Edgy Dems Snarl at Their Antiwar Base

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

By JOHN V. WALSH

http://counterpunch.com/walsh05012007.html

--SNIP--

Democrats in Congress are growing increasingly hostile toward their antiwar base. David Obey has provided the most notorious example upon a chance encounter with Marine Mom, Tina Richards, in a Congressional hallway. (See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS4wHMCc57k). Richards had tried to talk with Obey, her Congressman, for a long time, but he had successfully eluded her until this day. Now she and other antiwar activists were lobbying in the Capitol in an attempt to get "our" Senators and Representatives to cut off funding for the war. Not surprisingly, Obey gave the standard response when Richards asked why he continues to fund the war. "We don't have the votes," he shouted at her. To which the answer is of course: "Congressman, we only want your one vote, and your help in getting the rest. You cannot win if you do not fight." Talk to any Dem politician and he or she will tell that they on your side but the others are the problem. So the votes are not there collectively, but individually everyone is on the side of peace. That is a very strange calculus.

The odious aspect of the encounter was that Obey set about attacking the Marine Mom and the handful of Democrats who, unlike him, refused to vote supplemental funding for the war. "Idiot liberals," was the first outburst, followed by: "The liberal groups are jumping around without knowing what the hell is in the bill"; "You're smoking something illegal"; and "If you guys don't stop screwing it up," we will end the war. Finally an aide pulled him away and he waddled through a door and slammed it shut in Richards face. What is wrong here? Why would he treat this worried mother in such a shabby way?

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Tina Richards is the CEO of Grassroots America, www.GrassrootsAmerica4us.org. She is the mother of Marine Cpl. Cloy Richards who served two tours in Iraq and is now 80% disabled. She managed the congressional campaign of Democrat, Veronica Hambacker, in Missouri.

[ORDagnabbit]

1. corporate demopublicans like war....its good for business. n/t

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

12. True, and they do not provide a satisfactory...

...explanation for not simply filibustering additional funding for this illegal occupation/war.
Appended to the editorial:

John Walsh can be reached at [e-mail]. He encourages one and all to join the many thousands who have signed the petition at WWW.FilibusterForPeace.org. It only takes 41 of the 51 Democratic Senators to bring the war on Iraq to an end. They have the power. Why do they not use it?

[Atman]

2. Uhm...how old is this Obey story?

Jesus...things have changed a lot, even since Obey's tirade. This is "old news," at best.

.

[AtomicKitten]

5. you're right -- old news n/t

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

6. I'm not sure how old the Obey story is...

...The youtube video was posted March 7th. I don't think Walsh's piece is about the Obey incident so much as the general hostility aimed at anti-war Dems who are tired of being marginalized and would like to be heard.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Why? Because...

Like most politicians, he doesn't give a rat's tail about what the people want. His corporate sponsors tell him to fund the war, therefore he either funds the war or loses his seat when the sponsors decide to sponsor someone else.

As long as corporations have a presumed right to buy politicians, democracy is a mere illusion.

[saracat]

4. My God to attack David Obey of all people is disgusting.

This congressman has done more to end the war than probablly anyone! Obey was also instrumental in ending the Vietnam war. That hallway confrontation was idiotic and Tina Richards and her friend were idiots who don't know anything about how congress works! Obey explained his reasons and Tina could not seem to grasp the concept of votes or the fact that he wrote the supplemental that she wanted him to vote against.Obey is trying to protect soldiers like her som and provide the medical care she says he isn't getting. Posting this lunacy and attacking the legislators who are on our side is not productive!

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

7. "Lunacy" and "Counterproductive"

A.K.A. Counterpunch.

[TheWraith]

8. Amen. NT

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

9. Obey seemed to be the one on the attack...

...I didn't hear Ms. Richards call anyone any names. Your angry, name calling, post is illustrative of the very point Mr. Walsh makes in his piece.

[saracat]

13. When people like Ms.Richards contribute what David Obey has to ending the war

and have the credentials to prove it, I will be more interested in what they are saying. And NO being the mother of a soldier does not equal witing the legislation to end the Vietnam War. David Obey is a tur anti war activist and it is a shame to attack him in the manner these people have. Obey answered her back in the manner she deserved. Stupidity doesn't deserve respect.She should have done due diligence before accusing and demanding.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

14. Please identify anywhere in their exchange...

...where Obey was being attacked, I must've missed that part. All I heard was Ms Richards politely trying to question him. His reaction was aggressive and condescending and appeared to be an effort to intimidate her into backing down. She politely persisted which apparently angered him as he then became overtly rude.

Please explain why she needs any credentials of any kind to merely ask her representative how he intends to vote and why.

"...accusing and demanding?" I've viewed the video again to find out what you're talking about and did not hear her make any accusations or demands.

I would agree that stupidity is undeserving of respect as is the intentional gross distortion/misrepresentation of the facts surrounding the Richards/Obey exchange.

[Ganja Ninja]

10. We have to stay on their case like white on rice.

While it may annoy them it stimulates spinal growth, something they've been severely lacking.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

11. Couldn't agree more.

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. He 'waddled' through the door? First Durbin now we're BACK TO DAVE OBEY???of all people?

Good grief. Why don't you spend this time attacking REPUKES Instead of our devoted, LIBERAL Democrats???? Durbin and Obey are NOT conservative Democrats! STOP THIS CRAP! OBEY IS ON OUR SIDE! He has to work WITHIN the system! LEAVE HIM ALONE!

This is an OLD story. Why drag it out again?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

16. The OP is an editorial where the author uses the Richards/Obey...

...encounter as an illustrative example to serve in making his point. I think it's a worthy read and has some validity. I don't see it as an attack piece and didn't anticipate the reference to the Richards/Obey incident becoming such a distraction.