Conservative media examine video of town hall disruptions, declare disruptors "real"
Several conservative media figures have recently claimed that the people who have disrupted recent Democratic town halls on health care reform are, in Rush Limbaugh's words, "real" and "genuine" rather than "ginned up" -- a message that echoes Republican claims about the disruptions. In fact, conservative organizations opposed to the Democrats' health care bills are conducting a campaign to turn out their supporters at these events; the subsequent disruptions have been promoted by conservative media figures and outlets.
Conservative media declare protesters "real," mock arguments to the contrary
Limbaugh: "[I]t's not ginned up; it's genuine. It's real."
LIMBAUGH: And also, I find it fascinating that all these Democrats are -- exactly what we said last week -- they're starting to refer to these town hall meetings as unruly mobs; we can't promise security.
No, no, no. These are orderly people. These are genuine, voting American citizens. It is -- what these Democrats are accusing you of doing, who go to these town hall meetings, is exactly what Obama taught people to do. He's the community agitator. He's the community organizer. Obama is the guy who taught people how to show up at events like this over and over again and rip 'em apart, and tear 'em down, disrupt 'em and make sure they don't happen.
And now the tables have been turned. It's happening to him. Only, this time, it's not ginned up; it's genuine. It's real. People do not want this. [Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show, 8/4/09]
Hannity: "That seems organic and real to me." Luntz: "I think it's organic and real." Sean Hannity and Republican consultant Frank Luntz agreed that attendees who disrupted a Missouri town hall event were "organic and real":
HANNITY: I mean, listen to those crowds. Angry mobs? Manufactured? That seems organic and real to me. What are your thoughts?
LUNTZ: I think it's organic and real. But I do want to make this point, and I think it's important that these are elected officials -- they are our senators and our Congress people -- and I think it's important that we treat them with respect and civility --
HANNITY: But, Frank --
LUNTZ: -- even if we disagree with their point of view. [Fox News' Hannity, 8/4/09]
Scarborough mocks people who claim disruptions are "calculated." Discussing clips of people who disrupted town hall events, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough stated: "OK, so do they really think that these people are executives of insurance companies that they somehow snuck in the door? Here, put this hat on." He later added: "These are the suits that are dressing down that are -- they're on -- they're talking to Aetna at night, the lobbying arm on K Street -- and yeah, boy, it's -- that's pretty calculated. Whee. I don't see it." [MSNBC's Morning Joe, 8/5/09]
GOP leaders have also touted protesters as "real people"
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) on protests: Democrats "are facing a backlash from their constituents." [RepublicanLeader.house.gov, 8/3/09]
NRCC chairman Jeff Sessions: "You've now got real people who are showing up" at town halls. [Politico, 8/3/09]
Limbaugh previously said, if town hall disruptions are "an orchestrated event," it's "[a]bout damn time"
Limbaugh: "[I]f this is actually an orchestrated event, then I'm glad somebody on our side's getting in gear."
LIMBAUGH: Let's play a game. Let's assume it's true. Let's assume that everything you've heard is true. You know my reaction? About damn time. We have had groups like ACORN and Democrat rent-a-mobs making up excuses and lying about things they oppose to affect public policy for years, while people like me haven't had time because we work. We do not protest for a living. We do not rent ourselves out to be part of mobs. So, if this is actually an orchestrated event, then I'm glad somebody on our side's getting in gear. [The Rush Limbaugh Show, 8/3/09]
Organized effort by conservative groups seeks to pack town halls
Several conservative groups are engaged in efforts to encourage their members to attend town halls. Conservative organizations opposed to health care reform -- including FreedomWorks, Americans for Prosperity, and Conservatives for Patients' Rights -- are conducting a campaign to turn out their supporters to attend those events. CPR has reportedly "confirmed that it has undertaken a concerted effort to get people out to the town hall meetings to protest reform," while FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity have reportedly "organized" the town hall protestors and are "harnessing social networking Web sites to organize their supporters in much the same way Mr. Obama did during his election campaign." [Greg Sargent, The Plum Line, 8/4/09; The New York Times, 8/3/09]
Fox News, right-wing birthers promoting disruptions at town hall events
Fox News follows up "tea party" promotion with promotion of town hall disruptions. Just as it promoted the April 15 "tea party" protests, Fox News is now promoting the disruptions of Democratic town hall events by protesters opposed to health care reform, protests that are being touted by Republican leaders and supported by conservative groups. Following the August 2 disruption of a town hall event hosted by Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Fox News personalities -- including Hannity, Peter Johnson, Gretchen Carlson, Steve Doocy, and Neil Cavuto -- have lauded such protesters or urged viewers to take similar action.
Conservative media birthers also pushing town hall disruptions. Conservative media figures who have promoted conspiracy theories about President Obama's birth certificate -- including Lou Dobbs, Hannity, Limbaugh, and Jim Quinn -- have recently used their radio shows to promote the anti-health care reform disruptions of congressional town hall events. Indeed, the disruptions resemble similar efforts by birthers to disrupt town halls.
Transcripts
From the August 4 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:
LIMBAUGH: And also, I find it fascinating that all these Democrats are -- exactly what we said last week -- they're starting to refer to these town hall meetings as unruly mobs; we can't promise security.
No, no, no. These are orderly people. These are genuine, voting American citizens. It is -- what these Democrats are accusing you of doing, who go to these town hall meetings, is exactly what Obama taught people to do. He's the community agitator. He's the community organizer. Obama is the guy who taught people how to show up at events like this over and over again and rip 'em apart, and tear 'em down, disrupt 'em and make sure they don't happen.
And now the tables have been turned. It's happening to him. Only, this time, it's not ginned up; it's genuine. It's real. People do not want this.
From the August 4 edition of Fox News' Hannity:
HANNITY: Let's go to the state of Missouri, swing state, important state in any election, let's look at, first of all, Congressman [Russ] Carnahan [D] and then Senator Claire McCaskill [D]. Let's roll that tape.
[begin video clip]
CARNAHAN: -- also, that over 10 years, it would create a $6 billion surplus. So, the -- it's important -- it's important --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that really the government program --
CARNAHAN: It's important that we all listen to one another. Listen, it's important that we listen to one another. And --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are the dogs?
[...]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the rest of the people in Congress and the Senate, are they going to be willing to be on the same plan they're asking us to be on?
[end video clip]
HANNITY: I mean, listen to those crowds. Angry mobs? Manufactured? That seems organic and real to me. What are your thoughts?
LUNTZ: I think it's organic and real. But I do want to make this point, and I think it's important that these are elected officials -- they are our senators and our Congress people -- and I think it's important that we treat them with respect and civility --
HANNITY: But, Frank --
LUNTZ: -- even if we disagree with their point of view. Sean, this is important. I understand the anger because I'm moderating focus groups. We're going to be bringing something to you next week. I hear that anger. But when it's an elected official, even if we disagree with them, I would hope that we would --
HANNITY: I agree.
LUNTZ: -- treat them with respect and dignity.
HANNITY: That's fair. But how about the DNC referring to the people that are showing up as saying that they're angry mobs? How about them being respectful to them? When Robert Gibbs says that -- when a veteran confronted Congressman [Tim] Bishop [D-NY] in Long Island, is he a part of an angry mob? Is that manufactured, or is this real passion that people have? How about the respect --
LUNTZ: This is real --
HANNITY: -- for them to people?
LUNTZ: Sean, you're right. This is real passion. We see it in all the polling.
From the August 5 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:
SCARBOROUGH: OK, so do they really think that these people are executives of insurance companies that they somehow snuck in the door? Here, put this hat on. Nobody -- yeah, go --
ERIN BURNETT (CNBC anchor): I think we've interviewed a few of those CEOs before.
SCARBOROUGH: -- go sleeveless. You know, put on a wife-beaters shirt. Nobody will realize that you're the CEO of Blue Cross.
I mean, come on. You -- I'm telling you. Everybody says, Oh, that they're doing all this stuff. I have -- as somebody who has tried to whip people into a frenzy and tried to get people to go out to town hall meetings in my past political career, they don't go out unless they're angry.
WILLIE GEIST (co-host): Right.
SCARBOROUGH: If they're not angry, they're staying home eating supper at 5:30 and eating -- and watching Wheel of Fortune at 6. They're not going to miss Vanna [White], unless they got a reason to get out of their house and go to the town hall meeting. You can't make this stuff up. You can't. Because if you could, you know, I would have done it. I tried it. It just doesn't -- if they're upset, they come. If they're not, they stay home. And what do they watch?
MIKE BARNICLE (MSNBC contributor): Wheel of Fortune.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.
BURNETT: Wheel of Fortune.
SCARBOROUGH: It used to be Bowling for Dollars; now it's Wheel of Fortune.
GEIST: And yet, the White House has suggested --
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.
GEIST: -- that this is phony outrage, that these are kind of plants who are just going as mercenaries.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah, can we show the last part of that clip to see the insurance executives? The CEOs --
GEIST: These are the suits.
SCARBOROUGH: These are the suits that are dressing down that are -- they're on -- they're talking to Aetna at night, the lobbying arm on K Street -- and yeah, boy, it's -- that's pretty calculated.
Whee. I don't see it. But, anyway, with us now, editorial writer for The Washington Post, MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart. Jonathan, do you think --
CAPEHART: Good morning, Joe.
SCARBOROUGH: -- there is real outrage out there or do you think it is all concocted by insurance lobbyists, like the K Street lobbyists and lawyers we saw there just a couple minutes ago?
CAPEHART: I don't think -- yeah. I don't think it's all concocted by the insurance industry. There's definite concern out there. I just wonder if it's so much that you've got people, you know, ambushing elected officials. It's really kind of sad to see these people from Capitol Hill, who are used to deference and used to people running out of their way, to be shouted at en masse by lots of people who are concerned about this health care bill.
I'm not -- I don't want to diminish any of the concerns, but I do find -- I am a little mystified by what's happening.
SCARBOROUGH: Well --
CAPEHART: I don't completely buy that this is organized by the insurance industry, but I'd really like to know --
SCARBOROUGH: Well, you know --
CAPEHART: -- to know more about this.
SCARBOROUGH: Well, let me tell you, 1993, really quickly -- 1993, the year before I first ran for office, one of the reasons where I met most of my contacts was when they started having these health care town hall meetings all across America, including across northwest Florida. And I would go to these events as a young lawyer. And so many people were angry and outraged for I think different reasons back then, but these things do just well up. And for some reason, you start talking about health care and you get a lot of not rich insurance executives but a lot of working-class Americans that come out.
Now, you can argue that it's disinformation that's being out there, and maybe the ads are misleading, if you want to argue that -- I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about anybody --
CAPEHART: Yeah.
SCARBOROUGH: -- and do that, but this stuff is pretty spontaneous. At least it was in 1993.
CAPEHART: Well, you know what -- you know what sort of concerns me is that the line that that guy used in the clip that, you know, the president spent six months trying to pick out a dog, and he spent more time picking out the dog than he's done --
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.
CAPEHART: -- you know, working on this health care bill. And that's a talking point that I have heard for at least the last three months. And it's thrown out there, whether it's stimulus --
SCARBOROUGH: OK.
CAPEHART: -- or it's something else.
SCARBOROUGH: Hold on a second. I haven't heard that one yet. So, hold on. "Spent" -- I've gotta use this one
CAPEHART: You haven't?
SCARBOROUGH: "Spent" -- all right, let's go to our "Must-Read" opinion pages. No, I'm sure it is a good talking point. I just want to -- I'm going to call you after the show, make sure I get it right.
The nation's largest insurers, hospitals and medical groups have hired more than 350 former government staff members and retired members of Congress in hopes of influencing their old bosses and colleagues, according to an analysis of lobbying disclosures and other records.
So, again, if Hurricane can show us proof that these individuals showing up at the town hall meetings have received money that totals a million dollops please reference.
The point was that there is being spent, daily, 1.4 million per day. I don't think anyone, except maybe you, assumed someone meant individuals were getting paid.
You seem to be pretty comfortable with the "very normal" process of industry buying the influence to shape legislation to their own benefit.
That has to be one of my favorite lines ever. Like the instructions in Japanese electronics devices.
Which means they should be treated as a real threat , just like the Manson family, Al Qaeda, Anti-abortion fanatics or Amway salespeople.Even a tiny group of brainwashed patsies can commit horrific acts.
And their supporters and defenders should be held accountable too. Look at recent tragedies such as the murder of Dr. Tiller by the right wing loon, the recent revelations regarding the religious extremism and terrorism by that Prince nut from Blackwater, and now the increasingly unhinged behavior of the birthers and town hall crazies.
We're dealing with irrational cult behavior, all tied to the Republican party. These sort of lunatic domestic terrorists should not be appeased.
Hopefully the next time they ambush a congressman the question that is asked of them would be:
"Are you happy with your low-cost government-run health care sir/madam?"
Don't you just hate it when conservatives take a liberal tactic and use it against its maker!
Axelrod "Gold Standard" in Astroturfing
Oh...new numbers just in. Barry is down to 50% approval rating now. How's that hope and change coming?
Shutting down town hall meetings is not what the founding fathers had in mind when they wrote the Bill of Rights. These people who won't allow any debate are not patriots - they are just the opposite and what is even more disturbing is the fact that these people are being used and they don't even know it.
This is not a Democratic tactic, even the Code Pink people didn't disrupt town halls just Congressional meetings - big difference and I didn't support their tactics either.
We never saw this with the Bush administration because their town halls only had supporters allowed and no one was allowed in that disagreed with them. Disagreements were not allowed whether they were disruptive or not.
What domestic terrorists are you talking about Obama supporting and organized? Are you talking about the weather underground? Because if you are, you're off your rocker, again.
The point of this article is not that astroturfing is bad, it's that these protesters are being portrayed as grass roots, and turning out because of their own agenda, and that's just not entirely true. You can astroturf all that you want, but people inherently know who is behind said movement, in this case, it's being portrayed as a "by the people" movement.
Obama is not down to 50% approval. On average, he is still at 53.5%. There are some polls (Rasmussen for example) that show him under 50, at 49%, but then there are other polls that show him at 58%. Anyway, the average, when taken of all of the major polls together (I urge you to clink on above link), say, 53.6% average, nowhere near 50.
Let's see, hope and change. Well, the economy is turning around, so that's pretty good (just a small example from my own life, I had about $53k in an old 401k, rolled it over to a new one back in September timeframe, it went down to $40k, currently it is sitting at $64k, so that's pretty good on a personal note). Big banks are paying back their TARP funds, the autmotive manufacturers just got a big kick in the pants due to the CARS program (better known as cash for clunkers). We just got back 2 US citizens from N. Korea, when they said they wouldn't release them. We're pulling our soldiers out of Iraq so we can focus on Afghanistan. We have a health care bill moving through Congress that is going to get passed.
So yeah, hope and change are here my friend, you just ignore their presence.
Liberal tactics?
The liberals were corralled in "Free Speech Zones" blocks away from those they were demonstrating against. You were one of the defenders of this practice.
Let's allow these "protestors" the same freedom to be rounded up in so called "Free Speech Zones".
The next time you creeps start mouthing off about our military defending our right to free speech, remember, we're only free to speak where Republicans deem it proper to speak.
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/08/05/leftist-bloggers-who-get-march
That's the entire point, you guys keep seeming to miss it.
Soooo, I guess this type of coordinated real mob-like activity is OK as well, eh?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/06/unions-to-take-on-conserv_n_252720.html
It's nothing new for like minded groups to organize. Again, what the problem is, is that folks like you keep saying these protesters showing up are just random individual folks, and they're not.
That's the point.
That’s exactly what Barack Obama said he would do to counter Republican attacks “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Obama said at a Philadelphia fundraiser Friday night. “Because from what I understand folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.”
We shouldn't!
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/
For all of those that have not turned me in yet, please fill free to now.
It's not that people disagree with him that the White House has a problem with, it's that they're disagreeing with him based on false information.
Do you have a problem with being given factually correct information or are you going to bury your head in the sand and accept whatever Beck and Rush tell you to think?
Obama, at his town hall meetings he's had, has stood there, answered questions that didn't agree with him, and didn't seem to have any problems with it whatsoever.
You guys are projecting again.
I don't mind. It's usually done about as ineffectively as your attempt here.
If you consider the actions of Dr. Tiller's murderer and Eric Prince to be "exercising their Constitutional rights", we'll just have to agree to disagree.
If you don't recognize the same sort of irrational fanaticism in the birthers and teabaggers, and think they should be coddled, again, we'll have to disagree.
Sometimes one needs a little distance to see things clearly, Koko. These are your people. They may look perfectly sane to you.
Very fleetingly could they come up with 'ex senator'. He diagnosed her over the tv on senate floor.
Btw, CNN finally ran their story about C-Street and the Republican Politicians who live there. Rachel Maddow reported on this story weeks ago, and seem like CNN is just catching up to her. LOL
I wish he would move the show to Comedy Central.
That's the difference.
How insane.....I still haven't seen anyone prove that these people are plants, and not actual constituites. Because Keith and Rachel say they are?
Cigna whistleblower Wendell Potter, details health insurance industry corruption - Google "Wendell Potter"
And of course, they are all slime-balls and douche-bags and idiots, otherwise they would be jumping up and down for joy that incompetents are going to ruin the finest health care system in the world.
There have been various studies over the years documenting who has, and who does not have the best health care in the world, and in the realm of western nations, we normally rank nowhere near the top of the list. This is not news. We DON'T have the best health care system in the world.
For example, from the following article...
"The truth is that Americans pay more for health care than any other country in the world and yet the health care Americans receive is ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) 37th in overall performance and 72nd in overall level of health of the 191 nations included in the 2000 study. It's not all bad however, the U.S. is ranked high in catching rare cancers early."
"In 2008, a report by the Commonwealth Fund ranked the U.S. last in the quality of health care among the 19 countries compared. The United States has the highest infant mortality rate of all develped countries. And yet, the Commonwealth Fund reports that the U.S. "leads all industrialized countries in the share of national health care expenditures devoted to insurance administration."
"The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized, developed country in the world that does not offer health care to all of its citizens."
So you can read the article, or just turn a blind eye to the fact that we don't indeed have the best health care in the world. That's just a false premise.
If our health care is the best in the world, then why do we die younger than other countries? Why do we have more infant mortality rates?
I provided some back up to my assertions, you only brought your opinion. What do you have that tells us the US health care it the BEST in the world? You can't put anything up there, because that proof doesn't exist.
Let me help you out. US health care might be the best in the world, for those of us lucky enough to have insurance. And even then it can be a crap shoot, getting denial of treatment basically for any reason an insurance company can come up with.
Your infant mortality rate is also a bogus stat. One reason is that Doctors in the US are trying to save more premature babies than other countries. A premature miscarriage is not counted in infant mortality stats. The US also has a much higher rate of twin triples quads ect these infants are higher risk and have a much great chance of dying. Throw in the fat a lazy drug addicted alcoholic mothers and you get your bogus infant mortality stat.
You've refuted nothing.
Because we're good at treating cancer doesn't make us have the best health care system in the world.
Links like this would be nice: http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/is_health_care_better_in_canada.html
However, on most measures of patient-reported physician quality, Canada comes out slightly ahead of the U.S. The Commonwealth Fund report shows somewhat fewer reported physician errors, lab errors, medication errors and duplicate tests north of the border, and Canadians report more satisfaction with their doctors. General health is also better up north, according to the World Health Organization: Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy are both higher in Canada; infant mortality is lower, and maternal mortality is significantly lower. There are fewer deaths from non-communicable diseases, cardiovascular diseases and injuries in Canada, though marginally more deaths from cancer. It's not clear how much of the divergence is attributable to medical care, rather than other standard-of-living differences between the two countries. (For instance, according to the United Nations' Human Development Index, Canada has a much higher school enrollment rate than the U.S., though it also has a lower GDP per capita.) But these statistics simply don't support the notion that universal, single-payer health care is crippling the health of Canadian citizens compared with that of U.S. citizens.
Canada has "marginally more deaths" from cancer, yet they still beat us out.
Do you actually believe that factcheck.org is partisan? Seriously? What about commonwealth fund?
And perhaps the reason we are ranked lower than other industrialized nations is because quality of care is lower, which is because we lack universal health care.
Please provide backup for your crap!
You're so close. The reason for the discrepancy in outcomes is the result of EVERYONE getting treated in Canada vs. waitining til you can't wait anymore and then attending a hospital as is done by those without insurance. I mean you stated the infant mortality rate difference is due to trying to save premature babies. Nonsense. Pre-natal care is the BIGGEST single factor in determining post-natal health of a baby.
They're going to ruin France's healthcare system? Or did you mean Italy's? Or Singapore's? Or Spain's?
I'm just curious which healthcare system you are assuming is the best. We all know it is not the United States. That is a quantifiable fact.
The right wing talk/tv show hosts appear to believe that 25% is majority and seem intent (by even inciting violence) on proving it.
remember the Church teaching that the forces of evil are extremely adept at confusing us and trapping us into their net. "Satan never sleeps." The liberal, progressive and/or Democratic party has not been too expert at utilizing underhanded and subversive tactics to turn the tide. Ever wonder why that is?
Can you say "ACORN?"
All this, so that people can have a voice and have a better life. The nerve.
Also, to bring up ACORN is important because they are an organized mob. A mob that gets calls from the local chapter and show up on packed busses with preprinted signs and chants.
It must be crazy to think that there are concerned citizens that dont believe the bull that is being force fed by the skewed media. It outrageous that 8000 - 10,000 people can show up with a shared voice and it doesnt make main stream media news. Keep force feeding yourselves with the belief that these people are Right Wing nut jobs.
As fellow Americans, whether you share their beliefs, you should be outraged that a group of people can have their voices silenced in the media. There will be a day when your voice will be unfairly silenced and I hope you remember this. The first amendment applies to Independents and Conservatives also.
To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.
- Abrahan Lincoln
Disrupting meetings and yelling and shouting is not speaking against them.
ACORN is NOT an organized mob. You guys are crazy about this ACORN stuff. They organize protests, sure, and that is, as you said above, their right.
I believe that there are concerned citizens, but the ones who are truly concerned will show up, act respectful, ask tough questions, hopefully get some answers (and if not, then they should follow up with their appropriate congressperson). The ones that we're hearing about are showing up, disrupting meetings, and are essentially NOT GETTING ANYTHING accomplished, except to look like fools.
People get silenced in the media all of the time, it's not a right to be heard by the media. My voice has been unfairly silenced before. Like the time I wanted to go and see my president George W. Bush speak near where I lived, except, I wasn't allowed in. Because? I was a registered democrat.
You guys have a weird definition of the 1st amendment. It doesn't extend to everyone having a voice in the media, it extends to the government not making laws abridging your freedom of speech, which to my knowledge, hasn't happened in a long time. You should probably read the constitution again.
Also, these folks are getting PLENTY of media coverage. It's funny to hear you say they're being silenced, when, just last night, flipping through various news channels, I counted at least 6 stories about these so called protests.
Which townhall meetings did ACORN show up at and disrupt? I missed something. I know ACORN is running the world and all that, but I missed the townhall meeting they would not allow to take place. Where was this?
I also love the fact that the crowd that is shouting down the speakers and their fellow citizens are the ones being "silenced". Wow. Cognitive dissonance fueled by partisanship is a powerful thing.
But even if it wasn't being funded by the right wing corporatists, even if they weren't sending out false information to scare people, and even if they weren't doing this "just for the money";
it would still be, even at the grassroots level - JUST PLAIN WRONG!
Since when is shouting and causing a disruption at town hall meetings, the way to go about debating health care reform. How is that going to get the people on your side. If I came out to a town hall meeting and couldn't hear the questions or answers, couldn't ask any questions because of the shouting - who do you think I would blame; the people who organized the meeting or the people who were shouting?
The President needs to step in here and put an end to this, he can be more forceful and end this dellusion that he has that he can stop the rancor and the hatred just because he can be reasonable. This is the time for him to stand up for what he believes in and admit that the people responsible for disrupting the meetings are below contempt and they need to be ridiculed and scorned whenever they show up. It is the most unAmerican thing you can do, to stop the dialog and close off discussions and debates especially on such an important issue as healthcare.
The MSM may not yet detail the true nature of these disruptors but some of the news stations like MSNBC, the internet, and others have and will continue to do so. That is the only hope we have of stopping this before it becomes the norm in this country whenever there are opposing points of view.
We were told that was "real" as well.
As far as these other folks, why can't they go there, not disrupt, ask their questions? That's what these things are for aren't they? If they disrupt it, isn't that public disorderly conduct? Can't they be arrested, or at least removed from the public space?
I go back to the whole disruption thing. How do they believe they'll get their questions answered if they're just disrupting, pointing, shouting, and yelling? If they actually have real questions, why don't they bring them up?
It's easy to shout talking points, it's hard to ask a real question, which if they're so CONCERNED is what they ought to be doing.
I feel though, that this is just another attempt by some folks to bring down Obama, or to at the very least make him look bad.
It doesnt matter what Obama does repugs,wingnuts,and fox will spin it to look like a failure. These people claim to love their country but they are doing a great job of hurting it. How pathetic.
I wonder what is their collective IQ?
The leaders of the G.O.P. should be locked up for taking advantage of so many uneducated and poor white people.
Bush ripped them off for eight years and they blame Obama.
SAD!
I was under the impression from all the news that there were well dressed brooks brothers protester, but yet you call them toothless inbreds. Wow, you all need to get your talking points in line.
DON'T YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS?
My advice is to go to you tube, search for the 70's cartoon about how a bill becomes a law. That should be a good start for you.
After 6 Months, More View Obama's Presidency as a 'Failure' Than Bush's
Posted by Tom Bevan | Email This | Permalink | Email Author
A rather surprising finding from the newly released CNN poll. Question three on the national survey of 1,136 adults (which includes an oversample of African-Americans) asks, "Do you consider the first six months of the Obama administration to be a success or a failure?"
Thirty-seven percent (37%) said they believe the Obama administration is a "failure," while 51% consider it a "success" and 11% say it's still "too soon to tell."
An identical question was asked of the Bush administration in an August 2001 CNN/Gallup/USA Today survey. At the time, 56% said the Bush administration was a "success" while only 32% considered it a "failure." (Link)
So, a majority of people think he's a success, but because he didn't live up to Bush's numbers, it's a failure?
How about we compare ratings at the end of Obama's second term to Bush's. That's going to be the telling number right there. And remember, during Clinton's terms, he was hovering at near 40% for awhile, but when he left office, he was over 60.
Time will tell.
You mean, the stock market higher than it's been since November last year?
Jobs continue to be lost in a recession even after the stimulus was passed, because the effect is not immediate.
There is no 3 trillion deficit, that's a projection of what it could be.
Obama has kept many of his promises, and again, he's only 200 days into his first term (of 2 terms of course). He can't keep them all in 6 months.
You should have noted that, RealClearPolitics is a conservative-leaning organization, so consider the source!
FYI:
President Bush will leave office as one of the most unpopular departing presidents in history, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll showing Mr. Bush's final approval rating at 22 percent.
Seventy-three percent say they disapprove of the way Mr. Bush has handled his job as president over the last eight years.
Mr. Bush's final approval rating is the lowest final rating for an outgoing president since Gallup began asking about presidential approval more than 70 years ago.
I thought we saw democracy in action on November 4, 2008!!
Kramer: Talk to me.
George: But your life is Peterman's. Now the bus tour, which is real, takes to places that, while they are real, they are not real in sense that they did not *really* happen to the *real* Peterman which is you.
Kramer: Understand?
Jerry: Yeah. $37.50 for a Three Musketeers.
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2009/08/know-your-town-hall-mob-agitators.html
Has anybody seen the "swastikas" that Pelosiliar sees? Any video?
How insulting and demeaning do these stupid politicians get to be before even Democrats want to puke?
We're pretty close to there.
And I agree with edross. You idiots and elected Dems can continue to believe this is some coordinated effort originating from the top. And you can do it at your own political peril.
It is GENUINE. The people do not want government run healthcare. And if you want to respond that it isn't 'government run' healthcare, then I say the supporters of this bill haven't convinced enough people of that and moreover these politicians are simply not trusted. Nobody believes what they say.
We have reached a tipping point of government involvement in our lives and enough people are pushing back. This is GREAT to see.
From this paper on community organizing this definition:
So maybe, these protesters are just doing their civic duty and most importantly, acting from their own hearts.