Dems See Backlash In Town Hall Protests

[sufrommich]

"Democratic lawmakers, far from being daunted by the disruptive protests at recent town halls, seem to think the angry crowds will only help their cause.

"When you've got people shouting and hanging Members of Congress in effigy, most people are going to react badly to that. I think most people want to have a civil discussion," Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Roll Call. He predicted that the intemperate tactics will "backfire in a big way."

The Democratic National Committee has been publicizing some of the most shocking antics, including a protester who suggested Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) treat his cancer with painkillers and whiskey and a group who compared President Obama to Hitler.

They have also been emphasizing the corporate interests funding the protesters.

"These disruptions are being funded and organized by out-of-district special-interest groups and insurance companies who fear that health insurance reform could help Americans, but hurt their bottom line," Executive Director Jen O'Malley Dillon wrote Wednesday morning. "A group run by the same folks who made the 'Swiftboat' ads against John Kerry is compiling a list of congressional events in August to disrupt. An insurance company coalition has stationed employees in 30 states to track where local lawmakers hold town-hall meetings."

The disruption strategy was outlined in a memo sent by a volunteer at FreedomWorks' Tea Party Patriots website.

While no congressman has felt the need to go to the Democratic leadership for help handling the protests, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said that one freshman has been physically assaulted."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/05/dems-see-backlash-in-town_n_252181.html

[cynatnite]

1. Remember when protesters shouted down Bush?

Oh, that's right...he never saw them.

[SoFlaJet]

4. Do you remember

"Free Speech Zones"? You know when any protesters were put in cages a mile away?

[cynatnite]

5. I remember some DUer's who got to inspect a few of those from the inside.

[SoFlaJet]

8. Matcom for one

he was right in the middle of for us here-posting in real time.

[cynatnite]

9. I remember that...

We've got some extraordinary folks here. :)

[derby378]

2. You can't chase off the disruptors by merely wagging a finger at them

Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil. - Doug Patton

[elehhhhna]

Yep. You can't reason someone out of a position they weren't reasoned into.

[elehhhhna]

7. Yep. You can't reason someone out of a position they weren't reasoned into.

[Windy]

3. those tactics certainly didn't help McCain/Palin 2008 ! nt

[sufrommich]

10. That's where I see this going. YouTube videos

of redneck,ignorant wingnuts. It turned off the middle before and it will again.

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. These thug tactics inevitably escalate to where somebody gets hurt

& then there will be regrets & it will stop. No good ever comes of wise guy shit like this.

[Tesha]

11. You forgot how "No one could have imagined this!".

After this escalates in exactly the way we're imagining right now, the
mediocracy will be singing the meme of how this was all so unimaginable.

Tesha