Retirees arrested at Sen. Feinstein's LA office - Ages 55 - 87 re: Healthcare

[Kadie]

Retirees arrested at Sen. Feinstein's LA office

Thursday, July 30, 2009

(07-30) 18:43 PDT Los Angeles, CA (AP) --

A group of retirees who refused to leave Sen. Dianne Feinstein's West Los Angeles office until she talked to them about health care reform has been arrested.

Los Angeles police Sergeant Rich Brunson said Thursday that at least eight people were being taken into custody and would likely be booked for trespassing and released.

Cate Engel, a spokeswoman for the group California Alliance for Retired Americans, says the activists — all between 55 and 87 years old — wanted to talk to Feinstein about strengthening Medicare and using the program as a model for health reform.

The group arrived at Feinstein's office around noon and refused to leave her conference room until their arrest more than six hours later.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/30/state/n184320D61.DTL&tsp=1

[bkkyosemite]

1. She needs to be called out on this one. We pay her wage! She's been in office too long and has

forgotten who she is working for. To think years ago I voted for her...

[WhichTruth]

50. Let's remind them who they work for.

http://www.healthcarenowusa.info

[pleah]

2. Way to go DiFi! That'll win ya votes.

:sarcasm:

[drm604]

3. Good for them

:applause:

[maglatinavi]

7. them?

Who is them? Please clarify, this message is confusing

[drm604]

8. I thought it was obvious, the retirees. n/t

[maglatinavi]

11. them

Honestly, I am so upset that I think I am going to infarct, but knowing so many a**holes in the world I was afraid one had slipped into the web... I emphatize with the group. I would have done the same thing. As a matter of fact I did so years ago in a tel co. Stayed hours until some one spoke with me... I am 79 yrs. old and have been an advocate for the poor and defenseless...

[drm604]

15. I apologize if I wasn't clear enough. n/t

[Cleita]

4. K&R

Don't let this post die until DiFi apologizes and admits she is wrong. First the activist doctors and nurses allowed to be arrested by Senator Baucus and now Seniors being allowed to be arrested by Senator Dianne Feinstein. Something is really wrong with this picture and all they want is to talk about health care reform.

[Cleita]

5. *

:kick:

[maglatinavi]

9. Post K & R

I agree! I am so shocked reading this post that my tachichardia has been activated and my pressure has gone up... Please let every so called pundit know and have them bring this matter to the public... Oh Boy, I think I am going to infarct...:kick:

[maglatinavi]

6. rettirees

What??? !!! She is the one who should be sanctioned... if she was into this... maybe she wasn't and some high faluting secretary or assistand took the action...

[Oldenuff]

10. WTH?

She had her own constituents arrested?Aren't they some of the folks who vote/voted for her?Do they (her constituents)not pay for her offices?If they are constituents,and pay for her office,don't they have a right to assemble there?

Something is wrong when an elected official can order her constituents arrested.

[asdjrocky]

12. Anyone that thinks the Senate represents the American people in any way is nuts.

There are a couple of good ones, but the rest, especially DiFi, are flat out owned by corporate interests.

And it won't change, if you don't believe that just take a look at the last two elections. Has anything at all changed? Are we any closer to not being screwed over every single day by the moneyed people?

I'm going to give them one more chance and if we don't get a public option I'm done for good. Voting is a joke. Calling is a joke. Emailing is a joke.

Less talk, more action you 100 fucking losers.

[Hutzpa]

13. K&R

Just to keep this post alive...


:kick:

[maglatinavi]

14. post alive

yes, yes, yes... and e-mail matheews, ed, olberman, and the enemy...oreily, hannyty ... they will have a ball... diane is for the birds...:-(

[Cleita]

16. *

Another :kick:

[Cleita]

17. *

:kick:

[Kadie]

20. Thanks!

for keeping this kicked.

:kick:

:hi:

[Mike K]

18. Feinstein

A few months back I heard that Feinstein has no intention of running again, which would account for this bit of arrogance.

I've never understood how that woman gets re-elected time and time again. And I'm wondering now how many of those arrested voted for her last time around and in the past.

[diva77]

58. my guess -combination of failure of MSM to report widely on her treasonous behavior

and of the nontransparent, easily manipulated computerized "elections" forced upon us

oh, and she's married to a billionaire

[AdHocSolver]

19. K and R. When are Americans going to wake up?

If we don't get some meaningful healthcare reform this time, it will be because of backstabbing Democrats.

[Hatchling]

21. They'll get better health care in jail. nt

[City Lights]

22. Go seniors!

Bravo! :applause:

DiFi needs a swift kick in the ass. Time for CA residents to do some house cleaning.

[me b zola]

23. Sounds like DiFi is in need of many phone calls

asking why she only responds positively to lobbyist who line her pockets with $$, and has the common person attempting to lobby arrested.

[mbee]

24. Perfect example of elitism in America! Our representatives

think they are too high and mighty to meet with the people who elected them. This is sickening, but not surprising! We brought this on ourselves. Constantly around the country throughout the year are events to honor representatives, when in reality they should be holding events to honor us. They are so much into the pockets of the elite I don't know if it can ever be reversed. When you can be arrested for demanding that you get what you pay for the country is finished in my view!

[Hutzpa]

25. K&R

morning...:kick:

[Canuckistanian]

26. They should have offered cash for meeting with DiFi

That's how she operates, isn't it?

[Greyhound]

28. Unless they were very rich retirees, they couldn't afford her time.

Now, if they could gather the evidence of her husband's latest crimes and threaten to prosecute him, she would at least pay lip service to hearing them out.

Corrupt to the core.

[Greyhound]

27. K&R. When will the people of Northern California wake up to this parasite's criminality?

How many times will she sell them out for her own interests, and get away with it?
:kick: & R

[FreakinDJ]

29. Did the Bitch say - "Let them Eat Cake"

Cheap RATpubliCON in Dem's Clothing

[winyanstaz]

30. Arrested for using their civil rights....

Isn't that a public office?
Doesn't this women work for the public?
Don't we have the right to petition our government for our grievances?
Guess not.

[JDPriestly]

36. The seniors' conduct was still subject to regulation.

Congress members cannot respond to our questions because they don't know what to say. There are several bills. The whole health care issue is just a mess.

I fault President Obama. He should have submitted a proposal for a bill that included more detail and allowed Congress to mark it up. He would have gotten some of this bill but not all. He should have made sure that he had the votes before he asked Congress to act on this. At this point, the health care bill has become a free-for-all.

I understand why this situation has arisen. Congress has always operated in this disorganized fashion. But, thanks to cell phones and the internet, we voters have practically instant access to front row seats in Congress. The chaotic nature of the process is unfamiliar to us. We have no control. We never did. But it is frustrating for us because we are so close to the process, we can almost be a part of it, but we can't really pull any strings.

Meanwhile, the lobbyists who have always enjoyed these front row seats, are not only sitting even closer to the stage -- up there in the orchestra pit -- but they have the means to pull some strings. So, we, who are now able to watch what is going on are sitting here watching the people in the orchestra pit pull strings and the people on stage acting very badly. Our eyes are being opened to what has been going on all along.

This is the time for our representatives and senators in Congress to take the time and explain to us what they are doing on health care.

[newfie11]

31. Is America following Iran. No free speech. Next they will disappear to Cuba. n/t

[Jeep789]

32. Feinstein lost my vote years ago

I've had enough of Repugs in Democratic clothing.

[Jefferson23]

33. This doesn't surprise me about her at all. Call her here:

How to . . . Contact my Washington, D.C. office

Senator Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
TTY/TDD: [phone]

Click here to email me.

[Control-Z]

47. Could you give us the link

to this information? "Click here to email me." is not an active link and there is no email address.

Thanks.

[Jefferson23]

61. Sure thing, sorry about that.

http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.Home

[WI_DEM]

34. Not that it makes any difference but she did offer an in person meeting with them next week but they

demanded to see her then.

[LooseWilly]

35. Yet another reason I'll vote against DiFi next time around.

No matter what office she runs for.

Hells, I've lost count of how many reasons that makes... I'm so done with Feinstein... the California Senatorial equivalent of Obama reaching out to moderates- like testing how hot a stove is with your bare hand, everytime...

[The Wizard]

37. Di Fi needs to be on the radar screen for removal

Democrats outnumber Republicans by a good margin in California and getting a Democrat elected in California should be easier than a state like Montana. Lieberman in Connecticut is also low hanging fruit.
Any Democrat who sides with the insurance lobby over their constituents should be looking over his or her shoulder, especially in the north east and west coast.

[stlsaxman]

38. It's not even clear if Feinstein was there... stupid article.

but they waited in her office six hours before being arrested, demanding a meeting.

so was DiFi there the whole time and refused to see them?

it's unclear...

anyone?

[Kadie]

41. She wasn't there... but they wanted to speak with her by phone

news video here...

http://cbs2.com/local/dianne.feinstein.retirees.2.1108989.html

[earth mom]

39. Feinstein is a disgusting corporate ass kisser!

:puke:

[AllyCat]

40. Hey, she's just responding to her constituents.

Now her constituents need to respond to her. A recall could not come too soon.

[valerief]

42. Corporatist douche. nt

[old mark]

43. Feinstein is a cynical asshole, and the more people who realise that

the better.

mark

[Faygo Kid]

44. She's incredibly wealthy, and out of touch.

Out of touch and inside the Beltway. Plenty more like her.

[Tx4obama]

45. Not surprising...

Now all the older folks are just going to do a 'Gates' and do what ever they want to - where ever they want to - without any regard to other people or the law.

If you go into any government building, such as the post office, and refuse to leave at closing time you will be arrested.

The old folks were out of line. The should have asked for an appointment and then gone home.

[Control-Z]

51. How old are you? -eom

[Tx4obama]

55. Over 50. n/t

[Control-Z]

59. Old enough to know better.

And there I was, willing to give you a pass because of your young age and limited understanding/experience. If you believe in Karma, now would probably be a good time to start worrying.

[scentopine]

56. When should democrats exercise civil disobedience?

Or is it as Garrison Keiler has sung "we are all republican now...".

Since you rest your position on technical rules violations, let's also look at the basic law of averages to see if we have extraordinary circumstances.

1. Cops arresting a black person based on racial stereotypes - not too surprising.

2. Old people organizing a sit-in protest at their representatives office - quite surprising. Unheard of.

In fact, statistically speaking, for a group of older individuals to be organized like this means they have within all reasonable probability exhausted any other means at getting their representative's attention. In fact any organized disobedience is so rare today, this is amazing. Congress and the Whitehouse (including Obama) continue to make it harder and harder to protest - we have 7 or 8 agencies who are now chartered to monitor phone calls, emails, credit cards bills, health records, on and on. All with one purpose - snuff out dissent in the name of protecting us from "terror".

There is no better hypocrisy than the actions of our democratic leadership - torture (resulting in murder), bank fraud, wire tapping, wall street bonuses, on and on. But a sit down protest? Call the police! We are a nation of law and order! What were these people thinking? We can't have this!

We should all thank them for taking the risk. Instead of the the usual apathetic, mushy middle, centrist, neo-democrat, sitting on their ass, hoping and waiting for change, watching our representatives buy and sell us like meat pretending not to notice that things are still getting worse just not as fast... some people got pissed and did something. You know, like the civil rights leaders our president likes to go on about. I'm guessing they broke a few rules to get the change they demanded.

We don't have representatives. We have congress fuckers. Fuck em. We need real leadership to get the health plan that we need - instead of the CEO enrichment plan being proposed.

This is about an immoral and unethical market system so out of control it literally makes millionaires on the backs of the sick and dying. If some POS representative gets inconvenienced by our protests - that would be a small step in the right direction.

[Quantess]

60. "do a 'Gates' "

:wtf:

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

46. Fuck these G_D Damn "Representatives" who feel too good

to give their constituents a few minutes.

Some have time to peddle potatoes or hawk some other Bullshit for votes.

These Reps aren't worth the trouble of going to the voting booth.
I've about had it with this crap!



Hey DiFi - thanks for caring about my Constitutional Rights and the years of Hell I might not otherwise have endured IF you actually gave a shit about anything but yourself.



:redbox: :tv:

[geckosfeet]

48. Arresting your constituents. Let us know how that works out Di Fi.

[Rayjay]

49. Feinstein West LA office arrest of retirees.

I just e-mailed the senator, listing my life long history as an active Democrat. This is the last straw for her in my view. I advised her to: Never again mail me a request for donation. Never again have someone call me on her behalf.

RD

[inna]

52. OMG. i hate to be dramatic, but Dianne is dead for me. nt

[rpannier]

53. Outrageous...Who do these people think they are... Billionaires? Multi-nationals???

Don't these people understand that 'real' Senators only deign to talk to those whose income (either personal or corporate) exceeds 9 figures.
Senators cannot be bothered with the petty needs of the middle and lower classes. Things like food, shelter, a comfortable retirement are luxuries at best.
You live in the 'Land of the Free' Free from being taxed if you're in the upper 1%. Free from the burdens of having a home, a decent vacation every year or so, money to buy food, etc if you're not.

[theophilus]

54. It is time for her to GO! n/t

[NBachers]

57. Where's the Basij when you need them?

These anti-government scoundrels need to be dealt with now!