Rachel Maddow: 'IntimiNation' Takes Dangerous Turn

[Hissyspit]

Run time: 10:35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCqUcDeE_1A   Posted on YouTube: August 07, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: August 07, 2009 By DU Member: Hissyspit Views on DU: 1582

 
MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show - 6 August 2009: "IntimiNation" Health Care Town Halls Take Dangerous Turn. Rachel speaks with Democratic Congressman Brian Baird.

RACHEL: The wave of angry mobs being dispatched to shut down town hall meetings about health care reform appears to be tacking from aggressive rudeness toward threats of violence. Congressman Brad Miller, a Democrat of North Carolina, has received death threats over his position on health care. Congressman Miller's communication director telling Talking Points Memo today "the call to the D.C. was 'Miller could lose his life over this.'" Congressman Brian Baird of Washington... also announced he won't be scheduling any town meetings over the August recess because of what he called "a lynch mob mentality out there. There is an ugliness to it," he said.

She shows video of Congressman Todd Akins laughing about representatives from Congress being "almost lynched" at the town hall meetings.

RACHEL: It is being celebrated and publicized by the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is the part of the Republican Party responsible for races in the House of Representatives. They're promoting the disruptions of public events on their website. They're calling them 'Recess Roastings' and they're taunting the Democrats who are being accosted and shouted down at these events.

[Windy]

1. I need to move the hell out of this country. Wow... it is getting very very bad. nt

[SIMPLYB1980]

2. No need to run away if it comes to a real fight we will

steam roll the right wing thugs.

[parasearchers]

20. I agree, I am working on my Nurse Practioner as fast as possible.

Things are going to turn ugly. Its just a matter of time. The Neo-Cons are actively trying to incite violence. Sooner or later this will turn active. We are not putting them down hard, instead just watching it happen.

[Mind_your_head]

3. Congressman Baird should DO SOMETHING to stop/quell the "lynch mob" that he refers to

HIDING and not holding any town meetings/discussions is EXACTLY what the "lynch mob" wants you to do, dammit!

Congressman Baird better "do something" to protect town meetings and the democratic process from these thugs (he's a CONGRESSMAN AFTER ALL!!!) or expect not to be a 'congressman' very much longer if he doesn't 'grow a pair' and LEAD!

Running & hiding and not holding town meetings b/c he's afraid, is not LEADING!

[Windy]

4. watch this video.... so disgusting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7Uv-Lh2XvE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eyoutube%2Ecom%2Fv%2Ff7Uv%2DLh2XvE%26hl%3Den%26fs%3D1%26%2520%2522%253Ehttp%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eyoutube%2Ecom%2Fv%2Ff7Uv%2DLh2XvE%26hl%3Den%26fs%3D1%26%2520%2522%2520type%3D%2522applic&feature=player_embedded

[Mind_your_head]

7. Yeah, that's disgusting alright, but what does that video have to do

with Congressman Baird not holding any town hall meetings b/c he is afraid of the 'bullies'? And THEY ARE BULLIES.

"All hat and no cattle", just like their 'idol' the shrub.

[Windy]

11. because the man said, off camera, that he would murder the videographer and health care reform

supporter. These are the type of folks who intimidate people like Baird and bully them into not having forums

[Mind_your_head]

12. CONGRESSMAN Baird ..... let me repeat CONGRESSMAN Baird.....

who has the full support/access of the state police, FBI, probably CIA, et al....is feeling threatened by a bully like the lamer in the video?

Didn't congressman Baird's momma teach him how to "handle bullies"?

Apparently not. Sad.

[Windy]

13. excuse me but I realize that the clip is not about congressman Baird

I'm just making the point that with nuts like the man in the tape running around, I don't blame the congressman for not having townhalls...

What is your problem by the way?

[Mind_your_head]

14. *I* don't have a problem. Congressman Baird *has a problem* that

he is unwilling to face. He is shutting down the true democratic process of this country/of his region/his constituents by refusing to hold town hall meetings b/c he's afraid of the brownshirt GOP bullies! He's afraid of getting 'shouted down'!

edit to add: You are a coward too b/c you say, " I don't blame the congressman for not having townhalls...
You let bullies push you around too, eh? You have 'no problem' with that? hehe .... too easy......

[Seldona]

16. He is exactly right.

The debate will go on in a form that doesn't create a place for these idiots to act out. With the phone option, real discourse can take place in a controlled manner.

Short of creating 'free speech zones,' or demanding a loyalty oath like Bush did, there is not much that can be done here. The police certainly aren't arresting people for disorderly conduct, even though it is publicly planned well in advance. So there is little help there, other than to escort the rep out, apparently.

Do you want reel after reel of these people screaming our reps down like they actually count? I don't.

President Obama is trying to get people to promise to go to any town hall meetings nearby. I signed up. Until we can match them in organization and effort, there is simply no reason to hold them as they were held.

[bjobotts]

17. Nonsense. Like saying you don't empty out a classroom of kids after getting a bomb threat.

[ccharles000]

5. k/r

[GivePeaceAchance]

6. I think this is the end of the road for the GOP. They can't come back from this and be taken...

serious, folks are far too aware of who they are now. They make the loudest noise but they are still just the few. Fifty percent of Republicans who side with the birther movement when only 20 percent declare themselves Republican is only 10 percent of the nation. Over 300 million people are on the sane side of the debate we've safety in numbers, there is only so far their craziness can go, so they should get acquainted with the virtues of a peaceful democracy.

[Hissyspit]

8. Congessman Baird:

RACHEL: Joining us now is Congressman Brian Baird of Washington State. Congressman, thanks for being on the show tonight. Do you think there is a danger of real violence being a fringe off-shoot of what we're seeing right now in our political discourse.

CONGRESSMAN BAIRD: Well, the first violence that's happening is the violence to the democratic process. If people set out to disrupt town hall meetings to intimidate people who sincerely want to discuss important issues, the first victim is the democracy itself. But beyond that, some of the rhetoric we're hearing is vaguely, not vaguely, but eerily, reminiscent of the kind of things that drove Tim McVeigh to bomb the federal building in Oklahoma.

[Mind_your_head]

10. Wow

:wow: Is it just *me* or does congressman Baird make a huge jump of 'logic' here?????? :wtf:?

[DearAbby]

9. These people should be arrested for Disorderly conduct.

if there was a case for it, it is here.

[JDPriestly]

15. Eventually, some of them will be.

I'm going to ask my congressman if he could please hold some sort of on-line, written discussion about the health care in which he answers common questions about the healthcare.

[TommyPaine]

18. Rush the megalomaniac & his Nazi fetish

I've seen a "Rush Rally". That's far closer to something from 1930s Germany than any conflation he's trying to make between Obama, health care reform and the National Socialist Party (which was far-right like you Rush, not far-left). And the lying, manipulative orator with a legion of mindless followers compares Nancy Pelosi to Hitler? What a titanic buffoon.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

19. It's only a matter of time-

before one of these right-wing kooks actually brings a gun into one of these meetings and kills somebody.

The big irony here- which these wingnuts will never get- is that they are the ones behaving like Nazis. These were exactly the sort of tactics employed by the brown shirts in the latter days of the Wiemar Republic and early days of the Nazi regime. (Minus the street brawls- but give them time) But of course, these dopes are never gonna get it- The right-wing propaganda machine has them believing that Nazis were leftists (National SOCIALIST Workers Party, right?)