For those who want to thank Medea of Code Pink for her speaking out

[quinnox]

at Obama's press conference about the drones and the other issues, here is the web page with the email addresses. You can also donate to Code Pink at their site too. I sent an email to them and thanked Code Pink and Medea for giving voice to how many of us liberals and progressives feel about this topic.

http://www.codepink4peace.org/contactus.php

[NCTraveler]

4. Ahhhh. Women behaving badly.

There is also another glaring problem with your subject line. That will be left for another day.

[graham4anything]

5. I wanted and said the same thing about Rep. Wilson at the State of the union. Wilson is a male.

[NCTraveler]

9. You said the same thing about a guy who yelled "you lie" at the state of the union.

Why yes, very equal events. Here is a shovel.

[graham4anything]

11. Rude is rude. Politics is irrelevant when it comes to being polite and being rude.

Kids today think that overshouting someone equates being correct.
Rude is still rude.

It is disrespectful to be rude, no matter the politics or circumstances.

[pmorlan1]

22. LOL

Graham giving lessons on rudeness? Is this a parallel universe? LOL You slay me Graham. How many shouting matches have you engaged in online? LOL I know of quite a few on the old Common Ground Common Sense blog because I was moderating. You are too funny. I'm so glad that you joined us here on DU because you make me laugh more than anyone else.

I hope all is well with you and your family. Send me a pm sometime and let me know how you are doing.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

26. Thanks.

[Buzz Clik]

94. What the FUCK is this supposed to mean?

I hope all is well with you and your family. Send me a pm sometime and let me know how you are doing.

Are actually issuing an implicit threat to his family?

[MattBaggins]

106. sometimes a cigar is just a cigar?

[Buzz Clik]

111. Easy, fella.

We don't want to blow our cover, do we?

[pmorlan1]

188. Yup

You got it. lol

[sabrina 1]

107. Nice try, but we are not that easily manipulated. n/t

[Buzz Clik]

112. This isn't what it seems.

[sabrina 1]

114. It is what is seems. Lol!

[Buzz Clik]

115. ;) ok.

My point is that my comment is completely unrelated to anything dealing with the OP or g4a's original response.

If you stand behind the post I'm criticizing, then you and I definitely are in disagreement about such things.

I'm dropping it right here. I have no quarrel with you.

[Marr]

160. Oh, brother.

[Buzz Clik]

164. Really?

You can't see what's happening here?

[Marr]

165. Help me out, Columbo-- is it a drug deal or something?

[ucrdem]

166. It's a thread supporting a Ron Paul partisan.

Now you know, too.

[Marr]

168. WOW. Climbing onto that boat, huh?

You know, there's a sweet new ship called the Titanic you might want to get on, too. I hear it's unsinkable.

Just so you know, I'm not some kind of Medea Benjamin fan. Hardly recognize the name. But that slimy attempt to make her out as a Rand Paul supporter was enough to put even a casual observer off.

[ucrdem]

169. Right, Rand. The run who's running for president in 2016.

But not as a Democrat:



That one.

[Marr]

170. Let's see...

So-- correct me if I'm wrong here, of course, but-- you seem to be saying that, if you agree with a sentiment expressed by a politician, then you are a supporter of that politician and on their side in all things.

Is that right?

[ucrdem]

171. I don't support Ron or Rand Paul, or their partisans, no. n/t

[Marr]

173. You're not willing to go so far as the statement I made, apparently.

Probably because you realize it would be quite easy to find a pile of quotes from Obama or a collection of other establishment Democrats agreeing with all sorts of loony right-wingers on specific points.

What was done yesterday in that thread about Benjamin-- trying to make her out to be a Rand Paul supporter-- was low and slimy. Your attempt to pick up the ball and run with it is equally low and slimy. A decent person wouldn't do that, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself.

[sabrina 1]

207. So by your logic, Alan Grayson is a 'Paul Partisan'?? And Dennis Kucinich? Among other

Democrats who have worked together with both Pauls when they agreed on particular issues?

Is Obama a Republican Partisan then? He has stated over and over again that there are some issues on which he agrees with Republicans?

Wow, what weird logic. Medea Benjamin voted for Obama, he is very familiar with her and has always respected her. Strange that you know so little about these things. Did you oppose Bush or support him on the issues Benjamin is talking about? Were you a 'Bush Partisan' on Iraq, Afghanistan, Torture, Illegal extra-judicial assassinations?

I really am curious where you are coming from. NO ONE on the Left supported Bush on those issues and no one one on the Left, including Medea Benjamin has changed their minds since Bush left office. In fact we worked HARD to get Democrats elected so that we could END Bush policies.

So where do you stand, where did you stand, on Bush policies?

Good citizens do not worry who might be opposed correctly to a particular policy. If that person is right about a policy, you surely don't change your entire moral stand because someone you don't like agrees with you on one issue? Is THAT what you are saying?

Your little photo is a complete fail to DUers who are very familiar with the courageous Medea Benjamin. You'll have to try something else.

[Buzz Clik]

167. meh

take off.

[pmorlan1]

187. LOL

No. lol I know him and asked him about his family.

[Buzz Clik]

195. How kind.

[premium]

235. Seems you're reading far more into the comment

than is really there.

[Buzz Clik]

238. Did you write that comment?

You are in no position to know one way or another. The author of the that post has replied. Your comment is just deepening the pile of steaming bullshit. Thanks for your contribution.

[premium]

240. He already explained it downthread,

so it would seem I'm right. No insult or rancor intended on my part.

[hrmjustin]

125. What is the point of your thread?

[pmorlan1]

199. ?

What do you mean?

[hrmjustin]

200. Your post is completely rude!

[pmorlan1]

233. ?

How so? Can you elaborate?

[hrmjustin]

234. Your post seemed very rude to Graham.

I think your post speaks for itself. You say your friends with him but your post did not seem friendly to me.

[pmorlan1]

191. Not to Worry

For those of you who think I'm sending some kind of veiled threat to Graham rest easy. lol I know Graham from a website we used to post on. I was a moderator and we talked many times. Since he's been at DU I occasionally see his posts and he and I have shared private messages about the people who used to be on the old website. Graham and I rarely agree on anything but that doesn't prevent us from being friendly with each other. Just because we don't agree with each other doesn't mean we can't talk civilly. He is a good person and has a passion for his POV. While I may not agree with him I know that he is sincere and he will tease me about my views just like I tease him.

[PatrynXX]

49. well to continue to do this is getting into the insane part

rolling eyes. yes do this to Bush or conservatives who are anti women but unless they want a Republican president I'm not sure where this is going.

[Voice for Peace]

162. I agree, I never like rudeness but this event surprised me

I've never been a fan of code pink tactics, and usually don't
see them as productive.

But this time, there was something amazing that happened,
I thought. The President let her speak. And when he stopped
resisting her "rudeness" and let her speak, it was powerful.
Maybe a first in history.

The President of the United States pausing respectfully
to let a citizen be heard. I think he even surprised
himself by how right it was to let her speak.

A little bit of listening goes a really long way.

[sabrina 1]

232. The President knows her, he is familiar with and used to respect her views and her courage.

Maybe he is in a position where he cannot get done the things he said he wanted done when he was campaigning, like closing Guantanamo and maybe he needs for those preventing him from doing so to see a groundswell of support for him, to see the people rise up and speak out in order to show those who may be pressuring him, that the American people are getting angry about these issues.

Iow, maybe he let her speak because he knows her and he knew what she would say and he wanted her to be heard. This way he can point to the people, well he could if we all joined Medea Benjamin and millions went into the streets demanding what she is demanding. But sadly since Bush left office we have 'democrats' who want all of us to be silent now because we have a Democratic administration. That could not be a worse strategy.

I would not be surprised if the President was glad she was there. He certainly knows her, he knows she worked to help get him elected and as he said 'this woman is worth listening to'.

[hfojvt]

124. it wasn't a state of the union

it was a Presidential speech to Congress.

[Buzz Clik]

68. Was your title the only text you submitted? If so, I'm about to have a post hidden, too.

I'm not changing it.

+1, bud.

[Buzz Clik]

86. They actually found a jury that felt that a call for manners is a violation of DU rules? Bullshit.

When a difference in opinion is "alerted", that's really poor form, but shit happens. When a jury agrees that a simple disagreement without inflammatory, degrading or abusive language is worth hiding, the system fucking broken.

graham4anything needs to alert that jury decision, and somebody needs to figure out WTF happened.

[reusrename]

95. +1 nt

[KittyWampus]

97. This is a popularity contest apparently.

[alp227]

143. "Emily Post book of manners"? Was that really necessary?

Sorry, we shouldn't be tolerating that kind of sexist stereotyping on DU. That's Fox News/right wing talk radio type of rhetoric.

[MADem]

247. This just shows how uninformed so many DUers are.

Tell me, does ANYONE know of a book that deals with etiquette OTHER than Emily Post's work? Please, name that work if anyone does know it.

Would it be better if the reference had been "Fred Kadiddlehopper's Book of Manners?"

Do people not realize that Emily Post's work is a reference for BOTH SEXES?

Emily Post "wrote the book" on manners.

I really find it bizarre in the extreme that someone, anyone, would find something wrong with this work--just because it's written by a woman.

Talk about sexism!! It's as though the alerter/jurors felt the book had no value because it was written by a woman...! Either that, or they don't understand --because they've NEVER READ THE BOOK--that the target audience of that book is ANYONE, male OR female, who wants to behave like a well-raised human being (as opposed to a clod and a boor) when associating with others. The book has absolutely NOTHING to do with gender. The attempt to associate the book with sexism is just absurd.

Read, learn--etiquette is for MEN AND WOMEN: http://www.emilypost.com/etipedia

[premium]

236. Skinner seems to disagree with you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12591874

[Buzz Clik]

237. How about that. Well, Mr. Skinner -- my comment stands. I simply kicked it upstairs.

And whoever alerted that post has an agenda that has nothing to do with sexism.

[premium]

241. Possibly.

It may be someone who doesn't like G4A and will alert on anything he posts. I don't know, all I can tell you is that I didn't alert on it.

[MADem]

246. I have to agree with you--there was nothing wrong with his post, but

there was something wrong with the person who alerted on it, and the people who voted to hide it were either conned on willfully piling on.

I do think the admins need to get involved. That was plainly a vengeful alert; disruptive and uncivil in the extreme.

[arely staircase]

117. she really made obama look classy, so good for her

white house couldn't have staged a better "look presidential" opp. if they had tried.

[leftstreet]

6. So very 'unladylike'

[Hell Hath No Fury]

14. What these gals did was scandalous and unladylike, as well -

and god bless'm for it -

[AnotherMcIntosh]

25. Amazing courage.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

32. Reading the signs --

yikes, pretty bold! That first one is calling Wilson "Hitler" before there was Hitler!

[AnotherMcIntosh]

13. You say, "This liberal would like to ..." Excuse me, but in what way are you a liberal?

In this particular string, you don't oppose having the head of state target the killing of civilians. There are those who might consider that to be a war crime regardless of whether the office holder has a (R) or (D) after their name.

In other strings have you ever opposed anything that Obama has ever done? Even once?

Since you seem to regularly praise all things Obama, and regularly criticize those who deviate even slightly from the-Obama-is the-greatest mantra, do you consider Obama to be a liberal?

[GoneFishin]

17. Everybody is entitled to their opinion.

I tend to discount opinions a bit though if they are pat and formulaic such as "I like everything green" or "I like whatever Ralph likes". It suggests a lack of objective evaluation of all of the facts, and inability to deal with nuance.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

24. In my opinion, if someone is a proud Obama-can-do-no-wrong supporter, they should act

consistent with that pride and not shy away or cloak themselves with another label.

Obama is clearly not a liberal. He came into office with a very thin resume, one that was so thin that voters had no idea as to whether he was a liberal or not. Now that he is in office, with a big-D after his name, he has consistently shown that he is not a liberal.

The Obama-can-do-no-wrong supporters are clearly not liberals, nor liberal wannabes.

When the police bash the heads, pepper-spray, and taze Occupy Wall Street protestors who are publicly making their opposition known to the unjust economic disparity in this country, Obama has never said "Let them speak."

A liberal would do that. A liberal president would do that.

[sabrina 1]

113. Excellent post, thank you. The treatment of legal, constitutionally protected protesters of

Wall St. Corruption was reprehensible and will not be forgotten for a very long time. As you said, a Liberal President would have spoken out against it, as did even the UN Rappateur. But there was silence from the WH when even Iraq Veterans were being brutalized for exercising their 1st Amendment rights. For anyone who thinks that was not noted, they could not be more wrong.

[DhhD]

172. The Nation Calls for correction.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/a-centennial-history/the_nation_calls_1908-1923

[DhhD]

175. Who is directing the FBI to ignore the right of the people to peacefully address grievances? And

go to the other extreme, to terrorize the peaceful citizenry?

What will result?

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/a-centennial-history/the_nation_calls_1924-1938

[NorthCarolina]

155. ^^This^^ !! nt

[idwiyo]

156. +1

[GoneFishin]

158. Not a peep from POTUS during Scott Walker's attack on Unions

in Wisconsin either.

I voted for Obama because I liked his message. But his actions don't match his words, which is what I find particularly disturbing. If someone makes a commitment but is unable to fulfill it after trying wholeheartedly, then fine, they tried their best. But instead I see what I perceive to be feigned impotence, not once, but many times.

Remember that Dennis Kucinich was not going to vote for the Health Care Reform bill because it lacked a public option. One ride on Air force One later, and Dennis Votes yes. No concessions, no provisions, no nothing to actually create any real fair market competition to put a lid on the price gouging. So the corporatists get a basket full of concessions without even asking, while progressives get their asses kicked and are called "fucking retards" by his chief of staff.

[Marr]

161. Yep. These are people who constantly use the phrase "the Left" to mean

'extremists who should be disregarded'.

How can anyone like that ever claim to be a "liberal"?

[still_one]

29. The president addressed her complaint. She made her point, he made hers, but I see

see nothing to thank her for

[La Lioness Priyanka]

41. lol

so ridic.

[Rex]

47. .

Kewl story bro!

[tokenlib]

2. Careful..a lot of DU seems to want Medea with a gag in her mouth right now...

..actually the President should send a thank-you note too. She helped him make his point and to make him look better than he otherwise would have.

Actually get out the popcorn..as part of DU has the torches and pitchforks out for Medea and Code Pink right now...

[codemoguy]

7. it is sort of amazing how behavior that was brave dissent under Bush

is rude and terrible under Obama...even when saying essentially the same thing...
sorts like Cindy Sheehan became persona non grata, even though her message stayed the same...

[still_one]

33. Actually making the point once or twice is one thing, but constantly interrupting is rude

Last edited Sat May 25, 2013, 08:16 AM - Edit history (1)

Other folks also want to hear the president

[PatSeg]

43. I agree with you

The rudeness of Code Pink tends to make me very uncomfortable and I felt the same way when they did it during the Bush years.

I appreciate what she was saying, but to keep yelling without letting him respond was very rude and I wanted to hear what the President had to say.

[sybylla]

64. Exactly. I had no clue who she was. I just wanted her to shut up so I could hear the Prez.

I kept thinking, can't someone haul her ass out of there?

I support what Code Pink has done in the past. I would have been fine with her calling the Prez out once. I don't support Medea's ridiculously unending outburst yesterday. All it did was make the whole movement look pathological rather than logical. Definitely not a Martin Luther King moment.

And this is coming someone who proudly supports uppity women.

"Well-behaved women never make history." - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

[PatSeg]

73. I'll bet the President was thinking pretty much the

same thing. His restraint was admirable and the way he referenced the outburst in his speech was masterful. I also could have handled ONE outburst, but to go on and on, only detracts from the message and makes the protester look ridiculous. Such behavior ends up making it about the messenger, not the message.

[sabrina 1]

116. Really? How could someone who has been a Democrat for any length of time not know who Medea

Benjamin is? I can assure you that Obama knows who she is and in fact, at one time showed great respect for her. To lose her respect, if indeed he has, must have been upsetting to him.

She is one of the few women in this country who could truly be called a hero. Put it this way, if there is one woman in the country the Bush War Criminals fear, it is Medea. Karl Rove has been known to cancel public events rather than meet her in public.

I guess it all depends on your principles. Hers have never changed, nor have mine. So I see nothing about her now that has changed in any way, when Democrats viewed her as a truly courageous woman, from the Bush years. She is still saying the same things she said back then. She was on the right side of history then as she is now. Nothing about the issues she was lauded for speaking out against publicly when others were too cowardly to do so during the Bush years, have changed, not a single thing.

I am amazed that you do not know who she is.

[bread_and_roses]

151. Faced with the slaughter of innocents people are mewling about "rudeness?"

Talk about priorities.

[Capn Sunshine]

190. yes, if only she weren't a Paultard

she would be an exquisite clarion for all that is right with the world. In Black and white.

[sabrina 1]

198. I see you don't know much about her either. Someone who supported this president, she certainly has

the right to stick to HER principles, which at that time she thought she was voting for. I guess a few on the 'left' have suddenly turned against the 1st Amendment now. It's been instructive to see who actually was opposed to Bush's vile policies based on principle, and who was merely opposed based on partisanship.

[Number23]

215. Nailed it as usual, Capn. Perfect, succint and brutally honest.

[sabrina 1]

231. If only you knew what you are talking about you would not be in the minority

wrt to courageous women like her whose stand on principles never wavered simply because the president she voted for changed his positions on those same principles.

There is less and less interest in partisanship at the cost of principles all over the world today. Political parties cannot lead people away from the principles they claimed to stand for. I know it must be frustrating for the few who are willing to throw away all principles in favor of party politics.

Times are changing, decent human beings all over the world are letting it be known that they will not change their minds on principles simply because those they elected fail to stand up for theirs. Times have changed drastically in that regard over the past decade and that is a good thing for this country.

Our party has strayed from its principles and we intend to correct that by supporting from now on, only those who have a clear record of standing up for the principles this Party is supposed to stand for.

[sybylla]

223. Oh, I know plenty about her.

I've even sent money to Code Pink in the past. Not any more.

All I knew in the middle of the press conference is that some crazy lady in the back of the room wouldn't shut up. Her words didn't come through the mic clear enough for me to suspect it was anyone else.


But thanks for questioning my liberalness. It's always nice to see the black and white crowd show up to remind us that there are plenty of people on both sides who like to ignore the gray.


It's an especially nice reminder that people love to attack the messenger when they have nothing to say about the message.

[sabrina 1]

224. I don't get it. You supported Code Pink and 'even gave them money' when Bush was in office, I

Code Pink has not changed one iota on the principles you say you supported back then. So have you changed your mind about the principles? It seems to me that when someone you supported remains true to their principles, you would continue to support them. But then, I'm only speaking for myself. I supported, as you say you did and still do because nothing they are saying now is any different than what they always said.

[alstephenson]

85. "uncomfortable"???

Probably not as uncomfortable as those being force fed at Gitmo.

[PatSeg]

87. It wasn't the message,

it was the way it was delivered. When people behave like that, others tend to hear HOW they are speaking, instead of WHAT they are saying. Gitmo is an important issue and I don't think she served those prisoners well by turning their suffering into some sideshow.

[dreamnightwind]

118. Strongly disagree

She served the prisoners very well. Would that more of us had her courage and determination.

[MADem]

46. Huh? Her crew made sure that the Plame testimony was NOT heard or seen by anyone.

Pink clad bozos waving poorly written signs were so distracting that no news network found the testimony of Ms. Plame about how the government damn near got her killed sufficiently compelling.

Code Pink DERAILED the Plame issue, all by themselves. Even if it wasn't their intent, they were a Godsend to Bush, Cheney and Rove.

Giving the party in power a reason to point, laugh, mock and dismiss is not "brave dissent." It's ineffectual protest. "Look at those kooks, obviously they have nothing important to say," is the message that most people received from them during the Bush administration.

Comparing the suffragettes, with their clearly articulated POVs, well written signs, serious and unyielding numbers, and intelligent and determined approach to protesting with people wearing pink lingerie and feather boas with poorly crafted signs just doesn't cut it with me. If the suffragettes are a ten, CP is a two on a good day.

[Luminous Animal]

54. Lingerie? What the fuck are you talking about?

[MADem]

77. Why "the fuck" do you have to be so aggressive and combative? Does it make you feel cool/superior?

Is civility out of the question when it comes to you? You can't speak like a human? You have to be all "up in my face" like it makes you tough and assertive?

I think you come off like a child when you behave that way. This is what "the fuck" I am talking about--I have only collected --right off the internet-- and am only posting this because YOU (quite aggressively) asked for it, and some image content may be disturbing to some people , so fair "fucking" warning:


















The color pink, lingerie, feather boas, stupid costumes and nudity or near-nudity are the attention-seeking tactics that Code Pink uses. They're getting to be a stale, singular note. For someone who purports to know so much about them, I can't understand your cluelessness about this particular aspect of their protesting techniques.

[PatSeg]

88. Thanks

You summed up very well what I've been trying to say. They turn important issues into some kind of circus sideshow. They get attention, but their message becomes trivialized in the process. Do they really want to make a difference or do they just want attention?

[MADem]

90. You are most welcome.

I don't object to anyone calling attention to important issues, but that kind of technique doesn't resonate with me. I think that kind of stuff appeals more to very young people who are still working on separating from the influence of their parents, and the immature.

They are, of course, free to do what they'd like, and we're free to state our opinions as to how their techniques are perceived (though some Code Pink acolyte did actually alert on a post I made because they didn't care for my opinion... "Waaah, they should have freedom of speech .... and you need to SHADDUP!!!!!!&quot Go figure!

[PatSeg]

92. Why is that not surprising???

[Pelican]

110. I'll just leave this here...

My all time favorite Daily Show clip... starring Code Pink

Can't find it on Youtube to embed...

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-march-10-2008/marines-in-berkeley

[MADem]

138. Hilarious--free speech! Crime!

Not their finest hour, I'd say. They co do with more articulate spokespersons...

[PatSeg]

142. Oh yeah, they sure are effective!

Thanks, that says it all.

[arely staircase]

120. narcissism does not equal activism.

nt

[PatSeg]

139. Well said

[Marr]

163. ", he said, dunking another cookie into his milk.

"Those stupid Code Pink types just don't know how to be activists and-- ha! A funny cat video!"

[Tarheel_Dem]

201. I notice you didn't get a response from the questioner? Not at all surprised.

She was ready to accuse you of slander, but thanks for posting those disgusting pics. "Sideshow" doesn't begin to describe those disturbing images.

[MADem]

219. Those weren't the most "dramatic" pictures I found.

And I didn't spend a lot of time looking for them either--some would have inflamed the sensibilities of a certain subset of DUers here (particularly with regard to language and nudity) so I skipped over those--I did find one that I posted where someone had put dots over the fiddly bits, but there are others that are much more revealing and...bawdy, I guess, is as good a word as any.

I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for a response...the pics I posted were just the tip of what looks like a bigass iceberg...! What floored me was the ostensible unawareness that the nudity and underwear and feather boas and theater/camp were "unknowns" to the complainer--when, to me, they're what that organization is all about, to the point where their message is very much obscured.

[bobduca]

98. IT WUZ A CONSPIRACY TO SILENCE PLAME!!1

get your paranoid delusions here...

[MADem]

108. No, it was simply a stupid sideshow--not a conspiracy.

Keep your paranoid delusions to yourself, right next to your growing immaturity

[bobduca]

109. You might use better wording ?

last time I checked, if someone "made sure" of something, then that means they did it, intentionally.

You are clearly making false claims about Code Pinks motives, re: making sure that Plame testimony was not heard.

[MADem]

141. No, I'm not making 'false claims' at all.

But I won't alert on you for misrepresenting either my words or my intent.

If you walked into a restaurant and farted a malodorous blue streak, causing customers to scatter and persons waiting in line to decide to go to another venue, that doesn't necessarily mean that you farted "intentionally," with a "motive" of causing the restaurant to lose business. At the end of the day, though, the effect would be the same.

The childish antics of CP during Valerie Plame's important testimony diminished the impact of Plame's words and made the video unwatchable.

Do 'make sure' you parse out the difference, here. It's just the English language...

[bobduca]

174. wow

you almost make me want to donate, just for the ability to ignore.

"have fun" this weekend.

[MADem]

193. I have fun every weekend. And ANYONE can use the IGNORE function--so go for it, do!

You don't have to donate to hit that button. PLEASE, avail yourself of it--we wouldn't want you to be discommoded in the slightest.

[Dash87]

242. The media didn't care about the Plame affair.

They were too busy licking Bush's boots. There was nothing to ruin because the coverage wasn't there.

[MADem]

243. They were coming around when she started testifying, to the point they started to

cover it on the networks. When the sideshow started, they cut away. It was just too distracting.

That was a day for ONE message--Plame's. Not people in lingerie and clown make-up waving crudely fashioned signs.

[Dash87]

244. They could have stayed on the subject and be real journalists.

A real journalist wouldn't let someone else derail their story. Code Pink's actions wouldn't even budge real journalists.

Our media on the other hand is a joke, and they didn't cover the Plame scandal because it would have been too politically brave to do so. 'Best not insult master Cheney, so let's walk on egg shells and give half-assed coverage for stories that might insult him' was their motto.

Code Pink was made out to be villainous because they went against the hawkish group think if the time. Some of their methods were bizarre or ineffective, but they just couldn't win since everybody was already out to get them.

[MADem]

245. I was anxious to hear her testimony, and even I found them to be an horrific distraction.

They turned what was a discussion about treasonous conduct within government that nearly got a covert agent killed into a mockery, a sideshow, a joke.

They hijack important moments, and turn them into foolishness. ALL of their methods are bizarre and ineffective, from the lingerie to the nudity to the feather boas and clown make-up.

They are not the true friends or helpers of the left because they behave like self-aggrandizing nitwits--no wonder Rand Paul loves 'em, they're just like him.

[quinnox]

8. Yes. I agree, he handled it gracefully and she made him look good

and he treated her respectfully. The president gained a lot from this incident.

[Whisp]

99. The man always looks good.

and I don't have torch nor fork for Medea. This is what she does, it's her thing. The President can handle himself well enough, he doesn't need people beating up on Medea.

[Pirate Smile]

132. Perfect points!

[Shrike47]

3. Rush says it was a pre-arranged set up by the President.

The Evil Hand is everywhere!

[pmorlan1]

16. Limbaugh partly right

I agree it was staged by the administration but not for the reasons the Limbaughs of the world say. They say they let her speak because it was what the president wanted to say but couldn't. I say his people knew she was there and that she would speak. They decided rather than eject her immediately (making him look bad) that they would have him play it in a way to make him look good. These people are professionals. They are paid to make sure the president looks good.

[Laughing Mirror]

62. She told the goons that surrouonded her not to touch her

That if they touched her she would start screaming and would really make a scene. They obviously did not want that. That's why she kept speaking.

[pmorlan1]

192. I have no doubt

I have no doubt that she did just that. My comments concern the President. I think they had a game plan to spin her comments to the administration's benefit and you can see quite a few comments here that show they were successful.

[kelliekat44]

10. And I want to thank our President for allowing her time and being respectful of her opinions.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

12. Thank you, Medea --

for engaging in non-violent civil disobedience on our behalf -

[G_j]

59. thank you!

great photos!

[Jack Rabbit]

185. +1

Thanks, friend.

[pmorlan1]

15. Congrats to Medea/Shame on using her

I applaud Medea and Code Pink for their work. Without them and others like them who are applying pressure to this administration I doubt the President would have bothered making this speech. Having said that, I think the WH knew she was there (she's clearly recognizable to them) and they decided to use her for their own ends. They knew she would speak out and rather than immediately remove her they planned to use her first. Yes, I think the President's reaction to her was staged. I don't think she was in on it but the politicos in the WH saw an opportunity to use her to benefit the Prez and they did.

[GoneFishin]

18. Too bad Harry Reid doesn't have half the

balls she has.

[pmorlan1]

20. Really

You got that right.

[mnhtnbb]

21. +1

[LWolf]

19. Thanks.

I will do so.

SOMEBODY has to have some integrity on the issues, and I'm glad she, and Code Pink, do.

[SidDithers]

23. For those who want to criticize Medea of Code Pink for her support of Rand Paul...

you can use the same contact info.



Sid

[Hell Hath No Fury]

28. So she supported someone who -

also supported something she/Code Pink supported. It's called making common cause.

[MADem]

48. Oh please. Rand Paul is an asshole, and if you think otherwise, you have curious priorities.

I won't alert on you for holding a POV different from mine, though.

[bunnies]

30. A Rand Paul heart?!

Seriously?!

[dionysus]

55. boom goes the dynamite...

[Tarheel_Dem]

213. And there it is!

[iandhr]

27. Wow

You guys actually like code pink.

You think shouting a disrupting a presidential press conference will change anyones mind?


Its only works with people who already agree with her and its likely to turn off people. I would prefer reasoned argument and debate then stunts like this.


She refused to listen to the Presidents more than classy response.

[Whisp]

35. and where will this 'reasoned argument' take place? In the media?

If Obama isn't ticked about her interruption and handled it like the classy guy he is, I am not going to look at running down an activist, that activated.

[PatSeg]

50. I agree with what she said for the most part

but I found her behavior rude and disruptive.

I'm not a huge fan of Code Pink. I think they make women look like out-of-control caricatures and their antics tend to trivialize very important issues.

[iandhr]

57. Exactly

It probably hurts their cause

[PatSeg]

71. I think it does

The issues are very serious and should be treated as such.

[bluestate10]

123. The far Lefts strategy for change is going out and shouting or chaining themselves to

fences, or laying in front of trucks. Of course, getting arrested is their badge of honor. And their tactics accomplish literally, fucking nothing. FDR wasn't a liberal, he was a pragmatist who saw the benefit of new policy. LBJ was a conservative democrat who saw the benefit of changing how America dealt with the poor and striving.

I don't want the far Left to STFU because their viewpoints are important and are WHERE we should be. What I do want the far Left to do is get a fucking clue and recognize that change doesn't happen overnight and that there will be setbacks because we are fighting against extreme reactionaries on the right. Patience, pragmatism and determination always win in the end.

Medea is no hero. She is just one more person that has a ossified viewpoint and is largely unwilling to listen. She is little different from a numbskull teabagger walking a street with signs that are replete with many mis-spelled words.

[NorthCarolina]

157. I think it is safe for your to drop the "far" when mentioning the Left now.

The cat is long out of the bag.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

180. You say, "FDR wasn't a liberal." That's all I need to read to understand your position.

And you obviously overlook the courage of those who put themselves in harms way in order to speak truth to power when you criticize the left by saying,

"The far Lefts strategy for change is going out and shouting or chaining themselves to fences, or laying in front of trucks."

It takes courage for principled people to put themselves in harms way. You refer to "hero." Don't worry about Obama. He will never put himself in harms way.

[Whisp]

31. Just have to say that

I like the President and I like Medea. They both have important things to say and deserve to be listened to.

I don't feel like it's an either/or.

[rdharma]

34. The RW nut jobs are already claiming the Medea Benjamin protest thing "was a set up".......

.... to make President Obama look calm, cool, and rational under pressure!

[ellennelle]

36. she was NOT listening

which is just rude. and it was his forum, not hers. i thought his reaction to her was beyond gracious, and his ability to actually use her outburst to further make her and his point - while acknowledging her right to do so, and in fact honoring her passion on the subject - utterly remarkable.

as he showed, though she did not listen to him, he listened to her. and what she missed, sad to say sad for her, was obama speaking - at the very least between the lines, but also overtly - his position as coinciding with hers! this is what happens when one lingers too long on the fringe; you can no longer hear the other end of the argument.

don't get me wrong; we need fringes, the more far out there in many respects the better. the further out the 'tails' the broader the 'normal' range. moreover, in principle at least, i agree with almost everything she was trying to say.

but what she missed was a dose of measured wisdom in addressing all the passions that obama shares with her. he is in the hotseat here, and he fully recognizes that you cannot bring about change by cleaving it full force. this brings about too much chaos and angst, too much hatred. change takes hold and endures best when it is applied with great care and respect for the strengths and weaknesses of what is being changed both from and to. understanding those subtle shapes and undulations in the process takes incredible skill; i'm amazed at this man's ability to do this so deftly. you have to try and carve at the joints, where there is greatest give, and where the integrity of the beast is kept in place, and its utility most likely.

so sorry for the bloody metaphor. switching to the aircraft carrier trope, you just can't reverse direction all of a sudden; best way to sink.

i disagree with obama on numbers of issues, but i have the utmost respect for his wisdom and integrity. these are the reasons i voted for him, not so much the policy issues (though those were important; i could not have voted for him had he shown policy positions like mitt's, of course).

but to watch how he has navigated through this unbelievable nightmare that bush left for him, that the republicans perpetuate with a vengeance, it's like watching barishnikov dance, i tell ya.

he's geting there; steady as you go. he's not forgotten his principles, or ours, or our country's; but he is carefully picking his battles and keeping a keen eye for timing.

obama scored hugely yesterday; code pink sadly fell face down in the mud. again.

[sybylla]

65. +1000

Well said. And I absolutely agree with your Barishnikov analogy. I don't always agree, but I am fully aware of the path he must "dance".

[bluestate10]

127. First, welcome to DU.

I have watched President Obama since being defeated by him during the democratic primary of 2008. I was a Hillary supporter. Obama's cool, patient demeanor was offsetting. Forward to today. I have watched this President graciously absorb insults from the Left and Right. I have seen him do the majority of what he promised to do, the handful of items that he hasn't accomplished are actively being worked. He will close Gitmo, or make it possible for the person that assumes office after him to close Gitmo. We will get meaningful immigration reform that addresses all the hot button issues that made such reform impossible to accomplish during the past.

I have watched a great President and a person of conviction, steadfast in his approach, patiently wearing him opponents on the Left and Right down to a nub. I have watched a leader. Hillary will be great if she choses to be our next President, but President Obama was and is the right choice to deal with the issues that the nation faced in 2008 and onward.

[Pirate Smile]

134. What a great post. Thank you.

[Number23]

137. Wow!

I have watched a great President and a person of conviction, steadfast in his approach, patiently wearing him opponents on the Left and Right down to a nub.

[Life Long Dem]

37. No thanks

Try freeperville, they would most likely agree with her rudeness.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

38. In a democracy, it is the responsibility of the people to hold public servants accountable.

Bravo for Medea Benjamin and Code Pink for doing just that.

[Zoeisright]

39. No thanks.

They don't target repukes enough. Those assholes come first.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

61. "They don't target repukes enough."

Uh. Were you asleep during the Bush years??

This is probably one of the most iconic images from his term:



Brought to you by Code Pink. They were EVERYWHERE then -- and supported by the vast majority of DUers.

[ProSense]

40. If you

"For those who want to thank Medea of Code Pink for her speaking out"

...valued the President's speech, please kick this thread.

UN Lawyer Leading Drone Inquiry Calls Obama Speech 'Significant' and 'Historic'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022895080

[quinnox]

45. sure, I was glad to see Obama moving towards

a more left-ish approach regarding the drones.

[Hekate]

42. Not so much in this instance

I wonder if she actually heard anything he said, as opposed to the thunder in her own head.

His response was classy. Her aim was a bit off, with some collateral damage to her credibility with people like me.

[bluestate10]

129. President Obama made her case better than Medea did.

I don't question that Medea loves this country and wants to see it's leaders making the right choices about how they represent us to the world. But President Obama was trying to calmly make the same points that Medea was wildly shouting.

[brooklynite]

44. Freedom of speech is a great thing...

...too bad the President apparently isn't entitled to it.

[Wait Wut]

52. +1

Best response.

I'm sick and tired of yelling. The President was able to get his point across with patience and a lot more tolerance than I have. This practice of screaming over a speaker has been made popular by the teapers. Yell, scream, tantrum and then when the speaker gives up trying to voice his/her opinion, claim they weren't listening. Pres. Obama called her bluff.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

178. Cool theory. Fatally flawed, but cool theory

Do some checking, and I'm confident that you'll find free speech can only, by definition, be abrogated by the government. So unless Benjamin became Interior Secretary or dog catcher while I wasn't looking, she's not in a position to trample on anyone's freedom of speech.

[brooklynite]

203. No talking about free speech as a constitutional right

I'm talking about the right to express an opinion without being interrupted. Benjamin could have stated her opinion before or after the President spoke, or at the same time outside. She decided instead that her opinion was more important than someone else's.

[DeSwiss]

51. Hurrah For Free Speech!!!

- The one freedom we haven't just given to the bastards. Yet.....

K&R

[PDittie]

53. I am thankful for people like Medea

There's no amount of vitriol that deters them.

[bvar22]

56. Kudos to Code Pink!

DuRec!

...and thanks for the link.
Not many are speaking for me these days,
but Code Pink does!

[Laughing Mirror]

58. Brava Medea! You are what democracy looks and should sound like

Here she is this morning on Democracy Now explaining why she interrupted Obama's speech. She wouldn't tell us, however, how she was able to get into the National Defense University, which is right across the street from me at Ft. McNair.

http://www.democracynow.org/2013/5/24/that_woman_is_worth_paying_attention

[chillfactor]

60. sorry..Medea's "speaking out" was rude, distasteful, and plain disgusting....

I have donated money to Code Pink...I will not do it again.

[onethatcares]

84. how was it

"rude, distasteful and plain disgusting"?

do you think she should have filled out a 3 x 5 index card and submitted it prior?

How does one question government? Have you gotten any progressive replies to any of your letters to your reps?

I know I haven't.

[bluestate10]

131. She could have asked questions and listened to answers instead of wildly shouting.

The President seemed to have been game for taking her viewpoints and expanding on them, with the critical difference being that he could make the policy. Medea only looked sane in the end because the President listened to and masterfully used what she was wildly shouting out to make several policy points that I think it will be fucking difficult, if not impossible for republicans to stop. Medea's other value was that she showed average Americans how foolish some people can be and how patient and prescient our President is.

[onethatcares]

150. I didn't realize there

was a question and answer session to follow the speech. my bad.

she should have written her questions on 3 x5 inch index cards and submitted them beforehand.

I'm glad she didn't ask him about why single payer wasn't represented at the table when the AHCA was
being worked out. Or why does he want to attach Social Security to the CPI. After all, that would have
shown how foolish she was and how patient our president is too.

[vanlassie]

128. You have donated money to Code Pink in the past??

What?? Did you think they just stood around in pink tee shirts? Madea Benjamin is WELL KNOWN and any progressive who is paying attention knows this.

[bluestate10]

133. I never heard of her. BUt of course, I am not a progressive, so I guess I am disqualified.

BUT, I am willing to lay money on 90% of Americans never having heard of her until yesterday.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

182. Thank you for telling us that you are "not a progessive." You are not a liberal either.

[Bobbie Jo]

204. Just who the hell

are you to be telling anyone here what they are, or what they are not?

...and who is this "us" bullshit?

You need to dial it back a notch or two.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

205. When a person says "I am not a progressive" (#128), just who the hell do you think that you are to

say that another person cannot agree with them?

[Bobbie Jo]

206. "You are not a liberal either."

Passive aggressive nonsense.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

209. Actually, the poster who expressly said "I am not a progressive" (#128), not only did not say

anything to indicate that he was a liberal (not once) and did not object to that observation or statement at all.

When someone expressly says, "I am not a progressive" (#128), I believe them.

When someone expressly says "I am not a progressive" (#128), and also says "FDR wasn't a liberal" (#27), I am entitled to think that they are neither a progressive nor a liberal.

When someone says that "FDR wasn't a liberal" (#27), and makes no objection to an observation or statement that the person saying that "FDR wasn't a liberal" is not a liberal, I believe that the silence in the face of such statement and the assertion that "FDR wasn't a liberal" is a verification that the poster is not a liberal.

Your turn.

[Bobbie Jo]

210. My turn...

Convoluted passive aggressive nonsense.

You seem to take pride in your ability to twist and manipulate. The tactic is dishonest, obvious, and incredibly annoying.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

214. Sorry, but when I see a poster who spends time criticizing the left, who disparages liberals by

saying the FDR was not a liberal but was a more desirable pragmatist, who expressly says that he is not a progressive, who repeatedly engages in ageism in other strings, I'll speak up without your permission.

To borrow from your words, your fact-free attack on me is a tactic that is dishonest, obvious, and mildly annoying.

Your mixing of a word salad doesn't make any of it true.

[Bobbie Jo]

217. It is what it is.

Your snide "word salad" reference attacking my intelligence is just another demonstration of this tactic.

[WillyT]

63. K & R !!!

[AndyA]

66. I'm torn on what Medea did at the press conference

I don't disagree with anything she said, she asked valid questions and all of them were regarding things that should have been addressed already.

At the same time, I'm sensitive to the lack of respect President Obama has received by many since he was first elected President. He's been interrupted during his State of the Union speech, he's been interrupted by reporters at inappropriate times, which make me somewhat more sensitive to these events.

Was there a better way for Medea to ask these questions? Yes, there is, but she'd also very likely be ignored. It's not as easy to ignore her when everyone can see what happened.

So, I just don't know. I wish she'd been more respectful of the President, but I also see that this may have been what she viewed as her best opportunity to get this out in the public.

In the past, I've normally been supportive of Code Pink's efforts. There are definitely two sides to this story, and I can see it from both sides.

[Buzz Clik]

69. +1

[PatSeg]

91. Well said

The disrespect for this president has been outrageous. She didn't help matters.

[Buzz Clik]

67. Can we make a donation to ...

... have her brush up on the skills she should have learned in kindergarten?

If not, I'll pass.

[Life Long Dem]

70. Maybe Hillary could take lessons from Obama

34 second mark. That's right turn your head to democracy.

[Sancho]

72. Obama handled the press conference well, but I agree with much of the code pink positions...

the US is an international bully that starts wars.

I don't have a problem with protesting either. As a 60's and 70's protester (the Vietnam war, the draft, and a number of other causes), I think it's perfectly ok to engage in public protests.

Thanks for the post. K&R!

[alstephenson]

89. I agree with Sancho.

I'm guessing most of the CODEPINK haters have never taken the time or made the effort to participate in a public protest. You don't have to be as old as us to have had the opportunity to protest our government's actions - the Iraq war comes to mind.

[H2O Man]

74. Definitely.

Recommended!

Thank you for this!

[TekGryphon]

75. Why would I want to thank a Tea Party protester?

It's a Fox News fantasy that the President has the ability to close Guantanamo without Congress.

By interrupting the President during a speech on how he's trying to push Congress to close Guantanamo, and yelling at him to "close it now", she was reinforcing right-wing conspiracies while undermining the progressive cause of closing Guantanamo.

The only thing she accomplished was making herself a perfect caricature of the "ignorant, rude hippy" that Fox News tries to portray Code Pink members as.

[Laughing Mirror]

76. Medea Benjamin is Green Party

Try again.

[TekGryphon]

78. Green is a party. Teabaggers are an activist group that promotes right-wing conspiracies.

Nothing prevents Medea from being a part of both.

I'm not saying she is, but her actions would be right at home at your local Glenn Beck rally.

[Laughing Mirror]

79. Oh please

Anybody with a developed sense of morals, who is eminently courageous and voices her conscience is a teabagger? Who do your think you are fooling?

Possibly yourself, but not me.

You might want to go recommend the following thread. You would feel right at home with the poster and a few other misinformed souls:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022893135#post12

[TekGryphon]

80. I'll say it again, since you don't seem to comprehend

Promoting right-wing conspiracy fantasies by yelling out impossible demands and repeatedly interrupting and disrupting a President during a progressive speech on closing Guantanamo is NOT "good".

Do you understand that? Is it capable of sinking in?

I'm not saying Medea is a tea bagger. I'm saying that she accomplished more for the right-wing than most tea baggers ever will. She's a disgrace to Code Pink and a disgrace to the progressive movement.

[Laughing Mirror]

81. But you did say she is a teabagger

You said it in your first post.

You still have time to go back and edit it out if you like.

[dreamnightwind]

121. Yes, epic fail

on that posters' part. And just plain weird to use Medea and Teabagger in the same conversation.

[Dragonfli]

126. It's all the rage now, anyone to the left of Rahm Emanuel is a "teabagger" or "paulite"

Issues do not matter to these people, to them it's like sports teams.

They never supported liberal or progressive issues except when they did so to oppose the "repug" Team. Do a 180 as necessary to support their favorite quarterback, regardless if the issue is the same, they are pro drone now, anti-drone under Bush. Pro Civil liberties under Bush, anti under Obama - they don't even see the hypocrisy.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

183. x2

[TekGryphon]

227. Code Pink is marginalized by some low-information, low-class extremists within their ranks.

Medea is one of them. You defending her is why Code Pink will never gain any real legitimacy. For every well-targeted protest they do, they then go and shoot themselves in the foot with idiots like this protesting a progressive President during a progressive speech and disrupting him AS HE'S ANNOUNCING A PROGRESSIVE INITIATIVE.

She's obviously not working for the right wing, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Koch's sent her a thank-you check anyway. She did more to promote the right-wing conspiracy theory that Obama can unilaterally close Gitmo than any days worth of Fox News broadcasting.

[Fire Walk With Me]

100. Your ignorance makes me ill, and angry.

[TekGryphon]

228. Go make a progressive speech on a progressive initiative some time.

Let me know so I can act like a complete douchebag interrupting you and accusing you of shit you have no control over.

Then you can tell me later how much you appreciate my "informed and progressive" stance.

[Fire Walk With Me]

230. I apologize for taking a bad mood out upon you

but you will win zero points in attacking me and not the fact that you are incorrect regarding the nature of Code Pink and their positive agenda for the people of this country, purposefully or otherwise naming them Koch-roaches. It could not be further from the truth.

And as an Occupy activist, I DO make speeches and take direct action against the problems facing this country, many of which Obama has done NOTHING, including actively working in favor of the very real enemy:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2890517

Almost everything I post on DU is a progressive speech regarding change, decrying the bullshit destroying this country and the principles of Democracy. Am I a complete douchebag as well, for challenging utter bullshit? Mmmm? You owe Medea an apology. Because you obviously don't know about Obama's HR347, which makes it a federal crime to protest near him, or to him, or anyone protected by the secret service. Signed that and then gave himself and war criminal Bush life-time secret service protection. If they pressed charges, she could go to prison for up to ten years for being a "douchebag" and voicing grave concerns regarding OUR Democracy.

:/

[MuseRider]

82. Thank you for this thread and this link.

Medea is a wonderful person and she works hard. Never wavers from her goal of peace no matter where it takes her or who she has to fight. She is an activist in the true sense of the word.

Brava Medea, thank you for speaking out for those of us who want peace to rule.

[onethatcares]

83. I met Medea once

and I'm gonna tell you she has more courage in her little finger than I can imagine myself having in toto.

I have nothing but applause for her, code pink and their message.

[eilen]

93. Medea Benjamin held his feet to the fire. The controlling majority of DU licks his boots.

hypocrites.

Another liberal activist thrown under the collective bus here. Why am I not surprised? Y'all would do the same thing to Martin Luther King Jr.

[bluestate10]

135. Medea Benjamin behaved like a depraved fool. And was only made to look sane by a

President who was listening to her, even as she chose not to listen to him, or allow him to speak. Some other poster pointed out the disrespect this President has gotten from Governors, reporters Congress people. And he has beaten every fucking one of them. In the end, Medea Benjamin, regardless of how passionately some her wish it wasn't to be, will become a footnote in history, noted only for her close-mindedness and rudeness at a moment when a great President was setting the nation on a bold course concerning how we deal with the rest of the world.

[quinnox]

96. since this just got kicked again, I may as well say thanks to those who gave this a recommendation

My threads rarely get this number of recommendations, and I never thought just a quick and small OP saying it would be nice to thank Code Pink would get so many recs! I was surprised!

[MuseRider]

102. You just got one more.

I commented and thanked you but forgot to rec it! Thanks for reminding me.

[quinnox]

103. thanks

Its appreciated!

[Fire Walk With Me]

101. Is everyone here aware that she could go to federal prison for up to 10 years for this?

HR347, signed by Obama himself sometime after having been mic checked by Occupy New England. Medea deserves even more respect than she's getting.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/how-big-deal-hr-347-criminalizing-protest-bill

http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/restricted.asp

Chilling effect upon protest, chilling effect upon journalism, chilling effect upon the Bill of Rights...the sickness continues.

[Dragonfli]

130. Aware? Some of the blue righties here likely have petitioned for her to be jailed

I met and support her, My beliefs and convictions do not change with sports teams, it is not about the team, it's about right and wrong, so many hypocrites here have disappointed and disgusted me with their relative and therefore meaningless moral compasse's. I was naive during the Bush years as I thought the views here were heartfelt and reflected my own, now there are at least half here that have done a 180 on most important issues, all to cheer what they appear to believe is a captain of a football team in a sporting event requiring fan loyalty.

[Marr]

176. +1

[MuseRider]

196. Thank you.

Well put.

[ZRT2209]

104. she is an ineffective leader. she looks like an insane maniac.

[Raine]

148. Agree ... a raving lunatic. nt

[ZRT2209]

105. FYI, Madea Benjamin is a big supporter of Rand Paul.

why don't you send some money to him too while you're at it

[GoneFishin]

159. I see where they share opposition to some drone uses, but I can't find where

she supports him generally as a politician.

Having overlapping opinions is not the same as being a supporter, but if she is generally supporting all of his positions carte blanche then I would certainly like to be aware of that.

Is there somewhere I can read about this?

[hrmjustin]

119. God bless her!

[mimi85]

179. On God's List of Concerns

I would imagine she's near the bottom. Newtown, Boston, Tucson, Japan, Katrina, Oklahoma and on and on and on. Oh yeah, and god's bound to be at several ball games today. What rubbish!

[hrmjustin]

181. Ok I am not sure I deserved this response but whatever! Good morning to you!

[mimi85]

221. My apologies

to you. You definitely did not deserve that. I had some personal stuff going on and had a crappy few days. No excuses, however, I do want to apologize to you and the board. I definitely shouldn't have taken out my frustration on you. Take care and enjoy the remainder of the weekend!

[hrmjustin]

222. No worries my friend!

[dreamnightwind]

122. Thanks, and done. - eom

[ZRT2209]

140. where's MY 10 minutes to rant in POTUS' face on national television?

do we all get our 10 minutes? or just her?

Just imagine if we ALL did exactly what she did on our own pet issues!

[idwiyo]

153. Yeah, just imagine if we all got 10 minutes on national TV to advocate for peace, against torture,

against starting wars based on lies, against ripping off poor, against extrajudicial killings, for treating people as people, for making sure everyone has a job, etc., etc., etc. ...

Fuck NO, forget about it, think about what would happen... Madness, I tell you. Pure madness! Those "pet issues" are not important enough.

[donheld]

144. No!

[snot]

145. We should honor and thank Code Pink and Diane Wilson –

they've done a lot more than most of us to help bring attention to the futility/ulteriority of these wars.

[Agony]

152. I love me some "Unreasonable Woman"!!!

[woo me with science]

211. Hear, hear!

[Agony]

220. Diane Wilson's story is worth a read, especially in this case, considering her role in CodePink

http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/an_unreasonable_woman/
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0716-28.htm

"What a terrific book. I dont often gush, but this book had me fascinated from the first page and whomper-jawed half the time. A voice like Diane Wilsonsworking class woman with five kidsis so rare. For one thing, if you have five kids and a job, not to mention a battle with an international chemical company on your hands, its hard to get around to writing. And to write this well is a stunning achievement.
—Molly Ivins, nationally syndicated political columnist and author, most recently, of "Who Let the Dogs In?""

with their incredible backgrounds both she and Benjamin, as co-founders of CodePink, are more than capable of standing up to the attempted character assassination exhibited in this thread... (whatever dudes...pathetic)

[idwiyo]

146. K&R thank you Medea and Code Pink!

[Raine]

147. UGH, I have no use or respect for her or Code Pink. nt

[midnight]

149. Smart articulate women who knows that the hope and change so important for many still needs to

happen, and even if it is at the inconvenience of the events at hand...

[amuse bouche]

154. Someone needs to teach her

how to throw her voice, without sounding like a dying whale. I thought it was Palin making a stink about pancakes


And good for the Prez for being so patient and classy

[FairWinds]

177. Here is another rude, uppity woman . .

Who rudely created Mother's Day.

What do you think Julia Ward Howe would have to say about Medea & Code Pink?

The first Mother's Day was proclaimed in 1870, in the U.S., by
Julia Ward Howe as a passionate call for peace. Her declaration reads, in part:
Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have
hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or tears! Say
firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us reeking with
carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken
from us to unlearn all that we have taught them of charity,
mercy and patience. We women of one country will be too
tender of those of another to allow our sons to be trained to
injure theirs.
From the bosom of the devastated earth, a voice goes up with
our own. Disarm, Disarm

[Progressive dog]

184. I'll pass

She didn't listen to him, she tried to prevent others from hearing.

[bottomofthehill]

186. Although I agree with her on most issues. I hate when ..

Her quest for media attention bothers me. This is a classic example. This may be the only issue that Rand Paul and Medea agree on, but she is willing to rush off and ( I have to choose words carefully here as I have been critiqued in the past for calling Medea an attention Wh$&@) get in bed with Rand on this one single issue.
This man would have no problem having Media (my nickname for Medea when she comes up with these stupid self promoting stunts) having her thrown on the ground and stomping on her neck if he did not agree with him on an issue.
Medea, please get back to what you are best at, the press conference confrontation was brilliant. Skip the Fox News and Rand Paul crap.....

[Fiendish Thingy]

189. Just like John &Yoko

They were ridiculed for their bed ins, naive political songs and views.

IIRC, was this the first time Medea has been allowed an extended vocal protest of a major public figure instead of being hauled away within seconds ? I'm not counting the silent protests where she and others held up signs or bloody hands but said nothing.

Code Pink seems pretty consistently focused on holding those responsible accountable for war crimes, environmental crimes, and economic crimes, rather than "looking forward". Without their voices interrupting the fair and balanced MSM coverage of the status quo, these points of view would get no mainstream exposure, just like no one in the media was talking about the 1% until OWS.

[FairWinds]

194. If you support Prez Obama . . .

for doing the same things you denounced Dubya for doing,
as Robert Greenwald has so eloquently written,
you might be a . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_hack

[dionysus]

197. sod off troll... you love rand too?

[Tarheel_Dem]

202. Fundraising? So that's what this stunt was about? Thanks, but I wouldn't want to....

take the chance that my hard earned dollars might wind up in the campaign coffers of Rand Paul. And how does Medea earn a living? Is she independently wealthy? Anyone know?

[sabrina 1]

208. Lol, the old 'rand paul' talking point when all else fails. I personally will now donate to Code

Pink in honor of that laughable talking point dragged up by people who apparently have little respect for the intelligence of the average DUer.

Medea Benjamin is everything a true Democrat should be, that is why Obama correctly stated that she is worth listening to. He KNOWS her will and has always respected her.

Amazing the things you read here sometimes.

[Tarheel_Dem]

212. Donate away! I hear, pink underwear don't come cheap.

Stand with Rand!!!

[Number23]

216. Don't you love the fact that SEVERAL well publicized pics of the woman with hearts that say

WE STAND WITH RAND PAUL are part of some vast "conspiracy" according to the laughably obtuse to discredit the woman by pretending that she supports Rand Paul??!

Some of the shit around here has been even dumber and more unhinged than usual.

[Tarheel_Dem]

218. It is indeed "laughable". A lot of hucksters, on the left, were making out like bandits....

during the Bush years, and those funds dried up when Obama came along. They're pissed, and becoming teabaggish in their desparation. What Medea did was every bit as disrespectful as Joe Wilson screaming out "You Lie" at the SOTU. This is why a hardcore liberal will never run this country again, they tend to piss off everybody, and sadly that makes them about as effective as a sour dishrag.

Medea will get some attention from the rightwing for her stunt, and may even get some new membership $$$$$ from them, but from what I'm reading & hearing, she lost quite a few as well. I think concensus is building that she made the president look good by comparison.

I read upthread that she's a Green, and if that's true, real Democrats BEWARE!!!!! We know exactly what they're about.

Medea's message yesterday, as important as it is, was diluted by her disrepect for the president and anyone who supports him. Medea getting into bed with Rand is no different than the Jane Hamsher/Grover Norquist alliance, in my mind.


There's a time and a place for everything, and this wasn't it, but Medea and her accolytes know that a "stunt" gets attention.

[AtomicKitten]

225. I look forward to the OP's participation in discussion

.... if and when HRC becomes president. Often among the first to slam the current president, the disparity will be surreal.

On HRC voting for the Iraq war:

quinnox: well, maybe she had to do that for her political career. She is a woman, and she has to appear strong. I am not excusing it, just saying she might have had reasons. And it was not a pivotal vote she made either, in terms of the numbers. If she had opposed it, that would have made no difference in how it came out.

link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2593794

[MADem]

226. The OP poster is entirely MIA in this conversation. nt

[AtomicKitten]

229. good point

[Safetykitten]

239. It was fantastic!