Did Hoffa advocate “second amendment solutions?”
Response on Facebook to someone repeating the FOX News inspired meme that James P. Hoffa called for violence against Republicans and that Democrats should condemn him for it. FOX is showing an edited clip of Hoffa’s speech introducing the president before a union-friendly crowd in Detroit on Labor Day in which Hoffa calls for “taking them out.” Left out, however, was that Hoffa was referring to taking Republicans in Congress out of office. Expect FOX’s distortions to accelerate ahead of Pres. Obama’s jobs speech.
Connect:
Good try, but Hoffa didn’t say, “take Republicans in Congress out of office.”
You can say, “but he meant, but he meant, but he meant,” all you want, but it doesn’t make it so.
And I can say, “Sarah Palin meant…” all I want, and you won’t accept that.
Kind of a big ole hippocrite, aren’t you?
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201109050003
The edited release clearly displays an angry (and maybe drunk) Hoffa calling for a “war” and promising to “take out” the “sons-a-bitches”.
This is not reasonable talk to a Labor Day Celebration crowd.
By the way, Pres. Obama was there and “thanked” Hoffa.
Although he hasn’t responded yet, the President must give an opinion because this isn’t going away.
denAllen, Yes, you are referring to what you yourself called the “edited” version. The full quote is:
Tea baggers’ propensity for dishing out violent, hateful rhetoric only to fling themselves onto fainting couches when they are targets of similar invective is getting old.
Rick Perry suggested Texans might lynch the chairman of the Federal Reserve if he visited Texas. Sarah Palin urged her gun-happy followers not to retreat but “reload.” Romney talked about metaphorically “hanging” Obama.
As far as tea baggers are concerned, when they say these sorts of things and call people Nazi, socialist, fascist, Kenyan anti-colonials or similar nonsense, the targets of their lies and smears are just supposed to lump it.
But when they behave like economic terrorists and take the United States economy hostage for the sole purpose of scoring political points, it is a violation of their personhood if anyone dares call them out for their anti-social behavior.
Tea baggers act like adolescent bullies. As I said before, it’s no wonder they are the least popular political group in America these days.
Jon – All very popular and commendable reframing and redirecting. Facts remain facts: Hoffa said what he said, and if he had been a Tea Partier you would be flipping out. As, in fact, you are here to defend his violent rhetoric.
I’m no fan of Hoffa’s, but what he said about voting had nothing to do with violence. I, for one, endorse his call for all good Americans to vote the tea baggers out — yes, to take them out of office — and take our country back.