Police officers were called to calm down an unruly crowd outside a health care reform town hall meeting in downtown Tampa, Florida on Thursday evening, according to local news reports.
Angry protesters screamed, yelled and banged on windows as officers hurried to guard the entrances to the facility, where U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor was trying to discuss the various health care reform proposals being debated in Congress. One photojournalist said that a fistfight broke out inside the building, reports WTSP.
Many of the hundreds of protesters said that they had been inspired by a conservative activist group promoted by Fox News host Glenn Beck and some received emails from the county Republican party, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
My question is. who pays for this?
Who sent money to the websites that attacked me to spend so much time trying to cut and paste bit and pieces of four year old posts together in an effort to "prove" I am a bad guy?
On our side we are always accused of being paid by the Obama administration, which makes us laugh since not one of us has every received one thin dime from anybody. But it certainly seems that these organized protests and coordinated smears are paid for by somebody. Don't they?
By the way, for future consideration, I will not be allowing comments that talk about the "other" websites to get through. I do not want them to be attacked, or argued with. Just let them be.
We will never convince them of anything, and all you are doing is driving their hitpoints up.
Namaste my friends
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It IS, absolutely, a coordinated effort paid for by all sorts of people. FOX paid for the teabaggers, basically sponsoring them. As has been proven by others, Teabaggers=birthers=healthcare protesters=violence.
ReplyDeleteWho wants this violence in the US? It is still the neocon force. Murdoch is a neocon. They can call themselves "Christians" but they're' sure not true conservatives, and they are ruining the GOP, and our beautiful country.
Good new rule on not allowing comments re: the other sites, for obvious reasons. Personally, I don't go to any of them. They always come here trolling for hits.
So let me get this straight-the teabaggers and people that disagree with Obama are paid for by Fox, but the Palin haters/Obots are using money out of their pockets? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA,I guess you missed the part about the union thugs being arrested at atleast 4 townhalls. Don't forget what your Dear Leader said "go out and get in their faces".
ReplyDelete@6:55 a.m. I guess you missed the part about what PAYMENT means in this context. PAYMENT = the Teabaggers' protests ARE FAKE.
ReplyDeleteThe unions are real.
I guess you faux Teabaggers could form a union with Murdoch's $$. It would be filled with old, under-educated white people. What can we call it? The Palin Secessionist Party? The Guns and Poses Party? You folks hate America, and the rest of us are sick of it. The Civil War ended in the 19th century.
I am very disheartened to read about the turmoil and chaos that is being encouraged in our country. People are being manipulated by certain groups with an agenda that puzzles me. "They" profess to love their country, to be true patriots and christians. What they are doing is creating division and hate. What in the world is their agenda? What do they have to gain by dividing the people of this wonderful country? Do they not see that their actions are a cancer eating away at our wonderful unique melting pot? We have the chance of all living in harmony, fixing what's happened over the last few years. "They" don't want to see this happen. Who are these people behind this chaos and what do they have to gain?
ReplyDeleteBTW, great new rule...I never go to those sites. They actually cause me to feel physically ill.
*SunSweet
Gryph -- Good new rule.
ReplyDeletePersonally, the trolls don't bother me that much. Easy to skip. Good to include them, for various reasons. What I don't get is why anyone responds to or rebuts them. Then I have to skip THOSE posts, too. But not really that hard.
I really liked it when you reminded someone who was being dumped on that s/he was welcome here, as are all points of view.
Go Gryphen.
Krugman at the NYT has a good article on this same topic.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you.
10cats
Gryphen, I live just across the bay from Tampa. The St. Pete Times reported that the screaming said, "read the bill read the bill." I saw pictures of these thugs and I doubt that any had read the bill. I doubt that some could even read let alone THE BILL.
ReplyDeleteO/T Has anyone been following Doonesbury lately?
ReplyDeleteHe's on to the C Street House.
Too funny.
The protests against health care meetings are very well orchestrated. A few nights ago, Rachel Maddow compared the protests of today with the rabble rousing crowd that used the same tactics during the Bush/Gore recount in Florida more than 8 years ago. She pointed to 12 different people in the Florida picture, named them as GOP operatives. I have the feeling that in a little while we will that many of the so-called grass roots protesters are really GOP party people again. For example, in a story covered by Talking Points Memo, a woman protesting at a Wisconsin rally claimed to be a neighbor for just a few doors away. In an interview with NBC, we learned that she was an high ranking GOP official. It is no coincidence that their spokespeople on radio, TV and in the blogosphere follow the same mode of operation.
ReplyDeleteWe have seen these strong arm tactics in other places. Around this time last year, we learned that Todd Palin, who had no official position in Alaska State government, sat at a table in the governor's office and phoned threats against state officials, trying to get his former brother-in-law fired.
When former President Bush had town hall meetings, his security goons made sure that only friendly faces would get in. People who wore T-shirts with the wrong political message were not simply excluded; they were arrested for exercising free speech.
These are not the sort of activities that we should see in a democracy. These are the tactics of a repressive government. Think about a country like Iran which will shoot protesters.
Last night, Rachel interviewed the head of an organization which seems to be organizing these violent protests. The best antidote to their kind of poison is the truth and exposure. My hope is that Rachel, and others will continue to expose this nasty bunch. There must be some very powerful and rich people funding and organizing these protests and strong arm tactics.
and now we learn that a protestor who claimed to be "non partisan - just a mom" who didn't want her neighbors to get health insurance (very christian) was actually a republican who works for the republican opponent of the demcratic congressperson.
ReplyDeleteFreedowWorks is paying for these organized teabagging protests.
republicans try to make false eqivalencies to unions organizing, but of course, republicans fail again because town hall meetings are a chance for the people to be heard. no taxation without representation.
nowhere in the constitution are corporations guarenteed that right.
and they don't need to be heard at town halls, they have lobbying firms like FreedomWorks (who also paid for TeaBagging protests) and appropriate venues to lobby congress.
democratic congresspeople have received death threats from conservatives regarding their town hall meetings, so many of them were cancelled.
There were not union people all over america arrested. there were several arrests in St Louis, and a conservative who claims he was attacked by "people carrying pro health care reform signs".
But let me remind you of the B girl set up.
Something tells me that when the truth comes out, it will not be "union" thugs.
As for the term union thugs, that's a nice target until you examine who are members of unions:
teachers, writers, actors, muscians, doctors, nurses, auto workers, teammsters, etc.
Just what are the conservatives so afraid of? Is the sight of ten writers, literacy en masse, so scary to them that they name the writers "thugs"?
The unions just announced yesteray that they were going to organize, so I highly doubt they got to town halls around the country and became violent.
Furtherore, according to the FBI statistics and the DHS, the conservatives are the group most prone to violence and doemstic terrorism.
Liberals havne't been protesting violently since the '60's, but conservatives are stuck way back then and their talking points are as usual, out of touch, out of date, and in denial of the reality that they are the radicals perpetrating violence.
Lastly, liberals never violently went after people when they protested. Ayers- bombed an empty building. Far right militia member, McVey, bombed a building full of people, in the middle of the day-- killing people on purpose. And then we have the recent cop killer, the museum shooter, etc who are all far right conservative extremists.
Reality is too hard for conservatives to face, so they keep lying and spewing hate.
It's an ugly sight. That's one reason I never go to their sites. I applaud your new rule. Let them lie amongst themselves. The FBI is keeping an eye on them-- we don't need to.
My .02 on the trolls.
ReplyDeleteWhile annoying and cumbersome to deal with at times, don't become like those other sites that disallow free speech. They ban and delete comments that don't fall in line with their way of thinking. They only want free speech for themselves, and attempt to stifle that which they don't agree with. They prove over and again how little they care about Free Speech and all that it entails.
The fact of the matter is that Free Speech means you support those comments that you disagree with just as much as those that you do agree with. That is what makes it Free Speech, and for those that refuse to allow anything but what they want to hear, they are showing the world at large just how little they care about it and willing the people like Sarah Supporters are to deny it to others while demanding it for themselves.
Stopping links to those places is one thing, but stopping comments about them is another.
Again, just my .02
EOY
Gryphen,
ReplyDeleteAnyone who has at least a couple of working brain cells know that you are the good guy. Yes, the rethugs will always stoop down into the gutter and persist in their derangement. All you have to do is be yourself and stand strong. Their are many, many people that support you and whatever endeavors you may take on. I'm sure, that even behind the scenes, people you don't even know exist are on the side of good, therefore on your side.
PS behind these protests there are very powerful and corrupt people: Dick Armey and Jack Abramoff.
ReplyDeleteCan you say "Pallin' around with criminals"?
But the conservatives don't care about that -- after all, this is all they have left.
Agreed. I stopped going over there two days ago, after I posted some legal and ethical information for them to chew on..lol. Stuff I know fer sure. I did so in a respectful manner, but I just had to do it. After that, I didn't care about whatever hate they were gonna throw back at me, because I knew it would defy any known logic anyway. Whatever. To get dragged down in that sort of anger and hate is to defeat the purpose. Aim for higher ground, I always say. KTF Gryphen :)
ReplyDeleteSusan
The Republicans are adopting a mob mentality, not unlike that of the Fascists in post war Germany. It began with the McCain/Palin campaign and their moblike supporters who yelled "kill him" and "terrorist." Palin, especially, egged them on during her hate filled tirades. It concerns me that it seems to be increasing. They know they can't win elections, so they are going to intimidate the voters, rather than offer good alternative solutions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your new rule, Gryphen. I have never visited those sites nor do I intend to do so. You're right, it just bumps up their hits and I do not wish to be a part of it. I don't criticize any who do, though ... it's just not for me.
ReplyDeleteAs for dissenting opinion, I agree they should be allowed, however, I'd prefer they be with thoughtful, intelligent posts. One of the reasons I don't wanter over into that "sea" is because there is enough vitriol demonstrated daily in those town-hall meetings and I don't wish to be subjected to it whilst reading the blogs I visit daily. Having said that, I respect your right to include/omit whatever you deem fit as it is your blog and I'm just a grateful reader. I've started to just skip over the hate posts as it is not good for my health and I encourage all my friends here to do the same. We're not going to change their views and though I've been guilty of taking the bait, I've noticed it does nothing more than make them enjoy it on a base, visceral level and I don't wish to provide them with a hard-on for their ignorance and hate any longer.
Rant over ...
Peace
oops ....*wander
ReplyDeleteThe right doesn't want to hear the truth...
ReplyDelete"They LOST!"
The GOP'rs vetted Sonia more than they Vetted the Failed VP candidate of the GOP party!
All she would of had to do was don the magic f-me shoes and winkin' & binkin' they would of confirmed her b/c she is white, from real amerika, loves guns, dumb as a rock.
Now they are mad and going after any one who trys to shout the truth out, going after the messenger so to speak.
Yes I believe someone Very high up is behind this smear of Gryphen, and the tea baggers...
No accident that ole RM yacht in town a few weeks ago...eh? He has a lot of money to spread around to protect his "investment". Wasn't the queen see waltzing into FOX a few days ago?
Wonder how well that will work in federal court?
I hope homeland security starts taking these hate mongers out.
I guess it just takes time.