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2010-04-16 Home Front: Politix

Dems Says Bachmann Inspiring Tim McVeigh II

Democrats, including Rep. Betty McCollum, launched into an assault on incivility Tuesday, saying incendiary words from members of Congress were inflaming tensions that could provoke another incident of Oklahoma City-style domestic terrorism.

"When Members of Congress compare health-care legislation to 'government tyranny,' 'socialism,' or 'totalitarianism' -- in the hopes of scoring political points -- it's like pouring gas on the fire of extremism," McCollum said.

McCollum's St. Paul office was one of a few that received an envelope containing gasoline-soaked tatters of an American flag and a letter that called her things not fit for print in this or any publication. Several police departments, including St. Paul and the Capitol Police, are investigating.

"The members of this House -- Democrats and Republicans -- have a duty and an obligation to end the dangerous name-calling that can only inspire the extremist militias and phony patriots," McCollum said. "In the most free, prosperous and greatest democracy on earth it is time to return to a civil, decent debate of public policy."

"I don't want another 'Oklahoma City' to ever take place again," McCollum said. "Just as we would not give aid and comfort to al-Qaida, let us not allow the words of elected leaders give comfortable excuses to extremists bent on violence."

Oklahoma Republicans hit back, with Rep. Tom Cole saying in a statement that "the fact that a member of Congress would invoke this tragedy to make a cheap political statement is reprehensible. Members of both parties should show respect for the victims' families and refrain from using rhetoric that politicizes this tragic event."

Nowhere in that floor speech did she say the name Michele Bachmann, but it's pretty clear that the darling of the Tea Party right fits the bill as someone whose rhetoric McCollum would like to be toned down. Bachmann has said the recently passed health care bill amounts to socialism, that the tactics used to pass it amounted to tyranny. A quickie search didn't show an example of her calling it totalitarianism, though plenty of Republicans (like Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch) have.

Posted by Fred 2010-04-16 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11136 views ] Top

#1 No, Obama and the Pelosi leftist oligarchy in Congress are doing quite well at agitating people by steamrollering them and ignoring their voices.

Posted by OldSpook 2010-04-16 01:19|| 2010-04-16 01:19|| Front Page Top

#2 The truth is that the Dems are hoping very much for something like that which they can exploit to tar the center/right in a way to affect the elections in November.

Never waste a crisis, and all that. I wouldn't put it past them to have one of their own commit an act and pretend to be a conservative, just to get that result. It's what they do.

Posted by no mo uro 2010-04-16 06:36|| 2010-04-16 06:36|| Front Page Top

#3 "When Members of Congress compare health-care legislation to 'government tyranny,' 'socialism,' or 'totalitarianism' -- in the hopes of scoring political points -- it's like pouring gas on the fire of extremism," McCollum said.

They're not comparing, they're describing.

Posted by no mo uro 2010-04-16 06:37|| 2010-04-16 06:37|| Front Page Top

#4 BS from the left. Historically, if you look at the violence in the streets, it is Democrats who foster and incite it. The last election, there were drive-by shootings at Republican headquarters. The son on an elected official (Democrat) hacked into Sarah Palin's email. That is making its way through the courts. The Black Panthers intimidated voters at the polls in the last election. SEIU's and ACORN's head knockers roughed up people at the polls. Fictitious people were registered at the polls. We are still waiting for the results of a police investigation in Bobby Jindal's niece's beat up in New Orleans. It looks suspicious. Recently, Democratic Congressmen and women make assertions about the use of the 'N' and 'F' words at a Tea Party that were never proven or heard by anyone else. If you go back further to the "Days of Rage" in Chicago, Bill Ayers is probably familiar with that event. How about the various bombings and shooting of police by violent groups on the left? Betty, why don't you just stuff a sock in your mouth until something intelligent is ready to come if that is possible.

Posted by JohnQC 2010-04-16 09:30|| 2010-04-16 09:30|| Front Page Top

#5 The problem is complicity of mass media with the deceptions. Were there truly investigative reporting these abuses would come to light and generate the outrage which they should.

Posted by No I am The Other Beldar 2010-04-16 11:53|| 2010-04-16 11:53|| Front Page Top

#6 Timothy McVeigh was an Iraqi I vet. What McVeigh did was heinous. There is no justification for what he did. In his mind, however, he justified what he did because of Waco and Ruby Ridge. At Waco, Janet Reno, ordered a heavy handed approach to the Branch Davidians at Waco. From what I understand David Koresh, the leader of the Davidians could have been picked up on the road just about any day of the week while he was running. At Ruby Ridge, Randy Weaver, a green beret Viet Nam vet was a loner. He built a place on Ruby Ridge in Northern Idaho. Weaver was arrested for selling illegal firearms to an undercover agent. The ATF maintained that the weapons supplied by Weaver were illegally shortened when Faderley (an undercover ATF agent posing as a biker) received them, Weaver has claimed otherwise. One thing led to another and the Department of Justice (Janet Reno was Attorney General) surrounded Weaver's cabin. A shootout ensued whereby Randy Weaver, his friend Kevin Harris; Weaver's son Sammy was killed (shot in the back), Weaver's wife was shot in the head and killed while holding their baby, and Weaver's dog was shot. Weaver sued the Federal government and received a settlement of $3.1 million. Harris received $380,000.

So Congresswoman McCollum, why not tell the entire story about Timothy McVeigh while you are talking about inciting violence. The left owns more than its share of violence. McVeigh has been pretty much determined to be a loner--not a part of some vast right wing conspiracy. Can you think of a single modern day incident attributable to the Tea Party, Republicans or conservatives? Unless you can provide such answers you are just stirring up divisiveness.

Posted by JohnQC 2010-04-16 13:36|| 2010-04-16 13:36|| Front Page Top

#7 Ruby Ridge was 1992. I'm not defending Reno but she hadn't taken office

Posted by Beavis 2010-04-16 14:13|| 2010-04-16 14:13|| Front Page Top

#8 A part of what is happening is that those of us on the right aren't giving attention to a major source of influence, the MSM. Our fellow citizens, in a large way, don't get cable, don't read blogs, and don't see the same info that those of us on the right see and have come to accept as common knowledge.
This vacuum allows the MSM to write unfounded drivel like the building script that the public outrage is turning into a dangerous, racist, violent tide....utter crap but a building set of talking points.
In addition to continuing the tea party efforts to influence politicians, do we not need to consider a similar effort to confront, in educated, peaceful, but energetic ways, the propaganda machines thas the liberals/progressives/socialists use to mis inform the public? Not just demonstrations at political centers, but in front of the NYT and WaPo, with signs demanding they tell a balanced story? Yhey have always been on the offensive end of the poilitical dynamic, perhaps they will not do well on defense, and cannot avoid reporting demonstrations at their front door.

Posted by NoMoreBS 2010-04-16 17:14|| 2010-04-16 17:14|| Front Page Top

#9 Thanks Beavis for the correction.

Posted by JohnQC 2010-04-16 19:18|| 2010-04-16 19:18|| Front Page Top

#10 Was it Mr. McVeigh or his partner in crime who was connected to the MILF (I think...) through a girlfriend, and actually visited the Philippines not long before their little attack?

Posted by trailing wife 2010-04-16 22:59|| 2010-04-16 22:59|| Front Page Top

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