Republicans representatives all over the country are leaving their own town hall meetings in serious need of a dose of Preparation H, as voter anger approaches that last seen in Summer, 2009. Those 2009 town halls were astroturfed with corporate lobbyists and plutocons providing transportation, often from out of state, lodging, meals and, of course, thorough indoctrination on exactly what to think and say. These town halls are true grass roots, an upwelling of the base, who wait for the party to get on the bus.
In central Florida, a Congressional town meeting erupted into near chaos on Tuesday as attendees accused a Republican lawmaker of trying to dismantle Medicare while providing tax cuts to corporations and affluent Americans.
At roughly the same time in Wisconsin, Representative Paul D. Ryan, the architect of the Republican budget proposal, faced a packed town meeting, occasional boos and a skeptical audience as he tried to lay out his party’s rationale for overhauling the health insurance program for retirees.
In a church theater here on Tuesday evening, a meeting between Representative Allen B. West and some of his constituents began on a chaotic note, with audience members quickly on their feet, some heckling him and others loudly defending him. “You’re not going to intimidate me,” Mr. West said.
After 10 days of trying to sell constituents on their plan to overhaul [destroy] Medicare, House Republicans in multiple districts appear to be increasingly on the defensive, facing worried and angry questions from voters and a barrage of new attacks from Democrats and their allies.
The proposed new approach to Medicare — a centerpiece of a budget that Republican leaders have hailed as a courageous effort to address the nation’s long-term fiscal problems — has been a constant topic at town-hall-style sessions and other public gatherings during a two-week Congressional recess that provided the first chance for lawmakers to gauge reaction to the plan… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
Both Rachel Maddow (with columnist Eugene Robinson) and Ed Schultz (with columnist Jonathan Nichols) both provided excellent footage of the meetings and arguments debunking Republican talking points on the budget.
First Rachel:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Next Ed:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
For me the bottom line is this. If the Republican budget had anything to do with reducing the deficit, it would not increase the deficit by spending more in tax cuts for the super rich that they save by trashing the safety net, needed by the poor and middle classes.
17 Responses to “Voters Blast Republicans Over Budget”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Now if only we could afford air conditioned busses, ink and paper for the printer we could have our own AstroTurf.
Thing is the Democrats are behind instead of in front of these folks. Them D-boys and girls better start learning how to capitalize on this rage same as the R’s did in ’10.
Now if only we could afford air conditioned buses, ink and paper for the printer we could have our own AstroTurf.
Thing is the Democrats are behind instead of in front of these folks. Them D-boys and girls better start learning how to capitalize on this rage same as the R’s did in ’10.
I disagree with your previous comment, but this one is dead on. 😉
Seriously, I’d love to see Progressive Democrats challenge Corporate Democrats in the primaries and win.
Memo to Harry Reid:
If the Teapublicans just luvs ’em the idea of ending Medicare and Medicaid via the Ryan “Unicorn” budget plan, then MAKE ‘EM VOTE ON IT!
Oops! Source:
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/157507-in-the-senate-democrats-look-for-leverage-by-forcing-gop-split-over-ryan-budget
Nameless, this is exactly what I was saying yesterday, to make them vote on it. 🙂
There is going to be a demonstration in Cortland, NY to protest (R) Richard Hanna’s vote today. I can’t go though.
I’m sorry, Patty. I bet you want to go!
Too bad we don’t have any idiots to scream at in our jurisdiction, eh? Who is your Representative? Is s/he on the side of good or evil.
My guy is Peter DeFazio, so I don’t have anything to scream at him other than “Thanks!”
Mine is Wu. His Tiger PJs leave something to be desired, but in the five years that he has represented me, he has cast only too votes that earned a critical email from me.
Paul Ryan is an ignorant, self-centered, lying piece of SHIT! I’m glad he and his like-minded lying Republicans got an earful from real people, as opposed to the manufactured Koch brothers bullshit the phony teabaggers served up to Democratic lawmakers in 2009. I hope even more REAL PEOPLE show up at GOP town halls and let these plutocrats know that WE are sick of being pushed around and screwed by the wealthy! And then, lastly, I hope that every single one of these self-righteous teabaggers and conservative Republicans will be DUMPED in 2012!
We’ll show these bastards what the American people REALLY want!!!!!
Jack, you are being altogether too complementary. 😉
That is the plan!
There is no money problem or they would tax the corporations and rich. They just want to take over the people with their F…ed up ideology.
Alice the Republicans’ money problem is that the poor and middle classes still have some.
If people go back to watching sitcoms and munching artery clogging chips after this, they deserve everything THEY DON’T GET! If this isn’t a wake up call to middle and lower class Americans, I don’t know what is. They have taken off the sheeps clothing and revealed themselves for what they really are, wolves ruled by corporate money who are making a final grab for what little is left of all the years of fighting our forefathers and mothers did to get equal rights, equal opportunity, quality education, safer work and living environments, the right to assemble peacefully, the right to organize and create unions of workers, anything that keeps us sane and healthy, they want to do away with, in the name of corporate power! BOYCOTT ALL PRODUCTS FROM THE COMPANIES NOT PAYING TAXES IN AMERICA IF YOU CAN!
If people go back to watching sitcoms and munching artery clogging chips after this, they deserve everything THEY DON’T GET! If this isn’t a wake up call to middle and lower class Americans, I don’t know what is. They have taken off the sheeps clothing and revealed themselves for what they really are, wolves ruled by corporate money who are making a final grab for what little is left of all the years of fighting our forefathers and mothers did to get equal rights, equal opportunity, quality education, safer work and living environments, the right to assemble peacefully, the right to organize and create unions of workers, anything that keeps us sane and healthy, they want to do away with, in the name of corporate power! BOYCOTT ALL PRODUCTS FROM THE COMPANIES NOT PAYING TAXES IN AMERICA IF YOU CAN! Money is power and keeping our money out of their pockets is the only way to fight them on their own ground. Your policital “representatives” are only acting as their puppets. Take matters into your own hands and begin withholding your own taxes until they pay theirs. Don’t buy their products. In fact DON’T BUY ANTHING ELSE YOU DON’T ABSOLUTELY UNTIL THEY CHANGE THEIR WAYS.
Once would have been enough. 🙂