All these turkeys have is hate.

Are these the same guys who put my friend into a headlock and refused to let him pay his respects at the Vietnam War memorial? Violent? Yes, they are.

What branch of the service did Mr. Bancroft serve in? Or is he just another bloviating yellow bellied coward?

looks more like a gathering of idiots.

I’m pretty certain that mission statement is missing “Republican” in front of veterans. I also wouldn’t be surprised to learn of connections to the Swift Boaters.

I see a pattern here with Republicans. They admire the US Flag, the Bald Eagle, as in a gathering of eagles. These people act like the symbols mean more than the people in this country who need help in life and could use government help. Purportedly they support veterans but only conservative veterans.

Read my blog http://blog.democratz.org

Marines

I remember seeing a bunch of these turkeys when we had the antiwar march in Washington in September, 2007. They even tried to have their own rally, but we outnumbered them by something like 200 to 1–we had a couple hundred thousand people and they had a thousand or so. I will admit to being a bit juvenile to them–I would occasionally give my best shriek and then point behind them and say “Look, a terrorist!” It’s looking more and more like they are the terrorists, so I just needed to lower my finger a bit when I was pointing their direction.

If you have a strong stomach and aren’t plagued by high blood pressure take a look at these sick signs.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…..something.

Odd. The Marines I know tend not to shoot their mouths off like that. But maybe the new crop is different than the ones my age. Too bad if that’s the case.

Dodd served in the United States Army Reserve. I guess that doesn’t count.

It doesn’t count. It’s not like it was The Texas Air National Guard.

Or five college deferrments.

-G

Maybe it counts now, but it didn’t count then. It was the next step after someone ran out of student deferments.

This is really getting good. All these screamers are marginalizing themselves and to some degree the Repub Party. Same thing happened during the Prez campaign when the PaylinPeople started rearing their heads, to use the parlance of our times. Obama remained calm and focused, and this is how he won. He was the adult.

They key will be not to stoop to their level. We must remain focused on the reasons why single-payer/public option are needed, now. I see Organizing for America put a call out for people to attend these “listening sessions” as well, and that’s great, as long as we don’t scream back. Silent, non-aggressive patience should be our response. Let them yell and yell to the point that the event can’t go on. And just make sure someone is getting it on YouTube, or the local media is there.

So to the guy in the video: Please, keep screaming, Lumpy! You da man! Tell them damn Libruls where they can stick it! Huzzah!

Wow! good job identifying this guy. And he’s not a lobbyist. Huh. Maybe he’s married to one.
This is particularly ugly for this guy to shout when Dodd’s got prostrate cancer. People are mad at Dodd, but many do respect him.

A.R.M.Y.: Aren’t Ready for Marines Yet.

Individually identifying and shaming as many of these astroturf protesters as possible is the best method that I can think of to counteract the perception of some spontaneous uprising.

I hope that someone has a clearinghouse of images from these events.

It’s a sign of change — very ugly, but a sign.

Can you imagine any protester on the left side of the political spectrum getting away with this during the Bush years with out getting a friendly follow-up visit from dark-suited, shade-wearing guys driving an unmarked dark-colored sedan?

The rabid borderline calls to violence against Obama from all kinds of folks, including media entities, wouldn’t have happened under the last administration without a similar visit.

[sigh] I don’t advocate going back to losing our free speech rights but it’s simply ridiculous that the right-wing gets away with such belligerence and the left is simply shut down.

I see this teabagger/health care debate protester/other movement as being out-and-out dangerous. At some point, it is bound to turn violent. The fact that the MSM is (of course) not covering it in any substantive way makes it even more important that “the liberal blogs” (read: those practicing actual real journalism) bore in. Background on principals, funding sources, etc.

Question: Are there any legal avenues to slow this stuff down? Inciting, for example?

This has been building for awhile. On election eve, 2004 myself and a local newsman (at a Michael Moore rally) got between two Marines, in full uniform, who had been verbally abusing the crowd and a mob that had gathered in response. That they were trying to provoke violence was obvious. It was a close thing.

Rachel Maddow had a segment.

I went with a couple of local bloggers to a townhall given by Charles Taylor when he was running as the incumbent against Heath Shuler. Taylor’s guest was Tom Tancredo. Someone recognized one of the bloggers that I was with and had us surrounded by event organizers who seemed terrified that we were going to disrupt the event. We were amused. We just wanted to hear Tancredo bring the immigrant crazy so that we could report on what was said, not disrupt or stop the townhall.

Real warriors tend to be very reserved and quiet. They do not typically initiate confrontations. They intervene only when provoked. Hence, the individuals we’re talking about here are the antithesis of warriors. I would call them cowards.

Nasty stuff.

I guess that’s waht they call projection.

I hope that someone has a clearinghouse of images from these events.

Iirc, the crew over at Josh’s place are planning something involving this kind of data.

Zbh -

Here ya go:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..coming.php

They should change their name to “A Gathering of Buzzards”.

we forget that bald eagles are primarily scavangers, just like buzzards.

Bingo!

On the townhall listb(which is slow loading), I’ll guarantee you that the same people will show up for Jim Himes. probably Chris Murphy too. In fact I saw some weird memo?email? regarding a Fairfield Co. Jim Himes teabagging-looking event.

I can’t the reply thingie to work, so Thank you Waccamaw for the link.

Sure it’s a Vet’s Group? Malkin used to promote these people constantly. She would try to round up people for GOE counter demos.

Gathering of Eagles my ass – he’s been active since at least 2000 –

when he and a bunch of crazies showed up a la Brooks Bros to protest the FL recount in front of Lieberman’s home on the sabbath
- confederate flags and anti semite sloganeering, color me surprised

oh, and when busted ? wait for it – he demanded an apology

sounds like Lieberman needs to denounce him ;-P

I am already reading centrist democrat stuff conflating the astroturf protesters with antiwar protesters and union protesters and codepink. Not good.

Dodd served in the United States Army Reserve. I guess that doesn’t count.

Just like John Kerry’s Vietnam service didn’t count. Or Al Gore’s putting his ass on the line — on the front line — as a reporter for Stars and Stripes, and getting exposed to danger a lot more than the REMFs who would criticize him three decades later.

Got links?

Lieberman only denounces Democrats.

“I am already reading centrist democrat closet republican stuff…”

Fixed it for ya.

By the way, a teabagger showed up during a joint town hall held by Collin Peterson and Tim Walz, Democratic congresscritters in largely-rural parts of Minnesota. The ‘bagger pissed off the locals by being rude, making truly off-the-wall statements (did you know that Walz and Peterson are Communists? Neither did they), not sticking around to hear Walz’ response, and generally wasting precious time that could have gone to someone with a legitimate issue to raise.

I am searching for EXAMINER New York Local in History. I’ll be back when I find it.

http://www.examiner.com/x-15870-Populist-Examiner

I think it’s ironic/pathetic that these people declare themselves protectors the same memorial that they so loudly protested against when it was first proposed.

The same type of *right-wing blowhards wouldn’t shut up until they’d got another more conventional memorial commisioned.

*scroll down and read the comments by jacknola, excerpt below;

Therein lies a tale.. The architect, Maya Lin, and her left-wing supporters, were all reflexive anti-military fanatics who did their best to foist a “monument to Jane Fonda” upon the veterans. We vets had “foolishly” decided to hold a art-judged competition for the design, failing to understand the virtually unanimous military-antagonistic mindset of the art world … in toto.

I hope you are right.

The problem is, I’m certain I’m not. You’re right. “Not good.”

Marisa McNee has a fresh post up for our perusal: “FDL Action: Whip It! Day 42”

This link is better:
http://www.examiner.com/x-1587…..rike-again

I mentioned yesterday that I was seeing a lot of vets hats at the town hall bullshit.

As Rachel Maddow pointed out last night, this is a natural product (result?) of the Brooks Brothers riot in Miami in during the Bush v Gore recounts.

The republican took away a lesson: that screaming, disruption and intimidation were the keys to small-d democracy (or their own version of reality). Sadly their beliefs and tactics were affirmed by the Supreme Court, 5-4 and that decision has had a deleterious effect on our Republic in more ways than can be counted. Sleeping well, Sandy O’Connor?

Yea, and everyone’s favorite Jim Webb called the Wall “the Black Gash of Shame”.

so GOE is astroturf ? at a minimum, it looks like they have at least availed themselves to AstroCash at a few events

I think those of us who support reform should give this a try, since these meetings are already being disrupted anyway.

http://bit.ly/s6yYe

From Al Gore

I carried that rifle all over Vietnam and walked like that in every part of the country. I was not involved in fire fights. I was not in the infantry. I was in areas where combat took place. I did not see combat myself. I was fired upon. The engineers frequently took fire, but we usually had a critical mass of bulldozers and equipment that made it mostly harrassment fire.

I totally respect his service but let’s not get carried away.

In all fairness to Jim Webb, you’ve gotta admit that his hair dye looks almost real. Almost.

You ever see Donald “Duck” Dunn, bass player for Booker T and the MG’s? Dead ringer!

What a way to bring back disco.

Pretty dang close, alright.

Sounds like someone who is irritated at Code Pink. Then again, I can see his point, as evidence exists to show that while most Americans may have opposed the Vietnam War, they were turned off by the hippies, to the point where they backed Nixon just to spite them. (There’s a reason that Dr. Martin Luther King had his marchers show up dressed in their Sunday best and forego any behavior that could be used against them. Alas, when he died, the levitate-the-Pentagon types took over the protest movement.)

Ah, but that’s considerably more than what Bush saw.

call them all members of the fighting 101st keyboarders, or perhaps military wanna bes, they were afraid to serve, so pretend to be uberpatriots and slam those who actually wore the uniform.

BTW, I fully agree that the younger members of not only the USMC but also of the Army seem to be somewhat easily indoctrinated by the far right loons. Also, big issue in all branchs of military is the evangelical preachers who have become chaplins and actually go looking for converts, to the point of pushing very hard at any other religion. This is very bad esp in basic training as minds are being remolded. Really big in USMC basic. For some reason newer soldiers are very accepting of right wing propaganda and do not seem to express any opinion of their own. It is very disturbing to see soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan repeat the wingers mantra word for word. I can see why the report on RW terrorist organs came out.

“(There’s a reason that Dr. Martin Luther King had his marchers show up dressed in their Sunday best and forego any behavior that could be used against them…”

Very smart tactic. If you dress like a clown and act like a clown, you’re likely to be treated like a clown, especially if you’re not a right-winger.

I am in no way arguing that.

Gathering of Eagles
From SourceWatch
Gathering of Eagles (GoE), part of a pro-war lobby, was ostensibly a group set up to protect the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (”The Wall”) and other war memorials, and functioned as a counter-protest group during the March 17, 2007, Washington D.C. March on the Pentagon rally against the war in Iraq.

Kristinn Taylor of Free Republic serves as a press contact and spokesperson for both Gathering of Eagles and Move America Forward.

Google and find they are praised by Melanie Morgan.
Perhaps Kristinn Taylor would like to answer some questions if she is still spokesperson and press contact.

I have noticed that also, but I have no real explanation for it, beyond overdoses of FOX and talk radio. You?

Alas? Come on now. That sit on your ass and hope for peace was going nowhere. When I cam home the last thing I cared about was whether or not people liked me because my hair was long (as quickly as it could get long after the fuckers at Oakland Army Base cut it before I hit the street)!

Yea and while we can’t determine the substance of their service I bet they cash THEIR checks!

“…overdoses of FOX and talk radio…”

That would be my guess. And don’t forget a lot of fundie crap, as well.

Slightly O/T, but how in the world do the gangsters that run these fundie churches maintain their tax-exempt statuses? This really pisses me off.

“I bet they cash THEIR checks!”

Ya think?

The so-called “Vietnam War” (in fact an attack on Vietnam by the U.S.) was a criminal act from first to last. We have never faced up to that fact and we never will.

who the fuck is WE?

What did your dad think?

That being said, one thing Code Pink has in their favor: They never told anybody, even George W. Bush, to kill himself or herself.

Code Pinkers , Cynthia McKinny and the Dixie Chicks all stood up to bush when everybody was scared. See any kind of similarities there.

Pretty late here but my football coach, WWII combat vet, DuPage County Republican felt I had earned the right to do and say what I believed.