Why Senator Clinton Was Right---Please Read Before Judging Clinton

[journalist3072]

I've posted this in two other threads tonight, but I've seen so many posts that take Sen. Clinton to task for her remarks, that I thought this deserved its own thread.

Senator Clinton was absolutely correct in her "plantation" analogy.

The Republican leadership has indeed run the House like a plantation, where they continoulsy squelch minority dissent.

- When Rep. John Conyers wanted to hold a hearing on media bias, he was not permitted to use one of the regular hearing rooms. Instead, they put him in a room in the basement. Moreover, they would not allow him to call it a "hearing." He was not given the power to subpoena witnesses, and so they told him he had to call it a "forum" on media bias instead of a hearing. Additionally, NO REPUBLICANS from his Committee attended the forum.

- The Republicans have consistently made it a practice to hold votes open for extended periods of time. When they realize they are short on votes for a particular bill, or fear it will be really close, they hold the vote open for longer than normally expected, so they can arm twist other members into voting the way they want.

- Additionally, the Republicans have quickly forced a vote on certain bills right after they introduce it, without giving the Democrats time to actually read the bill so that they know what they are voting on. The Democrats request additional time to read the bill, and are denied that.

Clearly, the Republicans don't realize we live in a country of majority rule and minority rights.

THAT is why Sen. Clinton (very accurately I believe) compared it to a plantation.

So please think about this before you ridicule her.

I posted about this on my blog tonight:

http://progressiveminds.bloghi.com/2006/01/17/why-sen-clinton-was-right-about-the-house-plantation.html

[firefox]

1. I only have one thing to say

I have been amazed at how people have commented on what she said and not the messenger.

[journalist3072]

3. Actually, that's a good thing, I believe

We get too caught up in "people" sometimes. We don't want to hear a particular message,because it's coming from this person or that person.

I think we need to concentrate on the message this time, and not necessarily the messenger.

What's vitally important here, is that the American people know how the Republicans have been running Congress.

They NEED to know about Republicans not allowing a Democrat like John Conyers the ordinary use of hearing rooms that they normally afford House members.

They NEED to know about forcing quick votes on bills so that the Dems don't have a chance to read a 150-page document, for example, and don't know what they're voting on.

It's NOT necessarily important that they think about it being Hillary Clinton who delivered the message.

Just my take....

[RoyGBiv]

2. I agree, but ...

The literal truth is not the issue. She was right because she drew a popular, damning analogy. All analogies eventually fail under close scrutiny, which is the problem with them. Regardless, Hillary spoke truth in far more ways than can be torn down with reductionist analysis.

And I do thank her.

[FloridaPat]

4. Have you heard about the Newt Gingrich quote? Wait til you see this.

" FLASHBACK: Gingrich Said Democrats Think They “Run The Plantation”

Prodded by the right-wing, the media is already swarming around Sen. Hillary Clinton for saying the House of Representatives “has been run like a plantation…It has been run in a way so that nobody with a contrary view has had a chance to present legislation, to make an argument, to be heard.” MSNBC has already launched a poll: “Was Clinton’s ‘plantation’ comparison too harsh?”

How long before the media mentions that Newt Gingrich, just before becoming Speaker of the House, made the same comparison in 1994:

“I clearly fascinate them,” Gingrich said of the Democrats. “I’m much more intense, much more persistent, much more willing to take risks to get it done. Since they think it is their job to run the plantation, it shocks them that I’m actually willing to lead the slave rebellion.” "

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/01/17/gingrich-plantation/

[hopeisaplace]

6. oh my goodness, good find..lol

[GrpCaptMandrake]

5. In addition to all you said quite eloquently

isn't it also true that the "plantation" analogy was first used by Newt Gingrich? Wasn't it Newt who accused the Democrats of running the Congress "like a plantation?"

I smell a little of the Mrs. Alito-cries-and-runs-from-the-room in this. Just as the media jumped right on the GOP talking points there, asserting that "Democrats made her cry" when the whole sorry set-up went down during Lindsey Graham's questioning, so, too, the faux outrage over Mrs. Clinton's remarks are ginned-up out of the national memory hole for the really tawdry crap Newt Gangrene used to spew on a regular basis.

I'm no "Hillary for President" type, but she deserves credit for getting this one right.