Barney Frank goes toe to toe at health care town hall

Originally posted by Nivcharah

I totally agree! Harry Reid doesn't have the balls to do it in NV. He's having a 'tele-town hall'.

Jeanne Shaheen is doing that in New Hampshire. It's a miracle she was elected in the first place. I dont blame her for hiding out.

reply to post by jam321

sorry to misrepresent your post you did say you give him credit not admire but my point remains, I don't think he did it because of his integrity, I think he did it because he felt he could handle the unwashed masses.again my apologies

reply to post by jam321

edit; double post


[edit on 19-8-2009 by genius/idoit]

Originally posted by detachedindividual
reply to post by HunkaHunka

 

Something strikes me about these meetings...

In the UK, if any of our regionally elected officials spoke to their public like that, they'd be chased out of the building and forcibly removed from their position.

Are you saying it is customary to sit back and take verbal abuse at a town hall?

Just look at our recent "expenses scandal". People were hounded into resignation because of their actions, they didn't argue in the street, they didn't insult their public, they certainly tried to ignore us, but not in such a flagrant manner.

It's just insane disrespect.

Anytime anyone shouts at another with pejoratives it is disrespect. It goes both directions.

Over and over I've seen the same thing, your officials insulting people, telling them their point is not relevant, their opinion doesn't count, they are not worthy of a response. The British people simply wouldn't take that.

This is no where near "The American People". This is a small subset of people who are simply attempting to derail the town hall process.

One of them, I forget her name, even blatantly ignored the people and had a conversation on her phone!
This is insane!

Yeah, that was rather funny. I have no idea what the context was on that though.

What the hell is going on in your country when your elected officials can act like this and the people just accept it?

Don't forget... people applauded this. Many of us support this. There are many who don't as well.. but keep in mind that Barney Frank is speaking for those of his constituents who want the healthcare reform. This isn't a people vs the gov thing no matter how much the protesters and fox news try to make it out to be that way.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


your rebuttals are valid.I was mistaken on the points I made,I assure you I will review the material more closely in the future,although I hardly think those are the important points of the meeting.

I thought I had posted in this topic but I guess I didn't.

I don't particularly see the problem with any of this. Both sides acted poorly. However, Barney Frank was elected to be the representative of the people and his actions, as such, were not acceptable. He should act not as those have acted upon him but as how he would like to be treated.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by HunkaHunka
Democrazy is a wonderful thing!

OMG I love that! Democrazy.

That's perfect!

Yep I'm sure I'm not the first to use that phrase...

As for Barney Frank. I saw the exchange. Barney Frank came out looking pretty pathetic.

I dunno.. I think anytime someone calls a Jew a Nazi and he rebukes them that's not exactly pathetic. But I can see how some would see it this way.

Sorry HunkaHunka... but the fact is that illegals are getting tons of free health care now and under Obamacare they'll continue to be leeching off our tax money. Frank failed to state how he'd be able to keep the illegals from getting Obamacare.

Agreed. He didn't make any mention to the control mechanisms. I thought about that as well. And I agree with you on this point. I would like to see actual and effective control methods on denying this access. The only exception I would make would be for children under 14 or pregnant mothers.

Side note - considering that Barney Frank has blood on his hands with his big part in the economic crisis .. I can't say that I'd believe much of anything he's got to say anyways.

My biggest takeaway on this was the fact that we have to remember that Politicians are Americans as well. And they have a right to engage in a heated debate, and I think he met everyone at their relative level.

I can't vouch for the mans honesty though.

Originally posted by jam321
reply to post by HunkaHunka

 

You want to be able to yell at a congressman without him yelling back. That's just unrealistic.

It is realistic. Barney Frank should have taken the high road. He had no reason to ask the lady what planet...blah blah. He should have acted with class and told the lady that he politely had to disagree with her.

As Congressman, Franks need to be held to a higher standard IMO.

Barney Frank is a Jew, and she asked him why he was voting for Nazi policies.

I can see why that steamed him up.

reply to post by HunkaHunka

All of your video below was shown on CNN today. There was no spinning or editing. They showed all of this... and more actually.

This is what I saw several times today:



This was clearly edited to be a puff piece for Frank. Why does a man with such a checkered past, continue to get such a pass? The man works for those people, not the other way around. There were some legitimate questions that he responded to with insults and summary dismissal, because he knows his pals in the MSM are going to spin in his favor.

And Barney was right to say that having a conversation with her would be like having one with the dining room table.

No actually, he doesn't. He works for the people and has no right to insult these people. You cannot just dismiss everyone because there are a couple rowdy people. They have a right to be. Frank and the democrats have controlled congress since 2006! Where are the results?

What's funny is that the local news here actually left out was the comments he was responding to. For example, the lady he called the equivalent of a dining room table had just asked him why he was voting for Nazi policies, but they didn't show that did they?

Though I have to admit, even the reporter said that "it was mostly substance sprinkled with some silliness."

Is this really something new? Where were all of you during the last 8 years? It was quite common for Bush to be compared to Hitler and a fascist for his policies. What has changed? Why do you think the rules for discourse has suddenly changed? Democrats set the bar for how the party out of power acts and now you don't like it. Barney Frank is completely surrounded by the kind of groups that drummed up that sort of dissent.

Was he crass? Only as crass as the lady who was speaking to him. When he was shouted at, he responded in kind.

Hes an elected representative of the people! He is not the royal dictator he and you seem to think he is.



[edit on 19-8-2009 by Wimbly]

Originally posted by Wimbly
reply to post by HunkaHunka

 

Hes an elected representative of the people! He is not the royal dictator he and you seem to think he is.
[edit on 19-8-2009 by Wimbly]

And he represents my voice. Just because he doesn't represent your stance, doesn't mean he isn't appropriately representing mine.

Or are you under the assumption that your stance is the only valid one?

After his glowing reports of how well Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were doing just before they collasped, Frank lost any respect that I might have had for him (which was none to begin with). The man was clueless about the housing bubble and we let him try and fix the mess that he helped create. I don't know who is more the fool, we the public, or him?

reply to post by HunkaHunka


If bawny fwank wepwesents your voice could you please explain why your in favor of a government controlled version of health care?And please don't say the insurance companies have a monopoly on it there are far more than one Ins. co.
edit ;why haven't I been called an anti semite yet?I am saying the same things about Bawney fwank as I say about obama yet in virtually every one of those threads I'm called a racist?

[edit on 19-8-2009 by genius/idoit]

If bawny fwank wepwesents your voice could you please explain why your in favor of a government controlled version of health care?And please don't say the insurance companies have a monopoly on it there are far more than one Ins. co. edit ;why haven't I been called an anti semite yet?I am saying the same things about Bawney fwank as I say about obama yet in virtually every one of those threads I'm called a racist?

this the third time on the third different thread I have asked you to explain your views and you just ignore me.I know why!because there not your views you get paid to shill.

[edit on 19-8-2009 by genius/idoit]

reply to post by HunkaHunka


Where in the bill did he read and what version?

reply to post by Gorman91


good luck getting an answer out of this guy

reply to post by genius/idoit


I beg to question why he says illegals won't be cared for when federal law demands emergency care for anyone regardless.

I for one actually support caring for illegals in exchange for a small fine, forced registration, and semi-mandatory English classes. This more then pays for itself in the illegal's ability to get a job and freely converse and interact at his job by being able to speak English and being registered. He can clime the corporate ladder and get money to spend and fill the economy.

reply to post by Gorman91
sounds reasonable to me.Anythings better than the way it is now (regarding illegals)everythings free no strings attached

In my opinion Barney Frank is one of the political arch villains of the economic mess we are in. His support for Fannie and Freddie as they were over leveraging places him in the bad guy category in my book. He's is joined by his Senate colleague Chris (Friend of Angelo) Dodd there. Lest anyone think that I am partisan when laying blame, I feel I must mention that I also include former Repub Senator Gramm (maybe Graham I get Lindsey and Phil confused) Hank (Mr. Bazooka) Paulson and most importantly Both Democrat and Republican appointed Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan.

Sadly enough this Independant who votes more often Republican than Dem could have gotten behind some type of comprehensive health care reform, even a single payer system but after bailing out the Government sponsored enterprises, banks, insurance compaines, GM, Chrysler, and all the other stupid spending that has gone on over the past 12 months I just can't get behind any multi-trillion new programs. Maybe the Dems will go ahead and pass a bill by themselves and it will bring the necessary and inevitable reset that much quicker.

reply to post by HunkaHunka

I love how rational thought can rebuke disruptive yelling.

It didn't... Barny yelling at the people only made them madder.. if he didn't give half ass non-answers to the questions they probably wouldn't interrupt.. But yelling at them in a condescending way made him come off as a royal prick.. I hate how no politician can seem to answer a question..

Mr. Frank tried to avoid the meetings, then decides to do one for publicity, then tries to act like Mr. Macho and ended up failing worse than if he just let the angry people be angry and yell at him.

reply to post by Gorman91

I beg to question why he says illegals won't be cared for when federal law demands emergency care for anyone regardless.

Because he's a liar.. he thought that's what people wanted to hear, so he said it. In all actually illegals receive free care now, they will receive free care under the new plan as well.

reply to post by jefwane


Well put, and my feelings are the same regarding that creeper.