I just got an email today from MoveOn talking about the increasingly violent outbursts at Democratic town-hall meetings across the nation:
All across the country, right-wing extremists are disrupting congressional town-hall meetings with venomous attacks on President Obama's plans for health care and clean energy.
- Last night in Tampa, Florida, a town hall meeting erupted into violence, with the police being called to break up fist fights and shoving matches.
- A Texas Democrat was shouted down by right-wing hecklers, many of whom admitted they didn't even live in his district.
- One North Carolina representative announced he wouldn't be holding any town-hall meetings after his office began receiving death threats.
- And in Maryland, protesters hung a Democratic congressman in effigy to oppose health-care reform.
Now, you might think that we'd be immune to this kind of activity here in the Bay Area. But you'd be wrong. Yesterday the Contra Costa Times' crack political reporter, Lisa Vorderbrueggen, noted that for the first time in, well, ever, she'd had numerous calls demanding to know why Congressmen Jerry McNerney and George Miller were not holding town-hall meetings during the August recess (the answer is that they're doing tele-town-halls). In the comment thread of her post, one of the writers for the right-wing Halfway to Concord blog noted that he'd had over 70 google hits yesterday from people searching for town-hall meetings in the area. And even the right-wing wackos over at the infamous Americans for Prosperity are targeting the East Bay.
So who do they have in their sights? Well, it's Rep. Pete Stark, who serves on the Ways and Means Committee and as the Chair of its Health Subcommittee, which is responsible for oversight of Medicare. Stark is holding six town-hall meetings in CA-13 over the course of the August recess.
Now, Pete Stark is a good friend to progressives, and there's little danger that his votes will be affected by hostile crowds at his town-hall meetings. But those of us Bay Area progressives who support health care reform and clean energy owe something to our representatives who stand tall on these issues. We also have an obligation to stand up to the right-wing extremists who are hijacking these town-hall meetings in an attempt to influence the media narrative on reform.
All of which is a sort of long-winded way of saying we need to have Pete Stark's back. We need to fill these town-hall meetings with progressive voices.
For a full list of meetings, flip it... |
| The Dog over at Square State just posted a diary with lots of helpful advice for these town-hall meetings -- I'd suggest that you read up on ways to be effective before heading out. And if you have a video camera, take it and film the proceedings. We need to expose these vitriolic extremists for what they are.
Saturday, August 15
Fremont
9am - 10am
Fremont Senior Center
40086 Paseo Padre Pkwy.
Fremont, CA 94538
San Leandro
10:30am - 11:30pm
San Leandro City Hall
835 E 14th St .
San Leandro, CA 94577
Alameda
12pm - 1pm
Alameda City Hall
2263 Santa Clara Ave.
Alameda, CA 94501
Saturday, September 12
Union City
9am - 10am
Ruggieri Senior Center
33997 Alvarado Niles Rd.
Union City, CA 94587
Hayward
10:30am - 11:30pm
Hayward City Hall Council Chambers
Where777 B St.
Hayward, CA 94541
Alameda
12pm - 1pm
Alameda City Hall Council Chambers
2263 Santa Clara Ave.
Alameda, CA, 94501 |
