You guys just don't get it! Even if Kucinich was chairing this hearing he would kick out protesters!

[wndycty]

Much like this administration many on the DU always want a boogie man. In this case its Rep. Shelton who is doing what he is supposed to do as chairman of this committee, one of which keeping order and that means removing protesters. And its not like its some major injustice, some may be too ignorant to acknowledge this (I'm being real sarcastic here), but those protesters fully expect to be kicked out.

Go ahead call me names for supporting kicking the protesters out. Forget that I agree with the protesters message, and just focus on the fact I don't agree with the protest.

Yes and I guarantee if Kucinich was chairing this hearing he'd kick them out too.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. They should be more worried about the guy lying to congress.

This whole hearing is an embarassment.

[Beelzebud]

2. I agree with the protesting AND kicking them out. Here's why:

The hearing would devolve into chaos if everyone were allowed to yell anything they wanted at any time.

At the same time, I applaud those with the spine to go there into the belly of the beast and speak their minds.

[havocmom]

3. A-yup!

:thumbsup:

There is a time for civil disobedience and a time to restore order. Happened in the best order today. The whole world WAS watching. The points have to be made and the system has to be shown to work.

[TahitiNut]

11. I agree. Civil disobedience is essential, and ...

... it'd be scarey if only the 'acceptable' protests were done.

[sandnsea]

14. No one heard a point

I tend to agree with you, if one clear point gets through the microphones. All they did was ramble and sound incoherent. They've lost their shock value. They either need to gain credibility based on serious commentary, or go away.

[Zodiak]

24. Best answer on thread

and I haven't read the rest.

[jhrobbins]

28. I agree as well - but I don't agree that they should be prosecuted as

the chairman said they would be.

[Beelzebud]

34. I don't agree with that either.

[Richard Steele]

45. I agree completely, Beelzebud. nm

[panader0]

4. These "hearings are a circle jerk" He is lying to us

This war is illegal and immoral. This guy deserves to be heckled, hell run out of town on a rail. Tarred and feathered etc.

[madokie]

8. yes he does and there is a day for that but today is not the day

nor is this the place to do it. I would like to see the whole bunch ran out of town on a rail like many here would and they will be in the end. There is no way the perpertrators of this illegal and immoral war going to be walking free forever or we will have lost our government, theres just no two ways about that either. they pay or we lose our democracy, simple. IMO

[atreides1]

16. Explain this

"There is no way the perpertrators of this illegal and immoral war going to be walking free forever or we will have lost our government, theres just no two ways about that either. they pay or we lose our democracy, simple."


Who exactly is going to bring charges against any of these people? Basically, from what you say, we've already lost our democracy. There is no one in the US Congress with the courage to do anything against these thugs and murderers, and those that might want to have no backing.

And unless the international community does it, and I don't see that happening, these people will be free and rich, without a care in the world.

Is would be great, but the reality of this entire situation is that no one will be brought to justice for this crime, not now, not after 2009, not ever!!!!!!

[madokie]

25. we'll see won't we, I'll be remembering your words too

as well as the many others who keep saying we don't have the votes for impeachment, we'll see.

yes, we have almost lost our Democracy at this point in time but I am of the belief that we, united together, are much stronger than a cabal of criminals. as I said we'll see.
I won't lie down to be rolled over and neither are many others in this country going to be, most of which are only now opening their eyes to the atrocities being foisted upon us and the world as a whole by this cabal.

[lrsmith1]

43. "the atrocities being foisted upon us"

Hey there madokie.
What atrocities are being foisted upon you? Just wanting to
know.

[cui bono]

47. Haven't been keeping up with the news the last 6 years eh?

[madokie]

5. sure he would, so would I

hell you can't have a shouting match and accomplish anything except what the bush* regime would really like to see accomplished.

[babylonsister]

6. We get it, and the majority of us would kick them out, too, if they were

disrupting these hearings we've waited 6 months to hear. I'd kick 'em out, but also respect their right to be there if they zip their lips, regardless of what color they're wearing.

[wndycty]

7. Yes and if you noticed when Burton tried to get Shelton to kick them out. . .

. . .before they said anything Shelton resisted.

[babylonsister]

9. I did notice, and thanked Shelton (in my head). nt

[AngryOldDem]

10. Exactly

Such behavior, premeditated or not, cannot be tolerated in such a forum. A school board, for Chrissakes, would not put up with it.

There is such a thing as parliamentary procedure. Otherwise, it becomes chaos. Petraeus must be given a chance to present his side. The deconstructing of that position will come in time, a deconstruction that will be even more forceful if it is not interrupted by those who simply can't respect the process and keep their mouths shut while in the hearing room.

The radical Left is NOT helping the cause here. So go ahead, folks: Slam me for that. But if the conclusion that this war has been an abject failure is lost in the sound/video bites of idiots being tossed out, you have no one to blame but yourselves.

[never_get_over_it]

12. I agree he has to kick them out but he doesn't have to prosecute

as he just threatened....waste of time... maybe they should be prosecuting the war criminals....also I don't have a real problem with a sign if its small so it doesn't interfere with any other atendees - so if someone is sitting their quietly with a sign or a t-shirt they should not get kicked out....

[wndycty]

13. Its interesting that they would be charged in the DC courts not federal courts

:kick:

[northzax]

17. Not a federal crime

The federal courts don't handle misdemeanors, such as disturbing the peace, so even though the arresting officers would be Capital Police (federal) they would be taken to the DC jail (god help them) and processed in the DC system.

[wndycty]

19. I thought any arrests made on a federal property were federal crimes. . .

. . .if someone assaulted someone (a civilian) on federal property would it be a federal crime?

[northzax]

29. Felony assualt? Yes

But you have to remember, almost twenty percent of the District is federal land, including (little known outside of dc) the green spaces in all the traffic circles and a good number of parks. Technically, taking a piss in a trffic circle is a federal crime (the Park Police have jurisdiction) same with speeding on the Parkway, do we really want Federal courts dealing with such minutae?

[wndycty]

30. Its not what I want, it was what I thought. . .

. . .I just always assumed anything that happened on fed property was a federal crime. Thanks for the clarification.

[northzax]

32. It is, technically

But the Feds traditionally waive jurisdiction to the locals...

[aquart]

15. Getting kicked out is part of the protest process.

It generates attention. Buzz. News coverage.

[onenote]

41. "it generates attention" -- yes, and not positive attention

They look like a bunch of silly dress up goofs whose actions trivialize the seriousness of the issue.

[bryant69]

18. Aye - that's correct

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[mikelgb]

20. did you see the video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvj7WCfPNWQ

[LittleClarkie]

21. Isn't getting arrested and/or kicked out part of the protest?

I guess I always thought the bigger the ruckus, the better, when you're protesting. You get attention, you make the news, that sort of thing. If nothing happens then, well, nothing happens.

[mikelgb]

22. btw, I have seen Chaiman Waxman, simply ask protesters to be respectful

Waxman knows they are on his side

[endarkenment]

37. The point of protest is to disrespect authority.

Of course the committee chair, who by the way is allowing utter bullshit to be stated as if it were the truth and who it seems has not sworn in the spokesturd-betrayus, is going to demand order. It is the role of the unrepresented and misrepresented rabble to ignore that order.

Question Authority

No More Bullshit

[eleny]

23. Someone heard the chairman call them "assholes" when his mic was open

I believe that's what originally got under the collective DU collar. I doubt that Kucinich would call the protesters a name like that.

Just saying.

I figure that the protesters know they'll get kicked out. So, I don't worry about them or get angry when they get escorted out. It's part of their visibility. I just hope that nobody gets hurt in the process.

[Zodiak]

26. One protester was injured and is going to the hospital

The cops say he/she assaulted an officer.

But they always say that when they hurt someone.

[eleny]

38. Oh that's a shame

I saw the older woman who was screaming when they were taking her out. She looked okay when she was in the hearing room.

C-Span just announced that an officer was taken to the hospital. It's hard to believe that an unarmed protester could hurt an office badly. I have my doubts.

Thanks for the clarity.

[ShortnFiery]

27. So what? That's what they / we want = ATTENTION. We must wake up the slumbering Americans. nt

[hfojvt]

31. It appears to be SKelton, of Missouri

Red's nephew. Not SHelton.

[wndycty]

33. WHO OOOOO OOOOOO OOOOOO OOOO OOOOPS!!!!!!

:kick: my bad.

[superkia]

35. I would hope the protestors would make a spectacle of this

its just another move by the government to continue the war, I think we can all agree that things are not as great as they are making it out to be. If we are not going to have serious hearings, fuck them, protest and cause problems. I'm sick of what our government and politics have done to this country. If we continue to sit back and accept the way the government works, we wont even be allowed to come here and vent as they will continue to abuse our rights. I don't just have respect for betrayus for his position, hes not one of our brave ones out there waiting to die! Our government disgusts me!

[immoderate]

36. Absolutely right! Like a courtroom, a hearing room must conform to procedure.

A chairman who allows spectators to try to influence proceedings is not being fair to witnesses. A strong chair has the room under control.

--IMM

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. Well if we had a media we could depend on

and a Congress that believed in holding the pResident accountable, we wouldn't need as many protesters.

[druidity33]

40. i would add

That they wouldn't need to shout to be heard either. Nor would they need to "disrupt" any proceedings...

As for Kooch, he would've been far more respectful, and maybe the protesters might've waited to see how the chair handled the situation if they had known the proceedings would've BEEN FAIR.

[progressoid]

42. Yessir.

[goodhue]

44. Rev Yearwood was thrown to ground and 8 officers piled on sending him to hospital

I doubt that would have happened if Kucinich were chair, and if it had it would be wrong.

[wndycty]

48. The presiding chair does not control whether or not the protesters get a tune up. . .

. . .if Kucinich had kicked them out he wouldn't have accompanied them outside to see if they were ok.

[goodhue]

49. video here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x53236

[greatauntoftriplets]

46. Stop being the voice of reason!!!

DU has made me :crazy: today. There are some harsh realities out there regarding this country's situation and while Democrats have majorities in both houses of Congress, they are razor-SLIM majorities. Sad, but true.

:hi: