Townhall Truths and Liberal Lies
I have attended more than one townhall meeting recently, in addition to a ton of functions that were as much social as they were political.
Before getting to health care, I would like to thank a pair of organizations in the San Jose area for providing me with an enjoyable weekend.
On Saturday night, the Sacramento Queen and I attended the Stars and Stripes Gala in Los Gatos. The event was put on by the Silicon Valley Association of Republican Women (SVARW). After attending the Palo Alto Arts Festival near the Stanford Campus, Sunday night was the South Peninsula Area Republican Coalition (SPARC) Picnic in Los Altos.
What too many liberals refer to as bible-thumping, gun-toting fascists, I refer to as decent human beings with nobility in their hearts. There was no hatred. Senate Candidate Chuck Devore played a hilarious clip comparing Barbara Boxer to the Mike Myers Austin Powers character Dr. Evil, but he was not calling her evil. This was a humorous look at her “Call me Senator” tantrum.
Another individual had the crowd singing a folk song entitled “Barbara Boxer the taxer.”
Yet the humor was lighthearted, and certainly not vicious.
I addressed both crowds, and the environments were positive and friendly. Mot conservatives don’t hate liberals. We just want them to stop hating us and have civilized discourse.
I saw no bigotry or venom. It was simply not there. These were love fests.
The townhalls are another matter entirely. the left wants the debate to be “calmer.” These are the same people that frothed at the mouth like rabid dogs for the previous eight years. These are the same people that long for the days when the Jayson Blair Times and CBS News could suppress the truth. These people want the discussion to end simply because they do not recognize the other side as even having a legitimate point of view.
The first townhall I attended was that of Los Angeles Congressman Adam Schiff.
On politics, he is every bit as liberal as his fellow Angeleno Congressmen Henry Waxman, Howard Berman, and Brad Sherman.
Yet At the risk of practicing what I preach, I will say some positive things about Adam Schiff.
For one thing, I have met the man. He is thoughtful and articulate. He is not bombastic. He speaks in a calm, quiet manner. He is a fierce debater, because his tone forces one to listen intently. He is a nice guy, and his wife is a lovely person. They were both beyond friendly to me, and I even had a debate after a debate with Congressman Schiff that lasted less than five minutes. We agreed to disagree, but very respectfully.
As for the townhall itself, Schiff got a couple of important things right.
First of all, he had the townhall to begin with. It is a sad commentary on America when a Congressman gets rewarded for doing what he is supposed to do, but that is the world today. Waxman, Berman, and Sherman have been gutless in hiding frm the voters. For that reason I am downgrading them to Waxboy, Berboy, and Sherboy. At least Schiff faced the voters.
The second thing Congressman Schiff got right was to change the location. It was supposed to be held inside a library, which would have accommodated between two and three hundred people. It was moved outdoors so that several thousand people could attend. Congressman Schiff had the opportunity to inoculate himself, and create a staged event. While again it is disappointing to praise a man for what he should do, it does not change the fact that he did the right thing.
The event was well organized, and the chairs provided were for seniors and disabled people only. Others had to stand, which was fine. The crowd was well behaved, and deferential to the seniors.
Where the townhall went wrong was in the decision to force people to write questions down on pieces of paper rather than ask them into the microphone. This is cowardly. Barbara Boxer is famous for this strategy. In fact, in a manner brazen even for her (barely), she is now charging people for asking her questions. They have to buy a copy of her book. My guess is that the book is dreadful, since a quality tome would have excerpts available for public viewing. Her last name betrays her. She throws one punch at a conservative of her choosing and then hides in the corner.
The notion that questions should be preselected to prevent violence is ludicrous. There was plenty of security at the Schiff townhall. Also, as a public speaker myself, I know how to take back the microphone from people that confuse their manifesto with an actual question.
Congressman Schiff did ask for the crowd to tell him whether they were for or against Obamacare. My unscientific reading told me that about 2/3 of the crowd was against Obamacare.
Congressman Schiff had a health care panel of “respected” experts. By respected, he meant that they agreed with him. The panel was a typical liberal approach to diversity. There was no diversity of thought. Congressman Schiff could enhance his credibility by allowing a speaker that was against the legislation. However, it was his townhall, and he has a right to sell his view.
The townhall featured a crowd that consisted mainly of honest people. There were nutcases, but they were few and far between.
The left has been spectacular at cherry picking the crowd to find one right wing wacko to link to all Republicans and conservatives.
One leftist blogger (hard left by his admission) interviewed me, and he asked me to comment on signs equating Obamacare with Nazism, Hitler, or National Socialism. I told him that I condemned those signs, and told more than one “conservative” to stop it. I told him that for eight years, I had to listen to “Bush = Hitler,” nonsense, and comparing Obama to Hitler is just as vile. The blogger asked me what I planned to do about such speech, and I pointed out to him that my responsibility was to condemn it, which is what I did.
Somehow (probably my fault) we ended up talking football. We did not like the same team. We shared a few laughs, as I pointed out that I could talk rationally about politics, but when it came to football there was only emotion, with opposing sides being evil. We both laughed.
At that point a friend of mine with views more strident than mine made the comparison of Obamacare to Nazism. I cringed. When he walked away, I told the liberal blogger that for him to let my friend be seen as the mainstream would be unfair. He pointed out that my blog most likely does the same thing. Touche.
I then asked him a favor. I told him to find another nutcase in the crowd to make his point, but to not use my friend. He met me halfway, which I have to admit I appreciated. He was going to publish my friend’s name. He agreed to leave the guy’s name out of his video. He only agreed to do it because of the fact that he felt I was fair and reasonable. Besides, my friend did not have to make the comments. He and I still disagree on this point.
What is beyond dispute is that my friend’s approach is not what the townhall was about, and to imply otherwise is a lie. Most of the people were civilized, well behaved, passionate, and respectful. Many in the crowd voted for Mr. Obama. They want him to succeed, but not on health care reform, at least not government run health care. Many others did not vote fr him, but were clearly interested in debating policy, not in making personal attacks.
Overall, the townhall was adequate.
This in stark contrast to the woefully inadequate response of Henry Waxman.
(Editor’s note: He is my Congressman, and I am supporting his opponent Ari David. The Jayson Blair Times could learn from this type of honest and upfront disclosure.)
Henry Waxman held a private townhall meeting, but only on cap and trade. He would not discuss healthcare. This private townhall was closed to the public, and stacked with Waxman supporters. 30 minutes after this UCLA sham, Ari David held an open townhall meeting on healthcare a few doors down.
The crowd was polite, and liberals were allowed to ask questions.
One liberal trick is to try to hijack the meeting by asking 20 follow ups questions. When the conservative explains that others need to be heard as well, the liberal then claims censorship for failing to censor others through endless questions. At this event, a Huffington Post writer left the room after being unable to dominate the conversation. Ari David told her that he would be happy to speak to her after the meeting for her follow up questions, but she left the room instead. She was not interested in being answered. She was interested in inflicting her view on the room. When that failed, she bailed.
Contrast this with Waxman’s approach, which is to ban conservatives from entering the room, much less speaking.
Congressman Waxman will be holding a health care panel this coming week, but it again will be restricted. The charge is $50 to attend, and information is being kept hidden.
Well forget that. I found out the information. It is being held at the Luxe Hotel in Brentwood at Noon on Thursday, August 27th. The Luxe Hotel in Brentwood is located at 11461 Sunset Blvd. If the Waxman campaign wishes to pretend that this is public information, let them. That would be another lie.
The same man who blasted President Bush and Vice President Cheney on secrecy issues should welcome my disclosure. The Jayson Blair Times, which delights in endangering American soldiers by revealing secret troop movements, should also celebrate my commitment to transparency. President Obama wants this as well.
I do hope that those who attend Henry Waxman’s farce of a townhall at an expensive price at a swanky hotel during the day when most people are working get their money’s worth.
eric
August 25th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
“One liberal trick is to try to hijack the meeting by asking 20 follow ups questions.”
To quote the brilliant Barney Frank, “On what planet do you spend most of your time?” Conservatives do EXACTLY the same thing - just as much and just as often. That’s why Schiff had to have questions written beforehand.
“The Jayson Blair Times, which delights in endangering American soldiers by revealing secret troop movements, should also celebrate my commitment to transparency.”
Ya’ know, I just can’t imagine anything as un-American as the willingness to have government secrets. This government - OUR government - is supposed to be by, of, and for the PEOPLE. Just as you conservatives often remind us that there is no such thing as “government money” - only the people’s money - there should be no such thing as government secret information - just the people’s public information. You are truly an authoritarian. “Freedom,” my arse.
I watched the Barney Frank townhall the other day. The fanatical Righties there were a bunch of moronic, fringe lunatics. It just goes to show, there are idiots in every group, be it a conservative, liberal, Left, Right, Democrat, Republican, private, public, religious, irreligious, whatever group. There are idiots in every group. There sure seem to be a LOT of idiots storming these townhalls these days.
JMJ
August 25th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
What I love about coming here is each time I get to feel like a virgin once again; the “new cough ole lady on the block.” (omg Madonna and New Kids whoa)…We all know things are about to get fugly. We all read, research, listen…I attended a little casual meeting at Hoyer’s Waldorf office this Saturday. There were representatives of all ages, one of Indian descent running for a local office, but none black. I wondered at that given Waldorf is highly so these days. Then I got to thinking… (Smell smoke yet?) Perhaps they’ve trusted this man, this administration implicitly because he is black (1/2 anyway) and because he has blind followers on his staff sayin oh yes, mack daddy, yes. Surely that makes him the “long legged mack daddy?” Forgive me there I was referring to an interesting video of a certain Dr. Manning that was sent to me. (http://la-gun.com/manning/) Anyway, the race card is dead. It just doesn’t float anymore unless you are Van Jones, cough…………………………. So, gentlemen: this is my post and letter to editor I recently sent. I’m sitting here now in reflection after attending a political demonstration and filled with a high sense of patriotism. That people from many different walks of life came together to peacefully assembly for the right to petition their government shows me their love and concern for their Country. Those that see anyone that opposes Obama or them, for that matter, are now described as, “rabid, the mob, un-American, nuts, lunatics,” the list goes on and I am appalled that these words were uttered out loud even by OUR elected officials. The fact is these citizens show America the highest form of honor…democracy at work! How dare you slander us when it is you that have forgotten who you represent and what the United States stands for. Don’t push citizens down. Don’t destroy free enterprise or Capitalism and for once, stand down the lobbyists…………………………………………………………… We assembled in front of Steny Hoyer’s office on this hot, hot, hot, steamy day. (He wasn’t there, of course) We stood tall and proud as various speakers took the mic. It wasn’t all about Health Care. It was about adhering to our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. It was about you and me. Push the citizens just so much and they will surely not only push back, but eventually SNAP! With so many Congressmen either, avoiding their constituents by either not holding Town Hall meetings, or holding them at Union Halls (protect me please union), charging a fee for cough (breakfast or like Waxman $50 a pop) in order to attend a meeting, acting like they didn’t see us coming (give me a break surely we have called their offices/written letters) shows they are mere mortals and not the “elite” they believe they are…………………………………………………….. The trillion dollar debts Obama and his “administration” are creating are not only immoral but outrageous. And Bernanke wants how much more? I call on each and every one of you to meet us in Washington, D.C. on Sept 12 and stand up for Democracy and your Freedoms. The weight of the budget, bail outs and bonuses, cuts in military, over stepping into the private sector (insurance/auto industry) and government mandated health care are breaking our backs. Obama left us a vacation gift as he dumped news of Immigration reform on the horizon. The time to snap…is fast approaching and you will. Lawd help us, I just read news of “appliance clunkers for cash!” This is too much! Balance the budget! Stop throwing out crumbs in hopes of appeasement………………………………………………………… It is strange that Larry Flynt, yes that Larry, would write and he is on the money: “The reason Wall Street was able to game the system the way it did — knowing that they would become rich at the expense of the American people (oh, yes, they most certainly knew that) — was because the financial elite had bribed our legislators to roll back the protections enacted after the Stock Market Crash of 1929…The real war is not between the left and the right. It is between the average American and the ruling class. If we come together on this single issue, everything else will resolve itself. It’s time we took back our government from those who would make us their slaves.” Think about that………………………………………… A friend of mine reminded me of the Fable of the ant and the grasshopper. I, of course, said, “Huh?” Long story, short: ant works hard, grasshopper plays. Winter comes, ant fat and sassy, grasshopper not doing so well until (drum roll) he calls a press conference and they report the injustice and America is out raged. Protests are held in front of the ants’ house, the public decries poor grasshopper. The SEIU and ACLU, of course opt for a piece of the action. Pelosi and Hoyer in an interview with Jon Stewart (and believe me was hard to get a word in) say the “rabid “ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper and both call for a tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share. So, the EEOC drafts an anti-ant act and fine him, but “he has nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.” The story ends as the “grasshopper eats the last of the ant’s food while the government house (was the ants) “crumbles around him because he doesn’t maintain it.” The ant disappears and the grasshopper is found dead (drug related incident). Moral of the story: Elections are coming and your constituents are wiser and…can only be pushed so far (sings, “Just what makes that lil ole ant, think he can move a rubber tree plant?” Well, he has true American patriots as friends and will not stand for anything but Democray! And together they will snap and not only eat that plant, but plant new seeds of democracy!)………………………………………………
Oh change isa coming and many of our Congressmen surely won’t like it, but hey? They made their beds. God Bless the USA. P.S. stop playing those race cards. It’s really getting old. “Alice doesn’t live here anymore”……………………………………….. (Hate me now or hate me later….this is my take on the situation. This from a simple woman with passion for her Country….God Bless!) P.S.S. Jersery ouchhhh….my bad, idiot flagged myself again…lol lol! One day I will master this paragraph stuff with a lil
“Help From My Friends”…lol.
August 25th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Even w/o Shiff, Waxman, and Berman, (not to exclude Boxer), the Democrats are beginning to self-destruct.
I could have warned them..during Obama’s campaign against both Hillary and McCain, that the Obama liberals would ruin this country, and in only
4 years.
Was I right, or was I right?
Look fellow posters, I am a proud Zionist US born Jew. I am a Conservative Jew, meaning I don’t take all of our bible literally..but
much of it is subject to interpretation..and interpretations vary, over time.
For example, for my many gentile friends (BTW, the Mormons consider
Christians to be gentiles), the more religious of my “Chosen people” take Genesis literally to mean that God created the Earth and the heavens in 6 days, then rested.
A close relative once asked me, “How can you believe in the bible, when we know there were raptors?”.
There is where the Conservative and Reform come in. 6 days in Gods life may be 6m days in mankind’s life..or 6b years., one billion for each day.
Therefore, God had plenty of time to finally create man, in his own image.
Now, how does this equate to some liberal Jews, and others? They say that
Jews are liberal BECAUSE, we were created in the image of God, and God
wants everyone to share equally in the good life..or something like that.
Hence, F. Roosevelt is our messiah right now (even though the “Messianic
Age” is far from evident. And Roosevelt defeated Hitler ( while 6m Jews and 11m others were gassed daily).
Hey folk, see Inglorious Bastards..it’s my kind of movie. Note that
there were Jews in the ghettos who fought the Kraut..killing many.
They also fought with the partisans.
Over 600,000 Jews fought the NAZIs, many during the Battle of the Bulge.
Some Jews helped invent the atomic bomb..which sent a strong message
to Tojo and saved 1m, US casualties.
It’s too bad that there weren’t more bastards fighting behind the lines
in Europe.
Back to Obama…anyone read today’s LA Times? The deficit for next year
will be 1.6 trillion. and 2 trillion dollars more over 10 years than forecast.
Hey guys, 2 trillion..that aint chopped liver.
If the single payer system of health care passes…I shudder to think about
the real deficits. If Iran nukes Tel Aviv or our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, or New York..hmmmmmm, I wonder what THAT will cost US?
I think the 11m illegals who are among the 50m counted as uninsured
should be insured, in Mexico, or South America.
I think we should resolve medicaid, medicare, and social security, before
another liberal, let’s help the downtrodden and disenfranchised ASAP
program.
I mean, look at the biggest most efficient US Federal Executive agency,
the IRSS. Do we want another agency with enforcement powers..to force compliance under threat of the Justice Department’s actions? Do we want
bloated bureaucracies wherein every thing but competence prevails?
Do we want automatic increases in salary (within grade) or promotions
based on your skin color or gender?
I read that a judge ruled that private people ( Armenians) cannot sue
German insurance companies..under the definition of genocide since
we (the USA) have not defined the massacres as genocide to date.
Im sure Shiff is screaming discrimination over this one.
Sooooo, 1.6t budget deficit, a 9 trillion dollar deficiti over 10 years,
Iran now liqudating all the reformists and forcing all related groups
to dismantle..while Obama is in Mass…fishing, hiking and getting in out
of the hurricane.
Maybe he doesn’t know that there is a hurricane being built up,
all over our proud nation, thanks to his apologies to Chavez, Ahmad,
Putin and Assad for all the (our) injustices. Iran just appointed as
their Defense Minister, the guy who orchestrated the bombing of
the Jewish community center in Argentina.
Do I have to say anything more?
But Obama will still talk, engage and negotiate.
Oh me oh my!
August 25th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Summa, c’mon now.
“Those that see anyone that opposes Obama or them, for that matter, are now described as, “rabid, the mob, un-American, nuts, lunatics,” the list goes on and I am appalled that these words were uttered out loud even by OUR elected officials.”
No. screaming idiots who drown out intelligent debate with pointless, rambling rants and special-interest-feuled stupid sound bytes are the “rabid, the mob, un-American, nuts, lunatics.” You can reasonably and intelligently disagree with the president. I often do myself. But the sick stupid morons with the Obama-with-a-Hitler-mustache signs, they are un-American lowlifes. they’re the ones people call “rabid, the mob, un-American, nuts, lunatics.” It’s not ALL of you, as the Bill O’Rielly’s of the world would have you believe. Do yourself a favor - turn off Fox News. It’s confusing you.
“The trillion dollar debts Obama and his “administration” are creating are not only immoral but outrageous.”
Where were you 7 years ago? 5 years ago? 2 years ago? A year ago? Bush and the GOP one-party-state inheritied a 5.7 trillion dollar debt. They blew it up to a 10.9 trillion dollar debt in just eight years. Three presidents, Reagan, Bush I and Bush II, accumulated mopre debt under their auspices then every other president in US history COMBINED. Why you complain complain about that? And what did we get for that debt? Nothing. Nothing, unless you’re fool enough to believe that America was ever going to become “communist” or overrun by Thrid World Hashassins. And then, to make themselves look like even more self-defeating ignoanouses, the paranoid hypocrits complain when Obama and the Dems have to spend some money to get us out of the horrific mess the Bush years (just like the Reagan years, just like the Coolidge years) left for us. It’s just like that cartoon, the one where the buiding is on fire and some moron yells at the firemen, “Look at all the water they’re wasting!” Amazing.
The rest of your post is confusing. You seem to be a proponent of the New Deal? I can’t figure you out. But there’s a point there: Obama is NO radical lefty, by any stretch. He is, in fact, just another Wall Street Democrat. Want proof? He just renominated Ben Bernanke.
And do yourself a favor. If you really want to be a citizen who shows “America the highest form of honor…democracy at work,” try studying American history.
As for blogging tips, I’ve been doing it for years, so any tips you’d like on the protocols, HTML, and stuff like that, please feel free to ask.
Ciao, JMJ
August 25th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Hey Dan, I’d like to see you actually talk and engage once in a blue moon.
JMJ
August 27th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Hellifiknow where I was several years ago Jersey. I’ve stated I am new to politics, pay attention. No, actually I was a naive home administrator that trusted in her government. Yes, I am guilty of trusting! But…rest…assured no more! American History was never my forte, Elementary Education was a perfect fit. If you want to talk crayons and PTA, I’m your woman. Pelosi and Hoyer made no distinction between rabid dissenters, now did they?……………………….. “Reagan, Bush I and Bush II, accumulated mopre debt under their auspices then every other president in US history COMBINED.” Um no the Obama admimistration now has that distinction and it’s only been, cough, how long?…………………………. The honor I spoke of was in exercising the right to petition our government and address greivances. Watching Democracy at work and not just sitting on the sidelines complaining. Oh yes, Jersey, I am awakened now. My passion for honesty, integrity and truth balance the scales of your knowledge of history. Please don’t take my Fox 5 away…laughs. I can often be found in the halls of various democratic websites. I seek truth (and here I laugh hysterically) or at least opinions from both sides, Jersey. No more will I be so blind I don’t see. No more will I sit idly by and do/say nothing. I am a political junky. There I said it. God help me (rolls my eyes). …………….. P.S. (how do you get your paragraphs to show up so nicely? ugh, mine run on, hence the …….etc. I don’t mind giving you my email for help).
December 6th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
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