Um, how do you think this will appear to normal sane people?

You know these folks are the nuttiest of the nuttiest. The tea baggers always say it's not about party and it's not about Obama, yet at every one of their get togethers there are multiple carrying around "Where is the Birth Certficate" signs and other racially tinged stuff. I'm all for being anti-stupid wars but whenever I see the Code Pinkers on tv I think, "What a bunch of goofballs", especially when they get themselves thrown out of Congress, etc. I think more coverage of these loudmouthed, angry, almost 100% white wackos would be a good thing. I don't want to shut them down - I want them splattered all over the tv screen. The only thing that would be better is if Randall Terry and his crew of loonies joined them in their protests.

It's revealing that the tea baggers are all for First Amendment rights -- but only for themselves. They cherish democracy when it comes to Iraqis with purple thumbs and Iranians protesting elections and former Senator Coleman's disputed absentee ballots and union elections -- but let an American citizen try to exercise First Amendment freedoms to speak up about health care, and that is going way too far with this Democracy thing...

Wait a minute, according to Republicans this past week, wouldn't this be considered disorderly conduct?

Or does that rule of law only apply when it's a black guy being harassed in his own house?

Well, just watching the TPM Sunday Round up, you can see various conservative media talking heads saying that there will be a lot of conflict in the districts.

Based on that and the ThinkProgress release of the memo and other, this does seem to be a conscious strategy and I do not think it is smart to just dismiss it as nutjobs. The corporate media will treat this just as reasonable citizens speaking out.

We need to push back hard. Maybe even show up at some Republican sessions and give them a LITTLE taste of their own medicine. Or ask them if they approve of mobs at listening sessions. (the press will not ask Republicans if they approve)

This reminds me of the young republicans who used to show up at rallies and chant Down with social security.

The democrats should be making lots of hay out of this -- at every opportunity they should make these people synonymous with the republican party establishment. make health insurance the new third rail.

I went to the Philadelphia town hall yesterday, just to hear what Arlen Specter had to say. These people were unhinged. They were screeching about cap and trade, abortion, the United Nations. They didn't even LOOK like normal people. I mean, you don't have to be a mental health professional to see that we're dealing here with some kind of neurological dysfunction.

So, this morning, The Philadelphia Inquirer ran an article about the town hall. The Inquirer presented this disaster as a spirited debate between public health advocates and union members (="liberals") and all-around "conservatives." The article gave no actual facts that might get in the way of our media's awesomely respectful treatment of any handful of right-wing goobers.

August will be long and sickening.

Bush used to limit his audience to supporters only at his public appearances and lefties were never as obnoxious as the D-Baggers. Expose the 'Baggers for the anti-democratic loonies they are.
Wingers like mob rule better. No dialog necessary. Pure emotion. The loudest voice wins. Worship Sarah Palin and her nonsensical strings of hot-button dogwhistle words. Worship Rush Limbaugh and his illogical rants. Worship Joe The Plumber even though he isn't named Joe and he isn't a licensed plumber.
What's next in their insurgency -roadside bombs?
Never mind. They already did that in OK City.

These people are being used by corporate interests to advance corporate interests. It is beyond pathetic because they are not rich and well off, but poor and dumb working stiffs who feel cheated but do not at all understand who is cheating them. They would all no doubt be better off with the reforms that the Democrats are trying to pass. That is just the saddest part of these right wing manipulations that poor working dumbshits everywhere feel screwed by the system but are too confused by propaganda to attack the corporations and Republicans who are screwing them.

It reminds me of the busloads of thugs the Republicans bussed to Florida to disrupt the counting of ballots in 2000. Like then it is beyond irresponsible for the corporate media not to inform the public who is putting these idiots on and to what purpose.

Seems the guy behind the Philly attack is Andrew C Monaghan, who also just happens to be employed by the insurance industry and organizes tea parties. See here:

http://www.panzramic.com/

and here:

http://whyy.org/cms/news/health-science/2009/08/03/hhs-secretary-pitches-health-reform-in-philly/13077

Leave it to Republicans to turn rudeness and incoherence into a political tactic.

Fucking thugs, that's all they are.

Teabaggers ? These are brownshirts, SA without the uniforms. It's all coming down now. A lot of them are armed and the worsening economic situation will only increase their desperation.

Don't these Tea Baggers know they're not a grass roots movement at all? Among others, Dick Armery of Texas is an organizer and funds them from the shadows with lobby money. Just like Miami in 2000, these are not spontaneous demonstrations at all.