Being (Barney) Frank With Tea-Baggers

Anti-Health Care Reform Protesters and their clever signs

I do not mean to brag, but sometimes I am very proud that I live in Massachusetts, the “Cradle of Liberty.” In this most blue of all blue states, political discourse is welcomed. Starting with those “Founding Fathers” that conservative Republicans love to invoke so frequently, through those hate filled days of court imposed desegregated school busing in the 1970′s, and right up to today’s Anti-Health Care Reform protests at congressional town hall meetings, Bay Staters have encouraged vigorous public debate. Perhaps it is a by-product of the over 120 colleges and universities in the Boston metropolitan area, that the population is educated and enlightened enough to realize that well informed decision making will trump ill-informed rabble rousing most every time. That might also explain why the Commonwealth has never in its 389 year history, had a Republican Governor serve two full terms.

But I digress. The purpose of this particular post is to illustrate how to best conduct a town hall meeting when alleged protesters that are bought, paid for and bussed to the meeting by Republican interest groups funded by Republican lobbying firms attempt to disrupt the meetings rather than to engage in thoughtful discussion. To that end, please welcome Congressman Barney Frank.

On August 18, 2009, Frank held a town hall meeting in Dartmouth, MA. There were plenty of Health Care Reform supporters and vocal opponents. Unlike many of his brethren throughout the country however, Frank did not cancel his meeting, phone-in his meeting, or resort to accepting only written questions. On the contrary, he explained precisely why he supported health care reform, allowed opponents to question him and provided thorough fact based answers to those questions.

Whenever an opponent resorted to the Republican Interest Group tactic of simply disrupting the meeting by means of screaming and shouting out talking points, Frank confronted them directly. He shamed them, in no uncertain terms, by telling them that such behavior was counter-productive to their cause and would not be tolerated. When attacked by shouted myths of health care reform, such as mandated coverage for illegal immigrants, death panels and budget implosion, he calmly countered with facts taken verbatim from the draft of the most recent incarnation of the proposed bill. In short, he held his ground.

Most impressive however, was the way in which he handled those opponents that displayed personally derogatory illustrations of the President and/or made Nazi comparisons. He fired back at them without pulling any punches. To one woman that displayed a caricature of President Obama in which he resembled Hitler, Frank berated her by asking what planet she came from and then told her that trying to hold a conversation with her was akin to having a conversation with his living room table. She was silenced by her own absurdity.

Barney Frank has manufactured the template for all members of Congress to utilize at town hall meetings. Have a comprehensive knowledge of your material; express it thoroughly yet succinctly; allow opponents to question you civilly and respond in kind; and when confronted by ill informed obtrusive or insulting behavior, exercise your 2nd Amendment rights and fire back unapologetically. To you Mr. Frank, I say, “Bravo.”

Please do yourself a favor and watch this entire clip. They should make multiple copies and hand them out to every member of Congress.

OK, now for the funny stuff. Today’s song parody is my version of the Tea-Baggers’ National Anthem. As Sarah Palin would say, in honor of the troops, please click on the song link below to have more fun singing along. (As an aside, please note that the music video link is in honor of recently deceased filmmaker, John Hughes and is a clip from his wonderful film, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

Twist And Shout song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUrOMB-iBLk&feature=related

BITCH AND SHOUT

(sung to The Beatles version of the song “Twist And Shout”)

Well, make it up, ladies, now (make it up, ladies)
Bitch and shout (bitch and shout)
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, ladies, now (come on ladies)
Know what you’re talkin’ about (talking about)

Start spreadin’ some doubt, honey (spreadin’ some doubt)
Wear your pillowcase hood (pointy hood)
You got the bullshit flowin’ now (bullshit flowin’)
And you’re sportin’ some wood (didn’t know you could)

Just make it up, baby, now (make it up, baby)
Bitch and shout (bitch and shout)
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby, now (come on baby)
You got to start spreadin’ doubt (start spreading doubt)

Just show your twisted little world (shit little world)
Hold up your twisted sign (twisted sign)
Go on up, bitch a little closer, now (bitch a little closer)
And just hold that party line (hold that party line)

Ah
Ahh
Ahhh
Ahhhh
Ahhhhh

Yeah, you’re frothing like rabies, now (frothing like rabies)
Bitch and shout (bitch and shout)
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby, now (come on baby)
Jumping and screeching out loud (screaming out loud)

Just show your twisted little world (shit little world)
Hold up your twisted sign (twisted sign)
Go on up, bitch a little closer, now (bitch a little closer)
And just hold that party line (hold that party line)

Well, fake it, fake it, fake it, baby, now (make it up, baby)
Well, fake it, fake it, fake it, baby, now (make it up, baby)
Well, fake it, fake it, fake it, baby, now (make it up, baby)

Ah
Ahh
Ahhh
Ahhhh