Nancy Pelosi introduced a resolution condemning what happened yesterday. (see Lambert's post) ,which has contact information for one of the offending Repubs.
Today, the Repubs are outraged that the Democrats are "making an issue" of it.
Their argument is essentially that Bill Thomas was neither overeacting nor being autocratic; words were said, menacing words, things were getting out of hand, it was perfectly appropriate to call the police.
The Dems are fighting back.
Whoever among you, dear readers, still think the House Democrats are spineless have not been paying attention to the House floor debates, or their Special Order speeches and colloquies.
The incident last night is symptomatic of the ramrod tactics of the Repubs, like DeLay and Thomas, who wield the real power in the house that Hastart doesn't. On the complicated Medicare bill, for instance, the actual bill and amendments were held in a locked room; Democrats were not provided with copies; they were only allowed to read the bill in the locked room, and only after it being ascertained that they had neither pencil or paper upon which to make notes.
Last night was apparently a similiar type of contempt aimed at the minority members.
The Repubs have now been forced into a vote to table Pelosi's resolution.
Let's help the Democrats make this a really big issue. My suggestion, start faxing, telephoning, emailing Pelosi's office. Best, I would say to focus the efforts, so that Pelosi can make the sheer size of the outcry by us citizens, a public issue.
Here's all the contact information on Pelosi.
Here's the contact information for Steny Hoyer, minority whip.
Here's the contact information for Charles Rangel, who is the ranking minority member on the Ways and Means Committee, which is headed by Bill Thomas, and is where the Dems are getting the roughest treatment.
Send some kind of communication to all three. Then call or email ten people to do the same, and ask each of the ten to contact or email another ten, and don't forget to let them know who's already been contacted.
This kind of stuff can really make a difference. What happened last night is so typical of what government has become under total Republican control, that helping to make an issue of it, that has legs, could be the beginning of Congressional Democrats running a national campaign next time around.
Edited to correct horrendous and embarrassing typo, grammatical error, and for purposes of clarification.
