union members will hold a "peaceful" sidewalk party nearby
Why is "peaceful" in parenthesis?
We will have "peaceful" company ping.
As always, a FReep mail will get you on or off this Houston topics ping list.
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Posted on 08/21/2003 4:33:33 AM PDT by Libloather
Republican party to rip apart Dems' old offices
By JOHN WILLIAMS
Aug. 20, 2003, 9:52PM
Republicans in Harris County have pounded their Democratic opponents time and time again at the ballot box during the past decade.
Sunday, they intend to throw a grand old party to batter the Democrats' former headquarters in Midtown.
Harris County GOP Chairman Jared Woodfill is asking local Republicans to bring sledgehammers and other implements of destruction to help level the building the Democrats vacated three months ago.
"You bring the muscle, we'll bring the refreshments and we will have a party as we tear down the Harris County Democratic Party headquarters," Woodfill said in his invitation to party faithful.
Harris County Democratic Party Chairman Gerry Birnberg was quick with a metaphor. That's what Republicans do, he said, "tearing things down, destroying them."
"They did it to our economy, to our jobs market, to our voting rights, to our democracy, to civility in government, to civil rights, to health care for children, to fair pay for teachers -- they took out their sledgehammers and smashed them to smithereens."
Harris County GOP officials tried to hammer the Democrats with words in a news release on the Dem-olition derby, saying that "the Harris County Democratic Party has been evicted from their party headquarters."
Evict, according to Webster's New World College Dictionary, means "to remove (a tenant) from leased premises by legal procedure, as for failure to pay rent."
Birnberg said the party had a month-to-month lease on the old headquarters on LaBranch until earlier this summer. At that time, the building was sold to a developer who intends to tear it down for a new project. The owner gave the GOP permission to help with the razing.
The Democrats moved into new digs on the North Loop.
"There was no `eviction' any more than Ronald Reagan was `evicted' from the White House when his term was up and he moved to California," Birnberg said. "But truth is not one of the virtues this bunch believes in or embraces."
The Democrats have picked up support from a likely group -- organized labor.
Richard Shaw, secretary-treasurer of the local AFL-CIO, said union members will hold a "peaceful" sidewalk party nearby to watch the GOP "destroy the building and the economy."
PARTY!
Yes, we do.
Fear us.
For $50/hr?
They'll probably have all 6 AFL-CIO members in the state of Texas at that rally. I don't think I've ever once seen a union t-shirt or jacket in Texas. I've seen 5 million here in New York. And the difference in mentalities (red state/blue state) shows.
union members will hold a "peaceful" sidewalk party nearby
Why is "peaceful" in parenthesis?
We will have "peaceful" company ping.
As always, a FReep mail will get you on or off this Houston topics ping list.
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Several of you have written me expressing alarm, concern, and disgust because the Republican Party has invited its members to take sledge hammers (to be provided by the Republicans) to the building which served as our headquarters before we moved to our new location last month and help tear it down. Personally, I'm kind of pleased with this.SourceThe statement in the Republican announcement that we were "evicted" from our headquarters is, of course, a lie, but what else do you expect from Republicans: our lease term was up and we moved to better quarters. There was no "eviction" any more than Ronald Reagan was "evicted" from the White House when his term was up and he moved to California. But truth is not one of the virtues (family values) this bunch believes in or embraces.
Anyway, in my mind the "demolition derby" shows exactly what and all Republicans are all about -- tearing things down, destroying them, demolishing. That's exactly what Republicans do -- use brute force to demolish and destroy things. This is precisely the highest and best use of their members, and exactly what they stand for - destruction. They did it to our economy, to our jobs market, to our voting rights, to our democracy, to civility in government (bi-partisanship), to civil rights, to health care for children, to fair pay for teachers -- they took out their sledgehammers and smashed them to smithereens. What harm can it do for these folks to show off their main talent (demolition skills) by tearing down an old deserted building?
(Isn't it curious that the Republican Party of Harris County has sledge hammers they're ready to provide to their members? Sledge hammers are not part of the paraphernalia of the Democratic Party. Come to think of it, I wonder what other WMD the Republicans are stockpiling over there at their headquarters. The WMD must be somewhere; has anybody checked the Republican headquarters?)
At any rate, apparently the new corporate owner of the building needs some financial help. The Republican Party can't give the corporation any more tax cuts right now, so they'll just help out with free labor. Anything for a corporate friend in need.
I do regret that the Republicans will be taking paying jobs away from folks who need them by doing demolition work for the owner of the building for free, but that just shows what little concern Republicans have for working men and women in this community. I sure hope they'll at least provide hard hats for their unpaid workers (to go with their hard heads), but Republican disdain for worker safety concerns may foreclose their doing that. And if anyone gets seriously injured demolishing the old place, they sure don't have to worry about compensating for those injuries, given what the Republicans have done to access to the courts to obtain fair treatment. (Of course, if its one of their legislators who gets injured, they'll probably be able to get some insurance company to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars on that claim, regardless of whether their insurance policy provides coverage or not.)
All in all, I think this is a pretty good insight into what Republicans are all about -- destruction and demolition, helping corporate landlords, all at the expense of folks in need.
Carry on, Republicans. But you better be careful: your true colors are showing!
Gerry Birnberg
Chair, Harris County Democratic Party
August 20, 2003
"This (sudden termination of our lease). . ."
(source)
Which is it, Gerry?
Impeachment. The 2000 Election. The California Recall. The pattern is becoming clear: there's a group of Republicans in power who will do anything to consolidate that power, including undermining our democratic institutions. It's time to fight back. In Texas, they've been fighting back, but with the world focused on California, they've been fighting alone. They need our help, and the Democratic National Committee and MoveOn.org PAC are partnering to offer these brave Democrats support.
A partisan plan pushed by Karl Rove and Tom DeLay in the Texas legislature will redistrict from 5 to 7 Democrats out of Congress. That's right. While George W. Bush talks about reaching out to new voters, his henchmen are attempting to pull off a disenfranchisement of historic proportions. But right now, 11 Democratic State Senators are hiding across state lines -- with the Texas Governor calling for their arrest -- to prevent this illegitimate plan from being strong-armed into law. They have put their reputations and careers on the line for all of us.
A letter below from State Senator Rodney Ellis explains the situation. Please read it, and then please help us launch a hard-hitting ad campaign to fight back in Texas.
Act now, because time is running out. The Texas special session that was called to gerrymander the Texas congressional districts ends early next week, and the pressure is building. These courageous Democratic leaders need to see real support now, or they won't be able to hold out.
We need to fight back effectively against these attacks on democracy. Please get even more people involved by forwarding this email to everyone you think would like to help.
These are some of the lies being sent via e-mail - just to inform you. They can be so vicious and untruthful. They would not know the truth if it bit them.
Take a sledgehammer to Socialism.
Well Mr. Birdbrain, if that's true then the majority of Texans want the same thing as well as Texans have been voting (as of the last statewide election cycle) almost 60% Republican and that percentage has been increasing every two years for the past decade or so. So let's see now, with increasing a couple or three percentage points every 2 years I wonder just where that's going to leave you and your dwindling (idea bankrupt) Party in a few more years!? Keep spinning (while you can) Mr. Gerry(mandering) Birnbergdbrain, your Party's tactics help Republicans garner more public support every time you guys open your mouths.
Wow, that many? Well, Texas is a big place so it's no wonder I've never seen one. Bet they'll be bussing those from NY down here just for show.
Smash the third window from the left for me.
Our Democrats have run to hide in New Mexico and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it. It is frustrating as hell. If we go hog tie them and bring them back we end up in jail.
Yeah, this is a little silly, but jezz, let us vent.
It's not my intent here to be rude sport but I'm native born and raised in Southeast Texas and all my life I've likened some folks opinions to a$$holes, everyone has one and most of the time they stink but of course there are those of that kind who naturally like to think that their shitzz doesn't stink. (If you're wondering mine has been known stink on rare occasions.)
Personally I happen to think that tearing down that (once) RAT infested shack of a building by local Republicans is a grand idea. For one thing it will go to show that the Dems in Texas has one foot in the grave already and the other foot is on a banana peel on the slippery slope of that grave. I can remember when the state Republican Party could have held its State Convention in what used to be called a phonebooth in Texas.
Well baby, not anymore. Now it's looking more and more like that will become the way the state Democrat party will be holding their State Conventions in a few short years in Texas and I want to savor the victories along the way and this bit of partisan celebration is well deserved no matter who likes it or not and yes, this even includes people from the mushy middle. BTW, what state do you hail from? No info on your profile page to indicate where.
Oh, and as for as Who are we converting to the cause here?, just how many more RINO's do you think the Republican Party needs!?
Taking a sledge to any Libdem/Chicom icon? Yep...
Once they so-called reported - Republicans in Harris County have pounded their Democratic opponents... I was pretty much suspect - as should anyone...
Bring your sledgehammer and help us rid Texas of a vermins nests!!
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