Conservative threatens congressman’s life over health insurance reform

Posted by Josh Rosenau on August 5, 2009
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Things are getting out of hand. The absurd disruptions at townhalls will backfire as people realize they are manufactured, and that the bills in question will help most Americans. But TPM reports Congressman Brad Miller’s life was threatened in a call from a constituent:

“[W]e have received a threatening phone call in the D.C. office, there have been calls to the Raleigh office,” said Miller communications director LuAnn Canipe, in an interview with TPM. The threatening call in question happened earlier this week.

“The call to the D.C. office was, ‘Miller could lose his life over this,’” said Canipe. “Our staffer took it so seriously, he confirmed what the guy was saying. He said, ‘Sir is that a threat?’ and at that time our staffer was getting the phone number off caller ID and turning it over to the Capitol Police.”

There’s no place for this. During the presidential campaign, John McCain was a big enough man to tamp down the eliminationist rhetoric of his supporters. Which Republicans will prove that they value civil discourse today? (No, I don’t think Glenn Beck counts.)

Not the Kansas Republican Party, which is endorsing the staged disruptions of townhall meetings with members of congress.

At one such event, an unnamed Democratic member of Congress was physically assaulted. At others, members have had to be escorted to safety by local police. Senator Dodd was urged to commit suicide by yet another anti-healthcare activist.

It’s certainly fair for Republicans to argue against a bill they don’t like. I’d rather they didn’t make things up to justify their arguments, but it is simply not acceptable for them to resort to violence or threats of violence. Enough is enough.

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Comments

  1. #1 BrianR
    August 5, 2009

    It’s actually a bit surprising that the lobbying firms and insurance companies funding this didn’t learn from the McCain campaign … the only pathway for this kind of stuff is for it to escalate. Since they don’t have a coherent argument backed by facts, it’s emotion without any rational foundation. My prediction: within the next week there will be a handful of ‘incidents’ with violent overtones (hopefully nothing worse than threats); after that, the insurance co. lobbying firms will try and walk back everything and distance themselves from the diverse crowd of birthers, nativists, white-supremacists, and other extremists taking advantage of the opportunity for whatever ideology they promote to get media coverage. Strange stuff.

  2. #2 D. C. Sessions
    August 6, 2009

    I’d rather they didn’t make things up to justify their arguments, but it is simply not acceptable for them to resort to violence or threats of violence. Enough is enough.

    The jury is out on “acceptable.” In politics, “acceptable” is what works — and we don’t know yet whether this is going to work.

    We could as readily say that rioting in the streets with massive property destruction would also be “unacceptable” — but that was what happened in the 60s, and today the judgment of history is that the rioters were right.

    History is written by the victors.

  3. #3 abb3w
    August 6, 2009

    Hm. The violent protests looks like conspiracy to violate the right of Peaceable Assembly to me. However, I don’t think any offenses more serious than the obvious and trivial could be proven in court.

  4. #4 Art
    August 6, 2009

    Like you common sewer rat the GOP and its followers get vicious if cornered.

  5. #5 Rumpleforeskin
    August 6, 2009

    You Nazi asswipes are not even smart enough to figure out that Obama has lied to you with german engineered propaganda about these meeting protestors being manufactured. You are idiots. Am I manufacterd? Hell no. I am angry about nationalized socialism. No one pays me to spew this out becuase I sincerely am concerned. So are thousands of others. If this thing gets passed and socialism comes here, I hope the whole damned market crashes and you all starve. Fascists like marxist militant liberals deserve a to be told off in public. But you people never get the picture. You are hard headed arroagnt secualr asswipes that need to be fed terds to get a taste of what is going on in the real world. forget that communist professor in college and think yfor yourself. Fuck socialism and its supports. I hope Texas and Virginai does waht they say and seced from the Union. Hell’ I’ll take up arms and fight the next civil war with them to remain a free man. The 1960s drug campaigns on college student really fucked this nation over. I wish we would have sent the hippie asswipes to red china back the when we had the chance. Too late now. Ameica is being killed by insider traitors and communists. I can’t wait to use their face as toilet tissue. Down with communism. It must die in America if we are to survive as free people. The rest of secualr socialism can kiss my hairy white bigoted ass after a long hard black terd starts top emegge from the dark crevice.

    Besides, I think it would be fun to throw terds at liberal fascists. maybe mail them a bucket full of shit. Wait, they are already too full of it as it is. Oh well.

  6. #6 Anal Apparition #77214B
    August 6, 2009

    How many liberals have burned cars, throwed stones at Police, hurled profanity at innocent citizens and the like? Now who do you say is the paid political operatives? The Democrat party seems to be getting their talking points and politcal advice from the rules for radical playbook. They are following it to a T. The democrat party used to be sane, not they have been hijacked by nutcases and sodomites. They will loose in 2010. Everytime they pull the stunts of socialism and communism they dig a deeper hole for themselves. i like how the White House now has a hit list for conservatives who dare oppose the almighty Obama.

    Sound familiar? I wonder when he’ll being dragging his armband and little mustache out and annouce concentration camps for the Almighty Obama opposition.

    You stupid liberals protested Iran’s censorship of cncerned citizens but failt o see it going on here.

    I’ll be reporting liberals to that White House list too. Maybe we can all pull together and overload the system. That would be funny. Why is Obama so tender anyway?

  7. #7 serial277
    August 7, 2009

    @ Anal Apparition… Have you read the bill? Most of what these people are protesting about isn’t even in it. It’s the false spin that media molesters like Fox News and super-extremist right wingers like Limbaugh, Beck and O’Reilly put on it to divide our nation and generate irrational thought from normally rational people. All this to support their ratings and over-inflated egos.

    One representative asked the protesters what type of coverage they have right now. Most of them replied with “Medicare”. What exactly do they think Medicare is?

    I’m not sure why I replied to this, it’s not like it’ll get through to you. I’d do better arguing with my television. The name you chose post with, as well as the name calling you chose to use against us, take away any credibility you may have had before you ever began. Sorry for polluting your blog, Josh.

  8. #8 Modusoperandi
    August 7, 2009

    Anal Apparition #77214B “The democrat party used to be sane, not they have been hijacked by nutcases and sodomites.”
    No. If recent history is any indication, you’re talking about the Republican Party.

    “Everytime they pull the stunts of socialism and communism they dig a deeper hole for themselves.”
    “Socialism”? “Communism”? You use those words like you know what they mean. You don’t.

    “Why is Obama so tender anyway?”
    Why are you fighting to make yourself poorer?