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Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen


3.22.2007

 

Protesting Peter

It was an eclectic group of folks who marched down to Congressman Peter Welch's office on Wednesday, half-hoping they would pressure him into opposing the $124 billion military spending bill that the House is about to vote on.

You had old lefty types like state poet Grace Pale, Will Allen, Liz Blum and Liberty Unionites Peter Diamondstone and Boots Wardinski. You had newer lefty folks -- like a couple of UVM students and Liza Earle and Martha Hennessey. And you had a couple of agitator types, like Mike "Snarky Boy" Colby and Dennis "Impeach Bush Now" candidate Morrisseau.

As the afternoon sit-in wore on, the fissions in the group became more evident. They wanted Welch to vote no, but clearly only some saw him as an out-and-out traitor they'd work to defeat if he didn't accede to their wishes. After all, some in the group obviously didn't vote for him last year and won't do so in the future, either, no matter what he does.

They also wrestled with whether it was worth it to get arrested. Would arrests cast a bad light on their demonstration? Did it make sense to get arrested at Welch's office when, at least for the moment, the worst thing they could say about Welch was that he hadn't decided what he was going to do on the bill which, by the way, is mostly opposed by hawkish, Bush-loyalist Republicans.

As it happened, while they were staging their sit-in at Welch's Burlington office, the Congressman's office in Washington was getting scores of e-mails from people urging him too vote yes on the bill. Many of those e-mails were encouraged by MoveOn.org., the potent lefty Internet-driven organization that surely most all of the demonstrators follow closely.

And, irony of ironies, one of the protesters at Welch's office was carrying a yellow "Out of Iraq" sign tha, in small print at the bottom of the poster, displayed MoveOn's logo and identifier information.

-- Sam Hemingway

Comments:
The "spitting on vets" myth was busted long ago. There isn't a single vet that can be found that was spit upon in protest.
 
Tragic part of all this is that the GOP is just sitting back (once a f'ing again) watching the left destroy the left. We will never learn. I'm switching to be an "I" because I've had it with the Dems, particularly the far-left Dems who are as close-minded as the far- right republicans. Great, you're against the war. I'm with you. But, for the love of God, direct all that energy towards the people that actually brought this war upon us. Peter is just one voice in hundreds that Cap Hill. Like little kids, these protesters. "We want immediate gratification or we'll throw a tantrum."
 
So many people in Vermont agree with the last post! That is why the Democrats don't win every single office.
 
The protestors got what they wanted free T.V. coverage and a picture and story in the paper. They accomplished nothing but getting themselves some attention. Where are these folks when there is an election and people need to do the hard work of raising money and educating people. Arm chair quaterbacking from the sidelines as always. What a joke.
 
Does this mean Snarky Boy will stop hiding behind his pen name and sign his name to the trash he spews on the Internet?
 
Snoozy Boy is more like it. Is the Boy even relevant anymore?
 
Anymore? He never was relevant.
 
Snarky just added a post about Welch voting for the war--and he has a point. My problem with Snarky is that it's easy to anonymously rant (myself included, I guess, as I'll post this anon)but why not have some true kahonas, reveal yourself and put yourself out there as an opposition candidate? It has to beat the hell out of being an alcoholic painter.
 
So Snarky's point was what? He got arrested to protest Welch not deciding how to vote on a bill that he had not even seen yet? Then Welch votes to support a timetable to end the war. Like he said he would in the campaign!!! Well done in my book. Martha Rainville would not vote for any timetable to end the war, would not question any Bush Administration members under oath, and would not vote for Nancy Pelosi or the 100 day Agenda. A big difference. Those of us who are not drunk on paint fumes or booze know the difference.
 
Way to go, liberal pansies! Keep up the cat fight while real Americans TRY to fight terrorism and save your yellow asses!
 
Politicians, Politicians!!!
 
All the alcoholic painter could manage today were a couple of cutsie "look how clever I am" faux bumper stickers. Wow!
 
You might be surprised by how many Vermonters read SnarkyBoy and say, "Amen, brother."
 
No, you might be surprised how many Vermonters read it, cringe, laugh, and say they're glad someone else said it so they didn't have too.
 
Democrats in Vermont are always surprised on election day because they aren't listening to what voters are really saying.
 
Snarky Boy is as big a coward as the representatives he rails about so often. Any blogger with balls would at least allow their name to be attached to their rants. Snarky pounced all over odum, yet odum was at least willing to put himself out there for ridicule. Snarky is a coward.
 
Well, many "principled" dimocrats WERE against the war resolution; but so much PORK added for them, well, you know how dims are when they smell PORK!
 
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