’)
‘This issue will not be solved by people shouting, it will not be solved by people telling lies over and over again,’ Parker said. ‘Yes, I have read it and I do not agree with everything in it, but there is absolutely nothing in the bill that is going to euthanize grandma.’
One of the signs waved by a plan opponent said ‘Don’t tell my gigi how to die,’ referring to allegations that the bill would allow senior citizens to be euthanized, something the nonpartisan group FactCheck.org said is false. Cohen also denied that the bill would pay for abortions — another claim made by opponents.
Roger Fakes, 70, said he sat quitely during most of the meeting, but Cohen’s insistence that citizens would be able to keep their private health care drove him to his feet.
He argued that changes to private insurance would force citizens into the government plan.
‘There are some of us old gray-haired folks that don’t want the government involved in any of our business,’ he said.
The nearly all-white audience was not a snapshot of the mostly African-American 9th District that Cohen represents.
You don’t say. The district is Harold Ford Jr.’s old district. It has a 23% Democratic advantage. It is the only majority black district in Tennessee (59%), yet the meeting was stuffed with non-black conservatives.
It’s like the whole thing is a phony joke, or something.
Glad I waited for the update before commenting.
“Armed man escorted out?” Oh, dear.
Since they specifically say he wasn’t arrested, it’s safe to assume that he wasn’t taken into custody. And therefore didn’t break any laws involving his gun.
And I’m still curious, Oliver… who’s doing this “astroturfing?” How do you distinguish “astroturfing” from “community organizing?”
Well, I think I know the answer to that last one: when your side does it, it’s a good thing, so it’s “community organizing.” When the other side does it, it’s bad, so that’s “astroturfing.”
J.
There was a time when conservatives were against busing.
[...] Oliver pointed out the interesting fact that the audience (one of whom was escorted out with a weapon) was mostly white conservatives — in the only majority black district in the State of Tennessee, 59%, Harold Ford Jr.’s old district. [...]
[...] Oliver pointed out the interesting fact that the audience (one of whom was escorted out with a weapon) was mostly white conservatives — in the only majority black district in the State of Tennessee, 59%, Harold Ford Jr.’s old district. [...]
This post aims to address more topics than is supported by the linked evidence.
On such controversial allegations or informal reports it might be best to stick with the major topic.
There was a time when conservatives were against busing.
That was when they wanted to keep “those hoodlums” out of their neighborhood.
Oh, and Jay: The right’s version of community organizing is to infiltrate other people’s communities and throw crap around, not to make their own hood better. Nice try though.
Thanks, Mark. Now that rings a bell — kind of like the Obama campaign bringing out-of-state volunteers into swing states, often registering them to vote in that state as well? Or the SEIU bringing in its members to these meetings, sneaking them in handicapped entrances to pack these “town hall” meetings?
That makes a LOT of sense now.
J.
Here’s the deal….
I think this blog owner knows this isn’t astroturf. However, people are a bit taken back because conservatives USUALLY don’t protest. We’re too busy with responsibilities. But everyone has a breaking point. And it has been hit. We are pissed, and we are going to do anything and everything to destroy this looming health care disaster.
Calling this astroturf, as if it really matters if it was anyways, (plenty of protests organized by leftist groups, no smears of astroturf there, eh?) is an attempt to discredit these justifiable and angry protests in order to buy enough time for congress to ram through a health care bill. Democrats know they are at a tipping point with their bs, and there isn’t much time left to exploit it before a shitstorm of epic proportions hits this country. Christ, these fucking people are refusing to even read the bill, including our racist joke of a president.
The silent majority is no longer silent. And unfortunately for Dems, that includes a lot of independents. This health care bs is going down, and it’s going down hard. And if there is something that gets rammed through, I think you’ll see something we haven’t seen in this country in a looooong time – a revolt of some sort. And calling us names on a blog isn’t going to stop us. Even if you get your orders from the mighty Media Matters.
We’re taking shit over now. Whether you fucks like it or not.
“We’re taking shit over now. Whether you fucks like it or not.”
The South! Yes my friend. Only in the south.
people are a bit taken back because conservatives USUALLY don’t protest
Well, you can’t all go on shooting sprees.
I’m starting to think that Gorgon is a parody of a right-winger.
Compare his blatherings with Obama saying “the time for talk is over” and “they need to stop talking and get out of the way.”
Alternately, Gorgon could just be that stupid…
J.
I’m starting to think that Gorgon is a parody of a right-winger.
Yeah, cause you righties don’t do batshit insane.
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight….
Jay Tea is a pussie. That is the conclusion I have come to. What? You afraid some blogger is going to call you a name? You wanna “have a dialogue” with union thugs that attack people? You wanna reason with a president that says “get in their faces?” I sure don’t. Fuck all of them. And you.
Bitch.
“Roger Fakes, 70,” has my permission to hand back any Medicare payments he has or will receive, and his Social Security checks can be signed right over to me if, as he says, he is so dead-set against having “the government involved in any of” his business. What BS.
What’s your favorite genre, Gordon? Sci-fi? Drama? Action? You really need to rent a movie or two, sit in front of the TV for a few hours with a bag of sour cream and onion chips and relax.
Hysteria isn’t an argument.
” … before a shitstorm of epic proportions hits this country.”
GorGOON is diarrhea waiting to happen. Get the Depends.
I reiterate my support for giving these people a state, Galtland-style (preferably not contiguous to the sane US) and watching it go up in flames.
And Gorgon, just don’t bring a weapon when you go scream at your congressperson. It’s not worth it, big guy. You guys are bound to win an election again sometime. Just work within the system, it’ll be okay, buddy.
Mark Adams. “Bull” O’Connor and Governor Wallace were Democrats, hon.
The nearly all-white audience was not a snapshot of the mostly African-American 9th District that Cohen represents.
We can probably assume their rep is well-aware of this fact.
I’ve been watching these town halls over the last several weeks and what strikes me is the majority of the protesters look like your average mix of Americans I see on the street, in the supermarket, at a high school ball game. The signs are home-made while the health care supporters carry the pre-packaged ad-campaign signs. The astro-turf smear is right out of the socialist playbook of discrediting an opposing voice when it doesn’t go along with your party line. Last I checked, it’s still the US of A and we all have legitimate rights to protest and give our opinions. The reps in Washington have forgotten that they represent all of us no matter what name we are tagged with. Be glad you live in a country where we can disagree on political matters without fear of imprisonment. I said the same thing when Bush was President. “I may not agree with what you say but will fight to the death for your right to say it.”
You know why it’s astroturf? As I indicated, this is a majority black, Democratic district, and yet this meeting was packed to the gills with white conservatives. I bet a good portion of the people there weren’t even from the district.
The conservative at these meetings aren’t interested in talking to members of congress and attempting to change their positions on the health care bill.
Every video that comes out shows a Dem rep trying to talk, explain his or her position on the issue and instead of being civilized and saying okay, now here’s what I think, the cons in attendance boo, yell, and scream like theyre at a WWE event.
I don’t much like it when Code Pink disrupts congressional business, and I don’t like members of congress being threatened by astroturf mobs.
What? Southern white racists were mostly Democrats until about 40 years ago? Was there some historical context that made this so? And where did they all go? So the rise of the Republican party in the South a result of the racial healing that followed the the civil rights movement? So much to learn.
Please, Marianne7, tell us more.
Oh spare me the crap of ‘they’re just a bunch of good old fashioned concerned Amuricans’ BULLSHIT!
These angry geriatrics are going to these meetings and townhalls with the sole intention of disrupting the events. They aren’t interested in discussion or debate, they just want to scream and shout and cause a ruckus, as they have been organizing to do just that.
The media is actually not falling for it either in most cases. Which in turn makes the wingnuts that much more resolved to continue these stupid petty tactics, which will only hurt them in the long run. This isn’t the way mature adults deal with problems, this is what screaming spoiled brats do, is thrown temper tantrums and scream loudly for extended periods of time, only to wear themselves out without anyhing accomplished.
So wingers, tell me, what are you going to do when the health care reform is actually passed? Are you going to cry with Glen Beck that your country has been taken from you?
Or are you just going to sit there and seethe with your impotent rage, plotting your revenge? How long before some unhinged loser goes on another shooting spree?
Hey Burn…..all of you libs need our “white surburbanites and geriatrics’” money for your social programs.
What do you think the next step will be.
We could strangle the life out of anyone we want with a tax revolt.
Some states have already hinted that they may reject a national health care program.
It’s going to get ugly. Thankfully, we have the money. Not your degenerate, lazy ass constituents that vote for a handout. (oh, we have lots of guns too, btw)
Can’t wait. It’ll be fun to tell all of you freeloaders to go fuck yourselves.
We could strangle the life out of anyone we want with a tax revolt.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAAAAAA!
Wow, you are going to ‘go Galt’????
Can’t wait. It’ll be fun to tell all of you freeloaders to go fuck yourselves.
So hostile. Let me guess, you’ve never kissed a girl either.
“a tax revolt.”
What’s a “tax revolt?” Not paying taxes? Have fun in prison, Gorgon.
Whatever happened to all the propertarians, I mean, “libertarians”, vowing that they would all move to New Hampshire?
And I’m still curious, Oliver… who’s doing this “astroturfing?” How do you distinguish “astroturfing” from “community organizing?”
I think we all know how to distinguish between the truth and absolutely bullshit.
And we all know who’s helping to spread the lies.
You were the first moron here pushing the lie that the health care bill requires euthanasia counseling.
Dennis took up that rallying lie even after you were proven completely wrong.
Now you’re pushing a year old story about Barbara Wagner to keep the bullshit alive but you still have yet to explain what you find so outrageous about her case or what conservative plan exists that would actually do something to help Wagner.
Sp nice work Jay Tea, you’re a complete tool.
I’m starting to think that Gorgon is a parody of a right-winger.
Funny, that. He sounds a lot like you Jay Tea.
Well, I think I know the answer to that last one: when your side does it, it’s a good thing, so it’s “community organizing.” When the other side does it, it’s bad, so that’s “astroturfing.”
AGAIN, you guys derided “community organizing”, so we’re doing you a favor by not calling it that when you guys do it.
We’re too busy with responsibilities.
Like killing gay people?
We’re taking shit over now. Whether you fucks like it or not.
So you’re threatening to assassinate the President? How un-American of you.
GorGOON is diarrhea waiting to happen. Get the Depends.
Do you really have to make fun of his screenname? After all, he’s already named after a Greek mythology demon (well, 3 actually).
It’s going to get ugly. Thankfully, we have the money. Not your degenerate, lazy ass constituents that vote for a handout.
Yeah, THAT’S why Obama had problems with fundraising. Oh wait…
(oh, we have lots of guns too, btw)
So you’re going to murder people? And WE’RE the ones who are unhinged? Riiiiiiight…
You know, I’ve never really got the whole gun obsession. I mean, it’s a weapon with a point-and-click interface, how is that cool? It takes next to no skill to operate.
Gorgon writes “Jay Tea is a pussie.”
Oh man, best laugh I’ve had in weeks.
I mean, I agree and all, but it’s funny to see wing-nuts commit acts of cannibalism.
Another angry “white” right-winger….
The problem with…wait…no…let me restate…the problem FOR the GOP is that the coalition is slowly eroding. (Picture a beach-head eroding.) Winning with a truckload of angry white guys worked for a few decades, but the face of America is changing.
Having said that, they may win a few more national elections in the next 10-20 years. I’m even willing to admit that that it’s not out of the realm of possibility that “Angry Red State America” is in fact, stupid enough, and viable enough, to elect the bimbo from Alaska.
But bless their “little red hearts,”…they’re REALLY, REALLY angry now. Let’s have some empathy for their plight.
Donate, to Angry Red State America (ARSA), now.
JK
@ rip August 9, 2009 at 1:12 pm
What? Southern white racists were mostly Democrats until about 40 years ago? Was there some historical context that made this so? And where did they all go? So the rise of the Republican party in the South a result of the racial healing that followed the the civil rights movement? So much to learn.
Ta-Nehshi Coates to enlighten you a bit: “It wasn’t just racism–it was class also. In the South you had this black middle class that always had to be deferential to the most poorest white person in the world. The prospect of losing that deference, of already being lower than the white aristocracy and now also being lower than a class of blacks too, wreaked havoc.
But it’s worth noting that, to the extent that this is complicated, it’s complexity is not new. The ingredients may be–but not the complexity. Americans have almost never admitted to being racist, and to the extent they’ve been racist, it’s rarely been reducible to a simply “I hate black people.” There’s always been something more. It’s always been hard to figure out what the “more” was.”
Gorgon is what you get when you mix one of these “Tea Bag” protestors with a “gangsta rapper.”
–“We’re taking shit over now. Whether you fucks like it or not.”
The South! Yes my friend. Only in the south.
Real America!
“So hostile. Let me guess, you’ve never kissed a girl either.”
Oh, I’m sure he kisses mommy every night when she comes down to the basement to tell him to turn off the computer and go to bed.
Gorgon–
Freeloaders? I’m giggling. I presume you live in a coastal blue state; we (in general) are the ones giving revenues to the other states. Now that we in California are in an economic crisis, you can get by without our tax donations, thank you very much. Maintain your own roads and rehabilitate your own tweakers for a while.
I note that Mr. Fakes is 70. That means he’s getting Social Security and Medicare. That means the government is “in his business,” and he is much better of for it.
Gorgon says:
conservatives USUALLY don’t protest. We’re too busy with responsibilities.
Why do white conservatives think they’re the only fucking people who go to work every day? What a ridiculous conceit. You don’t know shit about other peoples’ lives.
All these folks are asking for is the government to get its greedy, socialist hands off their Medicare and social security checks.