Maybe because it was only a matter of time before this happened. One of the crazy fringe MOB thinks he knows what is needed to stop Health Care Reform. Killing people who disagree with him.
Dem Congressman's Office: His Life Has Been Threatened Over Health Care Bill By Eric Kleefeld - August 5, 2009, 5:54PM Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) will not be hosting any town hall events this August -- instead, he's making himself available to constituents for one-on-one meetings about health care reform -- and at least part of the reason is this: His offices have received threatening phone calls, including at least one direct threat against his life. "We had no town hall events scheduled for the August recess anyway, but in light of everything that's happened -- we have received a threatening phone call in the D.C. office, there have been calls to the Raleigh office," said Miller communications director LuAnn Canipe, in an interview with TPM. The threatening call in question happened earlier this week. "The call to the D.C. office was, 'Miller could lose his life over this,'" said Canipe. "Our staffer took it so seriously, he confirmed what the guy was saying. He said, 'Sir is that a threat?' and at that time our staffer was getting the phone number off caller ID and turning it over to the Capitol Police." They haven't heard anything back from the police yet, but they did get the caller's number. So this could develop into something soon enough. Canipe explained that Miller had no plans for a town hall before and won't be holding any now, due to this event and the examples he's already seem from the around the country: "Our point is, we're not gonna be bullied into having a town hall so it can then be interrupted by the fake grassroots folks." "We don't want to people to think we're shutting out our constituents," Canipe added.. "We're meeting with them one on one to discuss health care reform." On Aug 5, 2:53 pm, jgg1000a <[email protected]> wrote: > Why VT are you seeking to fear-monger??? Especially when the public > discussion of this fake issue about a fake issue is driven by LW fear- > mongers... But then again LW Democrats seek to dismiss the Grass- > root Tea Peaty movement by calling it "terrorist" and violent > bent... My guess is you LWingers can not conceive of authentic grass- > roots movement that is not LW... > > On Aug 4, 11:53 pm, VT Sean Lewis <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Just in case anyone missed this. > > > The Fringe GOP movement is taught how to be the problem > > rather than the solution by the We Want President Obama > > and America to fail Republicans... > > > Right-Wing Harassment Strategy Against Dems Detailed In Memo: ‘Yell,’ > > ‘Stand Up And Shout Out,’ ‘Rattle Him’ > > > This morning, Politico reported that Democratic members of Congress > > are increasingly being harassed by “angry, sign-carrying mobs and > > disruptive behavior” at local town halls. For example, in one > > incident, right-wing protesters surrounded Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) and > > forced police officers to have to escort him to his car for safety. > > > This growing phenomenon is often marked by violence and absurdity. > > Recently, right-wing demonstrators hung Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD) in > > effigy outside of his office. Missing from the reporting of these > > stories is the fact that much of these protests are coordinated by > > public relations firms and lobbyists who have a stake in opposing > > President Obama’s reforms. > > > The lobbyist-run groups Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks, > > which orchestrated the anti-Obama tea parties earlier this year, are > > now pursuing an aggressive strategy to create an image of mass public > > opposition to health care and clean energy reform. A leaked memo from > > Bob MacGuffie, a volunteer with the FreedomWorks website Tea Party > > Patriots, details how members should be infiltrating town halls and > > harassing Democratic members of Congress: > > > – Artificially Inflate Your Numbers: “Spread out in the hall and try > > to be in the front half. The objective is to put the Rep on the > > defensive with your questions and follow-up. The Rep should be made to > > feel that a majority, and if not, a significant portion of at least > > the audience, opposes the socialist agenda of Washington.” > > > – Be Disruptive Early And Often: “You need to rock-the-boat early in > > the Rep’s presentation, Watch for an opportunity to yell out and > > challenge the Rep’s statements early.” > > > – Try To “Rattle Him,” Not Have An Intelligent Debate: “The goal is to > > rattle him, get him off his prepared script and agenda. If he says > > something outrageous, stand up and shout out and sit right back down. > > Look for these opportunities before he even takes questions.” > > > The memo above also resembles the talking points being distributed by > > FreedomWorks for pushing an anti-health reform assault all summer. > > Patients United, a front group maintained by Americans for Prosperity, > > is currently busing people all over the country for more protests > > against Democratic members. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), chairman of the > > NRCC, has endorsed the strategy, telling the Politico the days of > > civil town halls are now “over.” > > > Meanwhile, AHIP, the trade group and lobbying juggernaut representing > > the health insurance industry is sending staffers to monitor town > > halls and other right-wing front groups are stepping up their ad > > campaign to smear reform efforts. The strategy for defeating reform — > > recently outlined by an influential lobbyist to the Hill newspaper as > > “delay” then “kill” — is becoming apparent. By delaying a vote until > > after the August recess, lobbyists are now seizing upon recess town > > halls as opportunities to ambush lawmakers and fool them into > > believing there is wide opposition to reform. > > > UPDATE Amy Menefee, communications director of Americans for > > Prosperity and its anti-health reform group Patients United, wrote to > > ThinkProgress regarding this post: > > > "Several blogs have picked up your > > post:http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/31/recess-harassment-memo/ > > which mentions Americans for Prosperity's efforts next to your mention > > of Bob MacGuffie's memo about town hall meetings. Mr. MacGuffie's memo > > was his own work. I would appreciate your help in correcting the > > erroneous rumor people have passed around that this memo came from > > AFP. We have encouraged our members to attend town halls, ask > > questions and register their opinions about issues including health > > care -- as all citizens should do. We always promote civil dialogue > > and do not condone disruptive behavior." > > > As noted in the post, MacGuffie is a volunteer who actively posts and > > volunteers with the website Tea Party Patriots. A review of the > > sponsoring organizations reveals that both FreedomWorks and Americans > > for Prosperity are sponsors of the website as "Freedom Coalition" > > partners. A few months before joining Americans for Prosperity, > > Menefee herself worked for the medical device/pharmaceutical industry- > > funded "think-tank" called the Galen Institute. > > >http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/31/recess-harassment-memo/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
