MSNBC reporter said what I've been saying all along

[RandySF]

She asked what reason, other than the President's skin color, would let a Member of Congress think it's fine to call him a liar on the House floor during an address to Congress.

[Warren DeMontague]

1. Honestly, I think it's the (D) after his name, not the color of his skin.

Bill Clinton was called a "scumbag" on the floor of the House.

I don't think it's racism, I think it's the fact that the other side doesn't accept our legitimacy as "real" Americans, and if they have to choose between the will of a people who vote for a Democrat, and Fascism, they will gladly embrace fascism.

[spanone]

4. they called clinton a scumbag in the halls of congress?

i think it's entirely racial. they don't respect him.

[Warren DeMontague]

14. I don't doubt that they don't respect him, and race may be a factor.

But more than anything else, I think it's disrespect of Democrats.

Edit: Re Dan Burton and calling Clinton a "scumbag":

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/burton042298.htm

[spanone]

25. not at a state of the union address...more than anything else, it's racism

imho

[jaysunb]

6. Sorry....

I wish you were right, but sadly, this is America.
There's only one reason. :evilfrown:

[hedgehog]

9. Not during a State of the Union address, not shouted out from the floor!

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Whatever the reason, it's unacceptable.

I don't doubt that there are some serious racist fucks in the GOP.

[Maine_Nurse]

21. Yup, just like we do too.

Every group has its special subsets. We have violent terrorists like they do, religious nutjobs (I mean the ones that are extreme and bordering on crazy as opposed to people of religion and faith in general) like they do, ignorant blowhard national personalities like they do, and scumbag government officials like they do.

[Warren DeMontague]

27. Sorry, I'm not buying into the false equivalence.

There is no equivalence to Ann Coulter calling for liberals to be beaten with baseball bats, Glenn Beck fantasizing on-air about killing Michael Moore, the violent crap that has come out of Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, or Michael Savage's mouth.

Saying "both sides do it" is a cop-out. There's no one on the "left" with a national mouthpiece spewing anything resembling that kind of rhetoric. There are no politicians on the left that have put out rhetoric like "we need to consider 2nd Amendment solutions", etc.

The False Equivalency is total, utter bullshit.

[Rockholm]

24. He shouted out twice.

When you watch a tape of the event, you hear something, Pelosi loks over. He then screams out again, louder. It was no accident that he did this. He should have been expelled for the remainder of the speech.

[Raine]

17. RACIAL ... I have absolutely no doubt that's what it is nt

:mad:

[JoePhilly]

2. Yup.

The only reason one would have the balls to do it, is because you see the President as a lesser human being.

That, and that jerk thought no one would be able to tell who said it.

[malaise]

3. It's that simple

He wouldn't dare try that with that LIAR Bush

[DrDan]

5. I think it would have happened to Hillary or John Edwards as well

just the current environment in Wash DC these days

[my2sense]

7. Bingo!

We've never seen so much disrespect of a President and full on craziness by the "real americans" until Obama.

[Bluebear]

8. Seething Tea-Party rage, aimed at any "liberal".

Obama's skin color was a bonus, though. :(

[hedgehog]

10. I think the Tea Party people were perfectly willing to "tolerate"

African-Americans, but having one in charge was just too much for them!

[LiberalArkie]

22. Bingo

[patrice]

11. Like no one sitting out there in those seats ever had as much of a policy difference with a sitting

President as certain members of this Congress did/do . . . ?

There have been disagreements as deep in the past, but this BAD behavior is new.

[dkf]

12. Maybe more Ds should have stood up when Bush addressed Congress on Iraq.

http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/oct/07/usa.iraq?cat=world&type=article

"Eleven years ago, as a condition for ending the Persian Gulf War, the Iraqi regime was required to destroy its weapons of mass destruction, to cease all development of such weapons and to stop all support for terrorist groups. The Iraqi regime has violated all of those obligations. It possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons. It has given shelter and support to terrorism and practices terror against its own people. The entire world has witnessed Iraq's 11-year history of defiance, deception and bad faith."

---

The evidence indicates that Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program. Saddam Hussein has held numerous meetings with Iraqi nuclear scientists . . . his "nuclear mujaheddin," his nuclear holy warriors.

Satellite photographs reveal that Iraq is rebuilding facilities at sites that have been part of his nuclear program in the past.

Iraq has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes and other equipment needed for gas centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

If the Iraqi regime is able to produce, buy or steal an amount of highly enriched uranium a little larger than a single softball, he could have a nuclear weapon in less than a year.

[Me.]

13. Actually, She's Not A Reporter But A Republican Strategist

By the name of Michelle Bernard and she claims to be an Indie but the board members of her foundation are people like Kate O'Beirne

[UpInArms]

16. Cheney Dismisses Critic With Obscenity

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3699-2004Jun24.html

Friday, June 25, 2004; Page A04

A brief argument between Vice President Cheney and a senior Democratic senator led Cheney to utter a big-time obscenity on the Senate floor this week.

On Tuesday, Cheney, serving in his role as president of the Senate, appeared in the chamber for a photo session. A chance meeting with Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, became an argument about Cheney's ties to Halliburton Co., an international energy services corporation, and President Bush's judicial nominees. The exchange ended when Cheney offered some crass advice.

"Fuck yourself," said the man who is a heartbeat from the presidency.

Leahy's spokesman, David Carle, yesterday confirmed the brief but fierce exchange. "The vice president seemed to be taking personally the criticism that Senator Leahy and others have leveled against Halliburton's sole-source contracts in Iraq," Carle said.

As it happens, the exchange occurred on the same day the Senate passed legislation described as the "Defense of Decency Act" by 99 to 1.

... more...

it appears that the scum that covers most of these "people" keeps them from understanding civility at all.

[Imajika]

18. I think the right wing hated Clinton just as much...

They literally impeached him when the public was overwhelmingly against it (something like 75% opposed). There was an anti Clinton merchandise machine during those years, and just as many crazy conspiracies as there are about Obama. Remember, Republicans were claiming Clinton had Vince Foster killed, that Clinton was a drug runner, the list goes on and on.

Some GOP/teabaggers are definitely racist whether they admit it or not, but we make a mistake fooling ourselves into thinking this is anything other than it is - an ideological war. Most Republicans don't hate African Americans, women, etc, so much that they won't vote for them if they tow the party line. If someone parrots right wing policies, most right wingers will vote for them if they think it gives them a chance to win. They LOVE them some Clarence Thomas - don't think for one second they wouldn't vote for him for President if they thought he could win.

It's much more about ideology than it is skin color.

[quaker bill]

23. Yes, they hated Clinton

But no one considered calling him a liar out loud during a State of the Union address, even after the Lewinski bit proved Clinton was capable of spinning a yarn. It is not what they think of him that matters, it is the lack of respect that would allow they to do it at that moment, out loud, as an interrpution to a constitutionally mandated speech.

Clinton got more respect, even though they did not like him or his policy any better. This is the difference you are missing, and yes I believe the lack of respect is a product of the President's complexion, because looked at honestly, all the other variables are eliminated.

[Imajika]

26. Yeah, but your example is one guy..

...screaming "You Lie". I mean, if Obama was repeatedly interrupted by Republicans in speeches you'd have a pattern to show, but just one incident isn't enough to prove anything.

I'm not saying there aren't racist baggers and right wingers, there most certainly are. I am saying that right wing hatred for President Hillary Clinton would be just as extreme as it is President Barrack Obama. It is far more about policies than it is skin color. The right has an agenda that it pushes relentlessly, and they are perfectly willing to overlook gender and skin color if it means electing people that will push their policies. See African American teabagger candidates who actually won seats in Congress - Allen West and Tim Scott.

[CakeGrrl]

19. No other reason.

The level of disrespect is striking.

[Bobcat]

20. Repub Habit

Sen. Leahy was called an asshole on the floor of the Senate by a sitting vice-president.