Monday, March 22, 2010

Teabaggers are taking this well.

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UPDATE:
I just read this one.
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Glad to see that opponents of Health Care Reform are acting responsibly:

The window smashing at Giffords' Tucson office occurred a few hours after she voted in favor of health care reform.
-Rep. Giffords' Tucson office vandalized after health care vote (Arizona Daily Star)

"A brick was thrown through a window at Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter's district office in Niagara Falls early Friday.

Slaughter's district stretches from Rochester to the Buffalo area. She has been a key supporter of the health care reform bill passed Sunday by the House."
-Authorities investigate vandalism at Democratic offices in western NY over the weekend (Los Angeles Times)

Protesters outside the Capitol hurled epithets at Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Andre Carson (D-Ind.) as they left the building after President Obama delivered an 11th-hour speech on behalf of the health care bill. Carson told reporters that protesters yelled "kill the bill," then used a racial epithet to describe Carson and Lewis, who is a revered figure on both sides of the aisle.

According to observers, Frank was confronted by about 100 protesters inside the Longworth House Office Building, where Democrats were huddling for another meeting about the legislation. Some targeted Frank with anti-gay epithets and urged him to vote against the bill.
-'Tea party' protesters accused of spitting on lawmaker, using slurs (Washington Post)

Ending a mystery that has kept the political blogosphere busy all day, Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas, acknowledged today that it was he who yelled out "baby killer" during Sunday's historic floor debate on health care.

The outburst -- reminiscent of South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson's decision to yell "You lie!" during an address by President Obama to Congress last year -- came as Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., explained why he was switching his support to back the health care bill after initially leading a group of anti-abortion Democrats in opposition.
-Rep. Neugebauer says he shouted 'baby killer' during health debate (USA Today)

...but when [Barney] Frank joined Democratic leadership for a walk across the Capitol grounds at midday, he was called the same epithet from the previous day, according to reports.

Capitol Police arrested two Massachusetts men yesterday, William Gunn and David Sanders, on suspicion of disrupting Congress after police said the men yelled out in the House gallery.

As ushers tried to escort them out of the gallery, several Republicans stood up on the House floor and cheered.
-Health care protesters back in force (Boston Globe)

Though it's not fair to characterize an entire political movement with this kind of immature/racist/homophobic/sexist behavior, it is indicative of the vitriol from commentators like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck who stoke the fires and legislators like Michele Bachmann and John Boehner who do nothing to civilize debate.