The Walk Of Shame: Incivility Within The Walls Of Congress

The Washington Dispatch ^ | February 11th, 2003 | Frank Salvato

[Tamzee]

BUMP!!!

[Positive]

So who were these 10?

[amused]

Any names?

[fly_so_free]

I wonder if any one caught this on tape? If so, it would make a great ad for the 2004 election. They could show the tape of the 'rats walking out and continue playing the end of the presidents speech, where he was giving the chilling account of Iraq's missing weapons and the abuse's of the Iraqi people, then they could cut to a bunch of empty chairs. I also think they could use the shot of the dems sitting down when President Bush called for tax reductions in an amusing ad. Campaign slogan: Finish what you started in 2002 America: Vote ALL of the demacrats out of office. Or: Demacrats-they just don't get it.

[CyberAnt]

"brought a sense of incivility to the Congress of the United States"

Yes they have, and this is exactly why they decry the "mean-spiritedness of the Republicans", while actually that statement is describing themselves.

I predict THIS YEAR, the public will finally make their voice heard about these hateful people, and by 2004 the dems will have the most devastating election results ever!!

[hadnuf]

Mr. Salvato

Thank you for this great article.

Do you have the names of those who walked? If so, I'd like to know who they were. I also wonder whether my representatives did this.

Thanks again for the fine report, very well written.

Sincerely,
XXX
Registered Voter


He can be contacted at TheRant@attbi.com.

[OldFriend]

CNN ran the pool camera which explains why they never showed the dem half of the senate sitting on their hands, talking rudely, and obviously ignoring the President's speech. Seems they also managed to hide the fact that these ten louts left the room in protest.

[Free ThinkerNY]

Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who not only saw nothing wrong with her caucus behaving rudely but also encouraged them to “react visibly” to the president’s speech “whenever emotions moved them.”

[BufordP]

I watched the last 15 minutes. At 1:02:30 and 1:03:25 I could see a small group leave but I couldn't make out who they were.

State of the Union (1:05:21), CSPAN (RealPlayer)

[kegler4]

I'm not sure how to break this to you, but this is not exactly the first case of less than civilized behavior in Congress (remember fistfights, canings, swearing, turning your back on the president?). On both sides. And both parties practice win-at-all-costs politics. They're all politicians.

As for missing important details of public policy, Bush's team had already leaked every important point in the speech before he even started talking. All they missed were exact words used.

I don't agree with what they did, but this isn't exactly earth-shattering news.

[BufordP]

Republicans have walked out on Clinton SOU speeches as well. But it may have been due to fatigue rather than lack of civility.

[kegler4]

Yes, they walked out on him and turned their backs. If you're calling for civility no matter what you think of a president, it runs both ways.

[Destructor]

"As the president was talking about the serious problems that face the United States and the world with regards to Iraq, North Korea and the War on Terror, serious matters that no doubt should have commanded everyone’s attention and which prompted Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke to the United Nations Security Council recently, a group of the most liberal members of the legislative branch boorishly & disrespectfully walked out of the annual speech."

This is an example of the three ways that Liberals approach dealing with a problem:

(1)Throw money at the problem

(2)Ignore the problem

(3) Rant and rave about the problem while doing nothing to address the problem, then use the problem as a campaign issue in the next elections

[The Rant]

Here is a link to the Washington Post article that cites the walkout at the end of the piece. I hope it helps:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5442-2003Jan31.html

and then the piece that was it's source as well:
http://theamericanprowler.com/article.asp?art_id=2003_1_29_23_55_7

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Republicans have walked out on Clinton SOU speeches as well

. . . but then, didn't the SCOTUS absent itself from one of them, as well?

[berserker]

Republicans have walked out on Clinton SOU speeches as well

Yeah, but that was to attend a fund raiser.

[Nebr FAL owner]

(remeber fistfights,caning,swearing,turning your back on the president) Oh how I miss the good old days=8^)

[Tench_Coxe]

Type 'The Caning of Charles Sumner' into your search engine.

[BufordP]

No, I'm not calling for civility. I would walk out on Clinton. Heck, I probably wouldn't attend in the first place. That's why I don't much care if Dems walk out on Bush. It DOES run both ways.