The coverage from my local newspaper of the preview of the kickoff of a petition drive to stop 32 million Americans with no health care insurance from getting it and placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot to exempt Michigan from the historic health insurance reform has been slanted to favor the teabaggers, but the coverage of the actual political rally was even more slanted.
The paper claims 200 people showed up at the “tea party Monday night at the Howell Freshman Campus cafeteria. Whether it’s 150 or 200, it’s certainly not much considering how conservative Livingston County is, this is supposed to be a statewide effort and all the free promotion it got. There is no doubt the corporate media is conservative.
As a former reporter, it was often the headline that got me in trouble, and it’s the copy editors that usually write them. That may be the case in today’s edition of the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus.
At the top of the page above the fold on the front page is a bold headline above three separate stories that says, “Animosity over health care grows.” Under that bold headline are three separate stories with smaller headlines:
“About 200 show up at meeting to learn about opting-out amendment.”
“Brick Smashes GOP office in Howell area.”
“Proposals in Senate call for right to choose.”
All three are inaccurate, and the vandalism at the GOP “Fix it” office has nothing to do with animosity. The name of the office is accurate. After all, they broke it, they should fix it.
I have written a lot about the petition drive, but what really struck me last night was the fact that law already allows states to opt out.
The constitutional amendment that was rejected by the Republican-controlled Senate gives you less options and choices for health care.
The story at the GOP office in Genoa Township really bothered me. It gives the false impression that the vandalism had something to do with health care. There is no proof of that. I live no more than two miles from this office, but I have never been able to see it since they opened it in November as I drive by Grand River Avenue.
It’s kind of funny that the announcement came from the state party. According to the article, “A brick hurled through the window of the Michigan Republican Party’s office in Howell(sic) has the words ”Long Live the USA” and “God Bless the USA” scrawled on it,according to Livingston County Sheriff’s investigators.”
The first point is the Sheriff’s office should not be in investigating it, and it should be handled by the Michigan State Police. Livingston County Undersheriff Mike Murphy is also the chair of the Livingston County Republican Party.
The article says “Both Democratic and Republican officials nationally have reported threats of violence in the wake of passage of national health care reform bills. Venable’s news release cites recent vandalism at the campaign office of House Republican Whip Congressman Eric Cantor and the Albemarle County, Va., Republican Party headquarters.”
That is simply not true. The police have said the shot fired near Cantor’s office was just a random shot, and it had nothing to do with him denying access to health care for 32 million people. He lied. So-called Republican leaders have not only ginned up the violence with their rhetoric, but they refuse to speak out against it. Democratic leaders have not incited people to violence.
One thing I heard last night at the “tea party” and at others was “we want our country back.” I never heard that back in the early part of this decade when Republicans controlled all three branches of the federal government and all three branches of Michigan government. We wanted control back, and we got it because government was being ran so badly. But no one had our country, and no one has it now. It kind of makes you wonder what they mean, but when you consider teabaggers are now being called the tea klan, then you begin to understand who they want it back from.
12 comments:
Wow. And Amen, Brother.
I read your stuff, then go to the paper you talk about and find that it's completely different than what you've been spewing.
As far as Eric Cantor goes, the Richmond police said they believe it was a random bullet. But then, on Monday it was announced that a guy from Philadelphia was arrested and charged for threatening to kill Cantor, his wife and their children. In his note, he mentioned the bullet. The guy was arrested on Saturday.
So no, the stuff on Eric Cantor is not a lie. By the way, the guy that was arrested had donated to Obama and admitted that he had sent out over 2,000 threats.
As for investigating a crime. By your own admission, the crime took place in Livingston County. That puts it in the jurisdiction of the Livingston County Sheriff.
The meeting was information. The information was to tell people how to go about getting their petitions signed.
The paper said "roughly" 200. Could be a little less, could be a little more. But I remember you claiming that the Tea Party last year didn't get 200 people and someone from another blog actually put out a picture counting all in attendance and admitted he didn't get the ones behind him on the stage in his picture.
Once again, you're nailed spewing half truths, and out and out lies.
I know, you "never lie". Yet you keep getting caught.
Thanks Candace.
Well good for you, anonymous; that’s why I provide the links. There was no bullet shot at Cantor’s office. That makes him a liar. I’m well aware of the arrest of the man who allegedly made a threat against Cantor. So what? The fact is the bullet was a random shot not directed at Cantor’s office. He was arrested for the threat, not the shot. Not only that, there is no proof it had anything to do with health care. But if it proves to be the case, the ratio of Democrats threatened to Republicans is 10-1.
Crimes that place a local department in a conflict of interest are routinely passed on to the State Police. This is a clear conflict of interest.
I was there, it was a partisan political rally, pure and simple.
I said it was “approximately 150 people.” Whether it’s 150 or 200, it’s certainly not much considering how conservative Livingston County is, this is supposed to be a statewide effort and all the free promotion it got. There is no doubt the corporate media is conservative.
You remember wrong, anonymous. There was a disagreement on the estimation on the number of people at a “tea party.” After the photo, I changed my estimate.
Once again, anonymous, I’m waiting for you to prove I have ever lied. We’ll be waiting a long time for that.
With all the free pub the rally got and they can only muster up 150 to 200 tea baggers that says a lot.
To Not Anonymous dude we went over the Eric Cantor story, so why keep insisting? And for the guy that got arrested in Philly also made threats to couple other people who were Democrats and he's mentally ill.. I'm guessing your source left that part out am I right Not Anonymous?
While you like to bring up that guy what about the people that sent threats and harassing phone calls to Bart Stupak, called John Lewis the N-word, Barney Frank the F word, cut the gas line to a brother of a congressmen, smash windows of Rep. Slaughter's offices and threaten her kids, and Rep.Cleaver got spat upon.. Oh yeah you defend those actions.
Of course the guy that was arrested is a nut job. He's a liberal Democrat.
So far, he's the only arrest that's come out of the so-called threats.
There has now been video released of the day that the Reps were supposedly called the "N" word and faggot and the one that was supposedly spit on. I wondered about this with all of the cell phones and video phones out there. Now they are coming out. Nobody spat on anyone. Nobody called anyone a racist name and nobody called Frank a faggot.
In addition,the police that were there claim they didn't hear any of those words, nor did they see anyone get spit on.
The gas line that was supposedly cut was a propane line to his grill. The Congressman's brother claimed he smelled it in his house. His grill was outside. It's not clear that it was cut. It may have been worn from the harsh winter that they had just come through.
In other words, there is nothing to defend because most of those you mentioned didn't happen.
Nobody has been arrested for threatening Stupak. Even the phone call that was played on the air, was not a threatening phone call. Classless, yes, but threatening, no.
Slaughters office did have a smashed window, but I have yet to see a report that her kids were threatened by the window smasher.
There is no defense for threatening, nor for vandalism. You have never heard me defend any of them. Neither do I believe them without proof.
There is proof of something else though. There is proof of Reid supporters throwing eggs at the Tea Pary bus in Nevada. There is video evidence. And once again, so far, the only arrest is of one crackpot threatening to kill Cantor.
It’s sad that you would lie to defend hate and violence, but I’m not surprised. The man who threatened Cantor has also threatened President Obama and other Democrats.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/03/what_to_make_of_norman_leboon.
php
The numerous threats and acts of violence against Democrats occurred. Including spitting, racist name calling, a gas line being cut and bricks through windows. All you have is an alleged incident of egg throwing.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/28/congressman-spit-on-by-te_n_516300.html
I guess I have to say it again since you can't seem to get it through that thick yet empty head of yours. You'll not find any post anywhere that I've defended violence.
Your first reference is an opinion piece. He admits in there that LeBoon donated to Obama, but can't figure out what that means. That says more about his ignorance than anything.
Your second reference is not credible because it's the socialist huffington post. But even the video does not show anyone spitting. The only thing that can be heard in it is the people shouting "Kill the bill". The closest you can come to spitting is the guy with his hands cupped shouting kill the bill. I can't make out what Cleaver is saying to the guy and I can't make out what the guy is saying back, but it sounds like "kill the bill".
If you consider people protesting what they feel is a very dangerous bill, then that too says more about you.
Bricks through windows is wrong. This is no proof that gas lines were cut, but it's been widely reported that the gas lines were actually "A" gas line and that gas line was on his propane grill.
Yet again, there is no proof of any threats. Just words by congressmen that already don't care what the people think. Therefore, they cannot be trusted to tell the truth.
Again, there is proof of eggs thrown at the bus. There is video.
You show your ignorance by blindly believing congressmen because they are socialist Democrats like you but ignoring the video evidence of the socialist Democrats throwing eggs at a vehicle represening the tea party.
I know that your mind won't be changed. You wouldn't admit it if it happened right in front of you and there was DNA evidence. Not if it's your socialist Democrats that are accused. But anyone daring to say they don't like something a socialist Democrat says causes you to use sexual references when referring to groups.
You're full of hyperbole but no facts.
Are you serious? Not only are you not condemning the violence, you’re defending it. The fact is the guy made threats against President Obama and many other Democrats. But even if he hadn‘t, the fact is Democrats are not out there whipping up hate and violence. When was the last time a liberal blew up a federal building, killed a doctor for performing legal medical procedure or dressed up in camouflage playing army in the woods plotting the overthrow of the elected government and the murder of government officials?
So, you don’t believe your own eyes simply because the Huffington Post put it up? You are a sad, delusional man blinded by ideology. The man spat on Rep. Cleaver, and there is no way you can spin it otherwise,
Again, anonymous there, there is no such thing as a socialist Democrat in this country, and that is just a false, fascist Republican talking point.
Sure my mind can be changed: by the facts, and, as usual, you are short on facts and long on opinions and outright lies.
The last time a liberal blew up a federal building? I'm not sure of the "last time" but I can tell you that it has happened. Bill Ayers (Friend of the President) bombed the pentagon. He then bragged about it in a NY Times article on September 11, 2001.
A liberal in camouflage? How about Reverend Wright who was camouflaged as a minister of God but proclaimed "God Damn America".
A liberal plotting assassinations? John Kerry in the early 70's attended a meeting in Kansas where they were plotting to assassinate members of Congress.
Hatemongering? How about Jack Murtha saying that the Marines were guilty of cold blooded murder in Haditha. The soldiers were exonnerated. How about Harry Reid saying that we'd lost the war in Iraq. How about John Kerry saying that our soldiers were going into peoples homes in the dead of night terrorizing families in Iraq.
I long for the day when all we have in the White House is a guy that wants to get a blow job from a girl only two years older than his own daughter and who is blackmailed for his sexual activities.
I miss the day when the most violent thing that had to do with someone in the White House was how hard he bit the lip of his latest female conquest.
If only we could hear about how a President uses a young woman as a humidor rather than one that ignores the people of this country.
Stirring up controversy? Threats? Gee, I seem to remember a movie being put out that called for the assassination of President Bush. I seem to remember placards held high at protests by liberals that said "Kill Bush".
There was no spit on Beaver Cleaver. There was nobody that yelled faggot at Barney Franks and there was nobody that called John Lewis the "n" word that Saturday as he was walking through that crowd.
There is no physical evidence of it happening. The only thing we know for sure is that Lewis, the Beav and the loudmouth said these things happened to them. Nobody has come up with one iota of proof.
You want so badly for Republicans to be guilty of inciting the violence when in fact, there is no proof of any of it that has surfaced as yet.
You whine about Louise Slaughters office having a brick thrown through the window, but then claim there is a conflict of interest when it happens in a Republican office.
Oh, and yes, there is such a thing as a socialist Democrat. Howard Dean even admitted to it the other day saying that the government takeover of health care is redistributing the wealth.
But you go ahead and live in your delusional world of all things nirvana in Socialist Democrat America. There is a clamoring for new government in this country. People are fed up with the socialist Democrats serving themselves at the expense of the American way of life, the economy, and their attempt to take freedom away from Americans.
Wow. You have hauled out every single debunked rightwing lie you can find. Seriously, you don’t know the last time? How about 40 years ago, and it caused little damage and no one was even injured, let alone killed. Bill Ayers is not a friend of the President. Some people will go to extraordinary lengths to stop an unjust war. There is nothing wrong with Rev. Wright.
John Kerry plotted to assassinate members of Congress? I guess if you’re going to lie you might as tell a big one, right anonymous?
The violence is much more than just a brick through Louise Slaughters office window. Well, if the head of the Democratic Party was investigating it, there would be a conflict of interest.
It’s just sad that you defend violence and hate. You’re a true fascist Republican. There is no such thing as a socialist Democrat in this country, and that’s just a fascist Republican talking point. If you want to talk about taking away personal freedoms, see the so-called Patriot Act. It was the Republicans that plunged us into the worst recession since the Great Depression, and a Democrat that erased the national debt.
If you ever want to debate with some facts let me know, anonymous. In the mean time I guess you’ll stick with lies, talking points and personal attacks.
I love how when we use factual sources like Talking Point memo or Huffy Post right wingers like Not anonymous can dismissed them but we gotta accept their sources i.e. Fox News, Newsmax, World Nut Daily, Drudge Report or where ever right wingers get their "information" from.
Another tactic of well you guys did it too is pure bullshit, ok Not Anonymous name me one elected or former elected Democratic official that stood up in front of a crowd and incite violence against George W.Bush or elected Republican officials.
As for the movie cons like to bring up as extreme hate for Bush on the left, again Not I wished you check things out before repeating things you get from 15 cents media whores like Michelle Malkin. The movie was made by a British man and it didn't call for Bush to be killed.
But you don't let facts get in the way of good ole fashion fake conservative outrage. I got the video of Rep.Cleaver getting spat upon. Are you telling me my eyes are lying to me?
John Lewis got more creditability than the entire conservative movement combine so I believe him when he tells the media someone called him the N-word.
Not you're a liar and you're bad one to boot.
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