Hillary Heckled at Environmental Forum

[illinoisprogressive]

LOS ANGELES - Hillary Clinton was peppered by anti-war hecklers at a presidential forum on climate change and energy policy, leading to the forceful expulsion of one protestor from the audience.

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"How can you say you're for the environment when you are always voting for war?" local activist Tyghe Berry shouted out as he stood up from his seat in the audience and interrupted the front-running Democratic candidate as she vowed to make America green if elected President.

"Were you invited to speak here this afternoon?," responded a visibly perturbed Senator Clinton. Berry was then immediately grabbed by security agents and rushed to a waiting police car by a phalanx of LAPD and federal officers. When Senator Clinton was introduced earlier to the forum she was met with both loud cheers and scattered boos from the predominantly Democratic and liberal audience of approximately 1,000.

The momentary disruption was the emotional high point of an otherwise sedate Saturday afternoon forum that lacked any of the drama or vigor that marked the Democratic debate two nights ago in Las Vegas.

Only candidates Clinton, John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich appeared at the forum on Global Warming & America's Energy future organized by Grist magazine and Public Radio International's Living on Earth and endorsed by a coalition of environmental organizations.

All three participating candidates offered similar promises to push green policies, move America away from reliance on foreign oil, and to reduce greenhouse gases. But the format of the debate allowed no interaction or exchanges between the candidates nor any questions from the public. The panel of three selected questioners asked no challenging questions, allowing the candidates a relatively unobstructed opportunity to promote their respective environmental campaigns.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-cooper/hillary-heckl...

[babylonsister]

1. And here I thought she was everyone's favorite! nt

[cali]

6. Did you listen?

She was impressive. And she clealy knows what she's talking about, and where she wants to go with alternative energy and environmental policy.

[glowing]

65. I have listened to her environmental speals. It ok. Not progressive or

tough enough. AND I believe she'll cave into big oil. Business as usual. All plans lead to good intentions, but like her husband, she may get snowed. Big business got NAFTA and we were supposed to get Universal Healthcare. Now, she's learned... she's not even offering that. Tax cuts don't do shit for me. What would they save me $200.00? That is not good for me. Do you know the average cost of insurance on your own for a family? Did you know that most of those plans don't pay for a pregnancy in the first year? If you get pregnant, they won't pay. $10-30,000.00 later in medical bills and you start out with your little bundle of joy costing you an arm and a leg.

Dennis has it right. We already have Medicare, put everyone on it and pay a little more. Believe me, I pay for other's medicare and my husband pays for other's medicare and he pays for our family healthcare. And I count us lucky, we have a decent plan (fortunately we have never been really sick to have our claims denied--like cancer). And can you imagine how much cheaper the cost of healthcare would be when they aren't trying to make huge profits for their stock holders? The govt doesn't require returns as an investment.

[BornagainDUer]

68. Neo-liberals talk out of both sides of der mouths. They are bullllshiiit!

[0007]

9. Can't say anything bad about the ol' girl or you'll be accused of

being a right wing attack dog. LOL!!

[babylonsister]

10. I'm getting that impression, too. So I didn't.

[cali]

20. what nonsense.. n/t

[creeksneakers2]

30. Don't you suspect plants? n/t

[MethuenProgressive]

43. Obawards planted that lady!!

She couldn't be just thinking for herself!! Some one had to plant her!!

[Evergreen Emerald]

2. I cannot wait for those who were complaining about the debate audience

who were booing Obama and Edwards come to Clinton's defense........

[DURHAM D]

18. Hillary did not seem to need any help.

She handled it well. I thought the fact she let him disrupt for a long time without commenting was very smart. By the time she challenged the heckler the audience was totally done with him.

[calteacherguy]

3. People who behave like that are jackasses.

We can only learn through civil discourse and dialogue. If they want to protest in that manner, they ought to do so outside the place where the event is being held. He's as bad as the morons booing during the debate.

[BornagainDUer]

67. It's always good to booooooo neo-liberals.

[jefferson_dem]

4. Good. Payback for the plants...

Touche.

[Evergreen Emerald]

5. sounds like hypocrisy on a Saturday night

[jonnyblitz]

7. no shit, when they do it to Obama they WHINE AND WHINE

about plants, etc. fucking TYPICAL HYPOCRITES.

[jefferson_dem]

8. It was meant more as a joke than anything.

Hypocrisy? I'm sorry, did you criticize 1. Hillary's planting questions at the forum? ; 2. Edwards getting booed by Hillary's supporters at the debate?

[eleny]

31. Suddenly, they have nothing to say

http://buzz.ifas.ufl.edu/489ss2.wav

[DemocratSinceBirth]

55. That's All The Obama Symps Have Left

DSB

[Reno.Muse]

16. From what I've heard, the state dem party parlayed the extra seats

at the debate this past week to Hillary robots. She deserves to get her *rse smacked for her sick politics in Nevada, home of Harry Reid. Don't forget, his son, Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid, was in the front row that night and he's chairing her Nevada campaign. These crooks make me ashamed of being a Democrat in Nevada.

Go John Edwards, the only progressive candidate!

[papau]

29. Where is the State Dem party refusing tickets to non-Clinton supporters reported?

[creeksneakers2]

36. I read a transcript with crowd reactions today

All of the candidates got lots of cheers, even Edwards who didn't deserve any. Kucinich was booed for calling Edwards a trial lawyer. How did that benefit Hillary? That looked to me like a benefit to Edwards.

Edwards was booed because he's taking the low road and throwing mud.

[sufrommich]

41. Stop it. You're confusing them. nt

[Forkboy]

19. Yeah, great. Now both sides are arrogant asses.

Way to aim high!

[luckyleftyme2]

26. they all have plants

THEY ALL HAVE THEIR FAVORITES -REGEAN WAS NOTED FOR IT

[cali]

54. Obama didn't even show up. Nor did Biden, Dodd

or Richardson, and it wasn't a smart move. They dissed NRDC and the League of Conservation voters- among other sponsors.

[eleny]

11. Good that someone got ejected

I think heckling should be confined to congressional hearings.

[flvegan]

12. A smart, savvy Clinton would've answered the question honestly

and put the heckler in his place.

Oh, wait...that wouldn't have helped her. Probably no script for that, either.

[cali]

22. did you listen? n/t

[durrrty libby]

34. Why should she respond to some braying jackass? They deserve shit

[flvegan]

49. She did respond. Poorly.

[Mojorabbit]

66. I don't like that

people who heckle are not just evicted from the forum but instead taken away by police.

[shance]

73. But she's not honest.

so she can only fire back a ridiculous phrase already tirelessly used by her husband.

[saracat]

13. My doesn't that sound like her hubby's "how dare you ? " remark. Always irritated

when the "common folk" ask a question that isn't "pre-planted". The question was a good one and pointed to her hypocrisy.I admit it was rude, and I do not defend that, but she got a taste of what the others experienced in Vegas.And I'll bet the alleged "heckler" wasn't a campaign "plant".Face it, would she have allowed that question to even be asked if questions were allowed? I wish that had been a Debate question!

[cali]

33. you haven't a clue what you're talking about

It's clear you didn't listen to this debate.

[saracat]

45. to clarify.I meant Vegas Presidential debate question. and I do not defend the rudeness of

the questioner. But the alleged frontrunner didn't handle the questioner well either.The response was childish and temperamental.

[cali]

self-delete dupe

[BornagainDUer]

71. Did you hear about the fly on the toilet seat?

She got pissed off too!

[cali]

14. fuck the asshole who wrote this.

"The momentary disruption was the emotional high point of an otherwise sedate Saturday afternoon forum that lacked any of the drama or vigor that marked the Democratic debate two nights ago in Las Vegas."

I don't want stupid drama. What an idiot. This was by far the most substantive debate I've heard/heard about. And the questioning was done by people who knew the field and asked smart and probing questions.

Let me say it again: Cooper is a fucking asshole.

[sufrommich]

38. No shit. Apparently if there is no

dog fight,it's not good theater. I didn't realize that was the point.

[Truth2Tell]

61. "Emotional high point"

is not a statement of judgment, but simply an observation of fact. To take note of the disruption in the context of a full report on the debate is simply competent journalism.

Would you rather the press ignore dissident voices and disruptions and pretend that they don't happen, and that things are different than they really are?

Wait, don't answer that.

[BornagainDUer]

70. hee, hee. Nice one.

[BornagainDUer]

69. What was the substance? Please explain.

[durrrty libby]

I must have missed it. What number speaker was Obama for this shindig?

Maybe he had to go vote in the senate, eh?

Ooops..he doesn't do that either

[itsrobert]

15. Picture of Heckler

Obvious Obama plant.

[BeyondGeography]

57. Hmmmmmmmmmm...that is one nice looking Oprah shot

Day-um.

[William769]

17. At least she wasn't heckled at a Democratic Presidential debate!

[Forkboy]

21. That person was an idiot, as are the people thinking it was cool.

[calteacherguy]

23. Agreed. nt

[cali]

25. isn't it funny how many people are weighing in, who didn't

listen to the debate? And did you read what that idiot from Huffpost wrote about it?

[SteveM]

42. I don't listen because Richardson has to formally re-introduce himself (nt)

[Forkboy]

46. Yes it is, and no I haven't.

I'm almost afraid to read what people are saying about it.It's a shame those who hate so much didn't see it because both Edwards and Hillary were really good (really wished I had caught DK though) and it's a topic that should be uniting us all, not used as fodder by those too blinded by partisan hatred to ever admit that someone they don't like might actually have said things that made sense.

All of the ideas they talked about were solid and need doing.There's no one way it has to be done..it just has to be done.

[sufrommich]

48. It was a proud moment for the Dems.nt.

[Forkboy]

51. Yes it was, which makes this thread even sadder, but considering the source it's not surprising.

[TeamJordan23]

24. I guess CNN was not there to plant pro-HRC members in the audience. nm

[durrrty libby]

39. What did Obama have to say at the event? I missed his speech

[CyberPieHole]

52. Obama thought it was a Senate Vote and failed to show up...

as per usual.

[BruceMcF]

27. The good thing about the heckler ...

... was that the next questioner that asked Senator Clinton a question first apologized for the heckler and very effectively put the heckling down, with something about some people thinking there was more to be learned from discussion than from shouting ... a bit of that early in the CNN debate would have made for a much better event.

[itsrobert]

28. Fair observation

BruceMcF, please contribute more.

[calteacherguy]

32. Agreed. nt

[CyberPieHole]

35. And Obama got BOOOOED at the Vegas Debate...

and I laughed so hard when they boooed him I almost bust a gut.

[itsrobert]

37. I'm sure you have more than one gut to spare

no worries.

[CyberPieHole]

44. No. just the one. how many you got? Or can you count that high?

[itsrobert]

47. You're right, I have guts

I'm a veteran. thanks for the compliment.

[CyberPieHole]

50. I'm a veteran too. I have a purple heart and everything. In cyber-world we are all heroes.

[durrrty libby]

53. I love CPH

[CyberPieHole]

56. Thanks durrrty libby.

I love reading your posts as well.

[durrrty libby]

58. Some of these "cyber heroes" believe their own BS and

demand the rest of us do too.

[Life Long Dem]

40. Funny the same thing happens with Giuliani ( protestors)

[cali]

59. aren't you the confused little dim, er, dem?

this wasn't a Clinton event. It was a debate. She didn't organize it or run it. pathetic.

[Bitwit1234]

60. Golly gee whiz and jumpy jimmy

when Obama was booed at the Vegas debate we heard over and over that it was a planted audience for Hillary. Son of pitch me out the window....was this audience packed with Obama plants...hmmmmmmmmmmm turn about's fair play huh.

[feminazi]

62. was this forum televised?

if so, what channel? maybe i can catch a replay.

thanks

[zulchzulu]

63. I thought her answer perfectly showed that she is "on message"

A guy asks a question about her war record and she yaps back at him, not answering the question. Then the cops round the guy up and put him in chains and is whisked away by the federales.

You got your answer and it comes as no surprise.

Any more questions from the minions?

What would Bush do? Same thing as Hillary...

[weeve]

64. Actually ...

... the guy had a point.

"How can you say you're for the environment when you are always voting for war?"

Which is exactly why Al Gore was given the Nobel PEACE prize. They are completely interlinked.

[Alexander]

72. Kerry didn't want his heckler tasered, Clinton can't wait to get rid of hers.

"Were you invited to speak here this afternoon?" sounds like someone who can't handle dissent.

Ed Muskie would invite hecklers on stage and debate them, a tactic that proved effective and popular. If Hillary can't do the same, it shows she must not be that great of a debater.