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When the Left doesn’t like it loud (Angry Mobs Drive Them Nuts)
The Minneapolis-St Paul Star Tribune ^ | August 22, 2009 | Katherine Kersten

Posted on 08/22/2009 8:43:32 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Protesters and citizens asking angry questions have flooded the “town halls” where congressional representatives have tried to sell President Obama’s health care reform agenda to the American people.

The protesters have stolen the show, with 69 percent of Americans telling pollsters they are following the story closely. Town-hall-goers — some raucous — are probing costs, are raising questions about government encroachment on private life, and are deploring the fact that few legislators seem to have read the 1,000-page health care reform bill. Democrats have often had trouble answering credibly.

The protesters are having an impact. Last week, the administration_appeared to pull back on the “public option” as a centerpiece of Obama’s reform agenda.

I thought folks on the left loved protesters—the rowdier, the better. Liberals are fond of reminding us that free speech is sacred, and that dissent — “speaking truth to power” —is a patriotic duty. Remember the 2008 Republican National Convention? The ACLU of Minnesota went to court to win a parade permit that would have allowed thousands of protesters, including anarchists who had vowed to shut down the convention, to encircle St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center, where delegates convened.

Today’s town hall protesters get no such respectful treatment. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has branded them “evil-mongers.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer have labeled them “un-American.” Left-wing_journalists have mocked them as buffoons, extremists and crazies.

Most significantly, some Democratic leaders have charged that town hall protesters are not ordinary citizens speaking from the heart, as they appear to be. Instead, they are puppets, part of an “ugly campaign” — in Pelosi’s and Hoyer’s words — orchestrated by shadowy special interests.

If you know_town-hall-goers, as I do, you know that most learned about the meetings from friends, through e-mails or on talk_radio.(continued)

(Excerpt) Read more at kerstenblog.startribune.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 111th; angrymob; bhohealthcare; congress; healthcare; obama; obamacare; socializedmedicine; townhall; townhalls
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To: FreeReign

You and I are living on planet Earth.
Barney Frank and his followers are buzzing around the 7th planet.


21 posted on 08/23/2009 2:53:41 AM PDT by Einherjar (PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER)
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“Speaking Truth to Power”

Hope that makes it on to some signs...


22 posted on 08/23/2009 3:28:20 AM PDT by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: D-fendr
“Speaking Truth to Power”
The Associated Press is the Borg. The truth about its own power goes there to die. FR Forever!!

23 posted on 08/23/2009 5:19:58 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The conceit of journalistic objectivity is profoundly subversive of democratic principle.)
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To: Ciexyz
People are sick of seeing laws changed for political expediency. Ted Kennedy’s replacement, for one example. The Dems cannot even wait until the man gives up the ghost before they try to weasel thru a change of law to get one of their insider cronies in his seat - It’s pathetic.

I read somewhere that the law was just changed when Kerry ran for President so that the Governor couldn't appoint a replacement. I don't know how accurate that is.

24 posted on 08/23/2009 5:28:14 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you. Ben Franklin)
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To: Paleo Conservative

I hope someone tapes it and puts it up on YouTube. The other thing the left hates is when people laugh at them.


25 posted on 08/23/2009 5:36:45 AM PDT by DManA
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To: DJ MacWoW
I read somewhere that the law was just changed when Kerry ran for President so that the Governor couldn't appoint a replacement. I don't know how accurate that is.

It's accurate.

Which is why I have a issue with those on our side that whine "But if we do _______ . Then the Democrats will do it too."

Problem is even if we don't do it the Democrats will do it and worse to us. This is war, not a game of flag football. The days of "gentleman's agreements" are long over.

(If they ever were. Frankly I have my doubts.)

26 posted on 08/23/2009 6:23:57 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (I miss the competent fiscal policy and flag waving patriotism of the Carter Administration)
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To: DJ MacWoW
"I don't know how accurate that is."

Well it is a fact, but when has hypocrisy stood in the way of the Democrats. I don't think they even feel obliged to explain it in any other terms.

27 posted on 08/23/2009 6:28:38 AM PDT by WHBates
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If Liberals aren’t maf we are not doing it right.


28 posted on 08/23/2009 6:52:51 AM PDT by right way right (Do not mistake Religion for God.)
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To: right way right

Mad!


29 posted on 08/23/2009 6:53:38 AM PDT by right way right (Do not mistake Religion for God.)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear
Which is why I have a issue with those on our side that whine "But if we do _______ . Then the Democrats will do it too."

My problem with that is that the press would demonize conservatives for it and ignore the Dems. That does lose us support among the voters that aren't knowledgeable. THAT landscape is changing though. A lot of the townhalls are filled with people that weren't political until now. They sure are getting a crash course!

30 posted on 08/23/2009 7:03:13 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you. Ben Franklin)
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To: WHBates

Thanks. I wasn’t sure.


31 posted on 08/23/2009 7:03:36 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you. Ben Franklin)
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To: Paleo Conservative
Dems only like to hear from "the people" when the people are bought and paid for - like ACORN shills.

Like communists of old - or Iranians today - "rent a crowds" work to prop up the big fat egos of those in power.

Dems like 'em bought and dpaid for - - Union goons - ACORN nuts.

32 posted on 08/23/2009 8:22:10 AM PDT by GOPJ (Liberalism has changed-It used to be about free speech.. now it's about controlling speech-RobinofB)
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To: DManA
I hope someone tapes it and puts it up on YouTube. The other thing the left hates is when people laugh at them.

I think I found someone at the protest yesterday with a professional 3 CCD video camera to record it for us.

33 posted on 08/23/2009 9:43:26 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative (I wonder why Solomon Ortiz (TX-27) is so afraid of talking with his constituents?)
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To: GOPJ
Dems only like to hear from "the people" when the people are bought and paid for - like ACORN shills.

They mostly had preprinted signs. The really stupid thing was that one of the hand held signs that looked like the stripes of a Mexican flag turned sideways. In the middle white stripe it had printed words, "I Want Single Payer Healthcare and I'm From." Below that people wrote in the their location by hand. One guy had wrote in, "Here." Who was the idiot who made those signs in anything but red, white, and blue?

34 posted on 08/23/2009 10:05:58 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative (I wonder why Solomon Ortiz (TX-27) is so afraid of talking with his constituents?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"The inconvenient truth is that on ObamaCare, Big Pharma and other fat cats are lining up on the Democrats’ side."

*snort*

35 posted on 08/23/2009 11:16:25 AM PDT by SuziQ
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"These organizations have eye-popping budgets and Washington offices, while town hall protesters pass on e-mails to their neighbors from their kitchens after work."

And in our Jammies! ;o)

36 posted on 08/23/2009 11:17:52 AM PDT by SuziQ
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To: DJ MacWoW
That's exactly what happened. The Democrats running the legislature didn't want Mitt Romney, who was Gov. at the time, to appoint a Republican in Kerry's place, should Kerry win the Presidency. They were scared to death he'd resign and have the new Gov. who was the Repub. Lt. Gov., name HIM to the Senate.

Teddy the Swimmer was a driving force behind that change, as he is today, trying to get it changed back. The kicker is that, because he's too ill to be in the Senate voting, the Dems don't have the 60 needed for the cloture votes, if they don't get all the RINOs to go along with them. It's my understanding that Snowe and Collins from Maine are holding out on the Health Care reform legislation, so the 60 votes are in danger.

Because of his meddling, regarding his pet project, Teddy the Swimmer is about to be hoist on his own petard, and that just gives me no end of satisfaction!

37 posted on 08/23/2009 11:29:34 AM PDT by SuziQ
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To: FlyingEagle; Playa Pete; NorwegianViking; Texas resident; GulfBreeze; rellimpank; AH_LiveRight; ...

Patriot ping!

Went to a Recess Rally outside Hinojosa’s TX-15 office in Beeville yesterday. Great homemade signs! About 50 people there; including a few Hispancs, some with signs in Spanish! People from as far away as San Antonio, Tivoli, and Goliad came. No leftwing nuts showed up!

Hinojosa has no plans to hold a Town Hall up here, so the Tea Party Patriots will hold one this coming Tuesday evening at the Bee County Library from 6:30 - 8:30 PM.


38 posted on 08/23/2009 11:29:53 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch (NO PISE EN MÍ)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This is in the Tribune?

That’s what I was thinking!


39 posted on 08/23/2009 11:34:37 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: SuziQ

Sweetly ironic, isn’t it! :-)


40 posted on 08/23/2009 11:39:02 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you. Ben Franklin)
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