all.
It is pitiful.
From now on, I'll just link to Rep. Weiner (NY).
Today's program had an interesting comparison of 2 Democrats and their visits to districts.
The most amazing part of the story was a poor Mississippi county with a blue dog Democrat congressman. They visited a free clinic staffed with volunteers, mostly retired doctors, and interviewed a woman. This woman was certainly over 50 but less than Medicare age.
She described how she had been laid off, she had no insurance and couldn't afford to pay, but wait for it....
.... she didn't think national healthcare was a good idea because it's communism. She also didn't think "government doctors" would be a good as the volunteers.
When seeing people like this I wonder about the future of this country. You literally can't teach people to be this stupid.