August 17, 2009
Cynthia Tucker 45-65% townhallers are racists
Rep Clyburn compares townhalls to 60′s
Rep Scott: “There’s so much hatred out there for President Obama“
Recall the Nazi references to George Bush
I don’t even know what to say about this one. Rep John Dingell was on The Ed Show (8-11) talking the KKK in reference to the townhall goers.
Who is inflaming things?
8-6-2009 Michigan Townhall Rep Dingle gets not so calm responses to questions.
A woman takes video of outside of town hall meeting showing the crowd waiting to get in.
kelticknight70
When he arrives, Rep Dingell gets a respectful greeting. Part 1. [There are 5 videos roughly 10 minutes long.]
MrPolitics101
Throughout, there are outbursts but there are also reasonable questions. The part the media decided to show is featured in this video. Mike Sola approached the podium and angrily interrupted Rep Dingell while pointing to his son, Scott, who is in a wheelchair and saying that the changes wouldn’t help his son. Mr Sola is clearly angry and making angry gestures but clearly has a reasonable concern about his son and was eventually escorted out by police to more cheers than boos. (3:40)
Part 2
Mr Politics101
So here Rep Dingell is on The Ed Show mentioning the townhalls in the same breath as the KKK, White Supremacists and folks in sheets.
How does he think this is going to help matters?
Thinkprogress
ED: My next guest has faced some angry crowds at town halls in Detroit, but he says it goes with the territory and comes with the paycheck. Joining me now is the dean of the Democratic Congress, and that is Mr. John Dingell. Mr. Dingell, good to have you with us tonight.
REP. JOHN DINGELL (D), MICHIGAN: Ed, it‘s a pleasure to be with you. Good evening.
SCHULTZ: Have you seen orchestrated town halls like this in your career at any time? Does this remind you of the ‘60s at all?
DINGELL: Well, the last time I had to confront something like this was when I voted for the civil rights bill and my opponent voted against it. At that time, we had a lot of Ku Klux Klan folks and white supremacists and folks in white sheets and other things running around causing trouble.
SCHULTZ: Well, so, this is serious stuff, is what I‘m hearing from you tonight. Right, Congressman?
DINGELL: Well, I‘ve faced this twice. And Ed, there‘s something very interesting. You talk about this thing being stimulated. The hard fact is, it is.
I have here before me this thing entitled “Right Principles.” It comes from an organization. It was passed out at the meetings we had, and we had two. We had so many, we couldn‘t accommodate them all the first meeting, so we had a second meeting the same night. But in it, they tell what they do and how they do it and why.
Here‘s are some of the things that they say. “Our objective was to pack the hall with as many people ready to challenge the congressman, to put him on the defensive.” Then they go on and they say, “The questions would put the rep on the defensive.”
Then the next page, they say, “Meet and deploy. The team would meet outside the hall with voting record and questions distributed. The team would be also advised to spread out inside the hall. But you try to get seats in the front half.”
SCHULTZ: So Congressman, let me ask you, how do you go back to Washington with a true picture of what the people want if this is what you‘re facing in town halls in your district?
DINGELL: Well, Ed, first of all, I know my district. I‘ve served it for better than 50 years. And I know the people and I know what they care about. So I‘m in a little different position than most members of the Congress. And I have these town halls…
SCHULTZ: OK. You have the experience and you‘ve been around and you know your district. Do you think this kind of activity will intimidate some Democrats who are going to have to make some tough decisions on health care reform? What impact do you think this will have?
DINGELL: Well, I wouldn‘t be at all surprised, Ed, but that‘s the purpose. And it may very well do so. I‘m going to tell you something, though. And that is, stimulated behavior of this kind is very bad for a lot of reasons.
First of all, it isn‘t just that it makes life hard for members of Congress. But it‘s really worse because it denies the overwhelming majority of the people at these meetings, who really don‘t agree with this kind of behavior, and who really want to hear and understand, it denies them the right to talk to their congressmen, to ask questions, to tell them their thinking. And for the congressman to explain what he‘s doing and to learn what his people want.
SCHULTZ: It is orchestrated disruption, no question about it.
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Orchestrated is one thing. KKK, White Supremacists and whiteys in sheets is completely different.
