Today, Jackie Speier was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. And what does she immediately do? Gives an anti-war speech and gets booed by Republicans.
For a few feel-good moments on the floor of the U.S. House today, Jackie Speier basked in bipartisan applause as she was sworn in as its newest member. Her family, supporters and kids cheered as she embraced her new colleagues.
Then, in her first speech in Congress, Speier spoke out about Iraq, and the boos and hoots began from the Republican side of the aisle. “When will we get out of Iraq?” was the most frequent question she heard, she told the House, while campaigning in the special election she won Tuesday to succeed the late Rep. Tom Lantos.
“The process to bring the troops home must begin immediately,” she said, as several Republicans loudly booed. Rep. Darrell Issa, a Vista Republican, bolted from his seat and left the floor.
The hoots grew in volume as Speier, a Hillsborough Democrat, continued.
“The president wants to stay the course and a man who wants to replace him suggests we could be in Iraq for 100 years,” she said, a reference to Republican John McCain’s assertion that U.S. forces could be there decades, if they are not under attack.“The House is not in order,” shouted Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. Some Democrats applauded. Speaker Nancy Pelosi banged her gavel. “Why are they booing my mother?” Speier’s middle-school daughter Stephanie asked, according to a staffer.
And notice who has her back? John Lewis. I swear of all the awful things that have happened in this campaign, I will never forgive Obama and Democratic party leaders for not standing up for John Lewis and his right to vote at the convention any fucking way he wants. If it weren’t for him and people like him, Barack Obama sure as hell wouldn’t be in the position he’s in. In the end, if his constituents wanted to punish him for supporting Hillary, that was their right, but Obama should’ve stood up for him, IMO. And then to smarmily issue a statement bout how honored you are that Lewis decided to endorse you after your supporters browbeat him? What an ass. Sorry for the frolic and detour, but this really pisses me off. Still. And it’s not about who John Lewis votes for, it’s about being silent while an American Civil Rights hero is bullied into supporting you.
Ahem, but back to Speier. Way to go, Jackie!
Speier, btw, has announced her support for Hillary Clinton.
Front page
RE: GOP boos
Fuck
’em!
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“The thing about democracy, beloveds, is that it is not neat, orderly, or quiet. It requires a certain relish for confusion.” - Molly Ivins (RIP)
Representative Speier is a spitfire
An absolute thrill just to say that - Representative Speier - just sings, it does.
Can’t tell you how much I looked forward to this speech, and she did just what I hoped she would do - stuck it right to them. After you’ve been shot five times and left for dead, a few stuffy old white men don’t seem very scary. She’s been kicking ass and taking names here in CA for a long time, and then offers to play nice if people give her what she wants. Those old farts have no idea what they’re in for.
Issa walked out, not a surprise; he’s a wuss.
Go get ’em, Jackie.
This is a woman who was shot
on the tarmac of Jonestown, Guyana back in 1978. She’s a tough cookie so what’s a few boos? A badge of honour.
A Clinton supporter, eh?
Nice! We need more unapologetic, “divisive” figures in the Democratic party (I believe they’re known as “leaders”). And on her first day, putting others to shame. What a bad-ass.
Here is a good NPR story on her tale of survival and being a force of nature in politics. Love this part: “Such a move would surely antagonize the powerful, but that’s nothing Speier would shy away from.” Ooh!
I'm a big fan of Jackie
And she sure gave ’em fire. What a great way to remind the inept and crooked what a real rep acts like.
Btw, I’m confused by your comments on Lewis. Who browbeat him? What should Obama have done? This wasn’t covered well in the press, to my knowledge.
As Lewis is my favorite surviving member of the CR movement, I don’t tolerate any abuse sent his way, but I must have missed something. If Obama attacked him, he’ll lose my vote. Can you refer me to something that spells out what happened?
John Lewis
Obama campaign co-chair Jesse Jackson, Jr. called a number of African American Super Delegates and essentially told them if they didn’t support Obama, they’d find a primary challenger. And, what do you know, Lewis found a primary challenger who specifically cited Lewis’ Clinton support and his unwillingness to change his mind and go with Obama as why he was running against him. And it appears to me the primary challenger was the final bit of pressure because it came after the NYT initially reported Lewis was changing to Obama and then Lewis denied that. The next week, a primary challenge.
As I said, I have no problem if Lewis’s constituents want to punish him for any vote or position he takes, but I have a major problem with Obama (or other democratic leaders for that matter) not stepping in and asking that this not be done in his name. But, of course, instead of doing that, he had his campaign co-chair calling around threatening the very thing. Personally, while obviously I can’t prove it, I think the Obama folks singled Lewis out - he’s the one the NYT wrote about, when he still didn’t bend, he’s the one who got a primary challenger - because he IS John Lewis. Hey, if he isn’t safe, who is? You know.
And if you want real fun, look at what Lewis said when he endorsed Obama. Not a single word about what a good president he would make. It’s all about how there’s a movement and he needs to follow his district. He also went out of his way to say he still loved Hillary.
Let me echo and co-sign
what BDBlue has written.
Also add some links
what was happening locally in GA when the ’controversy’ was breaking.
what was going on within the local religious community.
Rev. Joseph Lowery suggesting that blacks who ’doubt’ Obama might suffer from a slave mentality
Tavis Smiley getting thrown under the bus over the State of The Black Union.
**oh lookie here Tavis quit the Tom Joyner show TODAY**
read the comments if you dare.