Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
April 9, 2011 at 12:18am
Have you all seen this yet? I guess the entire American commentariat has already had a go at this, but I'm really shocked. Just who does this guy think he is, talking to the people he's supposed to be serving like that?
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Sep '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Honestly, I didn't see anything wrong with what Rep. Moran had to say. The guy deserves heaps of scorn for his party not bothering to pass a budget and putting us in thie position, but it's not like he can do anything by staiyng in DC now when everyone else is gone. He's just some pipsqueak congressman, 1 out of hundreds. He wasn't going to be there anyway and instead of just hanging out at home and watching "Pawn Stars" he held a town meeting. Good for him! After getting blasted by the guy for a while, I can understand his human reaction to the questioning and getting a little peeved.
Give the guy a break.
Dec '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Srsly?
Feb '11
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Here's my basic issue with threatening military pay: Leaving aside the basic fact that anyone who plays politics with the families of people who have pledged, and often give their lives to keep us free, deserves nothing more than to be lying face down in a drainage ditch. Other workers who aren't getting paid can be sent home - no work, no pay. Serviceman - especially those deployed - literally can't stop working. Working for no pay makes them slaves - or at the very least indentured servants.
May '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
He's a congressman in a safely gerrymandered district...THAT'S who he thinks he is. And from what I've read of Virginia's redistricting plans, not much will change any time soon.
Sep '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Mike LaRoche
Johannes Allert
Well, at least he's consistent, right?
Something else to consider here which is not talked about, but that has very real consequences. My wife's Army Reserve training was cancelled this weekend because of the shut down. In addition to not getting paid, these individuals are denied the valuable training time in order to be on top of their game when sent into harms way. · Apr 8 at 5:02pm
How can military preparedness be anything but essential services?!? That this is even a concern for American service men and women is simply bizarre. I also found the responses of the others in the room to be very depressing and was amazed that people told him to sit down. "Give him a chance to anwer," I could understand someone saying. "Sit down," I can't.
Oct '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Sisyphus
Mike LaRoche
Indeed, Moran is the embodiment of Oscar Wilde's observation that "a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds." · Apr 8 at 6:54pm
Not to put too fine a point on it, we are casting Moran as the hobgoblin? · Apr 8 at 7:30pm
Moran is a man with a small mind who is beset by the hobgoblin of foolish consistency.
Jun '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
K T Cat: Honestly, I didn't see anything wrong with what Rep. Moran had to say. The guy deserves heaps of scorn for his party not bothering to pass a budget and putting us in thie position, but it's not like he can do anything by staiyng in DC now when everyone else is gone. He's just some pipsqueak congressman, 1 out of hundreds. He wasn't going to be there anyway and instead of just hanging out at home and watching "Pawn Stars" he held a town meeting. Good for him! After getting blasted by the guy for a while, I can understand his human reaction to the questioning and getting a little peeved.
Give the guy a break. · Apr 8 at 7:40pm
That man introduced himself as a disabled vet with 27 years of service. He's sacrificed his health and more than a quarter of his life in service to this country and his countrymen; the very least he's entitled to is a little bit of courtesy.
Jun '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
I don't like Rep. Moran, and I think he was obnoxious here.
But... but... he was being criticized for not staying in session. He's in the minority. Could he have forced the House to stay in session?
And then, his questioner.. Does he deserve courtesy that he does not give?
I'm fine with raucous town-hall meetings. How many on this board root for Chris Christie putting down those school teachers who dare to cross him! But don't go all fainting-spell on us when a Congressman who doesn't agree with you is very very clear on that point. (And really, I don't think the questioner looked like he was ready to break into tears at his treatment.)
Yes, vote against the guy. Campaign against the guy. On the issues.
But this whole attitude of "let's keep it civil" which alternates between sarcasm (after the Giffords shooting denunciations) and real complaints such as this one just gets dizzying.
Mar '11
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
I believe he also grabbed the kid and punched him, but I could be wrong about that. He certainly cursed at the 8-year-old.
Sep '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Casey Taylor
That man introduced himself as a disabled vet with 27 years of service. He's sacrificed his health and more than a quarter of his life in service to this country and his countrymen; the very least he's entitled to is a little bit of courtesy. · Apr 8 at 10:23pm
Casey, my dad was a 33 year veteran with a list of combat citations as long as your arm. I grew up around the military and have worked with them as well. Some of them, like my dad, are wise and wonderful, others are obnoxious, arrogant blowhards. Whatever they are, they're not members of some caste that's above the rest of us and get to trot out their status for a free pass for rude behavior.
To me, it looked like this guy wanted to keep shouting over the congressman as he was trying to answer the question. Like Mr. Westberg said above, Rep. Moran couldn't have kept congress in session if he wanted to since he is now in the minority.
Mar '11
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Having seen Moran's antics in the past, I'm amazed he kept as calm as he did. He's usually much more incendiary, caustic, and condescending. I kinda agree with KT. If you go to a Moran town hall meeting, you shouldn't really expect cordiality if you derail him from his talking points. (Trivia: his little brother would've won the gubernatorial nomination last time around if Terry McAuliffe hadn't split the carpetbagger vote in the Democratic primary.)
Edited on April 9, 2011 at 5:23pmJul '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Fat Dave
I believe he also grabbed the kid and punched him, but I could be wrong about that. He certainly cursed at the 8-year-old. · Apr 9 at 6:50am
He physically assaulted the child.
Jul '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Tom Westberg: I don't like Rep. Moran, and I think he was obnoxious here.
But... but... he was being criticized for not staying in session. He's in the minority. Could he have forced the House to stay in session?
And then, his questioner.. Does he deserve courtesy that he does not give?
I'm fine with raucous town-hall meetings. How many on this board root for Chris Christie putting down those school teachers who dare to cross him! But don't go all fainting-spell on us when a Congressman who doesn't agree with you is very very clear on that point. (And really, I don't think the questioner looked like he was ready to break into tears at his treatment.)
Yes, vote against the guy. Campaign against the guy. On the issues.
...
None of the arguments in Moran's favor articulated here, and in this thread, were articulated by Moran himself. He went with sarcasm and condescension, cleanly missing an opportunity to lament the plight of our servicemen.
Whether that veteran appreciated it at the time or not, if his intent was to show up the representative, he was fabulously successful. An unforced error.
Jun '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
K T Cat
Whatever they are, they're not members of some caste that's above the rest of us and get to trot out their status for a free pass for rude behavior.
To me, it looked like this guy wanted to keep shouting over the congressman as he was trying to answer the question. Like Mr. Westberg said above, Rep. Moran couldn't have kept congress in session if he wanted to since he is now in the minority. · Apr 9 at 7:29am
You do realize that by drawing your father's military service into this that you've done the exact thing that you criticize that vet for doing, right?
I think you should watch that video again. Who's being rude? Who's talking over whom? Better yet, who works for whom? I don't see that vet "trotting out his status" for anything but an illustrative point: he's concerned for the welfare of his brothers and sisters in arms, and he's probably more than a little concerned about his retirement. That's perfectly legitimate, especially for a constituent in a district with a high percentage of former military.
Apr '11
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
wilber forge: Now this may be out of school, yet somedays makes one wonder ...
What if the elected insult and villify the audience to the point where they storm the podium and pummel the elected to the ground ?
May that not then change the tone ?
Have these folk become so insular that the feel there are no consequences?
Thankfully, we happen to be far more civil than that, just a mental note.. · Apr 8 at 5:22pm
As in the "debates" in the South Korean legislature! Or is it the Japanese legislature? ( Makes the WWE look like a bunch of pikers.)
Perhaps an open can of "kick butt" on the stage would significantly change the tenor of the debates...picture a round of fisticuffs between Bachman and Pelosi...Hmmmm...or a good old "Russian tag-team" event between the Tea Party and the Democratic Caucus! At times I've thought about opening that can myself, however, the reality is that until his constituents get fed up with him, he will be able to continue. (As with Alan Grayson, D-Fla.) All the more reason to get out the vote!
Sep '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Casey Taylor
You do realize that by drawing your father's military service into this that you've done the exact thing that you criticize that vet for doing, right?
I think you should watch that video again. Who's being rude? Who's talking over whom? Better yet, who works for whom? I don't see that vet "trotting out his status" for anything but an illustrative point: he's concerned for the welfare of his brothers and sisters in arms, and he's probably more than a little concerned about his retirement. That's perfectly legitimate, especially for a constituent in a district with a high percentage of former military. · Apr 9 at 10:01am
1. No, I'm making the point that I have some experience in the matter.
2. I saw a lot of cuts in the video and have no idea what was edited out. Whatever his concern, repeatedly yelling at the dude and talking over him isn't OK.
Sep '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
Sisyphus
Tom Westberg: I don't like Rep. Moran, and I think he was obnoxious here.
But... but... he was being criticized for not staying in session. He's in the minority. Could he have forced the House to stay in session?
And then, his questioner.. Does he deserve courtesy that he does not give?
...
None of the arguments in Moran's favor articulated here, and in this thread, were articulated by Moran himself. He went with sarcasm and condescension, cleanly missing an opportunity to lament the plight of our servicemen.
The guy's just not that good of a politician. Like someone else said, he comes from a safe district. Still, you have to allow him some human reaction. The vet got nasty and he got nasty back. It's not like his opening speech was a blast at the vet, triggering the whole exchange.
Jun '10
Re: Who Does Rep. Jim Moran Think He Is?
K T Cat
1. No, I'm making the point that I have some experience in the matter.
2. I saw a lot of cuts in the video and have no idea what was edited out. Whatever his concern, repeatedly yelling at the dude and talking over him isn't OK. · Apr 9 at 11:17am
I certainly understand that, but given Rep. Moran's history and that veteran's legitimate concern, I'm willing to err on the side of the vet.