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| Home Front: Politix |
| Democrats' break looking like a bad trip |
| 2009-08-05 |
| Angry protesters shouted down Democrats at public events from Texas to Pennsylvania over the weekend, leaving the party only one real hope for getting its message out over recess: a backlash. In Austin, Texas, Rep. Lloyd Doggett was drowned out by a group of noisy, sign-waving demonstrators who shouted, "Just say no" as he tried to talk about health care reform. In an e-mail to POLITICO Monday, Doggett called the group a "mob, sent by the local Republican and Libertarian parties" that "came not just to be heard but to deny others the right to be heard." In Morrisville, Pa., Rep. Patrick Murphy was forced to scrap plans for a one-on-one meet-the-congressman session when people in the crowd started shouting. Murphy switched to a town hall format mid-event and even then had to ask the audience at times to "be respectful." And at a health care event in Philadelphia, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius were repeatedly interrupted by booing and heckling. "We can shout at one another, or we can leave the stage," Sebelius said at one point. "It's up to you." For Democrats, that's precisely the problem: Their ability to make their case on health care at public events during the August recess is mostly in the hands of the people who turn out for the events. And if those people want to be disruptive -- especially en masse -- there's not much the Democrats can do about it. "Town halls have become town hells," said Mark McKinnon, a former adviser to President George W. Bush. "Special interests and opponents have figured out how easy it is to disrupt town halls and get their own message out. The days of the truly free-form town halls may be over." Democratic leaders aren't quite ready to say that yet. Doug Thornell, a spokesman for Assistant to the Speaker Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), said House leaders are urging their members to continue holding public sessions, even if it means they'll be shouted down and have it all replayed on YouTube. "We have encouraged our members to use everything in their arsenal to communicate with their constituents," said Thornell. "They know what works best in their districts. More than anything, they have to stay on the offense and not get distracted by stupid Republican gimmicks." The Republicans aren't exactly apologetic. "As some members of Speaker Pelosi's party are already learning, it's hard to heed her orders to 'go on offense' when you're busy defending such unpopular policies," said Paul Lindsay, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. Lindsay said the NRCC would begin circulating a regular e-mail to reporters highlighting the protests at Democrats' town halls. The title: "Recess Roastings -- Washington Democrats Feel the Heat at Home." Democrats are trying to push back, casting the town hall disrupters as right-wing extremists affiliated with anti-tax "tea parties." "The last place Republicans ought to be moving their party is even more to the fringe of the political spectrum," said Eric Schultz, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Added a senior Democratic strategist: "It may be out of necessity, but for Republicans, relying on the fringe elements of the party to be the face of opposition on health care is a dangerous game. The birthers and the tea party folks aren't controllable, come off as angry and out of control and couldn't care less about the issue at hand." But communications experts say it would be a mistake to demonize the protesters. "The more intelligent alternative is to take the extensive network the Obama campaign developed and send all of those people to town halls," said University of Pennsylvania political scientist Kathleen Hall Jamieson. "If this comes down to vocal individuals, the Obama campaign ought to be able to always outnumber their opponent. And if they're not, then that's a problem." Democrats aren't the only ones taking town hall heat. Republican Rep. Mike Castle was smacked down by the crowd at a town hall in Delaware last month when he wouldn't agree with an angry inquisitor who insisted that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya. McKinnon suggested that lawmakers handle noisy crowds by asking "the rabble to provide a spokesperson, and give them the microphone for one question and comment." "Just give them a platform to have their say and let the air out of the balloon," he advised. "If they continue to harass, then they really look like partisan hacks." One thing on which everyone agrees: The protests are likely to continue. The insurance lobby has urged the public to turn out for town halls, as have members of the tea party movement and the group Conservatives for Patients' Rights, which is providing a list of upcoming public events on its website -- together with videos of events that have already been disrupted. "I think that it's going to happen at a lot of the town halls," said Rick Scott, chairman of Conservatives for Patients' Rights. "What you're seeing is a change." Specter, who was booed in Philadelphia over the weekend, told The Associated Press that it's "highly likely" other senators will soon meet the same fate. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #16 Ultimately, many of these congress critters are going to have to decide which is larger, their reelection voters or the angry mob. And if they listen to their Washington spinsetters, they may not get the answer they need. "Feeling lucky, punk?" |
| Posted by: Skunky Glins 5*** 2009-08-05 19:23 |
| #15 Bummer duuude. Like, stay off then green acid man. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2009-08-05 16:03 |
| #14 "You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill." |
| Posted by: mojo 2009-08-05 14:48 |
| #13 like Code Pink was non-disruptive? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-08-05 12:53 |
| #12 "In an e-mail to POLITICO Monday, Doggett called the group a "mob, sent by the local Republican and Libertarian parties"..." All feel the wrath of the powerful Libertarian party! |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2009-08-05 12:18 |
| #11 "If you show up in public and you draw howling mobs maybe you're doing something wrong as a pol." That little nugget of knowledge is lost on most of these folks, however. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2009-08-05 09:52 |
| #10 If you show up in public and you draw howling mobs maybe you're doing something wrong as a pol. |
| Posted by: Fred 2009-08-05 09:13 |
| #9 “In an e-mail to POLITICO Monday, Doggett called the group a "mob, sent by the local Republican and Libertarian parties"…” Two words; Community Organizer |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2009-08-05 08:55 |
| #8 What arrogant punks that whole party is staffed with. I have absolutely no respect for democrats anymore- at all. Democrats are the antighisis of a democratic system. A blue dog is a yellow dog holding it's breath. |
| Posted by: newc 2009-08-05 08:12 |
| #7 Democrats are trying to push back, casting the town hall disrupters as right-wing extremists affiliated with anti-tax "tea parties." The problem is, there are a lot of dhimocrats showing up at those tea parties now. They are just as sick and tired of getting taxed as the right is and tea parties are mostly center and center right groups. 'course that don't fit the narrative either. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2009-08-05 07:32 |
| #6 The Senate, House, and Presidency would be a good place to work if it weren't for the damned voters! |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2009-08-05 06:57 |
| #5 In an e-mail to POLITICO Monday, Doggett called the group a "mob, sent by the local Republican and Libertarian parties" that "came not just to be heard but to deny others the right to be heard." Some Freudian projection going on there Doggett. Those are the tactics the Donks wrote using astroturfed groups at your opponents' venues for media coverage and political points. Now that the real thing has shown up, you're unable to discern what's fake and what's real. Just keep being in denial, all the way up to the figurative political guillotine. These are the Americans who've kept quiet for years, who've ignored politics, and those who you've now got both their attention and focus. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-08-05 06:26 |
| #4 If Barry permits elections in 2010, they should be very interesting. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-08-05 06:14 |
| #3 What they don't say (or rather REFUSE to say) is that the 'mob' is just about as pissed off at the Republican RINO's as the Democrats. That wouldn't fit their narrative that this is all organized by the Republican party and Rush Limbaugh.... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-08-05 00:36 |
| #2 “A government big enough to give you anything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.” –Thomas Jefferson |
| Posted by: Percy Spons4194 2009-08-05 00:24 |
| #1 In an e-mail to POLITICO Monday, Doggett called the group a "mob" I recomend you start listening to these "mobs" before they start showing up with an old school lynching mentallity, ropes, tar, feathers, you know, the full works... |
| Posted by: Percy Spons4194 2009-08-05 00:14 |