In fact, I think you've had groups today, Conservatives for Patients Rights, that have bragged about organizing and manufacturing that anger," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
The debate over President Obama's top domestic priority is escalating as Congress takes a month-long recess. Several lawmakers have been booed, jeered, and occasionally cheered by protesters on their home turfs at town hall meetings on health care reform.
Gibbs singled out Rick Scott, chairman of Conservatives for Patients' Rights, as the ringleader.
"I think you've got somebody who's very involved, a leader of that group that's very involved in the status quo, a CEO that used to run a health care company that was fined by the federal government $1.7 billion for fraud. I think that's a lot of what you need to know about the motives of that group."
Here's a feisty video at an event with Minority Leader Steny Hoyer.
Nancy Pelosi also repeated her characterization of these town hall crowds as "astro turf". So it appears the Democrats are determined to keep the town hall confrontations as the dominant news story by trying to marginalize them. Here's the latest DNC ad.
I can't think of anything more politically tone deaf than for politicians to take on a whole set of voters simply because they state an opinion that differs from theirs.
The Democrats refuse to accept that these protestors reflect the feelings and passions of the majority of the populace. They don't like the direction that Obama and the Democrats are taking this country. They don't like the health care bill. They feel that politicians should read the bill before voting for it. They see this for what it is, a government take over of one sixth of our economy by a government that can't manage a one billion dollar program in CARS. They're letting the politicians know how they feel about it.
The Democrats have decided to be the perfect foil by questioning their motives. This the story for the next month. The story will ultimately be about the Democrat's war with the Tea Parties.
Watch CBS Videos Online
The Democrats appear ready to try and paint citizen protestors with nefarious and dubious labels. This absurd strategy will not only back fire but it will blow up. The more the Democrats make an issue of this, the more it's an excuse for everyone to play a clip like this.
I have characterized this as a Network moment "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore"
That's what's happening in town halls all over the country. Voters are fed up with the spending, the waste, and the corruption. They feel as though this bill is being shoved down their throats. The politicians don't know what's in it. This health care bill will take away freedom, choice, it will make costs more expensive not less, and it isn't even Constitutional and the voters are letting the politicians have it.
I am officially calling this Day 2 of this battle between citizen protestors and the Democratic party. If the Democrats really want to make the month of August a debate over whether we should trust citizen protestors over cynical politicians, that is a debate this latest reincarnation of the Tea Party movement will have all day long. The Tea Party movement should welcome any and all Democratic criticism that it's contrived. I wouldn't want to be the politician that has to explain why they think those that get involved in the political process and attend a town hall are really there for nefarious reasons.
This will soon become a broken record. On the one hand we'll have grainy video of a rowdy town hall debate in which citizens unload on their politicians and on the other hand, politicians will get in front of the camera, armed with little evidence, and question the motivations of those that are criticizing. It's not hard to imagine who will win this debate.
11 comments:
I love it.
To some extent there MUST be a level of organization, but it is hardly from "K" Street...
I have attended 7 Tea Party events now. The smallest with 60 folks, the largest 5k plus.. I personally chartered the bus to take 32 folks to Lansing where we were pleasantly relieved to see there were even more folks who feel the same way.
Now we are filling buses for the 912 event in DC. Just normal folks doing it. Regular ordinary citizens, "who are mad as hell" and will let the "elite" know we wont stand for it...
If the Democrat party wants to "take a side" on the issue by attacking people who include those once loyal democrats as well, then there ya go.
Poor Obama the Community is Organizing without him.
Lisa
All machine politics have a grass root element to them. I'll admit that not all of these skirmishes are stacked with RNC employees like the campaign to stop the 2000 Recount in Miami was.
Thanks to the Southern Strategy, the Republicans have an ample supply of angry white people willing to defend "their" country from "the Communists". Its not that big of a surprise. Being from Iran, I've seen it before with the Basij.
So no, I may not think its right, and I definitely don't think its "spontaneous", but that doesn't make it any less real. There's a reason a chessboard has 1 King and 8 Pawns.
If these are all Democrat Townhall meetings what's missing? Their supporters. They are losing many with all these big spending economy destroying policies they are trying to ram trhough.
Lisa
These aren't people simply "making their opinions known" at townhall meetings--they are fringe freaks shouting down and hectoring, often bordering on implying physical threats in their behavior. They ask questions and start yelling like maniacs to prevent the congressman from answering. They shutdown townhalls in quasi-fascistic goosestep fashion by preventing the capacity of the townhalls to function, of the congressman to answer and of other questioners getting questions through. Documented evidence shows that these tactics were developed by groups funded by corporate interests and the health insurance companies. Basically these groups find inbred tea-party fringe morons and give them a guidebook on how to disrupt and shut down townhall meetings. I mean look at that ad you have as one of your videos: even apart from their intimidation shout-down tactics at the meetings, are you o.k. with these freaks hanging congressmen in effigy, and does not their frankly racist "birther conspiracy" theory obsessions suggest to you that they are out of the mainstream
Mike, I think there is a flaw in this line of reasoning. It's becoming clear to me that they don't CARE IF THEY LOSE A BUNCH OF SEATS IN THE HOUSE. They don't even care if they lose marginal control of the House. It will be damn near impossible to get a majority in both houses, and certainly not a committed majority that can overturn anything. They are COUNTING on this. They think that by 2012, it will all be forgotten, and even then, with Amnesty, they think they can buy enough votes that it won't matter.
What I find interesting is the inability of any on the left to believe that there is genuine opposition to the direction in which the current administration is taking us. No, wait, that's not quite right. I think they know it's genuine, but they want to spin it as organized, encouraged and funded by insurance companies or fringe groups. Another thing I find really irritating is the fact that any criticism of this president is painted as stemming from racist roots. Suddenly everyone who doesn't like socialism is a racist? How did that happen?
If our congressman was voting for this health care take over, you can bet our family would try to find a town hall meeting and attend. That's not organized, it's a personal decision that many across this country are making by themselves, and if that's not grass roots, I don't know what is.
At the end of the day, no matter if the protests are genuine or not, the poeple protesting are in the minority until at least 2010.
No matter how loud the protests are, the numbers simply aren't there.
First of these people are not freaks. Look at most of them they are mostly seniors because they found out that to help pay for this monster they will be cutting Medicare by a half a trillion dollars.
I was at the original Tim Bishop Town Hall meeting to protest against the Cap and Trade and Trade Bill and what they don't show you is the condescending attitude of these politicians and the recorded answers they all give. I went because felt it was a travesty to put a tax burden like that on people especially during a recession.
Obama's main goal is to shut down private industry and have the government run everything so they can un a nanny state if anyon knows anything about what he believes.
If people can't see that then they get what it turns out to be a government for itself and not for the people.
And if these "protests" were so organized they would come there by bus with a big sign on the side that says "ACORN"
Wolf and the is part of the problem with the generalization of these people. I guess he doesn't know about the playbook by Alinsky Obama used to organize protests in Chicago. He is using the same tactics now and the media gets the marching orders from the WhiteHouse because they are all saying the same thing. No more reporting,just promoting.
Lisa
Re:Free Speech is a Two Way Street:
Yes, and that would be my point as well, which is why I say the tactics by these tea-party freaks of engaging in tumultuous behavior, often bordering on threatening behavior, and stopping congressmen and constituents at the meetings from speaking (e.g., at one meeting an individual was arguing *for* a single-payer system and asking the congressman why he was against it, but was shouted down by one of these morons, who was screaming over him "SIT DOWN") are quasi-fascist.
As for your second point, no I did *not* say any criticism of Obama is racist, that's you creating a strawman; I *specifically* referred to that wacko-lady in the video and her birth-certificate conspiracy theory obsession. So try again, without having your pea-brain change what I said to something completely made-up so it can "handle" it by regurgitating rote memorized talking points.
what's the matter Wolf the left doesn't like protests and disruptions that they are so famous for doing. The difference between the people labeling these people as "Tea Bag Thugs" is that their dissent is manufactured and the so called"Ta Bag" Thugs have real and honest dissent. You think they are there because they want to shut down Town Hall meetings? Maybe you should try to talk to them you know those right wing seniors and tax payers. Maybe you will learn the real story instead of the fabricated media story or are you just another Obama Quisling?
Lisa
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