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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCongress woman shaming Repugs on the floor
http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/democratic-congresswoman-uses-steak-vodka-and-caviar-to-hammIn my district, California 14, we have about 4,000 families who are on food stamps, but some of my colleagues have thousands and thousands more, Rep. Speier said. Yet, they somehow feel like crusaders, like heroes when they vote to cut food stamps. Some of these same members travel to foreign countries under the guise of official business. They dine at lavish restaurants, eating steak, vodka and even caviar. They receive money to do this. Thats right, they dont pay out of pocket for these meals.
Another member was given $3,588 for food and lodging during a six-day trip to Russia. He probably drank a fair amount of vodka and probably even had some caviar. That particular member has 21,000 food stamp recipients in his district. One of those people who is on food stamps could live a year on what this congressman spent on food and lodging for six days, she added.
IdaBriggs
(10,559 posts)JustAnotherGen
(31,980 posts)Was the member who took the trip to Russia. . . let's let that sink in folks. He's a greedy s.o.b.
sheshe2
(83,986 posts)BlueToTheBone
(3,747 posts)She has been standing up for people for decades.
avaistheone1
(14,626 posts)Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)She was Congressman Leo Ryan's aide during the ill-fated trip to Jonestown in 1978 and was shot, but survived!
Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)I really admire her.
pink-o
(4,056 posts)I live in SF which should be Pelosi, but I'm down in the Excelsior and for awhile had Lantos (whom I loathed). When Jackie took over I was over the moon!
Her first argument on the floor was against all the Iraqi War chicken hawks. And she's been doin' us proud ever since!
Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)Couldn't stand Lantos either, I'm glad Jackie is on the job.
BlueToTheBone
(3,747 posts)I have Womack! He is so red that he looks like a nose bleed.
red dog 1
(27,889 posts)Nuclear Unicorn
(19,497 posts)it's tempting them.
Brigid
(17,621 posts)that any society is about 9-10 meals away from anarchy. The GOP may want to keep that in mind.
SomethingFishy
(4,876 posts)We have 45 million living in poverty. Already not getting enough food. We have probably another 200 million living paycheck to paycheck. Most of the country is on the edge.
All this is going to do is increase crime. And if they keep pushing, the logical final outcome will be a true class war. Revolt.
narnian60
(3,510 posts)judy
(1,942 posts)after her speech
CK_John
(10,005 posts)Link Speed
(650 posts)A bunch of self-righteous, narcissistic ideologues.
Beartracks
(12,822 posts)SunSeeker
(51,771 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)But they can cite specifics so you know.
bonniebgood
(943 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)How else do you explain the RNC paying over $2000 for a trip to a strip club featuring bondage?
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0330/GOP-fires-Allison-Meyers-as-strip-club-scandal-taints-party
Liberalynn
(7,549 posts)SunSeeker
(51,771 posts)He uses taxpayer money for his home Congressional office that sits at the foot of the Huntington Beach Pier. Very high rent area...
Liberalynn
(7,549 posts)last time out mine was Tom Reed, he of the "I made a mistake in using campaign funds to pay my late taxes, but I paid them back," fame and now its Chris Collins, another tea puke windbag.
They are so proud of themselves and their greedy asses, and so willing to "lecture" others on how they "must contribute to soicety and not just take from it." I can't stand either one of these hypocrites.
gopiscrap
(23,766 posts)wounded in the Jonestown ambush that killed her boss, U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan.
ladyVet
(1,587 posts)I remember when that Jonestown stuff went down, I was pregnant with my first son. I just couldn't wrap my head around how people could kill their babies like that. Seeing the picture of the bodies lying around that hut, in the November issue (I think) of Life magazine set me crying for days.
Good on her for standing up and calling them on their bullshit, even if it doesn't change them, at least someone is saying it out loud.
gopiscrap
(23,766 posts)I was a freshman in college at the time that went down. My girlfriend and I (now my wife) couldn't believe it as we watched what was going on in Jonestown.
gabeana
(3,166 posts)but i think her husband was killed in a car accident
she is a tough person
adieu
(1,009 posts)that she received a late-term abortion because the fetus was not viable and keeping it inside her body could kill her. She explained why some women receive late-term abortions. It's almost always because the fetus is not viable and keeping pregnant has dangerous medical outcomes for the pregnant mother. Rarely do people go to 7 months of a pregnancy before deciding not to have it. Usually, by then, they're completely committed and wanting that baby. It's only when medical investigations show that the fetus is not viable and will cause medical harm to the mother that the late-term abortion is utilized.
pink-o
(4,056 posts)...and she had a helluva time with insurance, debt et al as a widowed, single mom. The second horrible event in her life! Truly, what doesn't kill you makes you strong.
Here's her Wiki page: read her political stands on everything, and we'll all support a Warren/Speier ticket in 2016.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Speier
TRoN33
(769 posts)This is absolute the most effective nihilistic punch line by this lady toward that certain congressman who knew he did mooch off the taxpayers' money for his lavish trip. Love this one!
frylock
(34,825 posts)fuck this "one congressman" bullshit. call these mutherfuckers to the carpet.
Auggie
(31,221 posts)LittleGirl
(8,292 posts)no more threats, just let them retaliate and broadcast that action out to the world.
Auggie
(31,221 posts)Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth
whttevrr
(2,345 posts)Isn't that the putz who wrote this latest iteration of Republican Economic Terrorism?
Blue Owl
(50,536 posts)n/t
Brigid
(17,621 posts)It is for one of those survival seed vaults. I'm also getting one for the Gleaners Food Bank.
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)from SNAP you know, the "Christian" party.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)horseshoecrab
(944 posts)"Yet they somehow feel like crusaders, like heroes when they vote to cut food stamps."
Well said, Rep. Speier.
Beartracks
(12,822 posts)That is, do they think, "These losers need to get off the church dole and stop taking the hard-earned money of real Americans."
Or do they just think, "This'll sure add up at tax time! I can crow about how much I help people, get a tax break, AND buy that second home in the Poconos!"
Or,wait ... probably both.
==========================
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)It covers the southern strip of SF and the northern half of adjacent San Mateo County. Hardly the most affluent distrcit in the Bay Area, but it is in the Bay Area.
Footnote: She was once an aide to Rep. Leo Ryan. If that name sounds familiar, it's because he was killed at Jonestown. Ms. Speier was with him. She barely made it out.
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)DiverDave
(4,890 posts)eom
Ilsa
(61,709 posts)We can all call in and thank her for her speech.
Those bastards. WWJS : who would jesus starve?
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,481 posts)Thanks for the thread, gabeana.
Grateful for Hope
(39,320 posts)ck4829
(35,094 posts)Buns_of_Fire
(17,202 posts)He didn't even know that his salary is $174,000, not $172,000 -- but what's a couple thousand amongst millionaires?
hue
(4,949 posts)Buns_of_Fire
(17,202 posts)The problem is that everybody was looking everywhere except Capitol Hill to find them!
malaise
(269,237 posts)Fabulous!
merrily
(45,251 posts)I hope she shamed those Democrats in both houses who vote against food stamps again and again, right along with Republicans.
furious
(202 posts)Shame these heartless rePIGS for cutting a program that less fortunate people rely on to put food on their families tables.
Call them out and keep hammering them so the public can see what kind of hypocrites they really are.
SpankMe
(2,972 posts)..the money they spent in these foreign countries wasn't taxpayer money. It was from a private organization. So, in their mind it's all clean. It would be ineffective to try to lead them to the conflict with their own stated principles and obvious moral equivalency problems that this presents - because they have no morals or sound principles. It just wouldn't register.
Also, I'd need to know how many Democrats went on these trips and spent money on meals, too. The Franklin Center is a mixed bag of R's and D's and conservatives may punch back by showing Democratic participants who had a few rounds of bacon-infused vodka at $14.50 per shot, too.
judy
(1,942 posts)I am so happy that you are my representative!
NewJeffCT
(56,829 posts)they'd first have to have shame.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)This is a great woman. Long live Jackie Speier.