Dems deal with threats over health care support

[Guest FroggyOne2]

My Way News - Dems deal with threats over health care support

Democratic Congress members are getting lessons from the FBI on how to handle threats such as several directed at their colleagues, including bricks hurled through windows and menacing obscenity-laced phone messages left for those who supported sweeping federal health care legislation.

Windows were shattered at four Democratic offices in New York, Arizona and Kansas and at least 10 members of Congress have reported some sort of threats, leaders said. No arrests had been made as of Wednesday, but the FBI is investigating.

Lawmakers who feel they are at risk will be "getting attention from the proper authorities," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who denounced the threats and vandalism at a news conference. He declined to say whether any are receiving extra security. Normally only those in leadership positions have personal security guards.

The brick flung through the window of a county Democratic Party office in Rochester, N.Y., over the weekend had a note attached: "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice," roughly quoting 1964 Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater.

A New York congresswoman whose office window also was smashed with a brick accused the Republican leadership of failing to denounce attacks against lawmakers. The vandalism happened at Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter's district office in Niagara Falls early Friday, two days before the House passed the health care overhaul bill.

"It's more disturbing to me that Republican leadership has not condemned these attacks and instead appears to be fanning the flames with coded rhetoric," said Slaughter, a key supporter of the bill.

House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said in a statement that while many Americans are angry over the bill's passage, "violence and threats are unacceptable."

"That's not the American way," Boehner said. "We need to take that anger and channel it into positive change."

Some of the anger spilled over in a flood of obscenity and threat-filled phone and fax messages to the office of Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich. Stupak vowed to oppose the health care package unless given greater assurance that it would not allow federal funding of elective abortions. He voted in favor after the administration agreed.

Stupak's office released some of the messages, declining further comment.

"I hope you bleed ... (get) cancer and die," one male caller told the congressman between curses.

A fax with the title "Defecating on Stupak" carried a picture of a gallows with "Bart (SS) Stupak" on it and a noose attached. It was captioned, "All Baby Killers come to unseemly ends Either by the hand of man or by the hand of God."

The vandalism and threats surprised a researcher at a think tank that monitors extremist groups.

"I think it is astounding that we are seeing this wave of vigilantism," said Mark Potok of the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center.

Hoyer said people have yelled that Democratic lawmakers should be put on firing lines and posters have appeared with the faces of lawmakers in the cross hairs of a target.

While not directly criticizing Republicans, Hoyer said that "any show of appreciation for such actions encourages such action."

Gun imagery was used in a posting on the Facebook page of Sarah Palin urging people to organize against 20 House Democrats who voted for the health care bill and whose districts went for the John McCain-Palin ticket two years ago. Palin's post featured a U.S. map with circles and cross hairs over the 20 districts.

In Virginia, someone cut a propane line leading to a grill at the Charlottesville home of U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello's brother after the address was posted online by activists angry about the health care overhaul. Perriello also said a threatening letter was sent to his brother's house. The FBI and local authorities were investigating.

Tea party activists had posted the brother's address online thinking it was the congressman's home. The post urged opponents to drop by and "express their thanks" for the Democrat's vote in favor of the sweeping health care reform.

Nigel Coleman, chairman of the Danville Tea Party, said he re-posted the comment that originated on another conservative blog, including the address, Monday on his Facebook page. The posts were taken down after the mistake was discovered.

"We've never been associated with any violence or any vandalism," he said. "We're definitely sorry that we posted the incorrect address."

Lyndsay Stauble, executive director of the Sedgwick County Democratic Party in Wichita, Kan., said a brick was hurled through the party's storefront plate glass window late Friday or early Saturday, landing in her office and gouging her wooden desk.

She said that written in marker on the brick were the slogans, "No to Obama" and "No Obamycare." "The tone is not surprising, but the aggressiveness is," Stauble said Wednesday. "I'm not shocked that people are not reacting well to a large piece of legislation passed by a president that they don't like."

[Krull]

And the media is displacing blame to the GOP for not stopping it. I guess the know it's only republicans that are mad. After all it can't be the people who voted the annointed one into office. They would never do something like smash a window, all dems are peaceful and know what best for YOU.

[Smith]

A couple of windows and some obscene phone calls! Wow that is truly threatining. God forbid they should bomb a judge, an FBI building, or something like that. But I guess that would just be activism.

[creeky]

It would be ironic if Democratic senators and congressmen started hiring Xe(Formerly Blackwater) to provide security.

[mikegideon]

And the media is displacing blame to the GOP for not stopping it. I guess the know it's only republicans that are mad. After all it can't be the people who voted the annointed one into office. They would never do something like smash a window, all dems are peaceful and know what best for YOU.

If the violence is in support of the Republican position, they're gonna be accused of being Republicans, true or not. The Republican leadership should come out against it... it hurts their cause. Kudos to Glenn Beck.

[Mike.357]

if they think this is bad wait until they push through amnesty for illegals.

[mikegideon]

if they think this is bad wait until they push through amnesty for illegals.

I would be real surprised if that had enough steam to even win a Democratic majority. Haven't been following it closely.

[Mike.357]

my bad, should have said IF they push through amnesty. I believe it along with cap and trade is on deck.

[-Bristol-]

Media.......Media........Media!!!!!!!

The media will run with the stories of death threats and vanalism, etc.....and frame the Washington politicians as victims. It will be hyped up like something has to be done to protect these poor public servants. Those who dissent will be demonized and framed as violent but what could be more violent then the destruction unborn innocent via abortion; Or throwing the erderly under the bus? And if the media finds no incident to report on, they will make one up.

[mikegideon]

They burned LOTS of political capital with healthcare... maybe enough to lose their majority this fall. Gonna be interesting to watch. I can see them tackling cap and trade before amnesty.

[Mark@Sea]

Eight years of demonstrations with signs calling for the assassination of Bush, Cheney, etc. and not a peep from democrat politicians or the media. Suddenly the shoe is on the other foot - and note that unlike the socialists, there aren't widespread demands for assassinations - and they are screaming about how dangerous this is, and how irresponsible republican leadership is at fault.

In between calls for republicans to call off the dogs, they are calling conservative talk show hosts terrorists.

Where was all this concern when Olbermann and others were calling for 'vigorous' protests, democrat activists were vandalizing republican offices, assaulting republican campaign workers, and Pelosi was declaring the legitimacy of political free speech? Remember the guy that tried to run over the lady pol in florida? The group of union thugs that invaded the republican campaign office, breaking one staffers arm and refusing to leave until the cops forced them to? The republican county office that got shot up, and countless other incidents?

Somehow my sympathy is limited.

[Smith]

Interesting that many of the so called "death threats" at rally's were only heard by the reporters who reported it and that all 10 legislatures that have complained of threats did so all at once on the same day. Just saying.

[Mike.357]

Interesting that many of the so called "death threats" at rally's were only heard by the reporters who reported it and that all 10 legislatures that have complained of threats did so all at once on the same day. Just saying.

I don't doubt that it happened, hard to doubt broken windows and taped phone messages. Now even though there is no doubt it happened, to me there is plenty of doubt as to who is behind it all. I certainly do not put it past the media or the Dem's themselves to have done these things.

[Fasttalker]

I think a lot of these politicians are feeling the guilt of having their hands on the stick that poked and awoke the sleeping giant of the American people. They KNOW that they SHOULD be afraid for what they have done to our country.

Just remember, anyone who dares to question what our leaders have determined is best for us is either racist, stupid, or a terrorist.

Be very careful of what you say. and extremely careful of what you do. All will be used against us in the future.

[E4 No More]

If the violence is in support of the Republican position, they're gonna be accused of being Republicans, true or not. The Republican leadership should come out against it... it hurts their cause. Kudos to Glenn Beck.

The Senate Minority Leader came out against it immediately.

[jtluttrell]

Idiots............

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/25/congress.threats/index.html?hpt=T1

Washington (CNN) -- Rep. Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives, said Thursday that a bullet had been fired through a window at his district office in Richmond, Virginia. He also said he had received threatening messages.

He said he would not publicly release the messages out of concern that doing so would only incite further violence.

Edited March 25, 2010 by jtluttrell

[Guest FroggyOne2]

I agree with El Rushbo.. it is all a put on by the libs.. why did they make that grand stand march to the Capital Bld.. if only to taunt those that oppose.. to create a situation that they could use againts them.. they didn't get it.. so they make it up! And the lib media is in with them on it!

[Oh Shoot]

Well, the only actual bullets to be loosed so far though were directed at a Republican.

Maybe. Mighty weak shot though.

"A preliminary investigation shows that a bullet was fired into the air and struck the window in a downward direction, landing on the floor about a foot from the window. The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds. There was no other damage to the room, which is used occasionally for meetings by the congressman."

- OS