An argument between a lawmaker and an audience member at a district town hall meeting this weekend created a scene reminiscent of August's recess.
Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas) got into a heated dispute with an attendee who suggested he was not telling the truth about the Democrats' healthcare reform legislation.
In a video that was posted online Sunday, the female audience member can be heard interrupting Rodriguez, urging him to "tell the truth" about he Congressional Budget Office analysis of the sweeping legislation.
"Don't accuse me of not saying the truth," Rodriguez replied.
A voice from the crowd can be heard saying, "Excuse me, that's not appropriate," but it is not clear the same person who started the exchange said it.
"It's not appropriate to also determine [inaudible]," Rodriguez fired back, slamming a rolled up stack of papers he was holding onto a nearby table. "I'm not going to take any [inaudible]. If you want a dialogue in a civil manner, don't say that I'm not saying the truth."
Rodriguez's office has not responded to a request for comment.
August's recess featured many arguments between lawmakers from both parties and town hall attendees amid the debate over healthcare reform legislation. Protesters often showed up en masse to demonstrate both for and against the legislation.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/12/2010 12:08 ||
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Obviously, this oligarco didn't get the message: Don't expose yourself to the hoi polloi when you go home this summer. Stick to stage-managed, admit-only gatherings sponsored by the SEIU.
Republicans will win back a majority of seats in this fall's election, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) predicted 16 weeks before Election Day.
Cantor, the second-ranking House Republican, said he expected his party to win enough seats in this November's midterm elections to take over control of the House next year.
"I think we retake the House, as Mr. Gibbs suggested yesterday from the White House," Cantor said during an appearance on CNBC. "That will change the dynamic, for sure."
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Sunday said that Republicans were within striking distance of taking over either the House or Senate, if not both.
"I think people are going to have a choice to make in the fall, but I think there's no doubt there are enough seats in play that could cause Republicans to gain control," Gibbs said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Cantor and other top Republicans have professed a sense of optimism about this fall's elections, in which they hope to make major inroads, including occasional predictions about a takeover of the House or Senate. But the leaders have been wary of pegging a number of seats they expect to win this fall, with the GOP needing to pick up 39.
The minority whip, who would probably become majority leader if Republicans take over the House, framed the elections as an opportunity to challenge the Obama administration on spending and other issues.
"When we regain the House -- because I do think that we will retake the majority -- the president will have to deal with us," Cantor said. "I mean, there is leverage now that the American people will have over the ability to stop spending, over telling the administration 'no' on a lot of these harmful policies to small business."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/12/2010 12:07 ||
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Red-faced Boston city councilors who boldly voted to shun the state of Arizona over its new immigration crackdown are now showing signs of boycotter's regret.
The grandstanding pols kept a low profile when the target of their boycott came to their city on Saturday. Some acknowledged taking a pass on the much-hyped protest of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer for weekend vacations and other engagements - while one councilor even admitted the embargo was ill-conceived.
The non-binding measure, sponsored by Council President Michael Ross and Councilor Felix G. Arroyo, calls on city officials "not to participate in any business activities substantially connected with the State of Arizona and municipalities in Arizona."
"If it had to be done all over again, there'd probably be more thought put into it and perhaps a hearing," said Councilor John Tobin of West Roxbury. "It was an emotional issue and an emotional time. I think the sponsors were getting a lot of pressure to say something, to file something."
Tobin's own resolve broke down quickly. He had a chance to go to an Arizona Diamondbacks game at Fenway Park [map] last month.
"I asked the bill's co-sponsors for permission," he said. They said OK. Tobin went to the ballgame.
Arroyo has not returned repeated calls since last week. Ross downplayed the strictness of the measure yesterday.
"I wouldn't refer to it as a boycott. It was a number of things. It was a statement," said Ross, who was away for the weekend as the protest took place.
The measure passed with great fanfare. Mayor Thomas M. Menino vowed to scrutinize contracts with Arizona firms. But Menino administration officials have failed to respond when asked if any firms have been singled out for action.
Councilors have privately expressed regret, saying they've been verbally accosted by angry constituents and taken aback by the level of national attention the boycott brought.
The Arizona law - since targeted by an Obama administration lawsuit on constitutional grounds - lets police inquire about residency status in the course of enforcing other laws, and requires immigrants to carry their naturalization documents.
The ANSWER Coalition, which calls the law "racist" and Brewer "bigoted," only drew about 350 people to their Saturday protest - not the thousands they had predicted. Many of those that did attend were bused in from out-of-state, organizers reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/12/2010 12:06 ||
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Oh, well. No Profiles in Courage Award this year, I guess...
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
An argument between a lawmaker and an audience member at a district town hall meeting this weekend created a scene reminiscent of August's recess.
Red-faced Boston city councilors who boldly voted to shun the state of Arizona over its new immigration crackdown are now showing signs of boycotter's regret.
