Did anybody else hear boos during SOU?

[Chango]

I haven't seen it anywhere, but I swear there was an outbreak of booing from the Democrats when Bush said that not extending the tax cuts amounted to a tax raise. Was I hearing things? If not, it's incredible that it was not reported. The President being booed in Congress would be a notable first.

[ajacobson]

1. That's what I heard

n/t

[liberalhistorian]

3. I couldn't bring myself

to watch it, but I sure hope that that's true! Watch how the media whores will spin it, though!

[Benhurst]

4. I heard the boos and ...

they were not reported. America's corporate media: Back to the future-- 1984. :argh:

[TyroneStryker]

2. I heard it too

And I find it disgraceful. It makes us look terrible to swing voters. My brother is a moderate type, no real party affiliation. He was really turned off. "That shows a real lack of decorum" he said. I tend to agree with his statement, even though I disgree with the pResident.

edited to add more info.

[liberalhistorian]

5. What's the difference between

that and the repukes sitting on their hands and scowling during Clinton's SOTU addresses? I didn't hear any outrage then, from either the media whores or people in general. I guess it's different when THEY do it!

[TyroneStryker]

8. We should be better than them.

That's the difference.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

13. Politics is nasty business-and the Repukes have lowered the bar

you're transparent as hell, Tyrone...

[TyroneStryker]

33. Care to elaborate?

Or is your opinion the official one here? Equating somebody who believes in etiquette with a fascist is quite low.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

36. Etiquette and politics are mutually exclusive

If the Dems don't use the same tactics as Rove and company to draw attention to this unelected fraud, then they are wusses.

[TyroneStryker]

42. I disagree

Without manners this country will go down the crapper, if Bush & Co. Don't take us there first. Basically, there is a time and a place for everything. I don't believe that raucous behavior is appropriate at any formal setting. Whether cheering or booing, I find the continued use of the standing ovation to be reprehensible, I find vocalization out of place. In my opinion clapping should be used to express agreement, and disagreement should be expressed by silence. Some of you don't like that, and that is fine. My opinion is MINE.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

46. Your opinion is not based in the reality of politics

though it is perfectly fine at an opera, a play, etc.

[TyroneStryker]

48. Well, we disagree

You'll do it your way, I'll do it mine.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

56. You can do it your way-but there is no 'polite' in politics

in fact, discourse is less down and dirty than 50 years ago. British Parliament expresses their approval or distaste openly.

Maybe because you come from a state (KY) where people are more 'polite' or maybe because you haven't been in the trenches of political warfare you therefore believe politics should be polite. What you think and what the reality is are two completely different things.

[TyroneStryker]

57. I'll work to change it

People are pretty polite around here. I can't recall ever seeing a negative ad for a local race, whether in print or on radio or TV.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

60. I'm from the Northeast and they would eat you for lunch

if you're too nice. And DC is even worse. Politeness gets you nowhere in politics.

[TyroneStryker]

68. except around here

but this IS Kentucky. Good meeting you, Rose.

[LiberalFighter]

81. Kentucky is down and dirty too

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

58. Hear Hear! I'm sick of Dems being walked on and not stand up and fight!

[LiberalFighter]

80. It is the Repugs that have brought the level down...

read The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill by Ron Suskind

[blondeatlast]

92. Don't you mean, Your "bro's" way?

Do they do this "third party" crap at FR?

I'm sure even they are onto it by now.

[areschild]

72. Screw manners.

My god, when you're getting mugged, you don't smile and exchange niceties with the mugger! We have a Country at stake here; we better forget etiquette and learn to fight. I'm tired of being told that we have to "play nice" all the time. One thing I hate is goody two-shoes who won't stand up and express anger when they're being crapped on. You can't defend our Constitution or our Country with good manners...it just don't work that way!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

74. Amen-Reminds me of WWII

the Allies played nice in WWII and look what happened: Hitler rolled into Czechoslovakia and then Poland. Then it cost us thousands of troops and many years of effort to get Hitler out of power.

I don't want the Dems to be Chamberlain. Anyone who believes in politeness in politics has no grasp of history.

[watercolors]

76. ever hear the English Parliament in session?

Now there is a lesson in etiquette.

[LeahMira]

49. Ettiquette?

IMO, silence gives consent.

Yes, I also heard boos. Thank heaven!

[TyroneStryker]

37. If they lowered the bar

Why don't we raise it. Or must we sink to their level?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

52. The Dems keep getting beat because we don't

fight . When someone hits you below the belt repeatedly you can't keep crying "not fair" you have to punch them in the eye HARD!!!

[tom_paine]

61. Exactly, ChavezSpeakstheTruth! Tyrone...

We have been whining and running for too long and look where it's gotten us!

Tyrone, we didn't "sink to their level" and have lost everything because of it.

Goebbels was right (and it's no coincidence that this statement applies equally to Bushevik propganda strategies):

"Propaganda…must always be essentially simple and repetitious. In the long run, only he will achieve basic results in influencing public opinion who is able to reduce problems to the simplest terms and who has the courage to keep forever repeating them in this simplified form despite the objections of the intellectuals."
- Joseph Goebbels’ diary, 1/29/42

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." -Joseph Goebbels

While we were trying not to descend to their level, they were dusting off all the old Nazi Playbooks (thank God they are not yet as violent as Grandpa Prescott's Old Business Partners) and using them to good effect.

Am I saying we should lie like they do? Not that we even could because we lack a Party-Loyal Sub-Media to launder lies and half-truths into "conventional wisdom".

Of course not. But what we need to do is recognize that they arte using the gussied-up Nazi Playbook and fight back like our lives depended on it.

(in 30 years, they might)

[LeahMira]

117. Excuse me???

Why don't we raise it. Or must we sink to their level?

Republicans are responsible for a pre-emptive war on a nation that never had any possibility of defending itself or resisting in any way, shape or form. Republicans are responsible for trashing the Bill of Rights here in the U.S. Come on... a boo never hurt anyone. Had someone punched someone else in the mouth, you might claim that the puncher had sunk to the level of the Republicans. Had someone called out "traitor" or "unpatriotic" you might have a claim. A boo is nothing. These Republicans mistake politeness and kindness for weakness. I'm sure there are some folks who are all over Ted Kennedy for rolling his eyes even. I say... it's about damn time.

[The Backlash Cometh]

19. The boos were relevant.

Besides, there are some here who claim they came from Republicans. Would that change your mind?

[Gato Moteado]

23. we ARE better than them

republicans = garbage

[TyroneStryker]

27. All I can say is that I found it inappropriate

to boo. My brother found it inappropriate. As much as Bush sucks, I don't think that we came off looking good by booing. Overall, I don't think it is a big deal, though, because it isn't being reported. If anybody has the tape handy, go back and check to see who was booing. Could it have been Repukelicants booing the sunsetting of the tax cuts?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

30. Well, you can bend over and take it from the Repukes

I'm glad that some of our elected representatives-my Senator, Ted Kennedy being one of them-chose not to. Ted's expressions during the SOTU were proceless.

If they were at an Opera, they're actions would be inappropriate. However, what is really inappropriate here is that not ONE WORD OF TRUTH was spoken to the American people. If you want to lie down and take it like a good little fascist, please do. However, my tax money pays for my elected representative to get off their asses and represent me. They are Dems. For once I was proud of them.

[dmr]

39. Not only priceless, Rose

but his face read saddness and anger. I have so much respect for this man. I can't tell you how many times I've called his office to offer my thank you to him, even though I'm not his constituent.

[liberalhistorian]

45. EXACTLY, RR!

Very well put. We have got to start standing up to these fascist bullies, or we are through and the country is through. I would have been far more disgusted with the Dems had they NOT reacted in such a way. And you still have no answered the question as to where the outrage was when the repukes did the same thing to Clinton throughout HIS ENTIRE PRESIDENCY. Or is that somehow different? Are they somehow "allowed" to act in that way, but we have to keep our mouths shut? I don't think so.

[midnight armadillo]

50. You should study your US history

US politics are infinitely more polite and constrained in rhetoric than say 100 years ago. A few boos? Entirely appropriate. BushCo has done nothing but treat his opponents with utter contempt and condescension for four years, not to mention the damage inflicted upon effective government and the very principles of open government and democracy. In return you expect the Dems to be 'nice' to him? BushCo deserves nothing more than to be booed and have dung flung at him when he makes speeches.

I don't care if your brother found booing to be inappropriate. I find Bush's entire presidency to be inappropriate, and the Dems have nothing to apologize for.

[tom_paine]

66. Here here!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[fleetus]

104. I also think the boos were by Republicans

Or at least some of the boos.

When President* Bush said that the tax cuts were going to end, the Republicans said "boooo" like they were sad the cuts were going to end.

I remember being confused by the booing. It did not seem normal in a SOTU. But this is not a normal time right now either.

[arcane1]

51. we are

:)

[shanti]

63. oh please

"we should be better than them". when we've done that, they take our kindness for weakness and insert the knife. the pukes don't know how to play nice, we can't afford to either.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

64. We can see the goal the way they see there's

we need to focus on that goal with steely keenness and overcome every obstacle. Being nice ain't gonna' cut it. Bush is a dangerous asshole, you know it, I know it we need pull no punches.

[hang a left]

71. I have experienced this in my own life

You play fair, you are honest and respectful, and you get the knife in your back. I fight dirty now too, and I am finally getting somewhere. You fight fire with fire. It's one of my life's lessons.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

73. if you are wearing gloves and your oponent has brass knuckles

it don't matter if you plead to the ref - in this fight there's no ref and the stakes are high. Bush wants to create new "usable" nucyulur weapons for fuck's sake. He needs more than boos

[chookie]

78. One year they actually walked out

Halfway through the speech, the extremists actually got up and walked out.

Nah, citizens of the US must not criticize their president....

[Kathy in Cambridge]

6. Bullsh*t-The Repukes treated Clinton the Same Way

The Repukes were never polite during Clinton's speeches. Why should the Dems be any different, unless you think they should roll over and play dead like Daschle?

Politics is nasty. I'm sick of the Daschles and Feinsteins of the party acting as Shrub's doormat. And there are plenty of other Dems and disgruntled Independents who feel the same way.

I know you don't like it when anyone shows disrespect toward your pResident...

[liberalhistorian]

28. Exactly, that's the point

I was trying to make, that the repukes did the same thing all throughout Clinton's presidency, and I never heard any outrage or anyone complaining that it showed a "lack of decorum". I did hear a lot of bullshit about how it showed they were "true to their principles" and "stood up for their principles", and other vomit-inducing nonsense. So maybe you should ask your brother about what he thought about how the REPUKES acted all throughout Clinton's term?

[Bush is a chimp]

7. I heard them

I heard a few, I don't blame them because the SOTU speech was a boring joke! Just Look at Ted Kennedy I think they caught him nodding off a few times! I for one booed the chimp a few times, OK I lied I booed him the whole time! I cant believe I wasted 54 minutes of my life listening to that dribble!

[Benhurst]

9. Yeah. Sure. They should have joined the Repubs in

mindless applause, like good little fascists.

[Gato Moteado]

11. yeah, right.....

the undecideds don't want to live in a facist state. if they see the dems cheerleading for the facist admin in their now, they'd just stay home and not vote.

make no mistake: the bush administration is corrupt, dangerous, unamerican and facist. the undecideds will get charged up as soon as the dem leadership starts fighting back. the dems should have booed that sorry ass piss-poor-excuse-for-a-president from the beginning to the end of that weak SOTU.

[Military Brat]

12. I don't think it makes "us" look terrible

He deserved to be booed through just about his entire disassociated from reality, self-serving, mendacious speech. What is terrible is that we don't have the process that Tony Blair has to go through. If they don't like what he says, they heckle him and give catcalls.

bush has been given a free ride for too long. Silence implies tacit approval. There is no mistaking what a boo implies.

[Gato Moteado]

15. then your brother hasn't been paying attention.

if your brother thinks it's disgraceful to oppose a facist, then i hope he stays home on election day this november.

[TyroneStryker]

32. Unfortunately, he doesn't stay home.

He votes emotion, but usually votes the correct way. Unfortunately, we have to appeal to swing voters, because without them, we won't win.

[Skittles]

17. oh PLEASE

these thieving bastards are selling America off to the highest bidder and you're offended by BOOING ???

[Lars39]

18. As the church lady Might say: shyte or get off the pot.

If they aren't educable, they aren't going to vote Dem anyway, they're just *confused* Repubs. We've catered to the swing voters so much that the base has been alienated. Decorum be damned. The choice is speaking/acting up now or FOREVER holding your piece(of mind).

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

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

[Kathy in Cambridge]

25. Hasn't been back to defend his assertion

:shrug:

Typical drive-by posting...

[TyroneStryker]

35. You should take note before you post.

I believe this is my sixth or seventh post in this thread. Perhaps you should behave more like your name suggests, and be less disagreeable. I have not posted anything rude here. I post only my personal observations. I don't believe that this pile-on is warranted.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

40. What pile-on? I'm not the only one making criticisms here

You hadn't reponded in a bit when I made that comment. Look at the time note.

I think this calls for the pot-kettle comment. Acting all high and mighty because some Dems showed Shrub disrespect. Please.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt 'cause your new to DU and probably politics. Politics is not pretty and after 8 years of ugly lies and distortion aimed at Clinton, the Dems had every right to boo.

And notice-there was a less than complimentary comment aimed your way above. Don't go blaming me.

[TyroneStryker]

43. Sorry, Rose

I should have been more clear, the piling on comment was not directed at only you.

edit to say...sorry, hadn't checked the time stamps

[liberalhistorian]

47. I didn't see any

"pile on" against you, I saw people who were simply responding to what you had to say. You have the right to post your opinions, and we have the right to respond to them. It's that simple.

But whining about your poor treatment and that you're getting picked on when people respond to your opinions isn't gonna carry much weight around here, I'm afraid.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

53. Like I said, politics is ugly. Tyrone would be horrified at British

Parliament where they openly boo the Prime Minister.

He should probably come sit and watch the Massachusetts House and Senate in action some day. It can get ugly.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

55. he'd hate the Australian Parlaiment as well

they're decorum is to throw out dissenters, though. Maybe the Dems should have been escorted out by security

[Art_from_Ark]

105. Even in the Japanese Diet (Parliament),

if the PM says something that is unpalatable to the opposition, they don't hesitate to let him know it.

[LifeDuringWartime]

110. remember the photo

of them going nuts because of the vote to send troops to iraq? i think thats what it was, anyway.... looked like a brawl!

[Art_from_Ark]

112. I remember the photo

I've got it on my hard disk, but I can't find the original on the Internet.
Anyway, here's the gal who got the ruckus rolling



Yuko Mori

[Art_from_Ark]

113. Ah, here she is in action

And here's what the Mainichi Shimbun has to say:
"Opposition Liberal Party shining star Mori was embroiled in an all-in donnybrook that started because the ruling Liberal Democratic Party wanted to ramrod through the Upper House a bill that pledged Japanese support to the recovery effort in Iraq.

Mori showed no fear as she took on the LDP's Atsushi Onita, who still engages in the occasional professional wrestling bout, clobbering him several times and pulling his hair even as her skirt was rising up toward her hips.

Even when somebody within the clutter reached out and viciously squeezed her breasts, Mori refused to give in, smashing the perpetrator to the face with a powerful right before slamming her knees into his chest.

"Some people within the LDP were still opposed to that bill going through, yet they were trying to pass it without discussion. There was no way I was going to let that happen. I just threw myself into the fray and did whatever I could to stop them from passing the bill. Before I knew it, I'd ended up like I was in the photo," Mori tells Flash. "

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/waiwai/face/0308/07brawl.html

My kind of representative!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

115. Thank for the photo

Now if only we could see the Dem Senators kick Zell Miller's ass.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

119. God bless you - that's my point!!!!

Politeness shmoliteness - this is how it gets done!!! If only the SOTU went down this way!!!!

[qanda]

59. Welcome to DU TyroneStryker

Sounds like you have just jumped right in! I hope you enjoy our wonderful community of varied thoughts and ideas. Your opinion is not very popular, but I hope you understand the amount of disgust we have for the current administration.

Again, welcome and enjoy!

:hi: :hi: :hi:

[alfredo]

44. Politics is also about appearances. Like it or not, we do need

the swing voters. Look at Iowa, the positive messages won the day. The combative candidates lost big time. We need to find what will work against the nastiness of the Rovians. If nasty works, then go for it, but if Iowa was any indication, then Tyrone Stryker has a good point.

I guess there is something to be said about being right, but then being right is of little consolation if we continue to have no power against the Junta. We need to make sure our anger doesn't blind us.

Edited to add this cartoon by Joel Pett

[blondeatlast]

93. Wait . . .I thought these were uyour "brother's" observations, Leo.

Er, I mean Tyrone . . . sorry.

[GreenArrow]

103. "I don't believe that this pile-on is warranted. "

I don't think it is either. You expressed an honest opinion, which an awful lot of people seemed to disagree with, (sometimes rather snippishly and condescendingly) and you were not rude in expressing it.

Im not sure they really apply to politics, where people smile to face as they prepare to stab you in the back, but I think your comments about manners in general are right on. Civil society, not just politics, is increasingly uncivil.

[Catfish]

22. I don't buy your story

Sorry, it doesn't make sense. Nobody with a brain is going to change their vote based on hearing some boos. If your brother is a moderate without party affiliation then he'll make his decision on voting based on each candidate, not on one incident he witnessed on TV.

[blondeatlast]

94. Leo, Tyrone's "brother," there was another . . .

We Dems better straighten up and fly right or we will lose the Harvey the invisible rabbit vote!

[lumpy]

24. Bush wouldn't recognize PC

if it was diddling his yang yang. He deserves all the booing he... well..deserves.

[liberalhistorian]

31. * has

a yang-yang????????

[lumpy]

34. I really don't know and don't

want to know. Worms repel me.

[Pithlet]

69. What is disgraceful

is the double standard in our lovely, biased media. If this were a fair fight, I'd be more inclined to agree. The powers that be have to be browbeaten until it sinks in that we ARE the good guys. We'll just have to shout louder to be heard over the bias.

I think it can be argued that there may be better ways to do that. But, I'm not going to get too upset when the other side is doing the exact same thing, and getting away with it. I'm not going to contribute to that hypocrisy by denouncing what the Democrats did.

[LiberalFighter]

79. It was a lack of decorum for bush to glare at the Democrats

[blondeatlast]

86. And to wave his finger and threaten a veto if they tried to overturn the

prescription drug sham.

First it was one whose name has been lost to time, then "Leo," now it's TS's brother.

:wtf: is it with the third party posters lately?

If they want to express their opinions, let them sign up.

[Cat Atomic]

89. Very true.

I was deeply offended by that. I'm definitely not voting for Bush now. :P

[blondeatlast]

95. Damn--he lost mine too! nm

[iverglas]

100. Agreed -- he was wearing his Head of State hat

I mentioned down below how one has a duty to show a minimum of respect for one's head of state, who is the symbol of one's country, in most instances, where one needn't show any respect for one's head of government, who is a partisan politician.

The US president is both. (In parliamentary systems, like Canada and the UK, the two are separate people.)

When he's acting as Head of State, as he is when he delivers the State of the Union address, he has just as much of a duty to behave like a Head of State as everybody else has to treat him like one.

Overt partisan behaviour is simply not head of state-like, and just invites perfectly justified disrespect for the person engaging in it, who has himself shown disrespect for the office he holds. Now that's where the Democrats can take the high road, and treat him like a head of state (stony silence will do) even when he acts like a vicious moron ... oops, partisan politician.

.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

101. that would work if the average American TV viewer saw it that way

but they don't. They don't appreciate the differences between head of state and symbolic head of gov't. Well, they understand it but the thing they would understand better would be an act that would get them saying " gee why are the democrats booing and walking out - he must have done something really bad. They never did that to Clinton and I was told he was really bad. I should find out more about what's going on"

[iverglas]

102. oh, I understand!

That modicum of respect for the head of state can only be expected if the head of state acts like a head of state.

Then it becomes a tactical issue as to what the best response is, when s/he doesn't.

Would the TV audience say "gee why are the democrats booing and walking out - he must have done something really bad. They never did that to Clinton and I was told he was really bad. I should find out more about what's going on" ... or would it say "what a bunch of rudeniks, he's our president right or wrong, they'll never get my vote". Judgment call.

That's the problem with the one-suit, two-roles presidential/congressional form of government. "Our president right or wrong" only applies (at least until it's lost by an overt bad act) to the head-of-state president, and it has some value and should perhaps not be discarded lightly -- but people don't even know that he's got two suits, and that they should be able to tell which suit he's wearing, let alone what they should expect from him in each one.

And a demagogue like him will take full advantage of that ignorance and confusion.

Of course also, as I noted below, even heads of state who aren't acting like partisan puppets don't get to expect respect when they're doing things contrary to the most basic rules of decency ... like violating international law and the locals' constitutional rights, eh?

.

[blondeatlast]

90. If your "bro" has an opinion, tell him to sign up for DU membership!

I'm sick to death of "third party" postings--transparent as glass. As, I might add, are you.

[wildwww2]

96. When he showed lack of decorom by not counting my Florida vote. I said

I would never support his AWOL election stealing ass. He let 9-11 happen and is blocking a proper investigation into it. He deserves boo`s,cat-calls (he`s a pussy in my book)heckeling,hissing whatever he gets. His brother and Cruella should have made sure my vote was counted instead of fighting for the oppisite. You have to earn my respect especially if you lose the popular vote by over half a million votes. And have to run to conflict of interest ridden judges to be installed. But go ahead respect the puke. But do not expect me to give up my first ammendment right to call him what he is. And I would hope my representitives would do the same. After all the last President was real and we know how the pub leadership treated him. Like he was illegitimate the way the squatter is.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[ElsewheresDaughter]

10. i heard it

[brainwashed_youth]

14. no boos but

I almost leapt up out of my chair with pride when those Democras applauded when Bush was talking about the expiration of the Patriot Act

[October]

20. I didn't hear them either

And I suffered through the entire arrogant, cocky, smarmy speech. No boos. I enjoyed Kennedy's expressions, was astounded by the division in Congress that * has caused. Oh, and I too clapped loudly when the Dems showed their support for the EXPIRATION of the Patriot Act.

On edit: My husband and I were wishing for boos! We thought it would be great if everyone started behaving as they do in Parliament!

[mdmc]

26. didn't see that (couldn't watch all at once)

:kick:

[TyroneStryker]

29. I loved that part.

The Patriot Act ties BCRA as the worst bills in the last 100 years.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

77. they weren't quite boos but

when Bush threatened that taxes would go back up the Dems went "OOOHH" like "I'm sooo scaaared!" - fucking priceless!

[Champion Jack]

16. I heard it and I thought it was great!

And I don't care what some freeper says about "decorum".

[veracity]

38. also ther was reaction to the Patriot Act

When Bush said that portions of the PA would expire next year, there was a burst of applause. As the boos - it's about time. That statement about the tax raise was a low blow in a SOTU speech. It was a lie, in the first place, and had nothing to do with the state of the union. The GOP gets away with anything and everything that is unethical, immoral, and totally inappropriate. But, let the Dems show some anger that's relevant - and even some dems throw up their hands in horror. Come on. Grow up.

[ihaveaquestion]

41. I heard something and ...

I watched the whole damned thing hoping for more. I did hear applause from rhe Dems when shrub said the Patriot Act would expire and I almost applauded! I'm tired of being reasonable with these repukes who wouldn't know reason if they stepped in it.

[Rockholm]

54. I HEARD THEM!!!!!

I heard booing and I heard the cheering against the "Patriot Act" against keeping the tax cuts in place. Finally, some spunk out of the Dems!!!

[Logansquare]

62. Yes, I heard them. Strangely unreported in today's NYT

NYT is reporting on every tiny nuance of our primary candidates, but didn't bother to at least mention something as unprecedented as booing during a SOTU address.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

65. Yeah, the 'left-wing' NYT didn't report the booing

so much for a free press...

[Aunt Eunice]

109. I'm guessing..

they thought they were doing the Dems a favor not reporting it. I don't recall the R ever booing Clinton.

(I could be wrong)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

111. You're wrong. They did boo Clinton

[Aunt Eunice]

118. Shame on them

I must have shut out their boos when listening to Clinton.

[PretzelWarrior]

67. I think you are astroturf. go make up your lies in nursery rhymes.

I don't trust the simple coincidence that the day after the SOTU there are a bunch of 100 or so post people popping off about how bad the Democrats were or might have been acting.

I think Bush deserved some jeers for his blatant lies. They weren't boos. THey were probably animalistic groans and purrs of delight from the evil congressmen on the left such as the serpentile Tom Delay who knows he will personally be rewarded by fat cat contributors by such tax break largesse.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

75. Yes no coincidence

that there are 100 or so "angry Dems" defending the honor of the pResident...

:eyes:

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

70. POLITENESS SCHMOLITENESS!

If you believe that this administration lied to you - especially when you voted based on those lies - and you don't boo and make your opposition known you are being negligent. If you feel that the tax-cuts and medicare debacle are hurting the people you care about then you must dissent. THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED TO BE RUDE!!!!

[CBHagman]

82. I heard whats sounded like booing.

It wasn't clear, however, that the booing was in response to the prospect of the tax cuts expiring (i.e., Bush's usual spiel that taxes will be raised) or whether it was to the possibility of the tax cuts being extended indefinitely.

I also heard some applause erupt at the prospect of the Patriot Act expiring. Again, it was unclear whether someone's timing was off or whether he/she wanted the damn thing to expire.

[Ready4Change]

91. I heard boo's, but FROM WHO?

I clearly heard boo's, but it was unclear to me who they were from. The context of the speach at that point was going in a direction that fiscally responsible REPUBLICANS would have much to object to.

To me, it could have been dems booing, conservative repubs booing, or some mixture of BOTH!

Now, wouldn't THAT be interesting?

[CO Liberal]

83. Did Pretzelboy Drink Booze During SOU???

That might explain his slurred delivery......

[blondeatlast]

88. And the "tipped" water glass . . . and increseing slurring . . .

[ThomWV]

84. Yes and No

Go listen more closly. There were boos but they were not directed at the dupe. I listened for them intently on my second listening to the speach. What they were booing was the scheduled end to some atrocious legislation or another.

I don't even recall the subject now but it as something like this; Bush said, the patriot act is due to expire next spring ... slight pause ... and then blah blah blah, and it was during that slight pause that there were some booing but it all seemed to be comming from the Republican side.

By the way, as I said, I don't recall what the subject he was on but it was similar to what I just said, not exact. It might have been the tax cut expiraton comming up now that I think about it.

[blondeatlast]

85. I swear I heard some too--but then I thought I imagined it. No one else

in the family watched, so I can't confirm or deny--but apparently others did hear it.

[gulliver]

87. Yep. And two mocking applauses.

Bush said something like "unless we act, the Patriot act will end next year," and the Dems applauded really fast. :-) Then Bush went on with "We must not let that happen," and there was a shot of DeLay smiling and applauding the Patriot Act warmly.

There was one other too. Can't remember right off hand...

The Dems did good -- Kennedy shaking his head, Hillary looking at the floor while applauding...not bad.

[iverglas]

97. looking at the floor while applauding?

I watched Hilary do that, and thought she looked a complete fool. Who in his/her right mind would applaud something s/he totally disagreed with and considered to be foul? (The look on her face was certainly foul.)

At least Kennedy had the decency to do something else with his hands (and CNN, for whatever their reasons, offered him to the viewing audience as a role model for how to exercise great restraint while listening to vicious idiot Republican presidents).

It's beyond me what could possibly be wrong with NOT applauding. For pity's sake, "Applaud now!" isn't part of the rules of congressional procedure, is it? Isn't applause during the speech supposed to be just kinda spontaneous?

Applause occurred because Republicans applauded. If the Republicans all jumped off a bridge ...

.

[iverglas]

98. poor delicate USAmericans

Lordy, if some of you folks ever walked into the House of Commons in Ottawa (or in London, I gather; I've only seen the more reserved House of Lords in action) you'd probably think that revolution had broken out, or at least that no one up here was ever taught table manners.

Here's the root of your problem.

Your president is both your head of state and your head of government.

It is generally rather unwise to boo one's head of state, who is the repository of everything that one's country represents. Booing one's head of government, on the other hand, can be a democratic duty. ;)

When Bush is delivering the State of the Union address, he is wearing his Head of State hat. Booing him would be inappropriate. There is an absolute minimum of respect that probably ought to be shown, if he is doing something short of ordering beheadings. (Now, there's an argument to be made that invading other countries and killing children is not at all better than beheading members of one's own populace. I leave the details for another day.)

An absolute minimum of respect would really amount to not overtly expressing disrespect. Sitting still, shutting up, and not making really crude faces; that oughta do it.

The equivalent event in Canada is the Speech from the Throne. It is delivered in Parliament, to both houses of Parliament (the House of Commons and the Senate), by the Governor General speaking for the Queen, who is the head of state here. The GG (and of course the Queen) is a "non-political person". She is simply saying what the head of government tells her to say when she delivers that speech -- announcing its agenda for the year, just as the US President does in the State of the Union address. But she, the GG, as a person, isn't saying anything. So it is more obvious, in that case, that booing her would be inappropriate.

But -- what happens then is that the Speech from the Throne is debated in the House of Commons ... and of course the Prime Minister is a member of the House of Commons. So the leaders of the opposition make speeches, and the government replies, and so on. And everybody boos everybody else, and makes snide remarks, and gets great rounds of laughter and applause for them.

Television has killed much of the fun. Traditionally, MPs thumped their desks to indicate approval, and a grand noise that was. But it wreaks havoc with the soundtrack, so now they just applaud. Of course, Sheila Copps, until recently the deputy PM, once jumped over her desk in an attempt to throttle one of the Ministers on the other side of the House after he called her "baby".

Anyhow. It would probably be bad form for anyone to boo the President during the State of the Union address, but I fail to see how anyone is under any obligation to stand and applaud him.

.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

99. We don't seem to be hearing from the "polite" view or his "brother"

Just saying.

[blondeatlast]

108. Tyrone's fingers got tired, so Bro had to look for someon else to do the

typing.

Tyrone, I know Leo's co-worker, and you are NO Leo's co-worker!

:evilgrin:

[KTM]

106. IT WAS NOT THE DEMS - (annotated transcript)

They were booing after he indicated that taxes might sunset... they were, if you will, "reverse psychology" boos - that is, they were not booing at him or his message, but about the fact that these things might not be made permanent.

I watched the entire thing, and also have about 95% of it recorded as an mp3. I'm quite certain the boos were NOT from the Democrats.

From CSPAN's transcript, below is the text of what I call Rove's "Test the Stump Speech" section of the SOTU. This is where the booing occurred. I have added my marks to the transcript to indicate where it comes (I can barely hear it in my recording), and, when looked at in context, it is plain that it would not be the Dems.

"Congress has some unfinished business on the issue of taxes. The tax reductions you passed are set to expire. Unless you act -- (applause) -- unless you act -- unless you act, the unfair tax on marriage will go back up. (faint booing) Unless you act, millions of families will be charged $300 more in federal taxes for every child. (slightly louder booing). Unless you act, small businesses will pay higher taxes. (more booing) Unless you act, the death tax will eventually come back to life. (more booing) Unless you act, Americans face a tax increase. (loudest booing) What Congress has given, the Congress should not take away. For the sake of job growth, the tax cuts you passed should be permanent. (Applause)(make that 'Thunderous Applause')."

[fleetus]

114. Thanks for verifying this.

It might be worth starting a new thread with this subject, because I think it is a big misconception that the Dems were booing during this part.

:yourock:

I posted something along this line when it first was brought up in this thread. But I wasn't (still am not) sure if this was the _only_ time booing occured during the speech.

[Ksec]

107. I watched cartoons

South Park was on and I wasnt missin that. Bush was a distant fourth place choice behind Gilligans Island , a movie on Turner and Insomniac.

[scottcsmith]

116. I heard them

I didn't watch the entire hour, but there were several occasions where you could here boos.

I loved it when that group applauded after Bush announced that provisions of the Patriot Act were going to expire. Bush's reaction was priceless. It was the look of a man who has been used to getting his way his entire life being told "no."