Pete Stark was my hero, so I was disappointed when he caved. And he did.

[babylonsister]

If we can keep this civil, I'll send it to him. Thanks. OK, blame it on Steny Hoyer, or Rahm Emanueal. Blame it on someone!

[Xenotime]

1. There are darker forces at work here. He made a very bold statement..

Then just craters and back peddles....he must have been threatend.

[NanceGreggs]

2. I have no doubt ...

... that he did not go gently into that good night.

I'm sure he fell prey to all of the do-it-for-the-good-of-the-party BS that got piled on him.

When all the party really wanted (that is, those of us who actually ARE the party) was for him to stand his ground.

[Swamp Rat]

3. He was 'left holding the bag' by his 'friends'

Bastards!

[samdogmom]

4. Yeah, I agree.....!

I don't get it...there has to be something that causes people of principle to cave...others (Dick Durbin) have too, and now poor Mr. Stark. Is it the threat that committee assignments, etc. will be pulled? Or, what?

Who knows?

Bottom line--it's a telling expose on our government. We should all be living in fear---it's hard to be a person of conscience in this environment.

And, maybe we need to get to the bottom of the intimidation and find out why this is so successful.

[cboy4]

5. I had mentioned in another thread today that I was

planning on sending Rep. Stark a campaign contribution because I was so happy a Democrat had spoken the truth, while declaring the following day he was not going to apologize.

As I also stated in that threat, here's what's happening to that check:



Now, perhaps this really isn't Pete Stark's fault because of intense pressure.

But I'd like him to know what he said has cost him at least one contribution, in case he wants to mention it to the Leadership.

Because I'm sure I'm not alone in my decision to freeze funds which were to be headed his way.

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. I don't think he caved, I think he realized that he took it too far for

the floor of the congress. It's really an insult to assume he allowed himself to get pushed into this. He said what he said & now we ought to let it go.

[judaspriestess]

7. anyone seen the movie "Hot Fuzz"?

you know the scene where the guy finally stumbles on the truth, the round table of hooded people chanting. Thats what I envision happening to Mr. Stark. He was surrounded by chanting Dem's and pukes wearing black hoods AND with the music score of the "Omen" in the background. They scared the living daylights out of him.

[Zookeeper]

10. Perfect!

[Zookeeper]

8. I don't think his choice of the word "amusement" was all that...

far off the mark. It conjures the truth of Emperor George playing with people's lives like pawns in a chess game.

The Rethugs are bullies who can dish it out, but not take it.

Pete Stark should not have apologized.

[bluestateguy]

9. And I'm sure the Republicans will forget all about it and be nice to him now

Apologies are a sign of weakness.

[Pachamama]

11. When Pete Stark spoke up last week, it gave me hope for the 1st time that for the Democratic Party &

that there are some members of Congress that will speak up, speak out and say "enough". I thought to myself "why arent' there more Pete Stark's?". When I heard that Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer wanted to censure him/or demanded he apologize, it mad me steaming mad at them and I kept applauding Pete Stark and that he should stand his ground. I kept praying more Dems would follow Pete Stark's lead....instead, after a long and tiring day, where I have been feeling absolutely depressed between the fires in S.Cal, recent events comments from Bush about WWIII and his new demands for $46B for Iraq, to then see on the news that Pete Stark apologized, I just sat there numb and shaking my head. Honestly, I think I've given up hope. I no longer have much if any hope for this country. And any hope its going to be rescued/saved by Dems was wiped away today. Even stranger was seeing and hearing Stark actually say he wanted to become "insignificant". Well, guess what Pete - you are now completely insignificant as well as efforts to bring to an end this awful, awful war.

I'm done...put a fork in me....I don't even know what to do anymore...I don't even see this country as where I'll be living for more than another several years...less if the GOP wins in '08. I'm tired and today I lost something that gave me hope for the future. I don't know if I can get it back. I'm numb. And Pete Stark had given me hope last week....now I know it was just a dream.

[Newkophile]

12. I wrote a letter to Stark quoting a letter I had written defending him

After Stark apologized the day of the above letter, I wrote the following to Stark at his website:

It seems to me that every time a Democrat stands up and says what he or she really feels to the point that the Republican opposition is mortified and demanding of a retraction, the initially brave, forthright Democrat then capitulates and apologizes. For heavens sake, why?

Below is a letter I wrote this morning in response to a right winger who characterized you as a "worthless fuck":

"Let’s look at what really happened here. Stark went “over the top” with his comment about American soldiers dying for the “President’s amusement”. But as with many extreme statements by people on both sides of the aisle, ask yourself whether there is a glimmer of truth here. After ostensibly going to war in Iraq because of WMD, the threat of a “mushroom cloud”, etc., Bush had the audacity to joke onstage in front of his supporters (obviously as he would not have dared to perform such shtick in front of a less idolatrous crowd) about the lack of evidence of WMD. “Where’s the WMD?” he asked, looking under a table, a chair, etc. Very funny!!!! (not). Americans are dying where they have no business being, and this commander in chief is so terribly amused.

Is there perhaps a history of joking by this President when it is totally inappropriate? I recall when a death row victim requested clemency of her sentence when Bush was Texas governor, he mimicked her supposed pleas for mercy. Count me as one liberal who is not against capital punishment, but when a life is about to be taken, should one engage in stand-up comedy?

This President is a man of low character as he has proven on so many occasions. When he apologizes for reading “My Pet Goat” while people are burning alive or jumping to their deaths, or perhaps when he admits that attempting to play the guitar while people are drowning in New Orleans, maybe then, Stark should consider a statement of regret for what he said on the floor of Congress".

And sadly, I then read that you apologized even after the House voted not to censure you! I am embarrassed that I went to the trouble of writing that letter to defend you because with your craven apology, it was all for nothing. I'm a registered Democrat but if there were a really viable third party that had the balls to criticize this horrible President and administration without feeling a need to back down when the temperatures rise, I'd vote for its candidates in a heartbeat.

Very disappointed,

[tomg]

13. I'm still wondering why

Pete Stark's comments about the president being amused are over the line. Bush seemed pretty "amused" when he did his little "let's look under the desk - nope no wmds here" bit for the camera.

There is something wrong when guys like Stark don't get - at worst - "no comment" and - what I would expect - a chorus of "amens" from their fellow democrats.

I'm not going to knock Stark. I wish he hadn't apologized. Frankly, I'm sick of apologies, but I'm sicker of all the democrats who didn't cover his back. Not to equate the situations ( or the people) at all, but even Arlen Specter went to bat for Craig. I didn't hear one of ours do the stand up thing.

[Beerboy]

14. He's just a politician.

It was just a matter of time. He was your hero? Oh well.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

15. Why should I blame it on anybody?

Why should I even care? It's just more bullshit, and people complaining about other peoples' bullshit. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter one bit.