Rachel Maddow on GOP Thugishness at Town Halls: This is Called Hooliganism | Video Cafe.
The footage in the link is from the Rachel Maddow show (I can’t directly embed it, phooey). She shows footage from meetings in various Congressional districts where organized groups are intentionally disrupting the event with the purpose of intimidating the Congressional Representatives ans suppressing any real discussion and debate. Is shouting people down and intimidation a just exercise of democracy? I don’t think so, I think they should have Police on hand to eject people who are disruptive. Hooliganism isn’t protected speech.
Certainly people should be allowed to speak their mind, but disruption and intimidation organized by Washington lobbyists and astroturf groups isn’t part of the deal. It’s an unholy marriage of teabagger nuttiness and manipulation by those with a stake in maintaining the status quo, because they profit from a system that’s inefficient and leaves million of Americans without health coverage. They may regret their cleverness, in the end.
This is the kind of thing they can start moving, but may not be able to control once it has it’s own inertia. It has ugly overtones, and should violence breakout those of us who favor intelligent reform need hang this around their necks like an albatross.
Here’s where they get their instructions, directly from Freedom Works, Dick Armey’s lobbying firm. It’s not grassroots action. It’s front organizations trying to (almost literally) strong arm Congress into agreement with moneyed health care interests represented by DC insiders using tactics one would normally see at soccer games in Europe.
