TPMDC
The Storming Of The Hill Begins
Eric Kleefeld and Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 5, 2009, 2:03PM
Tea Party protesters at Capitol Hill on Nov. 5, 2009.
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The next stage of the Capitol Hill Tea Party has begun -- the storming of the Hill!
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), who heavily promoted this event, has frequently promised that this protest will involve bringing conservative citizens inside the Capitol and the House office buildings to personally confront members of Congress. As she said last week on Sean Hannity's TV show: "I'd love to have every one of your viewers to join me so we can go up and down through the halls, find members of Congress, look at the whites of their eyes and say, 'Don't take away my healthcare.'"
As of right now, there are lines coming out of the House office buildings, and people milling about the buildings and getting set to go in. Let's see what happens next, as the town halls and Tea Parties go inside Congressional buildings.
Late Update: TPMDC's Christina Bellantoni reports a massive backup of people outside Longworth office building. Hundreds of people are trying to get inside. They have blocked traffic and some supportive cars are honking. It's a massive disruption. And many protesters are shouting, "Kill the bill!"
Late Late Update: TPM's Christina Bellantoni has witnessed an old man and several other people apparently being arrested for an as-yet unidentified reason, outside the Cannon building. During the arrest the man kept saying, "Letter From A Birmingham Jail," and the crowd heckled the Capitol Police and sang "God Bless America." We'll have more about this as soon as we can. We have left a message with the Capitol Police.
Late Late Update: Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, public information officer for the Capitol Police, told us that the arrests involved unlawful entry (entering a Congressional office and refusing to leave when told to do so) and/or disorderly conduct (yelling in the hallway outside an office) at Room 235 in the Cannon House Office Building.
Room 235 is the office of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) -- but not the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Her duties as Speaker are handled at an office in the Capitol building, while 235 Cannon is her standard office as the member of Congress for her San Francisco district.
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Michael A
November 5, 2009 2:18 PM
Now can anyone imagine what the repukes would have been saying the last 8 years if dems riled up people like this and promoted anarchy and over throw of the government. Unbelievable.
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Acewrap
November 5, 2009 2:31 PM in reply to Michael A
IOKIYAR.
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Chris
November 5, 2009 3:35 PM in reply to Michael A
C'mon Eric, I labeled it Storming of The Hill hours before y'all. Give a lowly blogger some credit bro.
9:26AM me, 2:03PM you
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Chris
November 5, 2009 3:46 PM in reply to Chris
You know, normally I wouldn't care. But since today's event is one of the greatest mass social movements of my generation of which my grand kids will be reading about in their history books, I must grab whatever claim I can to this great day.
Any Freedom Fighter would do the same.
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tosh
November 5, 2009 4:04 PM in reply to Michael A
Big question:
How many are there this time? 1,000,000? 1,500,000? Or is the Evil Libeal Media under reporting a crowd of 2,500,000?
John
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eric the red
November 5, 2009 2:26 PM
That's strange. How come there are riot police tazing that hell out of these people?
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henk
November 5, 2009 3:09 PM in reply to eric the red
There are? Where are you seeing that?
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eric the red
November 5, 2009 3:12 PM in reply to henk
Sorry, typo. AreN'T as in are not. That is what i meant. Pretty bad typo, actually.
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SkippyFlipjack
November 5, 2009 2:28 PM
You know that what the Teabaggers really want is to get tazered and to be able to say that Obama and Pelosi are fascists.
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pppwww
November 5, 2009 2:28 PM
hopefully this works out better than that guy who stormed into bill gwatney's office last year.
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tasgator
November 5, 2009 2:30 PM
Michelle Bachmann is now the Republican House leader because she made this crap up and they had to jump onto her bandwagon. How pathetic.
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Seafarer
November 5, 2009 2:30 PM
The beauty of this plan is that in one week, no one will even remember it happened, nor care.
If anyone tries to deny this, please tell me what the big political "OH NO! I can't believe this happened!" situation was last Thursday. I dare you to do it without Googling.
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Michael A
November 5, 2009 2:36 PM in reply to Seafarer
Got one better for you. What happened on Tuesday? I forgot already.
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mophan
November 5, 2009 2:48 PM in reply to Seafarer
Oh, Oh, sounds like a fun game. Last Thursday, hmm, let me see.
Without looking, I am going to say our old friend Lieberman stabbing us in the back again... correct? Maybe not, but it was fun (the game, not being stabbed).
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Matt Jones
November 5, 2009 3:24 PM in reply to mophan
Well, in our defense, Droopy stabbing his "party" in the back has become so commonplace that it's easy to forget when it most recently happened.
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mophan
November 5, 2009 3:36 PM in reply to Matt Jones
True. I know it must've happened at least five-out-of-seven days last week. I figured I had over 60% chance of being right =-P
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eking1961
November 5, 2009 2:35 PM
Wow, its just like July 14 1789, and October 25 1917, all over again!
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Savannah Evans
November 5, 2009 2:36 PM
I saw this in a movie once. It was called "Night of the Living Dead."
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neesy08
November 5, 2009 2:36 PM
nothing will come of it.obama will sign a healthcare reform bill prior to the end of the year
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Prefabfan
November 5, 2009 2:38 PM
Anyone see a double standard?
This is the same fascism that brought us the Brooks Brothers riot; the end of our democracy.
"Nine people protesting in favor of universal health care were arrested for unlawful entry this morning after occupying the office of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), according to Capitol Police.
Protesters chanted "Everyone in and no one out, universal health care now!" and "Represent Connecticut, not AETNA!" as they were taken from the office, ABC News reports.
Lieberman, who votes with the Democratic caucus, has said he does not support the public option and may join Republican efforts to filibuster the Senate health care bill.
These may prove to be just the first of many arrests today, as protesters from the opposite side of the debate meet at the Capitol and flood the halls to confront their representatives.
Editor's Note: This post has been revised since it was first published.
Late update: Roll Call (sub. req.) has more from the protesters.
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KingElvis
November 5, 2009 2:42 PM in reply to Prefabfan
Where are the tanks that crushed the WWI bonus marchers?
When we gathered to protest the Iraq war, there were no shortage of jackboot thugs (I remember well, even the HORSES had body armor) but we just let these fucks right in the front door?
What the hell? Is anybody going to even bring this up?
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Indie Pro
November 5, 2009 2:51 PM in reply to KingElvis
that is the main takeaway from this, as far as I am concerned
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Minne sconsin
November 5, 2009 3:08 PM in reply to KingElvis
Dubya isn't president anymore, and Darth Cheney doesn't control the government.
As much as I think these people are wackos, they still have their first amendment rights.
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Cool Blue Reason
November 5, 2009 3:27 PM in reply to Minne sconsin
You're missing the point. If there is an anti-war rally next month, you can bet you will see the riot police and the horse armor just the same.
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AdAbsurdum
November 5, 2009 2:41 PM
Already? I was expecting yet another Confederate State congressman to speak to the mob.
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lousgirl84
November 5, 2009 3:27 PM in reply to AdAbsurdum
MSNBC has some video
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33662340#33662340
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Schmed- ley
November 5, 2009 3:43 PM in reply to lousgirl84
Fascinating and remarkable that Boner holds up his copy of the Constitution and starts quoting the Declaration of Independence. Apparently, no one in the crowd in front and behind (his congressional colleagues) him noticed.
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DancingBear
November 5, 2009 4:21 PM in reply to Schmed- ley
Yeah, particularly since the correct preamble has that stuff in it about promoting the general welfare!
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rbeats
November 5, 2009 2:42 PM
Marginally educated rednecks will destroy this country.
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VictorLaszlo
November 5, 2009 3:41 PM in reply to rbeats
This.
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Cool Blue Reason
November 5, 2009 3:58 PM in reply to VictorLaszlo
Are.
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mistersnrub
November 5, 2009 2:46 PM
The AARP backs the House bill. The teabaggers lost.
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mans_best_friend
November 5, 2009 2:56 PM in reply to mistersnrub
Why does AARP hate America? And don't they realize that if this bill passes all their members are going to be euthanized and they'll go out of business?
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jpaese
November 5, 2009 3:21 PM in reply to mans_best_friend
Bwaa haa haa!! Good one!! :)
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loria
November 5, 2009 4:11 PM in reply to mistersnrub
The AMA also announced it backs the bill. Two big endorsements.
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dustbunny44
November 5, 2009 2:47 PM
Why is TPM devoting so much newsday to this irreverent, um, irrelevant, um, dumb-ass handfull of astroturfed whackos?
I'd rather hear details of the house healthcare proposal, reactions to the AARP endorsement, etc.
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LFO
November 5, 2009 2:50 PM in reply to dustbunny44
this. wall to wall teabag coverage here. ugh. Nothing else going on that warrants the front page?
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TexasFilly
November 5, 2009 2:56 PM in reply to LFO
Even Faux News quit covering it.
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Aplysina
November 5, 2009 2:53 PM in reply to dustbunny44
Why is this irrelevant? Isn't this the reason we don't have a healthcare bill yet? Is these people (or really their corporate sponsors) weren't so vocal, the Dems wouldn't be so afraid to vote for this reform. The sad reality is that this event will have a much bigger impact on the future of reform than an endorsement by AARP or the AMA.
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mans_best_friend
November 5, 2009 2:59 PM in reply to Aplysina
No, actually, I don't believe the teabaggers are actually having much impact. The reason we don't have a bill yet has more to do with a handful of Democratic Senators from red states, who are fearful that their constituents won't approve. Then there's also the Senator from Aetna and Cigna, who's just being a prick.
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geofu54
November 5, 2009 3:05 PM in reply to mans_best_friend
mans_best_friend is right. Those ignorant people are being manipulated and used for corporate/political interests, quite frankly.
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geofu54
November 5, 2009 3:06 PM in reply to geofu54
Meant to reply to Aplysina, sorry.
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PattyP
November 5, 2009 2:59 PM in reply to dustbunny44
Phase 1: Click on giant red TPM logo in upper left corner
Phase 2: Spend 5 seconds perusing main page where numerous non-teabag-related stories can be found
Phase 3: ...
Phase 4: Profit!
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Indie Pro
November 5, 2009 2:50 PM
Letter From A Birmingham Jail!
I, that's just, how could, I'm a, Really? -whoa!
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Savannah Evans
November 5, 2009 2:52 PM
Letter from a Birmingham Jail? This sounds like "What's The Frequency Kenneth?" Part II.
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stanjz
November 5, 2009 2:59 PM
TPM has this garbage as their top story and nothing little on th eendorsements of AARP and the AMA?
It's corporate fascism at work. Daily Kos also covered very little of the AARP and AMA endorsements.
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Savannah Evans
November 5, 2009 3:02 PM in reply to stanjz
TPM and Daily Kos are part of the corporate borg? Now I've seen everything.
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agio
November 5, 2009 3:12 PM in reply to stanjz
I'm just going out on a limb here but, perhaps it's just that the TPM editors think more of their readers are interested in following the circus at the Capitol than a much-anticipated endorsement by AARP?
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Dorn76
November 5, 2009 3:15 PM in reply to stanjz
It's always better to keep a close eye on the wackos.
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fsudirectory
November 5, 2009 3:46 PM in reply to stanjz
When DK and TPM are being slammed as corporate, you got a problem lol.
I can tell you that reading the Tea Bagger stories are way more entertaining at work... those endorsements are nice though... worry about them tomorrow when the nutjobs are back to spitting dip, hanging in their cracker barrel rocking chairs and decrying socialism while being upset their social security didnt increase this year
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LFC
November 5, 2009 3:00 PM
Hundreds of people are trying to get inside.
Hundreds? Really? Wow! It's massive. The Dems should absolutely stop what they're doing and give up on universal healthcare due to this overwhelming groundswell of public protest. [/snark]
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Redwood Rhiadra
November 5, 2009 3:02 PM
Politico reports that there were some arrests today - of Code Pink protesters. It seems the rule is conservative thuggery good, liberal protests bad.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29183_Page2.html
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Vic Arpeggio
November 5, 2009 3:03 PM
I'd like someone to count the number of (a) non-white protesters and (b) the number of protesters under the age of 50.
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Minne sconsin
November 5, 2009 3:11 PM in reply to Vic Arpeggio
Hell, how about the number of protesters who don't already have single-payer government funded health care (aka Medicare)?
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Orlando
November 5, 2009 3:26 PM in reply to Vic Arpeggio
14. I'm done.
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VictorLaszlo
November 5, 2009 3:43 PM in reply to Vic Arpeggio
Well, of course the older folks are the ones who are concerned - they're the ones facing mandatory euthanasia!
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Common Sense Caucus
November 5, 2009 3:10 PM
Let's see how close to physical insurrection and treason this gets to. My guess is all the way. I hope the capitol police are ready for militia day on the Hill compliments of the secessionist party.
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NobleCommentDecider
November 5, 2009 3:12 PM
Keep your Socialistic Hands off my Socialistic Social Security and My Socialized Medicare!! Be Afraid!!
No New Taxes!! Put the Wars on the National Credit Card!! Surge to Victory!!
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VictorLaszlo
November 5, 2009 3:47 PM in reply to NobleCommentDecider
Hilarious.
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Clavis
November 5, 2009 3:21 PM
All these protestors should be arrested for trying to take away our freedoms and destroy America.
(Hey, if it's that easy to accuse liberals and Obama of wanting to do that, why can't I make the same stupid, baseless accusations against them?)
It makes me so angry that my country is filled with ignorant nitwits and a media corporate bloc that enables them.
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jo3wang
November 5, 2009 3:22 PM
Where the hell are the so called liberals and progressives? Sitting at home waving their finger at these people, saying "shame on you"? What guess what, WE liberals and progressives need to get out there and show these people we are still fired up. Blue dogs are going to the right because they believe people like these teabaggers are fired up and will remain fired up to vote next year, but us liberals haven't done anything really this big to show that WE too are fired up.
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Clavis
November 5, 2009 3:48 PM in reply to jo3wang
You can't blame liberals for being connected to facts and reality. Teabagger cultists like the Republicanites go out and protest because their cult leaders tell them to. Liberals don't behave that way. Obama and the Dems have been weak tea for the last year, capitulating to Blue Dogs and Republicanites and corporations at every turn, and they shouldn't be surprised that there are no liberal Tea Parties backing them up.
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LBJs Brain
November 5, 2009 3:22 PM
According to Steele, the Grand Old Party doesn't exist anymore. They are now the "Conservative Party" to which I say. Bring it!
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jo3wang
November 5, 2009 3:24 PM
Oh and by the way "We the people voted for Obama and the Democrats," unlike that other guy who won because he was handed the presidency.
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Jorge
November 5, 2009 3:25 PM
"Letter from a Birmingham Jail," eh? He must be referring to the fact that old, white christians still don't have civil rights in this country. It is a shame, afterall. That's what Dr. King had in mind when he wrote this, I'm sure:
"We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter."
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commie atheist
November 5, 2009 3:28 PM
Breaking news: Democrats are the party of Law and Order and civilized discourse. Republicans are the party of anarchy and civil disobedience. Footage of heads exploding at 11.
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jpaese
November 5, 2009 3:28 PM
Ignorant is as ignorant does. I've said it before, but watching these people is like watching Catholics who only attend church twice a year actually attend a mass. They spend the whole time blissfully unaware of what is actually going on, and simply do whatever everyone else around them is doing.
I actually feel bad for a majority of these people. It's hard to hate people who are too ignorant or uneducated to even fully understand the facts surrounding the issues. They are intentionally worked up and scared to death by their representatives that supposedly care about them, and they blindly rush forward and carry their signs and publicly demonstrate their ignorance.
They aren't even smart enough to realize that they are just being used by the Republican party to advance their agenda, which is an agenda that doesn't include, or care at all about the lowly sheep in their flock. It's actually very sad. I bet that if you take away the ignorance, fear, hatred, and bigotry from these people, that some of them are actually pretty nice folks.
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Clavis
November 5, 2009 3:46 PM in reply to jpaese
I was just coming in here to remark that the Republicans have never more closely resembled a cult than they do now. Your comment fits right in with that dynamic.
I think we can start calling them "Republicanites".
I mean, who else organizes a goofy camera-friendly event where you declare that only you and your followers are the true Americans, and everybody else hates America if they don't agree with you, other than a cult leader? Who declares what is or isn't orthodoxy/talking points other than a cult leader? Who declares who is "the enemy" other than a cult leader?
The Republicans decided back when they synched up with Lee Atwater that they would rather be a cult than a political party. They're just worse at hiding it now, because they don't have to be good at hiding it. The media has become a toothless PR arm with no more journalistic ability than a popsicle stick.
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lousgirl84
November 5, 2009 3:28 PM
MSNBC has video
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33662340#33662340
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Dorn76
November 5, 2009 3:29 PM
Weird. Just checked CNN.com and can't find anything about the teabaggers on the Hill.
Much ado about nothing.
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DickTater
November 5, 2009 4:51 PM in reply to Dorn76
Are you saying since CNN isn't covering it yet, that they determine what IS coverable and what isn't...or that they are missing the boat? Or that this isn't news? Just asking
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DickTater
November 5, 2009 3:35 PM
I am stunned at how this all works. Fake groups with Fake arguments and Fake facts get no repercussions for their outrageous behavior.....but if you are a lefty with a real gripe, real issues, real policy problems, and a real organization that represents real people...you are marginalized and ridiculed.
Stunned at how there is NOTHING a rightwing fruitcake, or rightwing fruitcake politician can do that will blow up in their faces. Can anyone put a nice, succinct label on this phenomenon? For a while it was only Rush Limpbow, then Fox TV took over and snuck this stuff in and legitimized the whole upside down world. Now it is unstoppable. The media, if they cared a hoot and as corporate reps they do not, would find it so hard to dissect and explain this....so they just cover it like straight and/or join in.
There seems to be nothing that can stop hysteria, and fear mongering, and ludicrous fake facts, and a crowd of throat-slitters intent on making their own lives more miserable...as long as they can make sure everyone else's life is 1% more miserable than their own.
I am afraid we are looking at the end consequences of Mass Media control. What should have, could have been a great boon to mankind is now so dangerously out of control that minute by minute, day to day truth is up for grabs. Corporations own the megaphones and love to see the division, the fear, the confusion, the hate because then there is no way the thinking population can ever coalesce behind a cogent strategy or worldview.
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xargaw
November 5, 2009 4:13 PM in reply to DickTater
I think the television media is intimidated by knowledgeable people that do research before they speak up. The media would have to actually prepare and be informed to talk with these people. It is so much easier just to cover the spectacle of the outrageous. One of the reasons Rachel Maddow is so good is that she does extensive background and research on her subjects and interviews. When have you seen someone other than Rachel actually bring written notes on MTP? I suspect that is one reason Liberman will not return her calls on go on her show. He knows he is no match for someone with the facts.
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howie
November 5, 2009 3:39 PM
But has anyone seen protesters with torches and pitchforks?
Ya can't have a real storming without torches and pitchforks!
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VivaAmerica!
November 5, 2009 3:51 PM
I watched Inherit The Wind several days ago and there was a protest scene that reminds me of this ignorant crowd and its speakers.
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chimpale
November 5, 2009 4:00 PM
If I were a congressman and some of these tea-baggers wanted to come in and speak their minds(?), I'd hand them a quiz with ten questions on it and a pencil. Nothing too difficult. I'd just want to see if they had a basic understanding of the issue and the bill before they came in and started spouting off. If they couldn't get 6 or more correct, I'd tell them to come back when they knew what they were talking about. I wouldn't even take off points for spelling.
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NuttyProf
November 5, 2009 4:05 PM
The American version of general strikes and social protest. Over what?
We are the laughing stock of the world, I tell you! The laughing stock.
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johnmccsf
November 5, 2009 4:35 PM
How can I protect my Congresswoman from these hooligans!
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