Update [2009-8-26 20:20:15 by hekebolos]: if you feel like helping the California Democratic Party respond to this lunacy, here's an easy way to do it.
First, let me be clear: this incident was written about before in a recommended diary by xxdr zombiexx over the weekend.
So, the story isn't news--go read the diary for the full account--but I'll recap it:
an incident broke out at a town hall at Simpson University in Redding [Northern California] on Tuesday when Herger signaled encouragement to a 67-year-old town hall attendee, Bert Stead, who called himself a "proud right-wing terrorist."
"Amen, God bless you," Herger reportedly replied to the comment. "There is a great American."
So what is news? The video has been found. And you can watch it, right below the fold.
There you see it, in all its glory. As I wrote on Calitics.com, which is tracking this and other California town hall issues:
Congressman Herger spends the entire time watching the guy rant with a wry smile. And given the fact that most of the crowd appears to be terrorist sympathizers, there's nothing he can really do without incurring the wrath of his constituency. Just watch as Congressman Herger--who no longer deserves that title, if he ever did--chooses demagoguery over loyalty to American values and ideals.
The video was unearthed by the communications team at the California Democratic Party, which is undergoing quite a transformation for the better under the new leadership of John Burton.
Of course, the video has other gems. This self-described terrorist idiot declares that Obama is a "self-appointed king". Again--these people never complained when Bush, who was selected by a 5-4 vote of the Supreme Court with some members selected by his daddy (as self-appointed as you can get in American politics) was claiming he had permanent emergency war powers that enabled him to ignore Congress, the judiciary and federal statutes. But when Obama uses the constitutional legislative process to enact his agenda, he's a self-appointed king.
Hypocrisy knows no bounds with these people--but when you spent all day watching Fox News, you're not even dealing with any sort of basis in shared reality.
Update [2009-8-26 21:39:6 by hekebolos]: from vita brevis in the comments: Congressman Herger has responded:
The congressman, however, stands by what he said.
"Congressman Herger stands by his statement in support of his constituent," read a statement from his office. "Mr. Bert Stead is a taxpayer and veteran, who, like so many others, is rightfully fed up with being called 'un-American', or 'extremist' or a 'political terrorist' by liberals in Washington, for simply exercising his First Amendment rights. Mr. Stead served his country and therefore he is a great American. The Congressman doesn't at all regret commending him for standing up, exercising his free speech rights, and expressing his strong concerns with the direction liberals in Washington are taking our country."