Barney Frank rips GOP 'clowns'

[Enrique]

http://www.rollcall.com/news/44469-1.html

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said Sunday that Republicans acted like “clowns” by egging on a tea party protester in the House gallery who was dragged out for shouting out against health care reform.

The protester “stood up and started yelling, ‘kill the bill!’ … and then the Republicans started cheering him on,” Frank vented to reporters after the incident. “You have dozens of Republicans standing and applauding and cheering on a guy who was disrupting the proceedings and resisting court officers. It’s really disgraceful.”

Rowdy tea party protesters have flooded the Capitol grounds in recent days to oppose health care reform; group organizers on Sunday were encouraging attendees at a rally to get gallery passes and bring their message directly to lawmakers.

Frank said he had never seen Members cheer on someone in the gallery for interrupting proceedings. “These clowns are out there encouraging a violation of the law. They’ve decided apparently that they benefit from virulence, hatred, disruption,” he said.

The Massachusetts Democrat also had harsh words for Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who earlier Sunday downplayed incidents where tea party protesters spit on and used racial slurs against black lawmakers, in addition to using a homophobic slur against Frank.

“Any movement in which Steve King and Michele Bachmann are among the leaders is probably not going to meet high standards for civility or coherence,” Frank said. He added that he was “appalled” that King didn’t take the incidents more seriously.

[Lifelong Protester]

1. Loved best the King/Bachmann reference

I like a guy who tells it.

[petersjo02]

8. As an Iowa who is so embarrassed by Steve King,

I wish he would take a trip from la-la-land to eastern Iowa. He'd know what it is like to be jeered and sneered at. He wouldn't make it east much past Des Moines.

[demo dutch]

2. I love to see that show up on Youtube

[brewens]

3. Did they really spit on them? I'd love to see proof of that.

If it's like the Viet Nam spitting myth we shouldn't spread it.

[Enrique]

5. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver confirmed it happened

and the spitter was arrested. That's more than we have for any of the Vietnam vet incidents as far as I know.

[brewens]

9. You got that right! If that had really happened to a lot of

Viet Nam vets there would be some legal evidence. Arrest or court records of some kind. MP's or cops arresting spitters. Troops that were spit on being arrested or sued for beating the crap out of the spitters. We'd have some proof.

[Flubadubya]

6. Would you believe it if even the Washington Times Right Wing Rag reported on it?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/20/lawmaker-wont-press-charges-spitting-incident/

I'm telling you, if they believe it, then you can too!! :evilgrin:

[Pithlet]

7. Guess you haven't been following the HCR story much, have you? n/t

[MadMaddie]

13. One of the spitter got arrested.

If a civil rights icon says he was spit on and called a "N", I don't need it on video....

I will not excuse the teabaggers behavior and the failure of the MSM to show what happend.

Racism is alive and well and now all of America knows it.

[Betty Karlson]

14. And homophobia, sadly, too. N/T

[MadMaddie]

17. Yes, you are absolutely right!

[chollybocker]

16. It was the "Magic Loogie."

:)

[madmax]

4. I love Barney Frank

He rips these idiots like a hot knife through butter with his words. Rock on Braney!

[Snarkoleptic]

10. Visual aid

[UpInArms]

11. best graphic post - evah!

:yourock:

[OnyxCollie]

12. Kick. nt

[northofdenali]

15. "...high standards of civility OR COHERENCE...."

:rofl::rofl::toast::patriot::toast::rofl::rofl:

Thank you, Barney Frank. Dem 1-liner of the day!!!