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Wednesday, July 01, 2009
(Updated) New Mexico Teabaggers Need to Start Tea-Totaling
Update: Also read this post, which contains an account of what went on at Congressman Teague's event in Roswell written by Alfredo Domingo III, who was there.******************
I know the proper term is tee-totaling but I feel compelled to stick with the tea thing. It's so apt. Either way, the rude and ill-informed, mostly right-wing malcontents showing up at New Mexico political events ready to howl, yell and put their parroted Limbaugh taking points on infinite repeat definitely need to chill.
Take this Tuesday's health care town hall with Sen. Tom Udall at VFW Post 401 in Albuquerque. The yelpers were out in force to make sure no civil or reasoned dialogue could take place about health care, energy or anything else. Check out this post by someone who attended. Excerpt:
... anti-President Obama, obvious tea-bag-party supporters just about ruined it for everyone with their disrespectful hoots and hollers after discussion turned to government stimulus, cap and trade, healthcare, etc.
... Needless to say, it was standing room only for the noon-time meeting with an all-age crowd of New Mexicans. There were a few obvious GOP who interrupted and yelled and hollered out baseless facts, and were chided by most of the crowd to “shut up.” One woman behind me, well-dressed, with sunglasses she did not remove was the worst. She interrupted nearly every comment with some anti-Obama, Rush Limbaugh-provided BS.
As a long-time journalist, it is absolutely unnerving to me when people stand up to speak and repeat the same complaints given a second ago by another person in the audience. It happened a lot!
Then there were the few completely, off-the-wall comments, one concerning midwifery compensation, and an obviously-disturbed woman who called our President a “communist dictator,” along with other ramblings that accused Obama of everything except the common cold, which was covered by another, passionate woman in bright yellow, who pleaded with the senator to ensure the water system is clean of pharmaceuticals. (She must have said “excrement” a dozen times.)
I have heard that similar attack crowds are showing up for Rep. Harry Teague's events. In fact, a person who uses the name alfdom on Twitter posted a photo from an event with the Congressman tonight in Roswell with the following caption:
A loud rude group of about 25 intent on repeating gobal warning is from volcanos to Congressman Teague at Roswell..
Yes, this sort of behavior (and thinking) can seem hilarious, but as we've seen from recent events nationally, right-wing extremists can get violent -- even murderous -- if they feel thwarted and desperate. It's one thing to challenge and question politicians and voice criticisms in no uncertain terms. It's quite another to show up like a mob, interrupt the dialogue, yell out senseless talking points by the likes of Glenn Beck and rudely stop others from participating.
Can you imagine what would be done to liberal challengers who managed to get into an event when Pete Domenici was Senator or Heather Wilson was a Rep? Isn't time for rational Republicans -- if there are any -- to step up to the plate and publicly criticize those on the right who are disrupting things like this? Their tactics are a form of bullying, no two ways about it.
July 1, 2009 at 08:14 PM in Climate, Events, Healthcare, NM Congressional Delegation, Obama Administration, Rep. Harry Teague (NM-02), Republican Party, Sen. Tom Udall | Permalink
Comments
I still remember the "Tea Party" very well... I personally thought it was amusing (not to mention only about 200 or so yards from my apartment). If you had asked one of the attendees what they were protesting, you would not have gotten a clear answer. Most of them had a mob mentality, many were shouting racist slogans. I think seeing that sealed for my fiancee that she was no longer a Republican (she's now a registered Indy, like myself... and yes, we both voted for Obama). The way I see it, many conservatives are saving liberals a fortune in campaign costs right now... or as a shirt I recently designed says, "If the donkey is the Democrats' mascot, why are the Republicans being such asses?"
Posted by: randall sobien | Jul 2, 2009 8:21:59 PM
"If you had asked one of the attendees what they were protesting, you would not have gotten a clear answer."
Perhaps they were protesting the assault on reason.
As in Obama's exhortation to a new era of 'saving and investment' while unveiling a budget plan that called for $10 trillion in additional debt over ten years. A rate nearly double the shameful rate that Bush racked up.
Or perhaps the assault of a stimulus bill which Obama's economic advisors warranted should be 'Timely, Targeted, and Temporary' but was none of these (less than 20% gets spent in 2009) and as a result will be stimulating after the recovery when the fed will have to start tightening against it to avoid inflation.
Or perhaps the assault of a president who eats cheeseburgers, drinks hard liquor and smokes cigarettes exhorting the nation to better health.
Or maybe a president who sings the virtues of government health plans while ignoring the abject financial failure of Medicare given the ruinous unfunded nature of the program.
Or perhaps a president who announced an end to the politicizing of science when his EPA suppressed a report which was contrary to his goals ( decision based evidence making ).
Or maybe a president who proclaims the importance of doing something about reducing CO2 but thinks it's OK to fly to NY and back for a date.
Or perhaps a president whose minions have said to never waste a crisis and the sheeple that blythely believe the next crisis.
Posted by: Steve | Jul 2, 2009 11:31:29 PM
I must say... your complaints are so reminiscent of the ones from Bush's time. Anyway, the simple answer is that no one is perfect... but I am willing to give a chance to someone I see making an effort in that direction as opposed to one seeing how much can be slipped by while we're still waving our flags from the last tragedy.
Gods save us before Obama has another cheeseburger... or swats another fly. lol
Posted by: randall sobien | Jul 3, 2009 5:00:47 AM
"I must say... your complaints are so reminiscent of the ones from Bush's time."
The hypocrisy of the ponies and rainbows crowd with respect to Bush is pretty interesting.
As far as I can tell, Obama is doing a pretty good job at carrying out most of the Bush policies.
(regardless of my opinion on any of them)
War in Iraq? Check.
War in Afghanistan? Check.
Prisoners in Guantanamo? Check.
Hold indefinitely without trial dangerous prisoners? Check.
Politicizing the science? Check.
'Warrantless wiretaps?' Check.
Spending America into bankruptcy? Double check.
Bailing out the banks? Check.
Bailing out the auto makers? Check.
Bush didn't veto anything, Obama doesn't submit proposals for anything, so neither was effective with Congress.
There are differences of course, but these were main issues of Obama's election.
I don't like any political parties ( us and them ) but it's pretty clear that Democratic voters are to high on power to hold government accountable and it is the responsibility of dissenters to be heard.
Posted by: Steve | Jul 3, 2009 11:19:00 AM
We frequently had liberal protestors at my office or at my town meetings, including groups organized by out of state special interest groups, and including people who tended to be disruptive. They were allowed to come, treated with respect and even given ice water if it was hot outside. Protestors at our office were invited in five at a time to have their chance to deliver whatever message they wished to deliver. People who disagree with the current direction in Washington have the same rights, even if you consider them to be unreasonable.
Posted by: Heather Wilson | Jul 5, 2009 9:37:59 AM
Heather: Were they allowed to drown everyone else out and treat others attending the event with rudeness and name calling? The criticism is not about people showing up to take advantage of their First Amendment rights. The problem is with people who are set on destroying the experience for those interested in rational conversation.
I can't believe anyone who has served in an elected position would embrace a mob showing up like they did at Udall's event and shouting down others when they tried to ask a question.
Posted by: Old Dem | Jul 5, 2009 11:01:29 AM
Steve, I wonder how you believe anyone could out from under the horrors to the federal budget that have been perpetrated since the savior Reagan crashed it by making sure rich people didn't pay their fair share? We had a brief time during Clinton when we got even but then Bush II came in and did the same thing with his idiotic position ala Grover Norquist that govt should be starved and then point the finger at it and say oh look it's not working.
We all see through this malarky which is why the Republican Party and so-called Conservative movement are right seen as lacking any ideas that would help us regain our footing.
I don't hear any counter proposals from Steve either. I guess he would allow things to fall completely into ruin. He must think he would be able to avoid the consequences. I doubt it.
Posted by: Lynn | Jul 5, 2009 11:13:21 AM
Who can forget that Sen. Domenici had people arrested and put on trial for attempting to discuss the war in his office in Santa Fe?
Posted by: bg | Jul 6, 2009 10:45:06 AM
Ms. Wilson... while I certainly won't defend the tactics of all who protested Bush (I was personally more than a little annoyed at those who called Cheney a murderer over the hunting accident), my objections regarding the Tea Party were over those who turned it in to something resembling a Klan rally. I understand perfectly well that not everyone who dislikes Obama does so because of his race... but it certainly wasn't his policies that many of them were protesting.
Posted by: Randall Sobien | Jul 7, 2009 12:52:25 AM
On a side note, if you are indeed the actual Heather Wilson, just so you know, you did have my support in the primaries for senate... you are much more of a moderate than your opponent was, and I much prefer to see two fairly good candidates going against each other as opposed to one good, one bad... or the all too familiar "lesser of two evils" or "two extremes." But alas, I am an Indy and cannot vote in primaries.
Posted by: Randall Sobien | Jul 7, 2009 12:56:51 AM
