Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) faces the music from constituents over surge support

[swag]

Video:

http://www.kgw.com/video/video-index.html?nvid=170020

[mwb970]

1. Good to see!

Thanks for posting this.

[Vinca]

2. It's a shame the media didn't see fit to put up video of Baird's

constituents giving him a piece of their mind. From the story, it sounds like they did, but the video seemed "well edited."

[swag]

3. Via Atrios, here's the Stranger's blog of the event

The Stranger is a snarky Seattle weekly edited by Dan Savage, by the way.

http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/report_from_vancouver_washington_rep_bai

Congressman Brian Baird (D-3 Vancouver, Washington) hosted a town hall tonight at Fort Vancouver High School. It was Baird’s first appearance in front of his constituents since reversing his position on the war. ALTHOUGH he’s been an adamant critic of the war—he voted against the war and the surge—he announced last week that he thinks the surge is working and he wants to give it time.
He spoke in a high school auditorium that was packed with at least 500 people who were overwhelmingly vocal in their opposition to Baird’s new stance. There were also protesters outside calling for Baird to resign.

He was hammered by Jon Soltz, the young, good looking, charismatic chairman and co-founder of political action committee VoteVets.org. Soltz is also an Iraq war veteran, having served in 2003. Speaking calmly and to raucous applause, he said Baird (who recently returned from a visit to Iraq) was fooled “by a dog and pony show” and is unfortunately “providing cover for President Bush.”

. . .

Another speaker who brought down the house was Zanne Joi, a Vancouver activist with Code Pink Women for Peace. Joi called Baird “arrogant” for trying to dictate how Iraqis should govern themselves and said the war was only about “American oil profit.”

A third speaker, who also spoke to tremendous applause, was Jane Lustig from Vancouver, whose main complain was that Baird was not representing his constituents’ point of view.

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4. KATU's report has slightly better video

http://www.katu.com/news/9415661.html

[flyarm]

5. K&R AND THIS IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE FOR EVERYONE OF OUR CONGRESS CRITTERS..

IN THEIR FACES.. and cut off the checkbooks..and demand out of iraq asap!

and impeachment..

they are our employees ..never forget that..

fly

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. He's getting it in the paper too

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/08/27/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/04opinion.txt

"Congratulations! After all these years in Congress, you finally earned a spot on NPR’s national news. Of course, it was for being what some Republicans call a flip-flopper.

Shame on you, Turncoat!

You follow in the footprints of another notorious turncoat, Ronald Reagan. All it took for him was a tour and attentions from a cigarette company. All it took for you was a short Iraq Green Zone “tour” and a sloppy wet kiss from our corrupt administration!

Shame on you, Quisling!

You, sir, demonstrate yourself to be a political invertebrate. You shame yourself."