Obama goes head-to-head with Tea Party activist

[Playinghardball]

Source: Raw Story

DECORAH, Iowa — US President Barack Obama went head-to-head with a prominent conservative Tea Party activist, in a microcosm of a political clash that will play out in the 2012 election.

Ryan Rhodes, a leader of the group in Iowa, took on Obama during an open-air town hall meeting, which marked a moment of new intensity in the president's campaign for a second term.

Rhodes shouted out that the president's calls for more civility in politics had little chance of coming to pass after "your vice president is calling people like me, a Tea Party member, a 'terrorist.'"

His question referred to media reports that Vice President Joe Biden made such a remark in a private meeting with House of Representatives Democrats at the height of a debt showdown earlier this month


Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/08/15/obama-goes-head-to-head-with-tea-party-activist/

[onehandle]

1. Asshole terrorist says what?

'What?'

[FarLeftFist]

2. To which the President replied:

"I absolutely agree that everybody needs to try to tone down the rhetoric," he said, before going on to detail some of the more explosive charges that conservatives have laid against him.

"In fairness, since I have been called a socialist who wasn't born in this country, who is destroying America and taking away its freedoms because I passed a health care bill, I am all for lowering the rhetoric."

Obama and Rhodes later engaged in an animated conversation as he greeted supporters on a rope line after the event, and the activist later told reporters that he believed that Obama was indeed a socialist.

[maryellen99]

3. At least he will talk to people who don't agree with him

Unlike the previous occupant,who had everyone pre screened.

[FarLeftFist]

10. I agree. I also liked his response. Fighting fire with fire.

[BNJMN]

26. Finally! And thanks for sharing his follow up. [nt]

[GETPLANING]

17. A simple response to the "socialist" talking point

came to me during an exchange with a conservative at a party I was at in Texas a few weeks ago. "Obama's a SOCIALIST," said the host who had had a few drinks.

"From your perspective, he probably is," was my reply. Much sputtering and stammering ensued.

[jerseyjack]

33. Getplaning, if you really wanna have some fun,

ask them what is a socialist. Then ask how that applies to the Dems. or to BHO. Read the definition of fascism and explain how that applies to "corporations are peeple." You will get more sputtering.

[OHdem10]

4. Willful Ignorance is becoming a characteristic of the GOP

[elleng]

5. "I absolutely agree

that everybody needs to try to tone down the rhetoric," he said, before going on to detail some of the more explosive charges that conservatives have laid against him.

In fairness, since I have been called a socialist who wasn't born in this country, who is destroying America and taking away its freedoms because I passed a health care bill, I am all for lowering the rhetoric."

[flamingdem]

9. He actually said that? !11! nt

[HughBeaumont]

27. Ha ha because

BUUUUURN!

Ryan backs Michele Bachmannnnnn. Anyone who takes Michele Bachmann seriously . . . I mean, do you engage that person non-sarcastically? How does that work?

[jmowreader]

6. That bagger should be glad Obama is president

If Little Boots would have been president and someone would have called him a bad name, that someone would have been declared a terrorist and sent off to eat lemon chicken in Gitmo.

[DocMac]

25. Why am I eating catfood

when gitmo has lemon chicken? I am so not informed.

[SpiralHawk]

31. "Pull yourself up by your own damn whiskers." - Republicons

"And stop that whining." - Republicons

[lunatica]

32. Really? Catfood?

Why don't I believe you? Could it be because what you say is highly unlikely? Untrue? An outright lie? Something to say that you believe makes a political point? Why not just call President Obama a Kenyan while you're at it?

[DocMac]

40. I guess the sarcasm wasn't obvious enough.

[PatrynXX]

7. That point out what?

All it did was point out the tea party thinks he's a socialist and unamerican, and Biden considers Tea party to be terrorists. (heck sure they are after they cheered the Norway shooter. ) more truth in that than he's not from Hawaii

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[izquierdista]

11. Bantering with lunatics

Is sure a lot easier than rallying your progressive base with a forceful defense of liberal principles.




I guess we get to wait 15 months to see how that all works out.

[struggle4progress]

12. Remember when Jeff and NIcole Rank were arrested on July 4th for wearing anti-Bush t-shirts?

No freedom on July 4th
By RICK CASEY
Aug. 15, 2006, 10:33PM

... On the back Jeff's said, "Regime change starts at home," and Nicole's said, "Love America, Hate Bush" ... The Ranks were handcuffed, led through the crowd to a police car, taken to jail, booked, fingerprinted and held for more than an hour on a charge of trespassing ... As it turned out there was no such municipal offense as trespassing on the state Capitol lawn ...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/casey/4120005.html

[pnorman]

14. Thanks for that link!

n/t

[Kolesar]

29. +1 eom

[SoapBox]

13. They say the truth hurts!

...poor Mr. TeaTardTerrorist...as said, the truth hurts!!

[BeyondGeography]

15. Aww, Mr. teewee's widdle feewings were hurt

:cry:

[PSPS]

16. Why engage in a conversation with a dining room table?

[AlmostUlyanov]

18. About time!

K&R

[mzmolly]

19. This from the crowd that said Obama befriended terrorists, isn't a real American,

etc. :eyes:

Go Obama!

[barbtries]

20. after all they said and did. sheesh

way to deflect the issues and talk about a whole lot of nothing. the health care debate. obama's a muslim, unamerican, hitler, shit. they ARE terrorists. i have to sleep dammit.

eta spelling not quite awake.

[bluestateguy]

21. If that was LBJ or Clinton he'd find an IRS agent at his house to audit his taxes within the month

Obama would probably invite him to the White House for a beer.

[HDPaulG]

24. Obama is a whimp....

Stellar intelligence and charisma, always wants to be 'accepted' and not offending, when elected, was a world wide champion of all that is good ( e.g. Noble Peace Prize 2009 ), then continues and escalates wars... Not what I elected...Weak,weak,weak.

Ignores and shuns employee's who when he campaigned, "And understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner." Barack Obama in Spartanburg, SC. Nov. 3rd, 2007.

Why doesn't he visit Wisconsin in his little bus tour...? Come to Madison , WI Obama, let's see if 150,000 show up to see you...As they did to protest the erosion of the middle class.

[Amonester]

22. Bwah wah wah. Cry me a fu*king river!

When it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck... uh... when they take hostages, carry shotguns to political rallies, and want to force everybody to convert to their religious beliefs, what R they?

[JohnnyRingo]

23. He should quit advocating for the downfall of the United States Government

if he doesn't like being called a "terrorist"

After Obama informed him of the terrible names he's been called by the Tea Bagger's friends, he went on to call the president a "socialist" anyway. Still, his point seemed to be that no one should be able to use that kind of rhetoric on him.

What a moran.

[HughBeaumont]

28. On the Yahoo link to this story -

. . . the sisterbanger wonders of genetics brought up the question "how about the liberals take half the states and the conservatives the other half. We split the debt in half and see who comes out on top first."

Uh, OK, War/Tax cuts/Corporate Welfare originators. Oh, you wouldn't get any social services, since you rugged he-man woman haters like all your shit privatized. Oh, and your churches would no longer be tax-exempt. Yeah. Good luck with that. Hope your crime rate (due to lack of police) and garbage piles don't go sky high. We'll be improving our cities and life quality with our dollars, idiots, and you ain't invited.

[rasputin1952]

30. For one thing...

the Teabaggers are terrorists, with quite a bit of nazi tossed in. The Tea Party would sacrifice the nation upon the altar of greed and corruption w/o blinking an eye...in fact, they would do it with cheers and songs of praise. They would also usher in a new era of Gestapo like tactics that would affect just about every citizen. Any group that claims the Constitution is theirs alone to interpret is not only delusional, but authoritarian and a serious danger to liberty and Equality.

Demonizing the poor, gays, liberals and anyone who wants to the nation move forward...right to the point of killing people is the very essence of terrorism.

[Scuba]

34. If Obama is a Socialist, he's the worst one ever. Link has "draft Elizabeth Warren" icon I like.n/t

[_ed_]

35. Interesting that Obama sees being called a "socialist"

as being called a bad name. What is wrong with being socialist, Mr President. Why would anyone bristle at being called a socialist?

[Enthusiast]

36. I wish Obama actually was a socialist.

Teabagster dumbfucs.

[TheCowsCameHome]

37. Actually Joe, it should be

"a dirty, stinking, rotten, terrorist scumbag", but for the sake of saving space, "terrorist" is fine.

[Javaman]

38. Can't cure stupid...

Obama a socialist? hardly.

[chrisa]

39. "Don't Retreat... Reload!" Derp. No, not a terrorist organization at all.

Here's another challenge: Name me one prominent Tea Party leader who doesn't use the same, thinly-veiled violent analogies.

[jpak]

41. Obama is such a wuss - Bush would have had that guy arrested - or worse

yup

[underpants]

42. Rhodes just happened to be on Limbaugh's show in the first 30 minutes today

anyone heard from Joe the Plumber recently?

[lovemydog]

43. those teabag

dumb fucks can dish it out but they sure can't take it.

[tawadi]

44. Saw the footage last night

The blow hard kept ibterepting Obama everytime he tried to speak. It was ridiculous & I'm glad Obama called him on it.