If there was any doubt that the disruptive, rude and intimidating behavior at townhall meetings is being caused by the lies and scripts provided by rightwing lobbying groups and Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop just confirmed it.
Bishop appeared on righting talk show host Frank Beckman’s show last week and condoned the angry mobs who have been disrupting and hijacking the townhall meetings of Democratic members of Congress, spurred on the lies and scripts provided by the health insurance lobby, rightwing lobbying groups and Republicans. Bishop went even farther by suggesting the angry mobs go after Gov. Granholm if the solution to the estiamnted $2.8 billon budget shortfall includes any sin tax increases.
With this Bishop involved, you know why budget negotiations are going so slow. The Governor, the Speaker of the House and Bishop are currently in closed door negotiations over the state budget. Part of the negotiations includes a number of rumored proposals to raise revenue to close some of that gap.
It’s obvious that bullying and intimidation is a favorite Bishop tactic. Just last week he officially justified the assault by Sen. Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw, on 72-year-old Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman, D-Detroit.
Michigan Democratic Chair Mark Brewer called Bishop out of those tactics, and pointed out that mob mentality and brawling are common themes with Bishop, recalling the brawl he was involved in on Mackinac Island a few years ago.
“We need to be having civil discussions on health care as we move toward reform,” Brewer said. “Condoning this mob behavior is despicable, but then again it’s coming from Mike Bishop, a practitioner of such tactics.”
You may recall that back in 2003 Bishop suffered a concussion, a chipped tooth, a facial cut requiring stitches and a battered nose after Bishop climbed into a horse-drawn taxi and told Aaron Kirk’s companion that she was too good to be with Kirk. Bishop admitted to telling Kirk’s companion, "You ladies ought to think twice about who you go out with at night. Police said that both combatants had been drinking, and that Bishop refused a breath test and that he declined to press charges.
Kirk got a year's probation after his no-contest plea to assault and a guilty plea to possession of marijuana and ecstasy.
This guy wants to be the chief law enforcement officer of Michigan?
4 comments:
You know, when you have to keep using lies, that just shows the weakness of your argument and the lack of faith you have in your position.
Bishop did not officially justify an assault. That is a flat out lie. He said that a bi-partisan investigation showed that no assault took place. That's a huge difference, and you can doubt the conclusion, but it surely is not officially justifiying an assault.
You call the report a whitewash, but you can't find one witness out of the other 4 in the elevator who support her claim.
Barcia, the Democrat, said there was no assault. He, according to mlive.com, said that neither senator moved toward each other. Quoting the article: "None of the witnesses claimed any movement toward any party." Wow. Pretty clear.
Whether you want to believe it or not, there is surveillance camera film of the group leaving the elevator. It shows nothing to support the claims by Clark-Coleman.
In fact, both Barcia and Pappageorge say that the two got into a heated argument, started by Clark-Coleman, that was described by both witnesses as "loud" but "not quite yelling." So I can either believe you or 4 of the 5 people in the elevator, the surveillance tapes and the bi-partisan investigation.
There's a reason that Clark-Coleman won't press charges and it's the same reason you don't take your dippy school election complaint to the secretary of state...the allegations are baseless.
Clark-Coleman appeared to play the race card because of a Senate vote. Kahn took offense. They yelled. That's the story...that's the story that everyone tells. Facts are troublesome things.
Oh, by the way, there was nothing wrong with Bishop's interview with Beckman. I, too, am tired of Democrats saying that Americans are too stupid to come up with ideas on their own. You, as you had to admit, were wrong about your allegations and insinuations about the guy who spoke at Dingell's townhall meeting. You wanted him arrested.
Even some level-headed Democrats are growing weary of the elitist snobbery behind the name-calling of townhall speakers.
How about the guy who said "it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such a government." Would you arrest him as well. Is he a thug. Is he un-American?
Sorry, brett, there are no lies in that post.
Bishop did officially justify an assault, and he made sure the bullying by Republicans will continue. The “investigation was not bipartisan,” and it justified assault. Everyone in the elevator supported the assault.
“It concludes that Mr. Kahn "did move toward Sen. Clark-Coleman's side of the elevator.” Wow. Pretty clear.
There were cameras on the Capitol's ground floor, but not trained on the elevator. Again, there was no “bi-partisan investigation.” The conclusion was certainly not bipartisan.
I didn’t take the Republicans violation of the campaign finance law for two reasons. One, because of Terry Tea bag Land, and the other was I was not involved in the mileage election and live in Howell not Brighton.
There is a big difference between yelling and assault, and either way it’s not the kind of behavior you expect from a Senator.
Well, you may think it’s OK for Bishop to condone mob rule, but I don’t. When did Democrats ever say that Americans “are too stupid to come up with ideas on their own?”
I didn’t have to admit anything “about the guy who spoke at Dingell's townhall meeting.” I corrected that on my own. But at no time did I excuse his behavior because there is no excuse for it. Yes, he should have been arrested.
“Elitist snobbery behind the name-calling of townhall speakers?” What the hell are you talking about?
“How about the guy who said “it is their right; it is their duty, to throw off such a government?” What about him? This government was duly and legally elected by a large majority of Americans.
What about him? He said it was an American's duty to protest. You want to deny Americans that right. In fact, you want to arrest them.
You just keep lying. Not one of the witnesses said there was an assault. Not one. They all said just the opposite.
Yelling is not appropriate behavior, but it happens. All witnesses said BOTH raised their voices, but they called it short of yelling. Note they said BOTH were agitated and arguing. Both.
Show me where ONE witness said there was assault. They all said just the opposite. You have absolutely no credibility and lie and lie and lie.
The surveillance cameras filmed those getting off the elevator. Craines and AP story both provided detailed coverage of what was on the surveillance camera.
You lie and lie and lie and lie.
But, show me two things:
1. Any statement from Barcia (the Democrat on the elevator) who said there was an assault. He said just the opposite. He's either a liar or you are.
2. Show me that Clark-Coleman has pressed charges. You can't because she hasn't and she likely won't. There was no crime. All witnesses debunk her story.
She's a nice woman who serves her district well, but she got caught up in a political game and doesn't know how to get off the carousel.
You've become more ridiculous. You just state things that are provably false and, because you state them, you say it's true.
Not ONE of the witnesses has said there was an assault. In fact they said there wasn't even yelling. The film from the surveillance cameras support the witnesses and doesn't support Clark-Coleman.
It was a bi-partisan investigation, it was detailed and it failed to show any evidence of anything other than a heated argument during a 20-second elevator ride.
You are so insecure that you can't even acknowledge basic facts.
And your claim about the lack of charges on the county Republicans is laughable. You have nothing. But you already knew that.
Protest all you want, but don’t disrupt an informational meeting where people are actually trying to get information. I don’t want to deny any Americans that right. Yes, the guy from Milan should have been arrested. Anti-war protestors are routinely arrested, and there is actual life and death at stake there.
Sorry brett, I have never lied. They all confirmed he approached her in the elevator, and he was angry. Yelling is not appropriate behavior for a Senator, and assault is most definitely not appropriate behavior for a Senator.
I showed you four, and you can falsely accuse me of lying all your want, but it’s still not true.
1. “Mr. Barcia, who was on a mobile phone during the incident, described Mr. Kahn's words as a "sharp rebuke" and a "very intense discussion and being of a personal nature.” That was all he said. He is not a liar and neither am I.
2. Once again, I never said she pressed charges, but her exact quote is, “But Ms. Clark-Coleman vowed not to drop the issue.
"I will take it to the next level," she said, declining to reveal her plans. "I am reviewing all my options."
I have never said anything false. Sorry, brett, the “film from the surveillance cameras” does not prove or show anything.
No, it was not a “bi-partisan investigation,” and even Gongwer recognized that, saying: “But Mr. Kahn said Tuesday that the "nonpartisan" report, produced by Senate Secretary Carol Morey Viventi…”
Here is a “basic fact” I’ll acknowledge, Kahn assaulted and tried to intimidate a 72-year-old woman.
The Livingston County Republican party illegally tried to influence a millage election.
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