Pete Stark - should he apologize for comments made on Congressional floor?

[The Backlash Cometh]

Congressman Pete Stark accused Republicans of sending troops to Iraq to "get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." Should he apologize?

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/american.morning/

[jpgray]

1. Nope. This war is absolutely deserving of that kind of harsh rhetoric.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Way long overdue. I'm glad someone is outraged in Congress.

[sufrommich]

2. Apologize for what, the truth?nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. Time to ram that point down the Repub's throats.

You don't get 88% support for a Congressman who denounces the war, unless you have an issue that truly crosses the aisle.

[MethuenProgressive]

3. 88% NO!

Yes 12% 292
No 88% 2205
Total Votes: 2497

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. I hope it gets to 90%.

[NewJeffCT]

20. 89% say "no" now

hopefully, it won't get freeped -

or, maybe it already has?

[John Kerry VonErich]

48. 87% now say no

nt

[John Kerry VonErich]

6. Stark clearly stated that he WLL NOT defer or retract.

He said that Bush dishonored himself and CLEARLY states also that he supports the troops. I do wish he would've worded his comments better. Republicans are gonna put words in his mouth and interperte him to look like a "phoney american".

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. I'm hoping this one is the turning point.

[Voltaire]

14. But do you see that Stark doesn't CARE what the Repubs think?

The GOP and their minions will say lies about us no matter what we say or how we say it. So we may as well use Pete Stark as an example of how to conduct our business. I give less than a DAMN about what ANY Republican thinks or says. May every single one of them burn in hell or burn on earth....I don't care which.

[VWolf]

26. Amen. Kudos to Stark for this.

And a big F.U. to any Pugs that can't handle the truth.

[tom_paine]

54. Can he run for Prez? Because we need someone to speak the unvarnished truth

n/t

[andlor]

9. done

[mmonk]

10. A resounding hell no.

Looks as if the respondents agree.

[Lint Head]

11. Hell no!!

On top of that Bush should be in prison. He is a liar. He is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people so Halliburton and Exxon can make a profit. Never apologize. Never! :dem:

[glowing]

12. No... its about time someone stand up for them.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. We're up to 89% supporting Stark.

[spanone]

15. 89% NO

republicons should apologize for the last 7 years.

[flashl]

16. NO!! n/t

[Catchawave]

17. 89% NO !!!

Keep this kicked today :patriot:

[AndyA]

18. Should Stark apologize?

For what? Speaking the truth?

HELL NO!
NO APOLOGY!!

The truth is the truth.
Spin does not change that.

[NewJeffCT]

19. Not just "no" - it's "hell no"

go Rep. Stark.

[malaise]

25. Ditto n/t

[Gormy Cuss]

64. Agreed. n/t

[Cobalt Violet]

21. No.

I hope he doesn't.

[Window]

22. Voted...

still at 89% NO!




Peace

[MoJoWorkin]

23. Done, and recommended.

[april]

24. why would he need to? He spoke the truth !And I guess it hurts some

[Donnachaidh]

27. where's the HELL NO! button? n/t

[Sneaky Sailor]

28. I dont necessarily think that he should apologize

BUT I think they were not appropriate.

[Wednesdays]

59. The war is what's inappropriate!

nt

[Zandor]

29. He should to defuse the issue.

Otherwise Democrats will be confronted with it and be hurt by it.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

39. He should not. He said it, he should stick to it.

Finally, a Congressional Rep actually REPRESENTS the people he serves.

Finally, a representative says people are DYING, horrifically and NEEDLESSLY because Bush says they must and it's so, so wrong.

Other Democrats can just deal with it if they are, heaven forbid, "confronted" by it, as seems to be your fear. Those scary Repubs, huh?

It sure won't be the first time they've been confronted with BS from Bush and cronies. At least this time, the confrontation will be because one of their own actually showed courage and SPOKE UP!



MKJ

[renie408]

62. He is saying what a lot of people are thinking.

He shouldn't shut up. More Dems should say what they, and a lot of us, are thinking. If we were less conciliatory maybe more would get done.

[Warren Stupidity]

74. Hurt by what? By the truth?

What is the issue that we should once again bend over and take it for?

[backscatter712]

77. Fuck defusing.

I want to fucking escalate.

I don't fucking care if it turns into an all-out fists-flying brawl. Fight to the fucking death.

If so many democrats didn't act like fucking pussies, we wouldn't be worrying about "being confronted with it."

[raccoon]

30. Why should he? Republicans never do. nt

[renie408]

31. No. n/t

[babylonsister]

32. No, no, no! The truth is sooo refreshing! nt

[bunkerbuster1]

33. Hell, aitch-E-double-hockey sticks, NO!

Goddamn it, let's stop apologizing for being right and speaking our minds.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

34. He should apologize

when that sociopath in the White House apologizes for "Bring it on".

[Freedomofspeech]

35. Absolutely not!!!

[Nutmegger]

36. No and R&K [n\t]

[Blue Diadem]

37. No, voted and thank you for the link. n/t

[SIMPLYB1980]

38. 89%

WOW!

[watercolors]

40. Wow 89% no already

CNN will take that down soon! Good for Stark we need more Dems to peack out and forcefully!

[lateo]

41. Hell no.

[cali]

42. Certainly not. n/t

[TwilightGardener]

43. No apologies. The GOP bastards constantly get away with saying Dems

want the U.S. to lose, that we're traitors, that we enjoy bad news from Iraq because it helps us politically. Stark's comments were over the top, and were borne of utter digust and hatred, and I'm OK with that.

[librechik]

44. NO!

It's enough to have everybody else apologizing for him. We need a Jesse Helms for liberals, damn it!

[butterfly77]

45. Apoligize for what!

with all of the shit these rightwing nuts have said over the years and have not apoligized for they need to shut up! This is what is wrong with the Democrats now,they are always backing down and these talking heads need to shut up. We need more of them speaking like this.

[Norwood]

Absolutely not

Its about time an elected official said something. Dont back down Congressman!

[npincus]

46. too late to edit OP title? I'd put "poll" in there somewhere...

:)

[John Kerry VonErich]

47. More like "DU This Poll"

since this goes to CNN.

[Kolesar]

70. Indeed! ... eom

[Bluerthanblue]

49. no- sometimes the truth is uncomfortable and offensive- it is still truth.

We need to demand truth- even when it makes waves.

[butterfly77]

50. Wonder how long before one of the weak-kneed ...

dems will be standing in front of a camera saying how in appropriate it is...

[Wednesdays]

60. We already have weak-kneed "Dems" (?) here saying that

See post 28.

[tom_paine]

51. NO!!!!!! It is about time someone had the guts to tell the truth.

Bushler is a sociopath and a murderer. He is already guilty of felonies which, if any of us had performed even ONE of them, would be in jail until our bones were brittle.

The primary reasons they were sent to Iraq were oil and the looting of trillions from both Iraqis and Amerikans. But you can tell me that grinning saidstic little Hitler doesn't get a stiffy from the blood and carnage he caused.

"All in all, 2001 has been a fabulous year for Laura and me."
--Bushler, for once in his life telling the unvarnished truth

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

52. Hell, no.

Maybe his comments were a little overheated, but so what? About time the Dems started fighting back and acting like they have backbones.

[gasperc]

53. NO

NO

[NoodleyAppendage]

55. NO F'ING WAY! If anything he should further kick the Repukes in the balls.

The only way to fend off and defeat Repuke bullies is to NEVER BACK DOWN and to continue to call them out on their bullsh*t.

J

[Ganja Ninja]

56. No! No! A thousand times No!

And he should have included Bush's media cheerleaders in what he said too.

[Beelzebud]

57. Fuck no. Dems shouldn't apologize for telling it like it is.

This is why I'm still pissed at my senator, Dick Durbin, for apologizing for telling the truth.

[coffeenap]

58. Hell no. And as Steph. Miller just said: How many people

died because of his comment? How many have died because of that "person" he was talking about? This is EXACTLY what needs to happen on the floor. We need more, not less. It is time to reclaim the morality--even if it means pushing the usual limits of civility.

[peekaloo]

61. No.

Never.

I seem to recall Mr. Stark putting Pubs panties in a wad back in 2002 when he used the word fascism on the House floor.

Sometimes you just gotta swing a sledgehammer to get people's attention.

:patriot:

[cascadiance]

63. HELL F'N NO!

Noone should be forced to "apologize" for telling America the truth when everyone else is avoiding doing so! Where has this nation gone? We need more people in Washington that know how to or are willing to call a spade a spade (or a bastard a bastard, which is what Bush is!)

[freestyle]

65. Absolutely not. Go Pete.

I remember very clearly during the debate on the Iraq War Resolution Pete Stark explaining his opposition partly by saying that he did not trust Bush or his advisers. I was glad then that he called a bunch of liars on their lies. I'm glad now that he continues to point out the utter absurdity of this war.

[VP505]

66. Not only NO

but HELL NO!!!

[ljm2002]

67. No apologies...

...none at all, not until we start getting regular apologies for all of the hateful rhetoric spewed routinely from the Republics in Congress, not to mention their minions in the press.

No quarter.

Besides, what Rep. Stark said is demonstrably true. One need only put together some clips showing the president's demeanor when he discusses various things, including war and death. You will note how he is always smirking and joking during such exchanges.

[stimbox]

68. Not just no, but a FUCK NO!

I wish that more of our Reps would speak out.

[BurtWorm]

69. No. The "president" should apologize to Stark, to Iraqis, to Americans, and to uninsured children.

[Oilwellian]

71. No, and....

I thought Stark was speaking specifically about Bush so why does CNN generalize and say "republicans?"

[blondeatlast]

72. 87% no so far. nt

[MalloyLiberal]

73. FUCK NO!@

[FiveGoodMen]

75. What's about four stages past, "HELL NO!"?

[Catchawave]

76. 90% NO !!! Poll's still up, VOTE !!!1! I'm series :)

:kick:

[backscatter712]

78. Fight to the death first.

We don't owe an apology for shit. If Congress chooses to censure Stark, Stark should be bragging about it!

[JackBeck]

79. I wish he had told Bush to "go fuck himself" on the floor of Congress.

Apparently, that's allowed and no one's asked to apologize.

[nadinbrzezinski]

80. 91%

xcuse me, but I am amazed they have not taken it off

It is amazing, ain't it?

They are missing it

ON PURPOSE

[eridani]

81. 92% n/t

[Tactical Progressive]

82. Yes, he should apologize

"for the president's amusement" sounds like something a typically venal right-winger would say about a Dem. I can just picture a Tom Delay, or any of a hundred pieces of Republican filth, saying that about the military action of a Clinton or Gore or Kerry or whoever, even if it were on a miniscule scale compared to Iraq.

As Stark apologizes for that particular remark being over the top, assuming he's smart enough to, he should re-iterate the callousness and stubborness and whatever other character faults Bush and Cheney have displayed in demanding that our troops be used to further their ambitions, etc. Points which he can say that Bush should apologize for.

The case can be, and should be made about who is paying for the arrogance and ineptitude of Bush and Cheney, along with reminders of the wholesale dishonesty and outright lies that they used to force us into this situation, and who has been paying for it. Pete Stark not only wasted that opportunity, but by going over the top he created a valid backlash to what should have been solid accusations.

He's got the stage now, thanks to his own stridency. Hopefully he can make something better of it the second time around.

[historian]

83. he is simply copying the repukes methods

and it make them sick when someone uses their own tools against them. good for him. Keep it up Pete!

[steve2470]

84. Nope nt

[Jeanette in FL]

85. No he shouldn't apologize

Yes 8% 750
No 92% 9190
Total Votes: 9940

[Vidar]

86. No, he should be knighted, but we don't do that here.

[krispos42]

87. Yes

Just kidding!!!! Just kidding!!!! Don't hit me!


I actually phoned his office and told the guy who answered how awesome it was that Stark said that. And I NEVER do that!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2086631&mesg_id=2087402

[spanone]

88. NO. but pelosi did it for him.

[stimbox]

89. Does 93% No = a Hell NO? I'd say so!

Yes 7% 785
No 93% 10174
Total Votes: 10959

[havocmom]

90. No. One doesn't apologize for speaking truth to power in a democracy.

Get the memo out to the speaker.

[Myrina]

91. Not only no but HELL NO!

:kick:

[blues90]

92. Hell NO!

[SeattleGirl]

93. 93% NO!

Something that the beltway doesn't get: Americans generally LIKE IT when someone tells the truth!

[mondo joe]

94. He should only apologize for having not said so earlier.

[VenusRising]

95. Done.

Congressman Pete Stark accused Republicans of sending troops to Iraq to "get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." Should he apologize?
Yes 7% 787
No 93% 10202
Total Votes: 10989

[Whisp]

96. absolutely Not.

but the man will be under extreme pressure and threat to do so and I wouldn't be surprised or think too badly of him if he does.

[Breeze54]

97. No -- 93% of 10989

Congressman Pete Stark accused Republicans of sending troops to
Iraq to "get their heads blown off for the president's amusement."

Should he apologize?

Yes ----- 7% ---- 787

No ----- 93% -- 10202

Total Votes: -- 10989

[The Gunslinger]

98. NO

[sampsonblk]

99. NO

Quit apologizing and start fighting back!

[stirlingsliver]

100. He Spoke Truth To Power! He should Be KeyNote Speaker in 2008

For crying out loud!

Pete Stark had the courage to speak Real Truth to Raw Power.

For this he should apologize??!!

He ought to be given a medal.

He should be the Keynote Speaker at our 2008 National Convention!!

[tomg]

101. Only to all the sociopaths

who should feel insulted to be put in the same group as Bush, but since they already vote Republican, I don't think we have to worry.