Breitbart again falsely suggests WH directed alleged violence at health care town halls
On Fox News' Glenn Beck, Andrew Breitbart falsely claimed that a White House official told "organized labor" that "if they punch you, punch back twice as hard." In fact, the official was reportedly speaking to Senate Democrats -- not to any union groups -- and there is no evidence it was anything other than a metaphorical explanation of how the White House planned to respond politically to attacks against Senate Democrats.
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Breitbart grossly distorts White House official's reported comments to Senate Democrats
Breitbart falsehood: "Jim Messina from the White House said to punch back -- if they punch you, punch back twice as hard." From the April 19 edition of Fox News' Glenn Beck:
BREITBART: [A]round August 5, the AFL-CIO wrote a letter -- John Sweeney wrote a letter that was picked up in the Huffington Post that said you need to get in these people's faces. They described the tea parties and they described the people going to town halls as an angry mob. So there was coordination at the organized labor to become the muscle of the Obama administration. On that same exact day that that memo came out, Jim Messina from the White House said to punch back -- if they punch you, punch back twice as hard.
That was the night that two incidents happened: one in Tampa and one in St. Louis at the Russ Carnahan [D-MO] town hall. The one in Tampa was the one that happened, I believe, first where you saw a guy who was one of the protesters with his shirt ripped off by union thugs. It was at another event that Kenneth Gladney was called the N-word by two SEIU goons. The same day that the White House said punch back twice as hard, the same day that labor said to get in to this fight on behalf of the administration, because organized labor were the -- going to be the biggest beneficiaries if this bill were to pass.
Politico: "WH to Dems: Punch back twice as hard." Contrary to Breitbart's claim, White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina's reported quote did not direct unions to do anything at all. In fact, Messina was reportedly speaking to Senate Democrats when he said, "If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard" -- an apparent indication of how the White House would respond politically to attacks. In an August 6, 2009, article headlined, "WH to Dems: Punch back twice as hard," Politico reported:
Top White House aides gave Senate Democrats a recess battle plan on Thursday, arming the lawmakers with tips for avoiding disastrous town hall meetings while showing them polling on popular aspects of the reform effort.
Senior White House adviser David Axelrod and deputy chief of staff Jim Messina told senators to focus on the insured and how they would benefit from "consumer protections" in the overhaul, such as ending the practice of denying insurance based on preexisting conditions and ensuring the continuity of coverage between jobs.
They showed video clips of the confrontational town halls that have dominated the media coverage, and told senators to do more prep work than usual for their public meetings by making sure their own supporters turn out, senators and aides said.
And they screened TV ads and reviewed the various campaigns by critics of the Democratic plan.
"If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard," Messina said, according to an official who attended the meeting.
Nowhere in the article is the SEIU -- or any other union -- even mentioned.
Breitbart previously claimed this quote was "directed" at "union thugs"
Breitbart previously falsely claimed quote was directed at unions. Breitbart wrote in an August 10 Washington Times column:
Last week, a black gentleman named Kenneth Gladney went to a town-hall meeting hosted by Rep. Russ Carnahan, Missouri Democrat. While passing out "Don't Tread on Me" flags, he was viciously attacked by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) members. One called him a "nigger."
These union thugs were directed by the White House to go to the protests and "punch back twice as hard." And they did.
Yet another example of the White House saying that the best way to fight back against people like TeaPartiers is to be on the offensive, to not shy away from a battle with them.
"If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard" -- an apparent indication of how the White House would respond politically to attacks.
Imagine that - the President directing his staff to support this kind of behavior. Looks like I've been right all along with my assertion that Obama supported this behavior, that it was his opinion that it was a good idea to get involved in these fights.
But, like MMFA tells us, it was a metaphorical fight the White House wanted Senate Dems to get involved in.
but metaphorically, i think the president should push back twice as hard and finally show some damn spine and take these idiots on. he played nice with HCR now its time to play teddy roosevelt and kick some a%%
Do you hear about people in Hawaii killing up each other like they do here on the mainland? ALOHA SPIRIT people. All those people in Hawaii HAVE TO CO-EXIST on those islands 2500 miles off the coast of Cali. They get along. It is not perfect, of course there is crime, but they get along very well. You have to understand Obama's Aloha Spirit and know that he will get it done. But he will also continuously reach out to do it.
If you told republicans "punch back twice as hard" they would be able to tell that is meant for the debate, not actual violence.
If you told democrats "punch back twice as hard" They would immediatly assume it means physically assault the nearest person with an opposing view.