California Voters Vent Anger at Pelosi in Oakland Town Hall: "Sellout" "End the War" etc

[amborin]

Residents Vent Their Ire Over Economy at Pelosi, Lee in Oakland Town Hall
Shouts of: "Sellout!" "Tax the Rich!" and "End the War!"

by Josh Richman

OAKLAND -- They lined up dozens deep to tell of their economic struggles and to plead for help from the four Democrats lawmakers on the stage.


Lynette and Gary Wade of Oakland, center, listen to US Rep Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, speak during a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011 in Oakland. (Jane Tyska/Oakland Tribune) A single mother laid off in 2009; an electrician who has worked only six of the past 24 months; a janitor locked out of her job over a medical-benefits dispute; and many more -- the frustration was palpable at the "Speak Out for Good Jobs Now!" town hall meeting that Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, hosted Tuesday night at Acts Full Gospel Church of God in Christ.

Some of it was aimed squarely at House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, who came to hear her constituents' stories. Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, and Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairman Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., also attended. The meeting's purpose was to record stories for entry into the Congressional Record, but some clearly had come to vent their anger at Pelosi for what they see as Democratic inertia in the face of Republican aggression.

"Sellout!" someone shouted as Pelosi began addressing the crowd of about 900; shouts of "Tax the rich!" and "End the war!" punctuated her speech on job creation. Although her castigation of House Republicans -- for trying to gut the National Labor Relations Board, for delaying the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, and more -- drew some cheers, her critics remained focused. When she cited the recent deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling and cut the budget without raising any new revenues, a man angrily shouted, "Why did you vote for it?"

"
We waited to talk to you; where are you going?" a woman shouted from the audience as Pelosi left half way through the meeting




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http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/08/18-4

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. She should have stayed and answered their questions.

I thought she had more courage than she showed on Tuesday.

Bad move, Nancy.

[Sherman A1]

2. People are Not Happy

and it could be a very rough year for incumbents.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. That's for damn sure.

And it could have been largely avoided.

*sigh*

[Sherman A1]

4. Indeed it could have been, yet

they have failed to do so. Next week Claire McCaskill has one of her staffers doing a one hour thing at a nearby library. I believe I will be attending to express my thoughts.