Lean Left

Appearing at a town hall in his home state of Iowa, Sen. Chuck Grassley told a crowd of more than 300 that they were correct to fear that the government would “pull the plug on grandma.”

“There is some fear because in the House bill, there is counseling for end-of-life,” Grassley said. “And from that standpoint, you have every right to fear. You shouldn’t have counseling at the end of life. You ought to have counseling 20 years before you’re going to die. You ought to plan these things out. And I don’t have any problem with things like living wills. But they ought to be done within the family. We should not have a government program that determines if you’re going to pull the plug on grandma.”

– Senator Grassley, August 2009.  He admitted later that there were no death panels.

The next 24 hours are “armageddon” because the health care bill proposed by Democrats will “ruin our country,” House Minority Leader John Boehner said Saturday, a day before a crucial vote on the bill in the House.

Boehner made the charge first to the GOP caucus meeting where leaders were trying to rally lawmakers to keep fighting to get more “no” votes from wavering Democrats.

– House Minority Leader John Boehner

VANDERBOEGH: I am telling you we are motivated to break windows, we feel a deadly threat from the Federal government and the orders that the Democrat party has given us. [...]

COLMES: You’re telling people to break the windows of Democratic headquarters. You’re telling people to commit acts of vandalism. You’re supporting breaking the law.

VANDERBOEGH: May I tell you my personal motive for doing this? I’m trying to save the lives of Nancy Pelosi, and every one of these people who do not understand the unintended consequences of their actions.[...] Because they are not paying attention to the million of people across this deepening divide that politics no longer avails them. [...] We refuse to participate in the system, and we refuse to pay the fines, and we refuse arrest. Now where do you suppose that’s going but a thousand little Waco’s.

–Alabama militia leader and open carry advocate

“Central and Southside Virginians are the ones who are going to have the bear the burden of increased taxes,” Sere told The Roanoke Times. “What you’re seeing is a frustration among his constituents who believe he’s not listening to them.”

… Sere told Ben Smith he was referring to marches, demonstrations and letters — not physical threats. Still, Sere, continued “we’re not going to allow Tom Perriello to use one isolated incident as a cynical ploy to distract Virginians from the higher taxes and Medicare cuts he just imposed on them.”

– NRCC spokesperson in response to the publishing of the address of a Democratic Congressperson’s brother home after a person had tried to murder the family by cutting the propane gas line.

I think the Democratic leadership has to take some moral responsibility for having behaved with such arrogance, in such a hostile way, that the American people are deeply upset. So let’s be honest with this. This is a game that they’re playing.

People should not engage in personal threats. I’m happy to condemn any effort to engage in personal threats. But I think the Democratic leadership has to take some real responsibility for having run a machine that used corrupt tactics, that bought votes, that bullied people, and as a result has enraged much of the American people.

– Newt Gingrich, in response to questions about violence and threats of violence after the Democrats held an open, televised vote on HCR.

Do I really have to explain why this is wrong?  First they told their followers that they were going to be killed, that the country was going to be destroyed, that Armageddon was coming.  Then they downplayed the violence after the bill passed. When you downplay violence, when you say “yes, but I understand why someone would want to hurt a Democrat”, when you lie and tell your followers that holding votes is somehow illegitimate, you are one very, very short step from “will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”.  It seems pretty clear that some members of the right don’t care who gets hurt.