October 24, 2007
Code Red on Code Pink - UPDATE: Link to Hot Air Video
I first heard about a Code Pink member "confronting" (that is, unsuccessfully trying to intimidate) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as the latter entered a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the Israel-Palestinian Authority "road map." Something seemed wrong about the confrontation, where the aptly named Pinko waved her red-painted hands in Rice's face while Rice entered the hearing room.
After poking around, I found this image in an AP story about the hearing:
Code Pink protester with 'bloody' hands
(The photo seems an eerie echo of the famous Norman Rockwell painting, The Problem We All Live With, of brave, six year old Ruby Bridges being escorted by federal marshals into the whites-only William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana in 1960. Anyone who knows Rice's background might find this particularly poignant.)
Rice, of course, simply walked right on past without cringing or even reacting. (Had the Pinko actually tried to grab Condi, I think even Condi-haters suspect the protester would have gotten a Secretarial fist in the face.) But the picture crystalized what disturbed me when I first heard about this: This clearly is not out on the street, it's inside the Capitol building.
Nobody is standing in between the protester and Secretary Rice... despite the fact that the woman is wearing a Code Pink t-shirt and has her hands painted bloody red. What, nobody suspected a thing? There were numerous other Code Pinks in the area, all wearing trademarked Code Pink type clothing; in the audio, they join in the assault on Rice almost at the same moment, screaming "war criminal" as they lunge at her... and it's some time before the police can be heard trying to haul them away.
Look in the lower-left corner of the image: A Capitol policewoman stands watching the confrontation but making no move to intervene. Even if we assume she's just slow on the uptake -- why wasn't she already keeping an eye on a group of people known throughout the town for their disruptive, confrontational, and at times violent protests against Bush administration officials?
And where is security from the House Sergeant at Arms? This is what Wikipedia says about the duties of that officer, currently Bill Livingood:
As the chief law enforcement officer of the House, the Sergeant at Arms is responsible for security in the House wing of the United States Capitol, the House office buildings, and on adjacent grounds. Under the direction of the Speaker of the House or other presiding officer, the Sergeant at Arms plays an integral role in maintaining order and decorum in the House chamber.
The Sergeant at Arms is also responsible for ensuring the safety and security of Members of Congress, congressional staff, visiting national and foreign dignitaries, and tourists. Toward this mission, the Sergeant at Arms works in concert with the Senate Sergeant at Arms, and the Architect of the Capitol. These three officials, along with the Chief of the Capitol Police in an ex officio status, comprise the Capitol Police Board.
From the AP article above, here is the description of the confrontation:
Rice's testimony was punctuated by Iraq war protesters. As Rice entered the hearing room, one woman rushed toward her and waved her hands - painted blood red - in front of the secretary's face. The protester shouted that Rice was a "war criminal" and should be taken to The Hague, home of an international war crimes tribunal.
Rice was stoic and continued with her business as the protester was removed. Others were likewise escorted away at the behest of Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
If you'll recall, a similar event occurred a couple of weeks ago, when a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing (I believe), chaired by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV, 80%), was disrupted by Code Pink; the disruption was allowed to continue for some time before Byrd attempted to restore order. In that case, the protesters actually unfurled a huge banner; it's hard to imagine how such an item could have been concealed... was it hidden in a protester's purse?
And it keeps happening over and over again, with MoveOn, Code Pink, NARAL, anti-"globalists," ELFs and ALFs, International ANSWER, and the entire panoply of whacko environmentalists, peaceniks, Stalinists, and the rest of the army of the perpetually aggrieved. They yell and chant, weep and wail, threaten and frighten, pitch tantrums, and often assault their opponents with various food items, like a bad Monty Python impersonation.
Are we supposed to believe that each and every time, the Capitol policing authorities are caught totally wrong footed? That they never see it coming? It never occurs to them that obvious members of an organization known for violent, disruptive protest -- might perhaps be present in force to hold a violent, disruptive protest?
Perhaps I'm imagining conspiracies everywhere, but it honestly seems to me as if the Democrats are deliberately allowing obvious Code Pink protesters into the gallery -- and now even into the areas through which administration officials must pass in order to testify -- and encouraging Code Pink's thuggish harassment of Republicans and even moderate Democrats. Democrats evidently think they can win debates by using pet goons to frighten their opponents.
I believe they have instructed the House Sergeant at Arms to allow such protesters into the galleries and hallways, and to let them go on a while before making an attempt to shut them up. I believe the Capitol Police have been told in no uncertain terms not to interfere.
I don't want to make the obvious historical comparison.
To me, this is an unambiguous attempt at politics by physical intimidation, a tactic Democrats may well have learned at the knees (or kneecaps) of their mentors in the labor movement; in that realm, such intimidation, brutal violence, and even assassination are well-worn tactics, due to mob influence and the criminal mentality of many union leaders. It doesn't appear to work on administration officials, but it may explain some defections by Republican legislators, some of whom (let's face it) are creampuffs.
But even if this could be proven, would the reaction by left-liberal Democratic voters be revulsion and condemnation -- or cheers and applause?
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people right on!
Hatched by Dafydd on this day, October 24, 2007, at the time of 2:44 PM
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Comments
The following hissed in response by: Aitch748
It does seem as if it's just a matter of time before one of these protesters actually does lay hands on somebody coming to the Hill to testify about something. That woman is almost doing it to Condi in that photo.
That woman is way, way too close. Hopefully this photo will get around and make it clear to people just what sort of nonsense is allowed to happen INSIDE THE CONGRESSIONAL CHAMBER for heaven's sake. Aren't protesters supposed to be holding their signs and their puppets and their street theater props outside, in the parking lot or under somebody's window? But no, the powers-that-be in Congress apparently want this sort of thing to happen -- inside Congress.
As if Congress's approval rating wasn't low enough already. If this photo makes the rounds, maybe the rating will wind up in single digits.
The above hissed in response by: Aitch748 ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://biglizards.net/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 24, 2007 5:42 PM
The following hissed in response by: SlimGuy
To get into the room they had to have tickets given to them by somebody on the Dem side of the aisle.
You don't just stroll into the room without a ticket from congressional staff.
No ticket no entry...now who takes the fall?
The above hissed in response by: SlimGuy at October 24, 2007 6:22 PM
The following hissed in response by: AMR
If one was really, really cynical, I would say that this all happens because the Capitol Police force is under the control of congress not the executive branch. Code Pink disrupted the Petraeus hearings as well. So what is new? When the anti-war demonstrators took to the Capitol lawn on September 15th of this year, the Capitol Police abandoned the Gold Star Mothers we veterans who were helping to protect from a possible attack by the demonstrators who surrounded us. While the demonstrators were most civil around us, the police did not know that would be the case. And some might notice that the Capitol police are very forgiving of improper/illegal actions of our 535 congressional members.
The above hissed in response by: AMR at October 24, 2007 6:23 PM
The following hissed in response by: SlimGuy
HotAir has the video of what happened in this situation.
The above hissed in response by: SlimGuy at October 24, 2007 6:25 PM
The following hissed in response by: Big D
Unbelievable.
I detest Code Pink and their ilk not solely for their views, but their petulant, childish behavior.
I have a thought, instead of screaming and chanting, how about putting together a well
reasoned and thoughtful argument for your position? Or perhaps you could work to elect like minded individuals to office?
Really, their protests are extremely narcissistic. They crave the drama of it all, crave sticking it to the man (or woman as the case may be). They want ot be draged off in cuffs to show off to their freinds.
Don't tase me dude.
The above hissed in response by: Big D at October 25, 2007 9:41 AM
The following hissed in response by: Big D
And another thing - those that are knowingly giving tickets to these nutballs should be censured, and their priveledge to invite guests should be revoked.
The above hissed in response by: Big D at October 25, 2007 9:42 AM
The following hissed in response by: BD
Capitol Hill Police:
"Why, we're shocked ... SHOCKED ... to see such things going on here!!!"
I suspect they are VERY reluctant to intervene until someone does "something," especially with the types whose behavior, etc. says "I want attention!!!!!"
Honestly, I think the Capitol Hill Police are far more concerned about the harm someone who doesn't look like a nut at first glance might do than the people who do.
The above hissed in response by: BD at October 25, 2007 12:48 PM
The following hissed in response by: hunter
The dhimmies have crossed the line and are so far over it, it is only blip on the receding horizon.
Code Pink is a dhimmie proxy group, waging war agaisnt the civil rights of Conservatives.
The above hissed in response by: hunter at October 25, 2007 1:21 PM
The following hissed in response by: Roy Lofquist
I love it! If only it could make the network news! It will if they keep it up. Give em more rope. Give em more rope.
The above hissed in response by: Roy Lofquist at October 25, 2007 7:40 PM
The following hissed in response by: nk
Gah! What a picture! The Capitol police were justifiably hesitant to approach that Nosferatu without garlic and holy water. (I hesitated posting this but who needs to be a gentleman all the time.)
The above hissed in response by: nk at October 26, 2007 3:07 PM
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