House G.O.P. Members Face Voter Anger Over Budget

[savalez]

Source: NY Times

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — In central Florida, a Congressional town meeting erupted into near chaos on Tuesday as attendees accused a Republican lawmaker of trying to dismantle Medicare while providing tax cuts to corporations and affluent Americans.

At roughly the same time in Wisconsin, Representative Paul D. Ryan, the architect of the Republican budget proposal, faced a packed town meeting, occasional boos and a skeptical audience as he tried to lay out his party’s rationale for overhauling the health insurance program for retirees.

In a church theater here on Tuesday evening, a meeting between Representative Allen B. West and some of his constituents began on a chaotic note, with audience members quickly on their feet, some heckling him and others loudly defending him. “You’re not going to intimidate me,” Mr. West said.

After 10 days of trying to sell constituents on their plan to overhaul Medicare, House Republicans in multiple districts appear to be increasingly on the defensive, facing worried and angry questions from voters and a barrage of new attacks from Democrats and their allies.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/us/politics/27congress.html?src=me

[aggiesal]

1. And this isn't Astroturf ...

like the Tea-Baggers had back during the 2008
summer of Healthcare Town Hall meetings organized
against Democratic reps.

[SlimJimmy]

2. From the link. It may not be as grass roots as you say.

Democrats and their allies are stepping up their efforts to organize opposition at public events. They hope to put Republicans back on their heels much as Republicans did to Democrats in the angry town-hall-style meetings conducted during consideration of the health care law.

“We have said from the moment the gavel came down on the vote to end Medicare we would hold them accountable every day in every way,” said Representative Steve Israel of New York, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “That is precisely what we are doing. We encourage everyone to attend these meetings.”

Democrats and other interest groups are mobilizing a campaign that includes automated phone calls, radio and television ads and protests to keep the pressure on Republicans.

[HankyDubs]

4. show me where democrats

distributed instructions like these:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/documents/2009/08/memo-details-co-ordinated-anti-reform-harrassment-strategy.php?page=1

But good job with the false equivalence talking points.

[SlimJimmy]

5. You say that it's grass roots, and I point out that it's organized by the party

and our union allies. It's a simple matter of stating facts. If we are going to win this debate, we need to be honest with ourselves. Pretending that this was a completely grass roots effort is being disingenuous, and does not serve our greater purpose.

[LanternWaste]

6. Post hoc ergo prompter hoc...?

Post hoc ergo prompter hoc...?

[SlimJimmy]

9. No, one does not necessarily follow the other. But the article I read said that

these were organized by the party and the unions. That tends to undercut the "grass roots" argument being made.

[HankyDubs]

7. you didn't deal with the point I made

Where is your evidence that the D party distributed instructions to the people hollering at their congresspeople? Don't feed me word salad this time, deal with the point or shhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Now as the previous poster mentioned, the party came in after the people did.

The energy here comes from the democratic grassroots. This started with the democratic grassroots. There are no democratic party instruction manuals going out. These were not organized by the party.

"Our union allies?" "Us?" Seems like you're trying to undermine "us" with false equivalence. I've got news for you...you ain't us.

[SlimJimmy]

8. Words are easy, facts not so much. The Democratic party and the unions

put out fliers, and other ads urging us to attend these events and make our views known. That, in and of itself, undercuts the "grass roots" argument. You can cast aspersions on me all you want. But having a different opinion doesn't make me "not one of us." I'm sick and tired of people on DU making allegations as to party loyalty when someone has a different opinion than they do. You know what, it's a big party, learn to live with it.

[HankyDubs]

10. the unions are the grass roots

certainly they are a portion thereof.

The FACT is that no one on the left has issued instructions on how to disrupt TH meetings and you still haven't dealt with that. Don't blather to me about "us" when you are working to undermine "us."

[SlimJimmy]

11. I've more than likely been a Democrat longer than you.

I grew up in the party of JFK and Sam Nunn, so I'm sure I have a different perspective than most "modern" progressives. So be it, and I make no apologies for my views. I never implied that the party has put out marching orders for what to, or not to do at events. I merely quoted the article where it said that they had been organized by the party and the unions. But I must say, to imply that organized labor "is" the grass roots, is making one giant leap. I almost laughed when I read it. Certainly the membership is (grass roots), but it's the leadership that is sending out the e-mails and fliers.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

[HankyDubs]

12. So you're old

Is that your point?

Organized labor is the grass roots. Wake the fuck up.

[SlimJimmy]

13. Older and wiser. I don't take anything at face value. I prefer to be a

skeptic and not a lemming. Your mileage may vary. The leadership of the labor movement, the DNC, and the DLC is not the grass roots. And shouting it repeatedly while circling with your hands over your head won't make it so.

[HankyDubs]

14. potentially senile

and softheaded.

The DNC, the DLC and the labor movement have not been instructing individuals on how to disrupt and rattle congresspeople at town halls...the Tea Klan did these things.

You are full of it.

[SlimJimmy]

15. You can attempt to insult me all you want. Like water off a duck's backside. I stand by what I

wrote. Get over it.

[HankyDubs]

16. and you can call me a lemming if you like

even though this insult is based on a myth about lemmings. Doesn't really bother me.

No matter what you say, your argument was a false equivalence.

[Kablooie]

3. The third rail may have some juice in it after all.

[TomCADem]

17. Paying For Tax Breaks For The Rich By Abolishing Medicare

Privitizing Medicare is not reform. It is the demolition of Medicare as we know it.