The GOP Response to the Intimidation Campaign Against Democrats (TIME)

[struggle4progress]

Posted by ALEX ALTMAN Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 12:58 pm

... On Wednesday, House Minority Leader John Boehner issued a perfunctory denunciation of the threats: “I know many Americans are angry over this health care bill, and that Washington Democrats just aren't listening,” Boehner said. “But, as I've said, violence and threats are unacceptable.” The comment infuriated Perrello. “I thought it his statement was fairly outrageous,” he said. “Every right-thinking person knows this is over the line. These things have to be called out.”

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor also denounced the threats at a news conference on Thursday. "Let me be clear: I do not condone violence. There are no leaders in this building, no rank and file members in this building that condone violence -- period," Cantor said, noting that his own office had been shot at as well. But then he pivoted, excoriating DNC Chair Tim Kaine and Rep. Chris Van Hollen and arguing it was "reckless to use these incidents as media vehicles for political gain." The tactic, he said, was "reprehensible." And in an interview with MSNBC, Republican Sen. John Barrasso flashed the same sort of political pirouette: issuing a strenuous denunciation before lapsing into talking points. "There no cause for this. This is not something that's acceptable," Barrasso said, before launching into an explanation of how Democrats had betrayed Americans by ignoring the will of the majority.

To be fair, no Republican ever endorsed violence as a way to express opposition to health-care reform, and they undoubtedly regret what's happened. On the other hand, many stoked anger over the past few months by employing staggering hyperbole over a document they cast as tyrannical and totalitarian. Boehner, for example, called the vote on the bill “Armageddon,” and said Ohio Rep. Steve Driehaus could be a “dead man” in his largely red Cincinnati district. I can understand if he and other Republicans are upset about being grouped with the extremists chucking bricks through windows. But by condemning violence and blasting Democrats in the same breath, Republican leaders implicitly validate the anger spurring these incidents. Instead of defusing the situation, this sort of response escalates it.

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/25/the-gop-response-to-the-intimidation-campaign-against-democrats/

[Gman2]

1. They dont run your game, you do. Never allow your opponent to call your shots.