Saturday, August 8, 2009
TeaPartiers Aiming at Cohen Meet
Posted by Jackson Baker on Sat, Aug 8, 2009 at 7:57 AM
On the eve of a 9th District congressman Steve Cohen's Saturday Town Hall meeting on health-care legislation at the Bridges Center downtown, TeaBag Tea Party protesters rallied Thursday night in Germantown and made plans to show up at the planned informational session en masse.
The TeaBagger TeaPartier meeting, an overflow from a scheduled Town Hall meeting held by 7th District congressman Marsha Blackburn, an opponent of the bill now shaping up in Congress, was conducted on the parking lot adjoining the Macaroni Grill, where Blackburn's meeting had been originally scheduled.
Simultaneous with the organized TeaBagger TeaPartier effort, health-care supporters made their own plans to attend the Cohen Town Hall. Members of the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center, among others, prepared to counter what they foresaw as the TeaBaggers' TeaPartiers' planned disruption, part of a pattern of national protests, and held organizational meetings for the purpose.
A spokesperson for Cohen said the congressman himself was fully aware of the imminent convergence of forces and was determined to to get the message out about the pending health-care legislation.
The Flyer will provide pictures and coverage of the Saturday morning event.
UPDATE NOTE: Even before an additional story providing the promised coverage of Saturday's Town Hall event goes up — as it will later Saturday — it is worth noting that the term "TeaBagger" is essentially a self-description of the conservative populists who began these protests of Obama administration programs several weeks ago.
Indeed, "TeaBag parties" as a phenomenon entered the political lexicon at the behest of the protesters themselves. It obviously derives from the "Tea Parties" held by American patriots in protest of British tax policies before the Revolutionary War.
Given that fact, it is passing strange and beyond thin-skinned for several commenters here to belabor the fact that the term is used generically in this brief article.
It is certainly gratifying, though, that so many people have beeen moved to read the article so as to comment on it one way or another. — JB
UPDATE of UPDATE. Seems I was mistaken. As I tried to explain to some of the unforgiving complainants below, I'm too much of a shut-in and mope to have grasped the apparent sexual metaphor and (therefore) insult in the term "teabagger." "Tea Partier" it is. No offense intended. Honest. A thousand pardons and mercy on me.
ONE MORE UPDATE: Given the fact that so many Tea Partiers slammed away here at my innocent if ignorant original usage of the term “TeaBaggers” to describe them (since corrected), this note from an authentic Shelby County conservative and patriot sheds some light on the recent history of that term as applied to health-care protesters.
Comments (62)
Showing 1-50 of 62
I would expect a little more professionalism from you Mr. Baker. The term "teabagger" is not appropriate for use in this discussion. If you need to know why, I suggest you look up the term "tea bagging"
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This was a very calm meeting with most people just wanting answers to specific questions. It was not political. As for the Sat. morning meeting...the people that will show up in mass are truly concerned about their health care and realize this is an awful bill. They are not Acorn and do not get paid for disruption. Yes, we need many problems fixed in health care but this is a very bad bill for everyone. I do not know if Steve Cohen has parents but if he does this is not a program that will take care of them. Mr.Cohen...please read this and have the courage to vote against it. Fix health care problems just not with this mess of a bill!
This bill is bad for rich,poor,young,old,black,white,democrat, and republican. Actually, there is another bill many dems and a few republicans have written together that is much better and actually solves problems. It is also not written like a telephone contract. Most importantly, it does not take away the right for each individual to make the very personal decisions about their families medical care which this awful bill does.
The TeaBaggers are concerned citizens that are trying to organize to keep American a great country.
The problem comes when someone asks a question that opposes the bill. That person is shut down and made to appear disruptive.
This is happening all over this country. If you oppose the current administration you are a "rabid racist". Why is it not possible to disagree with Obama not because he's black but because you have a different view.
Wake up people . We are rapidly loosing our right to free speech !
Hamcat, you're absolutely right. He should have called them "flying monkeys" instead.
Health-Care Reform: A Better Plan
It has just two points -- and unlike Obama's Rube Goldberg plan, it would work.
http://townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrau…
Baker: "Teabaggers", nice.
autoegocrat: "monkeys", that'll help the discussion.
Let's all jump straight to 'moonbats', 'baby killers', fascists and Nazis.
Just no "Union Tough" thugs roughing us up, please.
That's nice sbb, but I'm not sure I buy into 100%. I do agree that the current bill is horrible. I also agree that tort reform is absolutely necessary and a vital component to health care reform. After that I just don't know. The one thing I am certain of is that unless the insurance and pharmaceutical companies are locked out of the reform process we, the public, will be screwed.
"An organized TeaBagger effort"?? I had know idea! I thought I attended the Town Hall meeting that Marsha Blackburn scheduled. And I guess I need to pay attention next time (as you obviously did, Mr. Baker)...I missed "planning" the "disruption" at Steve Cohen's love fest when we show up "en masse" on Saturday morning. Wow!
sbb, quit crying about "loosing" your freedom of speech. since you're probably one of the Bush apologists who wanted to shut down all dissent about the Iraq war as unpatriotic. If I'm wrong about that assumption, I apologize. But I doubt I'm wrong.
The organized anti-reform mobs are nothing more than shills for the health insurance companies. They're suffering from a form of Stockholm syndrome: those companies have taken these people hostage but convinced them it's in their best interest to suffer with a system that gouges them for coverage and then denies their claims or drops them altogether when they're most in need.
This is another "What's the Matter With Kansas" scenario, the Thomas Frank book which posits that many moderate people have been swept up in the fever of the far-right extremist agenda, and are being led, like sheep, to act and vote in a way that is actually against their own self-interest.
If these "tea-baggers" should arise against anyone, it's against the cynical corporations, lobbyists and power brokers who treat these supporters with disdain, and then rely on their slavish fealty by ginning up their fears and prejudices about everything from gay marriage to a black man in the White House.
After attending the Cohen town hall today, I have to say that I don't have a clue what the Democratic leadership is thinking. The plan to pass reform isn't working. Stop the town halls, go back and work on this thing instead of going to recess, and ignore the loonies.
I was at the town hall meeting today. There was disruption and ignorance, and it didn't come from those who supported CHANGE. The disruption - and it was very disrespectful, came from those who obviously had an agenda to cause a scene. I came there to learn more but could barely hear what was said over the yelling. It did NOT make the conservatives look good; instead it showed an almost hostile, hateful, mob mentality. It was kind of sad to watch, actually.
Obama Will Be Responsible If ‘Anything’ Happens to ObamaCare Protesters
http://www.breitbart.tv/mark-levin-obama-w…
mad_merc
You make some good points. Let's also remove the vote buyers, ACORN, Illegals and 'Union Toughs'.
Speaking of screwed, here's BHO's new Caduceus
http://preview.tinyurl.com/mqna39
Well congrats to all the conservatives in District 9. You made a big splash at the Town Hall Meeting with Steve Cohen today. You and the several dozen people from out of town who shouted down the speakers and stepped all over the First Amendment rights of the constituents. Good job. You successfully destroyed the ability of your neighbors to ask questions and hear the answers. Oh and you were helped by people who drove in from Nevada, California, Atlanta, Desoto County Mississippi, and Alabama. People who are not residents in this district and came here specifically to help you squash your neighbors ability to have a meeting with their elected representative.
You must be so proud of yourselves for being part of the solution like that. Because everyone knows that interfering in the open and free discourse of citizens with their representatives is in the best interest of America. Congrats.
By the way, you also achieved something else today. You successfully volunteered to be the voices of the Insurance lobby. Good job. I hope you got paid for it, because the people from out of town did. The got all their expenses paid by the same people who screwed up the healthcare system in the name of profit based rationing of services that you claim you are afraid will happen under this plan. Good job. They didn't even have to pay you.
The guy I got in a shouting match would not answer one simple question...do you live in the district? he did not, he is from Atlanta. I know because he parked next to me with hsi georgia plates. He would not answer who he works for either. He was wearing a $30k watch and $500 shoes. Must be nice. His wife had on 2 carets worth of earrings. Nice. What did you get for coming to the meeting?
Is the healthcare plan perfect? No, it isn't. And we will never know what it could have been with our input. Good freaking job.
Sorry (but not surprised) to hear what happened. I was originally planning to go, but then thought better of it when I realized the likely scenario.
I think the Dem's are making a mistake with these townhalls. All they're doing is giving these demagogues a forum. They need to do with them what the Dem's in Washington need to do with the Rethugs (and their "Blue Dog" enablers): run roughshod over them and push through a plan that includes a strong public option, in spite (or maybe because) of their opposition.
P.S. Were there any Nazi regalia, or other, similar, displays of this rabble's "true colors" at the Cohen event?
BlissLaw
All too easy lies and stereotypes.
BTW, they're not Town Halls, haven't you heard? They're Informative Sessions. No questions needed or taken.
They've also changed Healthcare Reform to Helth Insurance Reform. Try to keep up; it'll make your lies more believable.
Cohen and AARP love Harry Belafonte; Belafonte loves Rev. Wright, Hugo Chavez, BHO and all things UnAmerican and Socialist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR6A45W7w9g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qj9FHouTLY…
blisslaw, i had to put my elbow in one guy's ribs 3 times before he figured out that it was happening every time he yelled "have you even read the bill?!"
the rumor that local hoods were outside doin' it to cars with bush/cheney stickers helped thin the crowd toward the end
Hugo Chavez may be a bad dude, but he was democratically elected - which is lot more than can be said for some banana republic dictators the US has supported or even propped up over the years.
BHO was democratically elected, winning more of the popular vote than any any election since '96. You don't like what he says? fine. But don't act like his election is an affront to the will of the American people.
I swear if there was any continuity whatsoever to the claims of folks running around telling me who is and isn't "UnAmerican" - it might lend them some creedence.
QALY
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=…
...why Americans should give up a first-class health system and adopt one resembling the warm, inviting embrace of an IRS auditor’s office -- complete with needles.
ah yes, "first class." number 37, just behind Costa Rica, but ahead of Slovenia!!
USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!!
Even before an additional story providing the promised coverage of Saturday's Town Hall event goes up -- as it will later Saturday -- it is worth noting that the term "TeaBagger" is essentially a self-description of the conservative populists who began these protests of Obama administration protests several weeks ago.
Indeed, "TeaBag parties" as a phenomenon entered the political lexicon at the behest of the protesters themselves. It obviously derives from the "Tea Parties" held by American patriots in protest of British tax policies before the Revolutionary War.
Given that fact, it is passing strange and beyond thin-skinned for several commenters here to belabor the fact that the term is used generically in this brief article.
It is certainly gratifying, though, that so many people have beeen moved to read the article so as to comment on it one way or another.
C'mon Jackson; we're waiting.
Even Bill Dries beat you on the coverage, http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/… not to mention DailyKos. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/8/8…
"Even Bill Dries" is a an odd, even patronizing reference. Dries is a considerable journalist, gettng better and better. I take it he waited to go to the back end of Charles Carpenter's opening Saturday, not the front end, as I did.
And Daily Kos? No slouch, either.
Patience, A.E.
"Teabagger" was introduced by some TV commentators and is an ugly, irrelevant mischaracterization. "Teabag" is not a verb in the English language and only exists as slang.
Most people don't know what it means; most people who now use the term don't know what it means. Anyone who knows what it means would not use it. Look it up and then don't use it any more.
The groups call themselves "Tea Partiers" or "Tea Party Patriots." You'd have to look to MSNBC for the first connection of the sexual term with the movement. (I'm sure you know that, however, and your horror at anyone taking issue with your terminology is purely affected.)
I was in Washington in September 2005 when the leftwingers showed up in the thousands to beat drums and shout at tourists. When they got tired of that they went to the Vietnam Memorial to shout slogans at people trying to find the names of friends and family on the wall. Now they whine about unruly mobs at their little ass kiss rallies, tough break, enjoy the taste of your own medicine.
I stand corrected if the protesters' preferred term is "Tea Partiers," not "TeaBaggers." I'm merely trying to honor the root metaphor. And, Scott, I hear you, podnuh!
You stand corrected? Because you sincerely thought a group of conservative republicans would NAME THEMSELVES after a sexual act. Right. You're not "honoring the root metaphor," you're perpetuating the slur and you know it.
Were you able to go to this thing, Jackson? I've been looking forward to your report.
Blisslaw: "Well congrats to all the conservatives in District 9. You made a big splash at the Town Hall Meeting with Steve Cohen today. You and the several dozen people from out of town who shouted down the speakers and stepped all over the First Amendment rights of the constituents."
Um...have you even READ the First Amendment? Here:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Sounds to me like they were doing the "petition the Government for a redress of grievances" thing. The 1st Amendment really isn't about protecting the right of a congressman to only hear from a bunch of union thugs and party members singing "Hosanna", guy. Deal with it.
Well, albatross, you can think what you want to. I guess I'm too much of a shut-in to have understood the "sexual" connotations of the term "teabagger." You must travel in faster company than I do. Again: I stand corrected. 'Crat, the answer is yes, and it won't be long in coming now.
Jackson Baker, the "sexual " connotation you have incorporated in this article is NOT a self description of the conservative populist. This is Numbers 11 and 15 of Rules for Radicals. You are a Radical, Socialist, Jackass.
That is specifically Rule 15......
In reply to wvfii, who said: ah yes, "first class." number 37...
The United States is number 37 in only one statistic, which is not collected uniformly worldwide. That means our number covers patient that are not included in the statistics of ANY other country.
The subject is neo-natal death, babies who die shortly after birth.
Many countries DO NOT count as babies any 'child' with less than 8 month's gestation.
Many countries DO NOT count as babies any 'child' weighing less than 75 grams, 100 grams or even 5 pounds.
In the United States, there is no lower limit, if it was in a womb, and it draws a single breath, doctors will try to 'save' it's life. They will devote time, effort and tears when it does die...and IT WILL COUNT as a dead ''baby'' in this country.
So, yes, we have a few more 'dead' babies in this country, we have a LOT more that COUNT as babies here.
McElainious, once again, I stand corrected and do not contend that "teabagger" was a self-description of the health-care protesters themselves. I erred. The shameful term will not pass my lips or my spell-checker e'er again!
"Even before an additional story providing the promised coverage of Saturday's Town Hall event goes up -- as it will later Saturday -- it is worth noting that the term "TeaBagger" is essentially a self-description of the conservative populists who began these protests of Obama administration protests several weeks ago.
Indeed, "TeaBag parties" as a phenomenon entered the political lexicon at the behest of the protesters themselves. It obviously derives from the "Tea Parties" held by American patriots in protest of British tax policies before the Revolutionary War."
You obnoxious hack, that term was not used by Tea Partiers - it came from the venous left who so love gay people that they use every opportunity presented to mock them by comparing conservatives to them.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1661273/janeane_garofalo_takes_shots_at_teabagging.html?cat=9
You are beneath contempt.
"Indeed, "TeaBag parties" as a phenomenon entered the political lexicon at the behest of the protesters themselves."
Slippery mea culpa, Jackson, and an untrue justification. The protesters called themselved, "Teapartiers". They urged the mailing of teabags to their reps. But they didn't use the term, "teabaggers". That nasty term was minted by some gay media type, Anderson Cooper, likely.
Get it correct, sweetie. We are Tea Party Patriots. A teabagger would be Jeanene Grafalo...who no decent human being would wish to be associated with.
Pythagoras, my thanks. It was a simple error and won't be repeated. Some of these other unforgiving folks should wash their mouths out.
" I'm too much of a shut-in and mope to have grasped the apparent sexual metaphor and (therefore) insult in the term "teabagger." "T"
You seriously think anybody believes that? or are you joking?
I love it...anyone who disagrees with you, whether you're a democrat or a republican, is unamerican, racist, a hater, a teabagger, a carpetmuncher, etc. Wouldn't it be nice if folks discussed the issues rather than attacking those that disagree with them? I'm retired military, but I think if someone wants to burn the flag in protest, have at it.
On the medical bill, why tear down the system that provides the best medical care in the world for the 15 million who can't afford or have access to insurance? Just provide those people with medical care and leave the rest of us to find the care and insurance we desire. I said 15 million because 30 of the 45 million without health insurance choose not to have it.
I don't want the government deciding all my health care questions...i can change insurance companies if i become dissatisfied with one of them...it's a whole lot harder to change governments.
Ann_ia, the awful truth is, I am that sort of mope that can sometimes miss the obvious. But lookit, why don't you folks quite belaboring this "teabag" thing and go check out the article on the Cohen Town Hall. I await your verdict.
It takes confidence and character to admit that your wrong, I can appreciate those traits Mr Baker. The anger being generated is the rightous anger of a citizenry scorned by their own government, and I believe you can appreciate that trait in your fellow Americans.
Look folks, Jackson is obviously a good enough writer to have spun his way out of this, instead of issuing a true apology. He did exactly what, say, Letterman didn't do; he explained how he messed up. Once a person gets the point, you can stop making it over and over.
And kudos for revising the title and the content of the story. But, you missed one.
Of all the issues to get your crosses in your crotch over, health care shouldn't be one of them. Argue about the damn details, but to really think that it is ok in 2009 to shut people out of decent healthcare is atrocious, practically genocidal thinking. But then again, when a bunch of easter bunnies think that the after life is all that matters, I guess human suffering doesn't make it on their radar. Do you, in your confused brainwashed state, really @#$ing think that Jesus would be proud of you for trying to deny health care to those who can't afford to stuff the coffers of insurance companies. Have a decent and respectable argument, but sending out your 'jackbooted" thugs is irresponsible to you, your "maker", your country, and your fellow human beings. Baker, the right has earned the nickname. They are now "teabagging" the insurance companies 24/7.
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