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Tim Kaine Calls on Republicans to Tone Down Their Rhetoric and to Condemn the Deplorable Behavior of their Supporters in Aftermath of Health Reform Vote

Democratic National Committee: Blog — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:40:38 +0000

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine tonight called on Republicans to tone down their over the top rhetoric and tactics and to condemn the deplorable behavior of their supporters which has included the vandalizing of Congressional offices and threats on Democratic Members of Congress who voted in favor of health insurance reform. Please see a statement from Chairman Kaine below:

“I am very concerned that it has become necessary for federal law enforcement officials to look into actions directed possibly at Members of Congress and their families following the historic vote on health insurance reform. I understand that law enforcement officials are taking these actions seriously. In all, at least ten Members have related concerns about threats made since last weekend.

“This is especially troubling given racial and other slurs that Members were subjected to over the weekend by protesters on Capitol Hill.

“No policy dispute justifies violence and intimidation. It is time for Republicans to do more than express concern about the actions of some of their supporters.

“Republican leaders are themselves engaging in actions and rhetoric that previously would have been limited to fringe elements of the Republican Party. Sarah Palin has invoked health care ‘death panels’ and has now placed gun sights on 20 Members of Congress who supported reform. House Minority Leader John Boehner used overheated language and tone of the floor of Congress to denounce the health insurance reform vote. Off the floor, he said that passing health reform was ‘Armageddon’ for America and that a Democratic Congressman in an adjoining Congressional District would be a ‘dead man’ for voting for reform. A Texas Congressman yelled “Baby Killer” on the House floor while a Democratic Member was speaking.

“The Republican National Committee has followed up its infamous fundraising presentation with a new fundraising appeal that shows the Speaker of the House aflame online. The RNC’s Chairman has said that the Speaker should be put before a firing squad and vehemently defended Rep. Boehner’s characterization of the passage of health insurance reform as ‘Armageddon.’

“It is no coincidence that we now have reports that Democratic Congressional offices have been vandalized, Democratic Members of Congress have received threats and been subject to racial epithets and homophobic slurs, and a gas line was cut at what was thought to be the home of a Democratic Member of Congress after the address was posted online and tea partiers were encouraged to intimidate the Congressman.

“These now cannot be brushed off as isolated incidents.

“It is no longer enough for Republicans to characterize threats and incidents of vandalism as isolated. It is no longer enough for Republicans to blame these events on outsiders.

“Republican leaders must disassociate themselves from this deplorable behavior, they must condemn these acts decisively and, most importantly, they must tone down their own tactics and rhetoric to set a better example for their supporters and the country. I call on them to do so.

President Obama to House Democrats: “It is in your hands.”

Democratic National Committee: Blog — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:55:55 +0000

On the eve of the House of Representatives' vote on health reform, President Obama visited the Capitol, where he spoke about tomorrow's unique opportunity for representatives to make history and deliver real change for the American people.

The President quoted Abraham Lincoln in his closing argument:

We are not bound to win, but we are bound to be true. We are not bound to succeed, but we are bound to let whatever light we have shine.
We have been debating health care for decades.
It now has been debated for a year.
It is in your hands.
It is time to pass health care reform for America, and I am confident that you are going to do it tomorrow.
Thank you very much, House of Representatives. Let's get this done.

Why on Earth would the Republican party change its views to be more like the Democratic party?

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:29:02 +0000

Wouldn’t it be easier to just join the Democratic party & all work together to ruin the United States of America?

Naked Republican Power

Paul Siegel — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:59:25 +0000

Richard Shelby of Alabama has demonstrated how a single Republican senator, though a member of the minority party, can prevent the president of the U.S. from doing his job. Shelby used a hold to prevent the confirmation of not 1 but of 70 executive appointees merely to gain some pork for Alabama. An excellent example of the exercise of naked Republican power through obstructionism.

The Huffington Post says:

Sen. Richard Shelby's (R-Ala.) decision to place a "blanket hold" on all presidential nominations until a pair of billion-dollar earmarks for his home state are fast-tracked has reignited the debate over the parliamentary tactics being deployed by the Republican Party. It also has thrust into the spotlight the clout that major defense contractors often yield on the political process. . . The Senator confirmed that he launched the hold, in part, because he is upset with a tanker contract worth $35 billion that remains unresolved between Northrop Grumman/EADs and Boeing. Shelby favors the Northrop Grummann-EADS bid largely because it would result in tankers being assembled in his home state. The two contractors, in turn, have donated to Shelby's campaign committees, hoping ostensibly to secure favor or at least an audience with the Alabama Republican.

EADS stands for Airbus. So, Shelby is stopping all government activity to make sure that a foreign company - Airbus - beats an American company - Boeing - and gets an American defense contract because it would provide some manufacturing jobs for Mobile, Alabama. This is more than obstructionism; it is extortion.

The Whitehouse is furious. Gibbs said:

I guess if you needed one example of what's wrong with this town, it might be that one senator can hold up 70 qualified individuals to make government work better because he didn't get his earmarks, If that's not the poster child for how this town needs to change the way it works, I fear there won't be a greater example of silliness throughout the entire year of 2010.

This is not the first time Republicans have used holds to frustrate Obama and the Democrats. What makes the hold so powerful is that it comes with the promise to filibuster. And filibustering is the primary goal of Republicans in today's senate. With the filibuster, Republicans are preventing Congress from dealing with healthcare, with the economy and with other important problems facing the nation. With the filibuster they plan to bring all executive activity to a halt. With the filibuster Republicans plan to "win" in November.

Don't call them Republicans. Call them Filibusterers. Filibustering leads to naked power and naked Power is all Republicans want.

Republicans Fighting for Financial Bums

Paul Siegel — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:41:26 +0000

There are 2 major parties in the U.S.: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Democrats, under the leadership of President Obama, are doing their utmost to solve the Depression the financial bums in Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and other financial powerhouses have plunged us into. At every turn, the Republicans are stymying the Democratic efforts. They are fighting FOR the financial bums and against the American people.

Read this article published in the conservative Wall Street Journal:

Last week, House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio made a pitch to Democratic contributor James Dimon, the chairman and chief executive of J.P. Morgan, over drinks at a Capitol Hill restaurant, according to people familiar with the matter.
Mr. Boehner told Mr. Dimon congressional Republicans had stood up to Mr. Obama's efforts to curb pay and impose new regulations. The Republican leader also said he was disappointed many on Wall Street continue to donate their money to Democrats, according to the people familiar with the matter.

Boehner is telling Dimon that Republicans are friends of Wall Street and Democrats are not. Why are you giving money to Democrats who want to restrict your activities? Give it to Republicans because we work hard for you.

This incident makes it extremely obvious on which side Republicans are. They favor financial bums that caused our economic misery over the rest of us who are suffering from this economic misery. Republicans are disappointed they are not getting paid for their services to the financial community. They believe, however, if they keep it up, they will eventually be rewarded by the financial bums.

If Republicans manage to prevent the Democrats from producing legislation regulating the financial industry, they no doubt will get more money from the financial bums. But who will suffer as a result? You and I. America will remain with a high percentage of us jobless for far longer than necessary.

Whose side are YOU on? Are you with the financial bums and Republicans who fight for them or with the jobless Americans and Democrats who are trying to help all of us?