Here’s the thing about protesting Congressional Republicans: yes, some will handle it well, and good for them when they do.
In North Harmony, N.Y., Representative Tom Reed confronted what felt like interminable jeers, navigating hostile questions about abortion rights, efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and potential conflicts of interest for Mr. Trump. The crowd at a senior center was so large that the event was moved to the parking lot outside. Chants of “Do your job!” rang out.
“What I have heard is passion,” Mr. Reed said. “What I have heard is democracy.”
BUT…most are safe-zone-loving snowflakes who will cancel their town halls, ignore their phone calls, and hunker down in their bubble. And most will be scared, I don’t mean of violence, I mean just generally scared (some of you may lack lack the level of neurosis necessary to understand this), and mind fuck is a big part of politics.
Anger can be power. Some people are skilled enough to defuse it, but most people just back down or run away scared.
rikyrah
I enjoy stories like this ??
schrodingers_cat
Is Mr. Reed a Republican?
Gordon Schumway
Do you know that you can use it?
DougJ
@schrodingers_cat:
Yes
Baud
@DougJ: Hopefully, he hears democracy in November 2018.
jharp
I’m stating to think that the Russians have some pretty serious dirt on a fair number of Republicans.
And that is the reason they are letting Trump get away with his clown act.
Smedley the uncertain
That’s my rep too. SAD We lost a lot when they rejiggered our district into his and we got that Paladino fan boy.
Cheers
oldster
I feel mixed about this (and Reed is my rep.)
On the one hand, I appreciate his willingness to meet with constituents at a time when most Republicans are running away and refusing to listen.
On the other hand, this is mighty low bar to set for elected representatives. Listening to their constituents is their damned job. It’s what they’re supposed to do. What do they want, a cookie?
Furthermore, Reed scheduled all of these way out in what he thinks of as the ‘safe’ part of his district–the deep red area that was cobbled together to dilute whose wicked communists around Cornell University in Ithaca. It’s a 3.5 hour drive from the east side of his district, where the majority of the voters live, to the rural towns where he held these meetings. He was banking on only the reliable local Trump-lovers showing up.
He was wrong. Lots of locals showed up, and they don’t like Trump either.
So, yes, I’m glad he is not screaming “paid protestor! Acorn! New Black Panthers!”
But how much credit am I obliged to give him?
Kenneth Kohl
Well, our NY-27 “snowflake”, Chris Collins is pretty sure he won’t be holding any town halls … because..
His spokesman released this little gem; it’s wording sounds familiar…
Good grief
Baud
@Kenneth Kohl: With numbers like those, what is he scared of?
germy
I distinctly remember Elizabeth Warren being verbally abused by a RWNJ at one of her campaign stops. She listened to his remarks and answered his demented questions. She didn’t scurry away.
Frankensteinbeck
This might be why they haven’t used Trump as a cover while they pass their fuck-minorities-and-the-New-Deal agenda. Something has to explain why almost nothing has gotten through congress.
@jharp:
Maybe, but I doubt it’s necessary. I’ve never seen reason to believe the elected Republicans are all that much different than their constituents, which would mean they’re really god damn pissed we elected a black man, and loathe giving liberals any victory to the bottom of their soul.
jhtrotter
Hey Doug, does Louise get a pass for not showing up?
Catherine D.
@oldster:
He apparently showed up at his Ithaca office where the Catholic Workers were staging a sit-in, but I don’t see him doing a town hall here.
Brave Sir Robin
James Powell
@Frankensteinbeck:
Yeah, I go back and forth over whether the Republicans are just cynical assholes who manipulate the ignorant, hateful, bigoted morons or whether they themselves are ignorant, hateful, bigoted morons. Hard to tell.
Cacti
@James Powell:
I would say a mix of both.
Nappy
Ah, an Elton John reference from DougJ
Big Ole Hound
@jharp: I think you right, including Trump. As soon as we make them realize the meddling will do little good they will let the world know these secrets.
Frankensteinbeck
@James Powell:
It’s not binary, or even totally contradictory. Think of Trump as the distilled center of the Republican Party (which is how he got the nomination). He’s the pure example – racist as Hell, pathologically insecure, spiteful, deeply corrupt, dumb as a rock with no desire to be anything else, and convinced he’s a mastermind manipulating all the rubes when in fact he’s getting by on luck and cheap intimidation tactics you see in any alcoholic family. The base and the officials are all somewhere in the area of that. To get elected, you usually have to be enough smarter to manage charming rhetoric, but that’s not a high bar to clear if you’re an asshole who only cares about appearances. So, most of these elected officials do think they’re fleecing the rubes, just because they’re in the position to exercise the corruption their base would eagerly exercise if they could. Taking advantage of people is how they think the world works. But at the same time, they basically agree with their constituents, and they’re using their positions to grift off of what they want to do anyway. They hate the poor (who are probably brown) and want to grind them, so they got a job where Galtian jackasses will pay them big bucks for the privilege. They stir up their mob with lies, but they believe those lies at the same level their base does, that it’s morally true and fuck you, libtards. Keeping their personal power and keeping white power are inextricably tied together, and they don’t have to choose. And so on. The GOP is the party of Your Racist Uncle stereotypes.
James Powell
True. Although his image is being improved by comparison with the current resident, this pretty much describes George W Bush. We must never forget that without the Bush/Cheney Junta of 2000, we wouldn’t have Roberts & Alito. And we probably wouldn’t have Trump. This disaster did not happen overnight.
DougJ
@jhtrotter:
No
Frankensteinbeck
@jharp: and @Big Ole Hound:
Why? I see no reason Russia will out Trump or any of the Republicans as long as they do what Russia wants. From Putin’s standpoint, this operation is already a runaway success, so there isn’t even spite as a reason to turn on his loyal minions. Putin doesn’t give a damn if Trump is popular or Russia’s complicity is exposed. Hell, Trump’s failures just undermine the American system more, and that was his goal.
Redshift
@James Powell: It’s a feedback loop; they feed on each other in a hermetically sealed bubble that keeps out reality.
Gretchen
My rep here in Kansas only let 4 people at a time in to talk to him in December, with police inside monitoring. The line was out the door, down the street and around the corner. I waited an hour and didn’t get in. The people in line weren’t there to tell him he’s doing a great job.
Meanwhile, here’s the guy running for Mike Pompeo’s seat as a Democrat. They’ve got a team out door-knocking this morning.http://www.votejamesthompson.com/join?splash=1
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@jharp:
Maybe, I can’t imagine them doing anything before the end of Trump’s honeymoon.
Gretchen
I called my rep’s office yesterday to ask if they’re planning any meetings next week. She didn’t know.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Frankensteinbeck:
Ah, but this could quite easily blow up in Russia’s face if Trump is a disaster and Russia gets the blame for it. Cold War II with America seriously out for blood.
Redshift
Mark Sanford apparently had a 3 1/2 hour town hall today, staying until he’d talked to everyone who was willing to stay. (They moved it outside after the first hour for the crowd that couldn’t fit in the auditorium.)
John Revolta
@Baud: what is he scared of?
“Outside agitators”, what else?
Frankensteinbeck
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
Putin thinks that’s already happening, and that he’s getting in the first strike by fucking over our system so badly we won’t be able to oppose him. He’s a paranoid, power-mad asshole who never stopped thinking like a KGB agent.
efgoldman
Their greatest fear isn’t of actual harm (although, like all bullies, they’re cowards). It’s being whipsawed between their primary-voter base, which will vote for an equally or even more “conservative” candidate, and losing in the general because of widespread voter anger. There are enough Dems or Dem-leaning people in a lot of these districts – IF they come out to vote – to defeat at least some of these turds.
Remember their Prime Directive: “Must. Get. Re-elected.”
efgoldman
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
If this is the honeymoon….
Mike J
What time does Aló Presidente come on today?
Frankensteinbeck
@efgoldman:
Even that might not be necessary. They have a bully mentality, which means they only feel good when they feel they have overwhelming odds on their side. Being surrounded by people who angrily disagree, especially in what’s supposed to be their place of power, must scare them to the point of losing bladder control.
m.j.
Mr. Reed said later, this was something he never wanted to hear again.
hovercraft
@James Powell:
I think many of them started out as cynical manipulators, but many of them came to believe the nonsense they were spouting, keep repeating he shit long enough and you start to believe it. Those who were cynically using the morans, but didn’t come across as true believers were purged and replaced by actual nutjobs.
The Mitch McTurtles of the world are manipulators, but they get away with it because they get credit for their pure evil and their ability to piss off and thwart democrats.
Chet Murthy
@Big Ole Hound: Let’s assume that Putin has the dirt on the Rs. Unless Dampnut literally starts doing things that are bad for Putin, why woiuld he release that dirt? Putin wins merely be helping the US be in disarray. The US’ descent into chaos, the descent of the Western Alliance into chaos, is his gain.
No, I don’t think the Russkies will release that dirt, unless Trump really turns on ’em. And I don’t see that happenin’. Man’s a coward.
Aleta
Reuters: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN15X0OE
hovercraft
@efgoldman:
He’s still at 88% with republicans, so yes this is still his honeymoon.
35% with independents and 9% with democrats, so with the rest of us, not so much.
SAD !
Aleta
Reuters: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN15X0OE
* ” five current and former government officials with direct knowledge of the situation”
Renie
@Aleta: The FBI needs to move a little quicker before trump destroys everything. There’s a guy on twitter – Adam Khan @Khanoisseur – who keeps writing about all the trump connections to Russia. If this guy figured it out, how hard can it be for the FBI?
JMG
Reed is I am sure a retrograde typical horrible House Republican, but this also shows he has a modicum of gumption and also some good sense. In the most crass political terms, being receptive to protesters as he was makes them much less likely to show up at your next public gathering. It’s the runners who’ll be chased.
? Martin
My Saturday morning ‘write to my elected officials’ just finished. Took 4 hours today. I have to find a better way to do this.
Increased focus today on California legislation:
AB-3:
SB-6:
SB-31:
SB-54:
So, two bills related to legal representation for those being deported (direct representation plus training of DA, attorneys), one that would make it illegal to help with any federal data collection on religious affiliation, one that would turn California into a sanctuary state making it illegal to help with feds for identifying undocumented immigrants.
We also have SB 562:
So this isn’t a plan for single-payer, but it lays the foundation for it. It establishes that California residents have a right to health care and compels the legislature to develop a single payer program.
California previously passed a law extending Medical (our Medicaid) to undocumented minors. There’s legislation to replace any lost federal dollars with state taxpayer dollars so those individuals can maintain coverage.
James E Powell
@Renie:
It’s probably a variation of that old saying “it’s hard to get someone to understand something when his salary depends on not understanding it.”
The FBI doesn’t want to find evidence that shows that its decision to install Trump was a bad idea that served a foreign power.
Omnes Omnibus
The FBI has to put together a case that can stand up in a court of law. Adam Khan does not.
NeenerNeener
@hovercraft: I assume you watched the panel discussion on Bill Maher last night, when the discussion went to how freaked out the CIA was about Kennedy’s zipper problem back in the 60s, and how Trump is now orders of magnitude worse. I’m starting to see Trump’s insistence on keeping his own private security force, and forcing Chris Christie to have meatloaf with him last week, in a different light.
Brendan in NC
@DougJ: @jhtrotter: Doug and Jh – I’d say yes, but I’m a little biased…I met Louise when I was 12 years old, and she, along with my mother, was one of 3 women on the Monroe County Legislature. My mother represented the 3rd District from 1978-1980. She and Louise taught me everything I know (and love) about politics… but YMMV.
? Martin
Additionally, I wrote to the governor on down that I would support the state enacting a temporary tax to replace lost federal funds due to retaliation over California laws. My preference was for an increase on cap gains and top income brackets. I also expressed support for any and all efforts to recover California dollars that flow to the federal government to replace those lost federal funds.
That last is tricky but not impossible to pull off. Feds are exempt from having to pay for any state/local taxes, but there are still leases and other fund transfers. California also has opportunities to deny federal revenue collection even where the state is unable to recover those dollars.
momus
The goals of Congressional Republicans are much more ambitious than simply dismantling the EPA or ACA, they seem intent on undoing the 20th Century.
scav
Vive La Resistance under different banners volem acollir
Protesters in Barcelona urge Spain to take in more refugees
ETA BBC
dr. bloor
@momus: They seem intent on undoing the Enlightenment, actually.
vhh
@Chet Murthy: hmm, Trump spouts Putin line for months on Ukraine etc, but his cabinet goes around world telling allies that US committments hold.
Trump then says he will force Putin out of Ukraine, and afew days later there is a highly visible Russian spy ship off the Delaware coast, Russian fighter planes are buzzing US naval ships in international waters, and Trump coverage in Russian media drops to zero (I know, I check Russian news sites daily). There’s a message there. So Trump will have to jump back and forth to please the regular GOP and Putin, and ultimately one side or the other or both will decide they can’t live with that anymore. The dream scenario (albeit not real likely) is that Putin releases whatever dirt he has the same day that the Congress gets serious about investigating Trump.
jhtrotter
@Brendan in NC: My poorly made point wasn’t to pick on Louise, but to give the story some context. NY has 27 reps, but only 6 (4 d, 2 r) of them are bothering to face their constituents this week. Mr. Reed is actually having 4 town halls in different locations today. Someone who knows how to drive a spreadsheet could go to the town hall project website and figure out pretty quick that the majority of reps from both sides aren’t bothering to participate over the next week.
Maybe it’s fun to rip on republicans right now, but I’d kind of like my own rep (Louise) to stand up in front of us, get a first hand sense of her constituent’s emotions, and then explain, if she can, why the hell we shouldn’t be angry and terrified. I suspect a lot of people with invisible reps from both sides may feel this way right now. Maybe that’s a bigger story then picking on a guy who does show up.
RealityBites
@? Martin: impressive!!!
debbie
Here’s your post-West world order, GOP snowflakes:
http://nypost.com/2017/02/18/russia-wants-pragmatic-relations-with-us/
Thru the Looking Glass...
That’s a nice sentiment on Mr. Reed’s part but unless a) he starts voting differently (not the straight party line) or b) the voters in his district toss his arse out, it don’t mean much…
Just sayin’…
From what I can see, Republicans intend to slow walk the whole Trump/Russia mess as long as they can hoping it just fades away (I’m looking at YOU, Chaffetz) and continue to pick the public’s pocket nine ways to Sunday…
MattF
It’s worth bearing in mind that the stars of the NY Republican party are people like Carl Paladino and Rudy Giuliani. Yeah, once upon a time, there were intelligent, rational people in the NY R party– but that was then. It’s possible that Reed has a thread of decency in his character, but any in-real-life NY Republican politician has to bend the knee to a large number of genuinely awful people, and do their bidding. It ain’t pretty.
NeenerNeener
@jhtrotter: Louise sent out an email request for feedback last week; I filled it out with my concerns and sent it back. It’s not a town hall, but she’s not completely ignoring us either.
frosty
@James Powell: since my rep is in the House Freedom Caucus I’m willing to bet he’s an ignorant hateful bigoted moron.
jhtrotter
@JMG:
Not really. He’s a somewhat decent sort (for being one of them), and the bills he works on mostly involve helping people with legitimate needs. And he might act and vote more like a democrat than the dick grabbing democrat he replaced.
? Martin
Today I’m throwing some money at Jon Ossoff, who looks like the Dem candidate to back in the GA-06 special election. He got an endorsement from John Lewis, which is the last word on the matter as far as I’m concerned.
Democrats need to win back 24 House seats. That’s our first one. Montana’s at-large seat should get an election date soon. That’s our second.
jhtrotter
@NeenerNeener: I know, I’ve shared my opinions and fears with her. It’s just that, right now, it seems like you really need to see the emotion first hand.
? Martin
This is part of the reason why SB 54 is so important in California.
This is going to be a difficult policy for cities other than NY and LA to fight. The effect is most likely to peel off those smaller communities that can’t afford to lose the funding or fight the order. The most effective means to deal with it is to step into it – have the state take that burden off the cities by declaring a sanctuary state, which puts it in the CA Atty General’s office, with hired guns like Eric Holder on board. California can then fight for a national injunction.
kindness
Rupert Murdoch’s maxim: if you get them enraged & scared folks dispense with logic, reason and compassion. Seems to work on a certain segment of the population. I don’t know how to overcome that with those people. I’m not certain any one of us would be able to reach them at all as they recoil in horror of being around the enemy. Sadly true for too many.
liberal
@jhtrotter: no he’s not. Americans for Democratic Action give that POS a 0% rating.
He’s one of the enemy.
liberal
@? Martin: Lewis is fine and all, but saying that his word is sufficient—if we include electability as an important criterion—is laughable.
LurkerNoLonger
I have a first draft of a letter to the editor I’d like to share with you guys. Any edits, things to add, things to remove would be helpful. Thanks. Draft follows:
“The Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as “Obamacare”, is on the chopping block. Donald Trump and
Republicans in congress want to take away health insurance from an estimated 20-30 million people.
And I’m one of them.
Over the past 3 years I’ve had several moles removed by my dermatologist. Prior to the A.C.A, insurance companies
would have been free to deny me coverage because they would have considered that a pre-exisitng condition. Not
anymore.
Even if you have coverage from an employer the protections set forth by the A.C.A affect you too. From young
adults (who can now stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26) to the elderly (who have seen their prices for
prescription drugs come down) there isn’t a single American who hasn’t been positively effected by the A.C.A.
In the Hudson Valley we are represented by newly-elected Republican Congressman John Faso. He needs to hear
from you. My solitary voice won’t be enough to convince him that the A.C.A should not be destroyed, but the
combined power of many voices urging him to buck his party’s demented urge to strip health care from millions of
people will. Together we can save the A.C.A.”
jhtrotter
@liberal: Whatever. So should we just get on with the civil war?
What did they think of Eric Massa, pre dick grab?
? Martin
Finally, the environmental battle is shaping up:
California is eligible for a waiver because it’s air quality laws predate the federal Air Quality Act and a waiver was built into the federal law. California is the only state eligible for a waiver, so this isn’t a fight that anyone else can realistically take up. But we’re running out of political space here in CA to work with the feds on anything.
ET
It has to be a complete shock to the system for many Republican members of Congress to be confronted with such loud disagreement and resistance. They either willfully deluded themselves into thinking everyone (with a few exceptions) agree with them or were so wed to the impermeable bubble that they didn’t “understand” that there were a host of people that didn’t agree with them even if they may not have been vocal. Projection is a powerful force for ideologues. Keep in mind most members of Congress aren’t any smarter than the people that voted for them and some are quite a bit more stupid.
jhtrotter
Common Dreams has an article up with pics and video from Tom Reed’s Most Wonderful Day.
common dreams
? Martin
@liberal: Dude, what the fuck. It’s a low-turnout special election. There is literally not a goddamn thing that you can claim about ‘electability’ in that scenario. Go ask Mike Castle how his ‘electability’ worked out for him.
liberal
@? Martin: You’re wrong, as usual.
liberal
@jhtrotter: they look at actual voting records. And yes, if you don’t think a RWNJ with a 0% ADA rating is one of the enemy, you have your head up your ass.
raven
@? Martin: Fuck yea, Apple Pay too!
jhtrotter
@liberal:
Nice. The trump is strong with this one.
And by the way, a complete and accurate assertion is that they look at voting records based on their own criteria. I was one of his constituents for a short time, so I didn’t need a socialist website to assess his record, but clearly your mileage and intellectual maturity may vary. Oopsy. It appears I can disparage too.
? Martin
@liberal:
@liberal:
So, your argument is that we should only support strongly progressive candidates but electability should be our primary concern. Gotcha. ??
tobie
I spent the day canvassing for Stephanie Hansen in a special election for the Delaware State Senate. Whichever party wins the seat will control the Delaware state legislature. I was sent to a development of townhomes built by Ryland some time in the early 2000s. All the Latino and African-American residents I spoke to were friendly and committed to voting for Hansen. All the whites I spoke to were either uncommitted or downright hostile. To see such a dramatic split by race was depressing even if predictable.
There were, by the way, many volunteers from New York at the campaign headquarters in this very exurban community. It was impressive that they traveled so far for this one local race.
? Martin
@tobie: I’ll throw in for Hansen. Controlling state legislatures is important.
Humdog
@tobie: tobie, is Hansen running on racial issues? Or are Delaware whites anti Democrats?
Thanks for putting in the work.
tobie
@? Martin: Thanks. Hard to believe that control of the DE legislature is up in the air. The state has a Democratic governor and two Democratic senators, but it’s also got very conservative rural regions that tend to turn out for the midterms.
Ian
@jharp:
Said theory ignores the fact that they will gladly stab you in the back for a quick dollar.
This is their nature. Winning is more important than ethics.
bjacques
I wonder if Tom Reed’s namesake (forebear?) delivered an ectoplasmic dope slap. If it doesn’t prove enough, the voters will have to deliver an electoral one.
Baud
@tobie: That is depressing.
@tobie: Until our side gets serious about showing up for every election, we are working with one hand tied behind our backs.
Denali
I alway thought it was probable that Eric Massa was taken down because he was for single payer health care.
tobie
@Humdog: Others here probably know Delaware better than me but what I can say is that Hansen’s not running on racial issues at all. The issue is that Middletown, Delaware (the center of her district) was once a rural area but it’s now become a bedroom community for Wilmington, and there is likely some tension between old-timers and new arrivals. The auto plants in Newark, DE closed in 2007 and 2008, so you have a number of former plant workers who had to look for a new line of work during the great recession. Basically you have a lot of the same dynamics in Middletown as in rural areas and the rust belt with the exception that this district has witnessed an extraordinary housing boom. I’ll phone bank on election day (Feb 25) just to help the cause.
Ruviana
@tobie: Since it sounds like you were canvassing in a very diverse area can you sense or did you get told why the white voters were so hostile?
Ian
@Redshift:
Good for him. Maybe all that time on the Appalachian trail did him some good.
On the other hand he has 3 1/2 hour endurance. Maybe this is why his Argentinian mistress fell for him?
What am I saying? This is a douchebag who cheated on his wife on state funds, lied to everyone about it, and proceeded to later win a congressional seat. Fuck him, he is the gold-standard of IOKIYAR.
? Martin
@Ian:
Let’s take our support wherever we can get it.
I won’t judge whether he has had a sincere change of attitude, thought he interview suggests he has. He seems full aware of the hypocrisy of accusing Trump of dishonesty. But he could equally see an opportunity to stand out among the GOP by taking a chance opposing Trump. Doesn’t matter – if he’s speaking out against Trump then he’s a temporary ally until Trump is gone.
tobie
@Ruviana: One refrain was that all politicians are crooks. This is of course part of the Republican plan. Diminish all faith in government so everything can eventually be privatized. The neighborhood I was sent to was interesting because it was so mixed. Republicans and Democrats, African Americans, Latinos and whites all live right next to each other in identical townhomes and presumably do get along, so long as politics is the not the issue.
Shana
@Renie: Adam Kahn’s stuff is terrific but terrifying. Definitely worth reading.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@? Martin: Yes, but he was running against a witch.
Glidwrith
@LurkerNoLonger: ‘affected’ not ‘effected’/pendant
The Lodger
@Glidwrith: That’s /pedant.
Scamp Dog
@LurkerNoLonger: Two trivial things to fix: “affected” instead of effected, and there are transposed letters toward the end of “pre-exisitng”. What you’re saying is great. Send it along!
Glidwrith
@The Lodger: Aaaaarghhhh!
LurkerNoLonger
@Glidwrith: @Scamp Dog: Thank you! I’ve made those changes.
zhena gogolia
@? Martin:
Right.
J R in WV
@Cacti:
I think the Rs are mostly hateful racist authoritarian bastards, top to bottom. My bro in TX is a far gone member of the BoyScoutCult, where they teach boys now to be obedient members of an authoritarian organization, wearing uniforms like military units.
No girls allowed. No independence allowed. No thought allowed.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@LurkerNoLonger:
In addition to what has been mentioned above:
The word “Congress” should be capitalized.
Throughout you use “A.C.A” with no period after the third letter (except at the end of a sentence). Either add the period or (better) go with the accepted usage “ACA” throughout.
In your phrase
the comma should be inside the closing quote.
The Dudeist
@jharp: I believe that Ryan and McConnell like an
Empty suit for president. He will sign anything that crosses his desk. They want to kill government then they will get rid of him.