Pro-Surge Dem "Verbally Flogged By Hundreds Of His Constituents"

The Oregonian:

For more than three hours Monday night, Rep. Brian Baird was verbally flogged by hundreds of his constituents for no longer supporting the quick withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

More than 500 people packed a high school auditorium in Vancouver while another 175 or so were unable to get inside. And virtually everyone who got a chance to address the Vancouver Democrat were harshly critical - including several who said they had been long-time supporters and friends.

"You have just broken my heart," said Phil Massey, a Vancouver ship's pilot who wasn't swayed by Baird's explanation that the U.S. was finally starting to make some progress in bringing peace to Iraq. "You have screwed up, my friend. You have screwed up and you have to change course."

Read the whole story: The Oregonian

Comments

[SmackwaterJack]

Fire him! Send someone to Congress that has some guts.

[Qbear]

Here's the deal, 72% of America doesn't think Iraq was worth it, and was handled horribly, they are getting this country OUT of Iraq, either with Senator "A", or without Senator "A".
Your Party designation won't matter much to the 72% who want OUT. So either it's a wholesale slaughter of Republican incumbants or it's a wholesale slaughter of ALL INCUMBANTS.

your choice Democrats.

[chronic]

And we wonder why the Democratic majority in congress is razor thin? Its because there is little difference between the two parties.


I will vote Democrat just to keep the right wing crooks from destroying America.

[mamacat]

The elections take place every two years. The term of an elected Senator is six years. Thus, every two years, about 33 senate seats are up for grabs.

Given the results in the House, where the term of office is only two years, and the Democrats got a much larger majority, it seems reasonable to think that if all 100 senate seats had been up for grabs last year, the Dems would now have a much larger margin in the Senate than just one vote.

[Qbear]

Democrats will feel a WHITE HOT furnace of constituents rage if they get in their surge-cheerleader outfits.
Shake your Bush/Cheney pom poms at your own risk.

Repig cheerleaders will also feel the heat if they are up for election in '08.

[Ammobob]

How dare he 'dash' the misinformed opinions of 100's of his constituents. Just because he actually visited Iraq. Doesn't he read the papers? Doesn't he watch the news?

The unmitigated gall! He'll be gone the next election and we'll get someone in the office just as misinformed and disillusioned as us.

[maxfusion]

Precisely Ammobob, remember 28% of the women, and 11% of the men in that audience are whacked out on psychotropic drugs. Release the soma gas. Sixty percent of them can't even figure how much food to stuff in fat ass bodies, and then to add insult to injury, they pretend to have a handle of foreign policy after drooling on themselves for 5 hours a day in front of the TV.

[TS]

Wow, 39% of the audience "whacked out on psychotropic drugs." Isn't Bush's approval rating in the high twenties or low thirties? Are you telling me he's starting to even lose the heavily medicated vote? That sounds like trouble for the GOP.

To be honest, the more I hear of our senators and congresspeople, the less respect I have for them. Very few seem to have much of a grasp on basic critical thinking and frequently spout "facts" that are wholly inaccurate, generally appearing to be not all that bright. That particular distinction doesn't break down along party lines either. I guess it's all about connections, but it's very difficult to look at the current congress and conclude these people are anywhere near the best and brightest our nation has to offer. There are certainly some exceptions, but generally they just don't seem to really even grasp the implications of what they are voting on beyond how they might play as sound bites and campaign rhetoric.

If Baird were capable of actually making a compelling argument, things would have gone better (he's actually my rep.). Over four years into it, "just trust me" doesn't cut it anymore, nor should it.

[Graywolf48]

A guided VIP tour by a military publicity officer does not provide for an honest assessment. He was shown what the administration and the Pentagon wanted him to see. He didn't talk with anyone who was not previously approved by the authorities. A few hours or a few days is not enough time to realize the truth.

If Mr. Baird wants to see the truth and experience the real Iraq war first hand, let him shed his entourage and spend a week or more walking point with a grunt patrol. Otherwise he should wake up to the fact that he's being used, just as the Nazi's used the Red Cross inspectors during WWII.

It appears Baird is just another useful idiot.

[Ammobob]

Oh sorry, didn't know you went with him. Tell us more of your visit? Does Gen Patraeus put his pants on left leg first? And is there at least 2-ply in the portajohns?

[theroc5156]

He has seen more of Iraq than any one of those people calling for his head. Obviously he saw something and is speaking from experience.

One of your own turns on you based on FACTS he saw in Iraq. Truth hurts, don't it.

[Defyant]

Right on.

[BillZBubb]

Ammobob, your bullshit just keeps getting funnier and funnier! Talk about unmitigated gall! You have been WRONG every step of the way on the Iraq fiasco. You supported Bush, you parrotted his lies about the supposed Iraqi threat. You believed the "easy victory" nonsense. You still back every single Bush/RepubliCON talking point no matter how pathetic.

For you to call anyone else misinformed is like a frog calling a butterfly ugly.

[mike53]

Didn't someone tell this guy that if America could pull it off in Iraq it would be bad for the democratic party? He must have missed a memo.

[StillAmused]

Your neocon heroes have been 'pulling it off' in Iraq for more than four years (and destroying the military in the process). Might be your idea of entertainm­ent... but, then, you spend most of your time here pulling it off.

"If" pigs could fly, you'd be airborne.

[mike53]

You don't seem "amused" to me. Anyway..I am just repeating what some democratics have said publicly.

[HumeSkeptic]

Pro-Surge Dem "Verbally Flogged By Hundreds Of His Constituents"

------

Love it!

[JaneC]

Speaking truth to power. Reminding them they represent US not their own needs or ideologies. That's something you'll never see the Reichwing supporters do. Goose stepping is an art form to them.

Imagine how many lives could have been saved if only they would give it a try.

[HowietheScreamer]

Yea a Pol held accountabl­e... something the Repubic party NEVER does...

[Defyant]

Cheney knew, Rumsfeld knew, Condi knew, Powell knew, and someone certainly told Bush, that invading Iraq was a huge cluster fuck. These are educated degreed people who certainly chose to ignore the history of the middle east, and go after the oil.

The American people are no longer fooled. They are angry, and they let Baird know it.

I wish they would become even angrier. Angry over the lies they are told. The criminals that are running this government need to feel the heat, and they need to fry.

Make mine extra crispy.

[thos]

Five minutes ago he was a correct-thinking individual. Now, because he has seen evidence that he feels supports a change in strategy he must be nuts.

If the reverse had happened would he go from being nuts to being a correct-thinking individual?

[OneVoiceInACrowd]

He should make public that evidence that has swayed his thinking in the matter. For the last 7200 minutes Bush has been saying the surge is working but has never pointed to real facts that point to real mission objectives that would allow us to agree with him. That and he lied us into the war, so pretty much no credibility there.

So Rep Baird, what are the facts that have made you change your mind? People are getting jobs there? Sorry I want more than that.

[rwe]

evidently you feel the same about Durbin,Clinton and the growing numbers of dems and repubs also who of course have all the facts and logic wrong because it does not fall in line with the surrender monkey liberal talking points.

[LittleBrother]

Yeah, sure. He wised up, all right.

[scooperss]

"Did he go from being nuts to a correct thinking individual because he saw evidence that suggests we need to leave?"

I know. Let's ask Republican Senator Warner if he's nuts now or was he nuts before. After all just recently he said we should start a draw down of at least 5000 before Christmas.

[Trilby]

Am I nuts or is Vancouver not a city in Canada???

[JaneC]

Washington. ;)

[HowietheScreamer]

You are and are not nuts at the same time... there's TWO Vancouvers.

[andyboy]

If we don't keep killing people will die.

Do the Limbo! It's The Neverending Story with Rep. Baird as that big soft camel looking thing.

[imusintheevening]

I like that. "If we don't killing people will die." It gets to the core of the Neocon logic.

[researcher]

yea like we are going to pull out and leave all that oil that is like asking a teenager to pull out in the back seat of his car with his girl.

these people live for oil. oil is power and they love power more than sex. power is sex to these people.

check out what warren buffet stated how he feels when he buys out a company at a rock bottom price.

[kentj]

Baird needs to learn from Hillary and carry around his own cheerleaders to shut up those people who dare challenge his loyalty to the Iraq war.

It is good to know that there are still a few people in this country who rejects the Clintonites belief that the surge is working,and the Iraq war is a good thing for politics.

[nunzia]

Oh right. Like W's hand picked, pre-screened, approved in advance audiences.

[kentj]

Common knowledge that what ever Hillary does, Bush also does. Because Hillary Clinton is just like George Bush.

[OneVoiceInACrowd]

These are some really good comments - all spot on.

Why do some congress members change their attitudes regarding the Iraq quagmire? They state the power vacuum created if we leave. Is that a good reason? Was not that power vacuum created when we invaded in the first place? Was there not a plan for the post invasion? Doesn't it seem like this is their plan all along? How do 110,000 AK-47's go missing? Are we arming both sides of this conflict? Could it be that conflict is part of the plan? What kind of pressure is being placed on these Representatives and Senators that are backing off from their get out of Iraq stance? It seems that whatever information comes out of DC these days is hogwash.

May Rep. Baird be the canary in the Iraq Quagmire. The people want out of Iraq, leaving peace behind if possible, but out and out soon. If they cannot find a way to do that we will find people that can!

[BUSHLICKER07]

If only the idiot Lieberman would get the same treatment here in Ct. He seems to be imune from these kind of attacks.

[nunzia]

That last election, when they put LIEberman back into the Senate - to represent them - gave me a whole new opinion of Connecticut denizens. The smart people must have moved to warmer climes.

[FireThorn]

WE DID!!!

[rras]

This is what each one of them need to face when they come home to visit the fools that put them into office.