I once had to placate a giant egocentric asshole...

[PCIntern]

I was a young dentist and made a true statement about this big hotshot in the profession. It was absolutely true and not incendiary and not slanderous - it had to do with non-action with respect to a certain event which was a matter of public record.

This fellow sent me a letter written in red ink, bearing down on the paper, practically pushing the pen thru in 'faux' anger. The reason I knew it was false was that he knew exactly what he was doing and couldn't deny it for an instant - he had presence, I'll say that for him.

So instead of being subservient and apologetic, I wrote him a letter using one of those 5 color pens and each word was in a different color: black, blue, red, green, and yellow. I answered each of his points and included a Xerox of his original note in order that he would have a reference point and that I assumed that he had not copied it himself (may have been a false assumption - he was slicker than you-know-what). I never heard about this issue again and he was always somewhat deferent(!) to me...weirdly; asking me what I thought about things and changing his tune after my input.

You can't knuckle under to these megalomaniac-wannabees. They are pretenders and a small pin can burst the bubble. Rethugs are afraid to do this. Possibly for good reason, since the Establishment probably has the goods on them, How else could anyone explain the abject fear of the RWers in Congress?

[Skittles]

1. I hear you PC

absoulutely - to me, silence equals agreement and backing down is just so much worse - bullies must be beaten at their own game

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. When you call a bully out, you win

And you won. Good show!

Reid and Pelosi are bad leaders. That's what's wrong. I like to pretend that Rahm Emanuel was the Speaker of the House, or else he ran for Senator and displaced Harry Reid.

They're spineless. That's my simplistic conclusion. I hope they can rally with a good man finally in the White House.

[SheilaT]

3. Good for you.

Bullies can almost always be defeated just by standing up to them.

[Bolo Boffin]

4. Steele had to do that just today. n/t

[crikkett]

5. ...the best way to do that is with a pacifier (snicker)

(couldn't help but respond directly to your headline. Now, to read your note)

[PCIntern]

7. OUCH!

[crikkett]

8. Oh come on, they come in different sizes.

By the way, your multicolored response was clever and very funny. People just don't put that kind of effort into their correspondence anymore!

I really enjoyed reading your story.

[kestrel91316]

6. I've been bullied: been sued in federal court, physically assaulted, lied about,

had phony criminal complaints filed against me. And here's the deal: when you know you are right, and you know you have done nothing wrong, you DO NOT BACK DOWN ONE INCH. And you give as good as you got. Times ten.

I won, BTW. Never even hired or consulted an attorney. Just told the truth. She, OTOH, is out of business, did some jail time, got declared a vexatious litigant, and got run out of town on a rail.

Spines are important. So are brass cojones.