The “Battered Spouse Syndrome” has hit the Congressional Democrats. Again.
House Minority Leader John “Cry Baby” Boehner got the vay-puhs (can’t you see him clutching his pearls in horror?) from Rep. Pete Stark’s harsh words after the SCHIP vote last week…what delicate sensibilities the minority party has! My gosh, it’s almost as if Rep. Stark was heartless enough to be glib about the lives of our troops in harm’s way. So naturally, because we can’t have mean words or insinuations that our President isn’t a Very Serious Person, Boehner introduced a privileged resolution to censure Pete Stark.
Chairman Bennie Thompson moved to table the resolution (which basically meant that they weren’t going to consider it; all these ridiculous parliamentary procedures give me a headache) and the resolution was tabled with a vote of 196-173.
You might be interested in knowing that 5 Democrats voted with the Republicans on condemning Rep Stark and another 8– all reactionaries– voted “Present,” refusing to come to Stark’s defense. You can probably guess the names of the disgraceful 13 Democrats. Howie has the list here.
Despite the tabling of the resolution, an apparently chastened Stark did formally apologize:
(thanks to TPM for vid)
No Trackbacks To “House Flunks Boehner’s Attempt to Censure Stark; Stark Apologizes Anyway“
I sent this email to Rep. Stark:
Dear Congressman Stark,
Thank you for further enabling the Republican Party to continue its assault on the Democrats, the Democrat Party and patriotic Liberals throughout the country. Your apology today was totally unnecessary and unfortunate. In fact, it was a real embarrassment. The phony Censure Resolution against you should have never been allowed to come to the floor in the first place. As it was, the vote was not able to pass and your apology was inappropriate. I only wish you had chosen to stand up to the Party that has literally taken this country and broken it into so many small little pieces. The utter lawlessness they have consistently exhibited has been simply breathtaking, to say the least and the damage they have done in the last seven years will take decades to correct, assuming we have politicians with the courage to speak the truth and not waver from their convictions. Today, you failed in that regard.
========
Let him know how you feel:
http://www.house.gov/stark/contact/index.htm
He apologized? And do we really think a Democrat will get elected President in ‘08? I know everyone says it will happen, but every day I see the Democrats folding more and more to Republican tactics. If they haven’t learned by now, what makes them think they’ll suddenly win by folding everytime Republicans scream “boo!”?
Unless we get Dodd or Edwards, we’re doomed.
I’m so angry over this that my head is about to explode…I called Pelosi’s office to tell them how disappointed I was that this even got to the floor and then emailed Start about his craven caving statement…he owed NO APOLOGY TO ANYONE!
He had the backing of 98% of the comments I saw in the progressive blogosphere, a 93% CNN poll telling him he shouldn’t apologize, and I doubt whethere his constituency back in California was telling him to cave…
So I can only assume it was the cowardly Dem leadership who put pressure on him for this pathetic apology…
AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
this is why i’m not a democrat.
how anyone can attach themselves to such a group of gutless gasbags is beyond me. yes, i understand the democratic party is a big diverse group that yadda, yadda, yadda. it doesn’t matter. do you believe in what you say or don’t you?
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
Unless we get Gore/Kucinich we are screwed….
On to the next GOP faux “outrage” story for the “liberal” media to obsess over for a week.
Well, well, well. . . how surprising. Apologizing for telling the truth to criminals. Yesterday I got a mailing from the demonocratic party asking for a contribution. I responded by sending a note saying that I have lost faith in them, and that Pete Stark had told the truth. . .
Weenie.
Democracy in the US is truly dead, I’d leave now before you get RFID’ed and drafted.
Ball-less, soul-less bastards. And the Republicans, too.
Another one bites the dust. I knew this would happen in about a months time. Makes me even more ashamed to be associated with these cowards.
below_me @ 5:
Amen to that!
Methinks more like “Pussy”
The gop asked to strike his words and the speaker said no.
The gop kept the pressure on and they caved again.
Weak positions do not win elections.
Voters are not going to vote for weak, spineless people in this period of permanent war.
Geez.
It’s the PRIMARIES, stupid!
at what point did people in Nazi Germany realize that it was time to get out???
Did he give the repugs a kiss and some reach around too? Or is that for later in the men’s room?
“I’m sorry, I described the situation so accurately.”
I haven’t independently verified this (perhaps a C&Ler would like to?), but per a comment I saw at FDL, a commenter there called Stark’s office to ask why he would apologize and was told by the office representative that Stark had been told he HAD to, otherwise the censure resolution would go forward and likely voted for.
Nice party unity there, huh?
Suppose, now, just suppose for a second that we don’t have TWO political parties but in fact ONE political party with two factions allied to nothing but power.
Suppose, just suppose, that the competition between the two factions is not about a vigorous debate between patriotic ideologies, but is in fact a contrived sideshow designed to annoy, outrage and otherwise distract the rest of us.
Suppose, just suppose, that this phony outrage and divisiveness, while slightly benefiting one party more than another from time to time is, on the whole, consistently beneficial to both.
Suppose, just suppose, we have been lied to, manipulated, falsely promised change when, in fact, the intention all along has been to keep us scared and silent.
Suppose, just suppose, that whenever anyone points this out and walks away from this ugly, disease-infested mockery of democracy, whether they’re Guiliani-abandoning Christians or Nader-voting liberals, that those people are vilified by their supposed caucus for allowing the “bad guys” to win and the “good guys” to lose, as though the game had good guys and bad guys instead of just bad guys and worse guys.
What would that look like?
Nicole Belle @ 19:
It is if we all accept the fact it’s a one party system.
Why am I not surprised?
There is not a spine in the democratic bunch, spineless is synonymous with democrat - now in stone.
UFB
Why do we think Democrats will do the right thing when we know Republicans won’t. Are Democratic Politicians any better than Republican Politicians no they are all Human. It is the system that is CORRUPT and until we REALIZE this we will always be disappointed. We should be ignoring these SCUMBAGS in office now and use them as the poster children for the need to change the system. Can you imagine if we had commercials showing the raging incompetance of both parts and then show how it is the system that is taking seemingly good people and turning them rotten. It would be a very powerful message that must people could see. We have been divided and conquered already it’s time to fight back.
[Deleted. Shouldn’t you run along now? I hear the 3 Billy Goats Gruff coming-Sitemonitor]
It seems as if the criminal element of the Republican party has a stranglehold on your country and there is no worthy opposition in place to come to your aid. It is a sad thing to witness - the decline and fall of America.
Oh, man alive!!
If I’m hearing Stark correctly, he’s saying, “Fine, I’ll apologize gracefully, if it means we can just forget this non-incident, and get back to serious business.”
He exhibits a certain nobility common among Democrats and wise human beings in general: that of willfully incurring petty injustices for a perceived greater good.
But here’s the thing……………
Democrats MUST STOP BEHAVING THIS WAY!! It has become utterly ignoble and unwise, and demonstrates how they just don’t see what’s happening around them. There is no greater good to be served in this case.
The Republicans aren’t merely a bunch of petty children who actually will get back to serious business if you’ll just let hit you and call you names. No, bullying, name-calling and pettiness are part and parcel of their political strategy. And Stark has only fed them another victory.
Republicans are going to keep making issues out of nothing, and forcing decent people to incur petty injustices in the forlorn hope that Congress and the country can move on. We won’t. We can’t. The Republicans will never let it happen.
Stark should have stood his ground. Pragmatism and realism are not our friends when dealing with this batch of Republicans or their noise machine. They only make us continually lose staring contests. Stop blinking! Tell them to go fuck themselves, and give it up, and then, maybe we can get back to serious business.
Spinless gutless sewer worms!
That they are even my fellow countrymen makes me feel soiled.
These… these… umm… people?… are a national disgrace.
This nation is truly dead where it stands, it is just too stupid to know it.
And as usual it was the wealthy oligarchy that sold us down river.
Maybe next time around we can make it part of the Constitution (the new one) that wealth has limits. (Fat chance)
He apologized?????
wtf??????
[Deleted. While you’re at it, why don’t you make some generalization about an ethnic minority-Sitemonitor]
The Democrats talk tough until it comes time to stand tall and strong against the status quo - which is never talked about in public.
In order for the average US ‘Mercan citizen to continue to go to work every day and get the shrinking money he needs to consume the way he’s suppose to, the status quo must not change, and everyone comes to realize this sooner or later once they see the inside of the way your governmrnt works.
You are doomed as a nation, and as a culture - your days are numbered.
By land in Mexico, while your dollar is still worth something. (Please stay away from Canada.)
How the hell can the dems show they can be tough on terrorism when they can’t even be tough on republicans?
I guess Stark just wanted the whole damned thing to go away and die. I wish he hadn’t caved and had taken whatever came at him like a man. He should have stood by his words and if the rest of the house didn’t like it, to hell with them. At least he would have come away with his pride and his determination intact.
I Am Sorry For
Telling You The Exact Truth
Dem Campaign Slogan
Sorry, So Sorry
I Did Not Mean To Make Karl
Rove Angry, Sorry
A very sad day indeed for democracy…the Democrats, on the Hill, are now no different than the Republicans.
Very sad,
I wrote Rep. Stark over the weekend supporting him and now this. Can anyone tell the emperor his ass is hanging out and nopt back down?
APOLOGIZE for your crass, insensitive and cruel WMD “comedy” film, bush! And all you sycophantic Repubs who never chastened him for it, you apologize, too, you heartless bastards.
Stark should be given a medal for hitting the nerve of truth in the Congressional body. Instead, they savor the wound and attack the medicine.
JasonS @ 20:
“Suppose” nothing…
Canuknotusa @ 29:
[deleted–hey, hey, hey…temper! His post wasn’t directed to you personally and then you respond with a personal attack? Nope, not going to fly.]
Sent to Nancy Pelosi, my congresswoman:
Now you’ve lost me.
The Democrat (sorry, you now have to earn the ‘ic’) party lost me on war funding. You and Barbara Boxer were going to be the last two Democrats I would vote for until they earned it back.
I’ve supported you my whole life. Those days are over. My eyes are open.
Dragging Pete Stark in front of the house to “apologize” for speaking the truth to power has convinced me: you’re all part of the same evil, vile, wicked, corrupt, complicit, criminal conspiracy to destroy our beloved country, and you all must go.
You’ve proven yourself to be an enemy of everything I hold dear about this nation. It breaks my heart to say so. Truly.
Good bye. I’ll be voting for whatever independent houseplant runs against you, unless you convince me to do otherwise, which you still have time to do.
The clock is ticking. Show me that you’re not what you appear to be: another rubber stamp, endorsing executive criminality.
Show us all.
-JS
I don’t understand why don’t the Democratic committee just strip the traitors of their party label and let them go independent? If the danger of losing the majority party status is the issue, then I don’t see what difference it would make if Pelosi doesn’t use her position for the party. We would lose the advantage anyway if we allow false Democratic leaders to run amok as it is, but at least the voters in that district would know who they are and not be fooled again and give all the democrats a bad name.
Bud @ 35:
Well said.
No more, absolutely NO more, donations/contributions to ANY Dem. candidate seeking
election. Their total lack of representing WE THE PEOPLE has now reached the point
that I, and hopefully others, will look elsewhere for honest and reputable individuals
for representation. There is no more “across the aisle” distinction…ALL are of one
party and purpose.
I sent an E-Mail to this Stark prick telling him I supported him. Now I’m going to sent him another one telling him to go to HELL.
Of course he apologized. Show me a single Dem with the balls to say something and stand behind it when the GOP expresses their “outrage.”
There is none.
The Dems are the same spineless pussies that the GOP says they are. We’ll see it again when they give Chimpy his extra $46 billion. The Dems will cave in, but then tell us about how tough they’ll be next time.
Worthless skidmarks. Every one of them.
Weak! More weak tea, please! God damn, these people suck! Oh, just ignore the MAJORITY of people who support you, Stark, and make sure you fucking cave in ASAP! This makes me so angry! We are talking about peoples lives here…and in the big picture this weak bullshit is what will get us into a war with IRAN and fuck the world up for generations to come!! Throw all these bastards out!!! They don’t represent us. This kind of crap will sink this ship known as the USA.
I’m sorry I must have been out of the damn country when the Republicans apologized for having their cronies trash the Frost family. What the hell is wrong with the Democrats? Bush and the rest of his rotten, lowlife supporters should apologize to the whole world for his disastrous policies.
Maybe this should be a litmus test for all Dem candidates:
Should Pete Stark have apologized? Yes or no. No spinning or equivocating allowed.
Answer yes, and you have a PC spineless wimp, ready to appease right wing fascism, ready to apologize for telling the truth.
Answer no, and you have someone ready to deal with reality, ready to call things like they are.
PUSSYCRATS!
> I don’t understand why don’t the Democratic committee just strip the traitors of their party label and let them go independent?
Because. They. Are. Part. Of. The. Same. Corruption. They. Claim. To. Oppose.
The game is what’s paramount here, not the players or who’s currently ahead or behind. They’re all more loyal to keeping the game going than to doing the right thing.
The only way that’s gonna change is if WE change the game. And it’s not about people. Pelosi, Reid, even Hagel and McCain are likely good, honest, well-meaning people at heart, but they’ve been convinced that in order to DO good they have to win THIS game.
Unfortunately, being able to win the game makes you manifestly unqualified to govern.
The only cure here is tough love. Withdraw. All. Support. REFUSE to compromise. Vote ONLY for candidates who stand up for what they believe in, even if they lose time and time and time and time again.
Then those who know how to play the power game will make the calculation: we have to score more points on the “integrity thing.”
And remember: it’s not good enough to get a little reform. You have to HOLD their feet to the fire at EVERY election. You have to REFUSE to compromise. You have to REFUSE to be dragged into petty squabbles. You have to STICK to the important issues and banish all thought of haircuts and lapel pins and phony outrage.
It’s in your hands and mine now. They are nothing but our instruments and we have failed to learn how to play them.
The shame is upon us al