More on that Madras town hall: "raucous" and "disrespectful"
Kari Chisholm
After Carla reported what went down at that Madras town hall for Senator Jeff Merkley, there was some skepticism expressed about what exactly went down. After all, the Bend Bulletin's story didn't quite express the rowdiness.
Now, Talking Points Memo has more - based on an interview with an editor from the Madras Pioneer who was on the scene (as well as comments from Merkley spokesman Marc Siegel, who was there, too.):
Merkley has hosted over two dozen such events since February, and, according to his spokesman Marc Siegel, the tone of these events has become significantly more aggressive in the last few weeks, culminating in Sunday's raucous event. ...[The protestors'] behavior intimidated local residents, many of whom were cowed into silence by the out-of-towners.
According to Holly Gill, news editor of the Madras Pioneer, the scene was "raucous," if not quite as disruptive as some of the episodes that have made the rounds on cable news. "I've never seen such a large contingent of people behaving in such a disrespectful manner," Gill told me via email.
Madras has just over 6,000 people, with over 22,000 in the county, but I usually recognize most people at public meetings. Of the 150-200 people at the meeting, I probably only recognized about 30. I didn't recognize the most disruptive individuals. We've received three or four letters to the editor decrying the behavior on display at the meeting....I've been to numerous town halls or meetings with Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Greg Walden, or former Sen. Gordon Smith (Merkley's predecessor) and have never before been embarrassed by the way the community was represented.
Gill's story in the Madras Pioneer is here, including details on the questions asked and answered.
 |
More Recent Posts | |
Albert Kaufman |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
Kari Chisholm |
Final pre-census estimate: Oregon's getting a sixth congressional seat |
Albert Kaufman |
Polluted by Money - How corporate cash corrupted one of the greenest states in America |
Guest Column |
|
Albert Kaufman |
Our Democrat Representatives in Action - What's on your wish list? |
Kari Chisholm |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
connect with blueoregon
Aug 7, '09
It's hard to see an upside for either Republicans or the anti-reform interests in this townhall hooliganism. The mainstream media is being quite critical - even wishy-washy CNN.
Perhaps the effort will galvanize the ever-shrinking hard right minority, but it looks sure to alienate many moderates.
Aug 7, '09
It's escalated now to a point where the tea-baggers are asking their mobs to bring guns and "badly hurt" any pro-reform demonstrators. So whose idea of free speech is this??
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/anti-health-care-reform-protester-encourages-physical-violence-use-of-firearms.php
2:38 p.m.
Aug 7, '09
One of the threatening phone calls is coming from Oregon:
2:39 p.m.
Aug 7, '09
that didn't work right.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/seiu-weve-gotten-threatening-phone-call-involving-the-second-amendment.php
Aug 7, '09
You're losing the narrative, so of course out comes the "Nazi" charge from the left.
Meanwhile the only actual violence in these recess town halls was inflicted courtesy of SEIU thugs. Nice.
Aug 7, '09
Rachel Maddow on fake "town halls gone wild" spin tactic:
http://airamerica.com/maddow/blog/2009/aug/05/history-fake-conservative-protests-video
Aug 7, '09
More at Bend's Source Weekly: Bufalloes behaving badly
4:58 p.m.
Aug 7, '09
If the right were "winning the narrative", there'd be no need for their thuggery and violence at these town halls.
The reason it's happening is because they're not.
Aug 7, '09
Boats--we're losing the narrative?!? I think you are losing your mind...again.
Aug 7, '09
Extremist conservatives are hurting their own cause and losing the middle. And lets face it. It is the middle, the undecided, the not partisan that decide elections.
While interesting and entertaining at first, the behavior of those bound on taking over, embarassing and shouting down should be called out for the thuggery that it is. Yes, many can point at ELF, MoveOn and other far left groups and say, "they did it first". So what? That doesn't make it right, that doesn't make it democratic and doesn't make it good for the U.S.
We need open discussion about this and other issues facing the country. Both sides need to remember that the other side have some unique and intersting perspective. We are able to hold a peaceful revolution every 4 years because of the fact that we listen to each other and understand today's loser could well be next cycles winner.
Aug 7, '09
Remember what a drag and opportunistic piece of Using it was when Rajneesh's Leftenants bussed in hundreds of homeless people from SF and other places so as to take over a local town and City Council while they were at it? Remember the escalations that occurred in the political theater as well as in the home culture of the ranch at that time?
The parallel is not perfect. However....
Aug 7, '09
"You're losing the narrative, so of course out comes the "Nazi" charge from the left."
Oh puhleeze. A right wing/T-bag movement is in high gear with claims that Obama is acting like a Nazi. Rush is spewing it over the air. I've seen the rhetoric all over t-bag and birther blogs and web sites. But I suppose that's because they're losing the narrative...
Aug 7, '09
Actually, health care reform is virtually in the bag. It will not be all that most of us would like, but it will happen. There is no principled opposition - there are oppositional business interests, and there are lunatic screamers. No on has put forth a cogent argument against reform in a broad contest.
Reform proponents must keep the pressure on to get the best deal possible, but the screamers have already lost, and I suspect that many of them know it. This recent meme that reform proponents are "losing the narrative" is pathetic wishful thinking. That opposition has been reduced to bussed-in gaggles of disruptive nitwits says it all.
Aug 7, '09
Sorry about the typos, my fingers have been drinking.
Aug 8, '09
You folks ARE losing the narrative, that's why you've moved from talking about your brand of health care reform (which BTW, polls show the majority of Americans now disagree with) and moved to talking about the opposition "the mob". You guys are silly, and funny!
Aug 9, '09
Read this:
Conservative Defector Spills All On Town Halls
right-wing_turncoat_gives_the_inside_scoop_
The Dick Armey Freedom works web sites mentioned were discussed in prior Blue Oregon stories when Freedom Works played all of those anti-environmentalist commercials and stole and copied web site for Keep the Lights on Oregon at Keep the Lights on Oregon and created a counter group at Lights on Oregon
I might ad that at that time I understand numerous groups including the Merkely campaign and individuals were contacted by Keep the Lights on Oregon and no one would help the persue this issue.
Now they are back- their poster child is Sarah Palin and along with the extreme right-wing Neo-Nazi, KKK, Skin Heads, John Birchers they are hijacking the Republican Party for 2012- So get all of the little liberal minds used to the idea-
<h2>IMHO the only way to beat them is to deny them a forum and use an alternative forum rather than public town halls to promote the politricans until this series runs its course.</h2>