This is becoming a very nasty habit at Republican led town halls. Before it was just the Anti-Reformers being incredibly rude to those with real and heartbreaking Healthcare stories to tell. But now, it's the Representatives that are completely dismissing their contituents. And the nasty little habit has now seeped up into the chairman of the RNC, Michael Steele.
Remember when Steele first got this job and how he talked about being all inclusive and reaching out to African Americans and diversifying the party? Well NEWS FLASH Steele, this ain't the way to do it
Via Think Progress comes this from yesterday:
Yesterday at Howard University, Steele encountered his own "genuinely concerned" citizen — 23-year-old college grad/activist Amanda Duzak. Duzak stood up and interrupted Steele, arguing that "everyone in this country should have access to good health care" and cited the case of her own mother who died of cancer six months ago because she couldn’t afford her prescription chemotherapy medications. The audience applauded her.
Steele responded by chastising Duzak and accusing her of pulling antics to get on TV. "So people go out to town halls, they go to the community, and they’re like this. (SHAKES ARMS) It makes for great TV. You’ll probably make it tonight. Enjoy it." The audience immediately went "Ohhh" and "Oooo." Watch it:
The video is at the link, I'm at work and can't embed.
David Zirin at Huffpo says:
The roots of Steele's unconscionable behavior lie in his own political bankruptcy. The nation faces a health care crisis and has no answer other than telling students, "Everyone in the country needs health care." Lately he has been running commercials telling seniors, "No cuts for Medicare," just two short years after running for senator of Maryland saying that "everything has to be on the table" - including Medicare cuts. As Ron Brownstein wrote in National Journal on Friday, "Steele's pledge this week to 'protect Medicare' might have been more convincing had it not come five months after nearly four-fifths of House Republicans voted to literally end the program as we know it for all Americans younger than 55."
It's one thing to be a fraud. That's politics as usual. But to turn your back on a young person whose mother just died of cancer is more than politics as usual. It's shocking. As Ms. Duzak said to me after the event, very upset, "I wasn't trying to shout or be rude. I just wanted an answer. I thought we were all owed that." We certainly are. But if nothing else, Michael Steele owes Amanda Duzak a sincere apology.
And if you think this is bad, just look at what else happened yesterday to Steeles "minority outreach". And at Howard University no less.
Steele spoke at Howard in front of roughly 150 students as part of his outreach program to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. His effort to connect with young black students got off to a rather cringe-worthy start when right before the billed "student dialogue" two dozen white members of area young Republican groups arrived to sit in the reserved first two rows of the packed room. One wondered, as students grumbled, if Steele hired John Ashcroft to be his event manager.
This comes on the heels of Representative Jenkins laughing at an uninsured mother
Elizabeth Smith: I want an option that I can pay for. I work. I pay my bills. I’m not a burden on the state. I pay my taxes. So why can’t I get an affordable option. Why are you against that?
Jenkins: A government run program (laugh) is going to subsidize not only yours (laugh) but everybody in this room. So I’m not sure what we’re talking about here.
Jenkins: I think it comes down to the whole discussion of...
(The crowd erupts. At this point, it's safe to say even they aren't buying Jenkins position...)
Lynn: OK folks. Let’s be respectful. UH-OH (talking over crowd). We’re gonna make time for everybody. We’re gonna all listen to each other respectfully, even if we disagree. I think we can agree we need reforms, again it’s just how we gonna do it. I believe people should be given the opportunity to take care of themselves with an advancebale tax credit to go be a grown-up and go buy the insurance.
They are just hateful, hateful people. And the worst part is, Steele probably didn't think twice about how he came across. Callous, cold hearted Republicans, all of them.
***Sorry to post and run, but I'm off to pick up my beloved Snarklepants from the vet. He was snipped and chipped this morning, so I'm sure he's anxious to be home. The staff said he was very vocal about it all :-) I'll be back online soon***
***Snarklepants is home safe and sound. :)***