Monday, March 22, 2010

The Window War: Perfect ending to a long day -- Misquoted by CNN

Duke Phillips, head of Phillips Broadcasting (formerly Duke Phillips' House of Chicken and Waffles) from the 90s cartoon sitcom, The Critic. A loosely-disguised send-up of Ted Turner and CNN.

Duke Phillips was my favorite character on The Critic, simply because he so perfectly fit the Ted Turner/CNN reality. For example, when Duke discovers he is dying from a genetic illness, the critic, Jay Sherman, suggests he lean on God. "Tell me, have you ever thought about going to church?"

Duke replies, "Religion, huh?" Then he puts his fists to the sides of his forehead, extends his index fingers and proclaims, "Well, like other members of America's cultural elite, I worship Pan the Goat God."

So anyway, having been misquoted by CNN before, back in the 90s, I didn't have much expectation of accuracy when a producerette named Samira called me from Atlanta this afternoon.

With my already diminished expectations, I was not disappointed.

The story is below.

I'll have comments on the other side.

March 22, 2010

Reports emerge of vandalism at Democratic offices

Posted: March 22nd, 2010 07:39 PM ET

(CNN) - Democratic offices in at least three states have reported instances of vandalism that party members say possibly were tied to Sunday's historic vote on health care reform.

Early Monday morning, a glass panel at the Tucson office of U.S. Rep. Gabrille Giffords, D-Arizona, was shattered, spokesman C.J. Karamargin told CNN. It wasn't clear how the window was shattered, but visitors have to go through the a gated courtyard to enter the office, and staffers suspect someone may have shot a pellet gun at the glass, he said.

Nothing was taken from the congresswoman's office, Karamargin said.

Staffers had stayed late at the office the night before because of the health care vote, but had left before the incident, he added. The office has never experience anything like it since Giffords' staff occupied the office in January 2007, Karamargin said, adding that staffers do believe the incident was linked to the health care vote in Washington.

In upstate New York, two similar incidents were also reported before Sunday night's vote, according to CNN affiliate WHEC. A brick was thrown through the window of the Monroe County Democratic Committee headquarters in Rochester, and another was tossed through a window of Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter's office in Niagara Falls early Friday.

WHEC reported that a note attached to the brick in the Monroe County office read "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice" - a quote delivered in an acceptance speech by Republican president candidate Barry Goldwater at the 1964 GOP convention.

Nobody was injured in either incident in New York.

Slaughter told WHEC that her offices have received threatening phone calls recently.

Speaking on the House floor Sunday, Slaughter referred to damage at her office, saying, "The anger isn't just contained outside the Capitol. Last week someone hurled a brick through the window of my district office in the dark of night. We must step back to remind ourselves of why we are here."

The House of Representatives on Sunday passed the sweeping $875 billion health care reform bill in a 219-212 vote. All 178 Republicans opposed it, along with 34 Democrats. Both Giffords and Slaughter supported the measure, though authorities investigating the incidents have not officially confirmed the link to the health care vote.

Another incident was reported earlier in the weekend by the Sedgwick County Democratic Party in Kansas. Party Executive Director Lyndsey Stauble told CNN that a brick with anti-Obama and anti-health care messages was thrown at the headquarters sometime late Friday or early Saturday. Nothing was taken, and nobody was injured, she said, adding that a bakery next door called police.

Stauble mentioned that a recent post on a blog encouraged people to throw bricks at local Democratic offices nationwide.

The Alabama-based blog, called "Sipsey Street Irregulars," says it has launched a so-called "window war" against Democrats and has kept a tally of the recent incidents of damage, including the ones in New York and Kansas.

Blogger Michael B. Vanderboegh of Pinson, Alabama, told CNN Monday that in a Friday blog - which he says was posted after the incident at Slaughter's office - he called for people to break windows at Democratic headquarters at the city and county level. He said he didn't call for the damages to congressional offices because, "I didn't want to be responsible for anybody breaking a federal law."

However, "I can understand how someone can be frustrated enough to throw a brick through a congresswoman's window," Vanderboegh said.

He said he feels the health care bill is "unconstitutional and tyrannical."

"My answer is violence (emphasis supplied, MBV), by getting their attention," he said, adding, "If we can get across to the other side, that they are within inches of provoking a civil war in this country, then that's a good thing."


The interview, such as it was, rapidly became confrontational, with her accusing me of soliciting attacks on "the federal government." I told her she was wrongly conflating the Democrat party with the federal government and they were certainly not the same thing. This pissed her off mightily. Insofar as my flatly saying "my answer is violence," that is bullshit, either made up or out of context. I haven't listened to my tape of the conversation yet, but if I said anything it might have been "violence against property." The rest of it seems to be accurate as far as it goes, but only my mother ever called me "Michael B. Vanderboegh," and then only when I was about to be whipped for some familial malfeasance.

But then, what can you expect from Phillips Broadcasting (formerly Duke Phillips' House of Chicken and Waffles)?

Tomorrow I have an early radio interview (0500 CDT) with Bill Moran of WCMF radio in Rochester, New York. At 0900 I have an face-to-face interview with Reuters. Wish me luck.

Mike
III

42 comments:

Concerned American said...

Dude:

I don't care if she said you were having an intimate moment with a goat.

You and the story are on CNN.

THAT's the ticket.

FuppedUp said...

..."Why are things this way today? Perhaps stated as concisely as possible, things are this way today because America made a very serious mistake. America has given ultimate political power to a visible and invisible cabal that is antithetical to the values, principles and the rule of law of American society. The ruling group has effectively dispensed with the principles of our former success. In exchange, they have adopted, and now communicate to society, that the power of the state is all that matters while justice, decency, and virtue are merely artifacts of the past."

I have been struggling for the past several years to describe what the Bush administration did to this country. I would say, without a doubt, that in the above text, you are referring to the recent Bush administration and the tactics of the President, the Vice President, The Attorney General, and the Secretary of State. Isn't it amazing how this eloquent text of yours is written as though describing the past 8 years of the Republican administration's actions against the freedoms of American citizens? Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I will go ahead and post this response to FB before you have a chance to delete it. I will be courteous enough to link back to my source of this wonderful quote.

Justin said...

HA!
Right on, C.A.

The message is getting out. I imagine this will continue for quite some time, as courses of action are planned and risks vs. rewards are contemplated.

By ignoring the people and the Constitution, they brought this upon their heads. Historically as well as according to our founding fathers and documents, WE are on the correct side.

Congrats, Mike, you've been getting the message of the cause out quite effectively lately. Even with deliberate misrepresentation and hostile media.

We all have a part to play.

Justin
III

FuppedUp said...

Why monitor the responses? Isn't that rathher one sided considering that this is a blog, designed to incite passion from the readers?

Anonymous said...

Good luck sir, this is the big chance to get the message out on a mainstream network.

Jay21 said...

What CA said, III pers in on CNN for crimeny sake. Inching closer Mrs. Dogood!

Anonymous said...

The MFrs pass a multi-megatrillion dollar bill of unfunded, unconstitutional mandates on a party line vote that included several billion dollars of kickbacks, bribes, vote-buying, arm-twisting, naked shower room antics, fake promises, and now they whine about...
.
.
(wait for it)
.
.
a brick.

There can be no negotiation, no reconciliation, no goodwill, or surrender to these people.

Eric
III

Anonymous said...

You want violence ,right?OK,it`s coming your way real soon too,you Pussy!

monkeyfan said...

Funny but weren't more windows just the other day smashed in California by mere "protesting" students?

Watch these media hacks conflate this into "Fort Sumter - Electric Bugaloo".

Anonymous said...

Suck on the teet of democracy, don't be so salty. You loose, I think it's God punishing you for being so stupid haha.

Anonymous said...

Ignore the Constitution? Its interesting that the Republicans want to fight the legality of making people buy health insurance. So, why are we not complaining about being forced to buy car insurance? Or are we being picky now? Or is that OK because the insurace companies say it is? Are you sure that you don't draw a paycheck from Aetna?
Its also interesting that many Republicans tried to argue that the bill would weaken Medicare/aid. That is funny as hell because didn't the Republicans fight passage of THAT bill many years ago? What? Do they suddenly like some social handouts and not others? Wouldn't they want Medicare/aid to weaken since it is a social program? Hypocrites.

Now, how outspoken have you been about American corporations offshoring most of our blue-collar jobs? Or the insurance companies letting people die so a VP can get a new Lexus every year? I guess it's OK if it is good 'ol capitalism at work? We don't want government involvement in our lives but it's OK for corporations to rape us blind because unrestricted capitalism works so well?

Throwing a brick through a window and running off, giggling like a 15-year old girl will not effect change. Nor will 15 minutes of fame on CNN. If that's all you have then you will just be forgotten like countless others before you...

Taking back America from the politicians is a great cause; just don't forget to take back America from the corporations as well.

Bob Powell said...

You display profound ignorance of reality. Pathetic.

The private market does not work for health insurance. Nothing short of universal coverage will. See Single-Payer Health Insurance
http://www.exponentialimprovement.com/cms/singlepayer.shtml

Anonymous said...

Dear Dumbass (aka FuppedUp):

If you're against Republicans, you're in the wrong place. You may bow before some Party deity, but this isn't about a political party.

K7C - III said...

Mike,

Don't expect ANY understanding from 96 WCMF in Rochester. Unless they have changed radically from years past, they are as left/liberal as the rest of them. They finally had the good sense to offload the loudmouth morning a**hat they had for years (and WCMF's competitor of course picked him up). I grew up outside the ROC; the city, as well as much of the suburbs (Pittsford, Penfield, Brighton, Perinton/Fairport) are straight blue (which is why ol' Slaughter has been their darling for years. Now I have my own battles to attend to elsewhere in the world.It did warm my heart to read that the office at Culver/University had been hit. Hey, all from Rochester: nail 'em all AGAIN, grab a "plate" to go, enjoy some Genny Light, and prepare for the next level.

Anonymous said...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/22/pols.dems.vandalized/index.html

Different link. I think it's the same story.

Anonymous said...

I find it interesting that I have not seen nor heard of any Republican offices with recent broken windows.

Anonymous said...

Mike,

Thank God that you are a patient man. I couldn't deal with those media trolls, even if not doing so meant that the earth would fall into the sun. For this alone, we are blessed to have you on our side.

John Richardson said...

A suggestion, and a serious one at that, is to have your own recorder and preferably a video recorder running during any interview you give to anyone in the media. It will give you absolute backup if they try to distort what you say - and they will try.

If Sarah Palin had this during some of her first interviews after being nominated as the VP candidate by the GOP, she could have protected herself and not been at the mercy of the MSM.

countryguy79 said...

Hey "Irregulars", here's a standing invitation to ANY of you: Come throw a brick at one of MY windows. You'll get a taste of what a full dose of 12-guage 00 buckshot will do to that tiny little brainpan of yours in return. This is not a threat. This is a promise and a fact.

Anonymous said...

Fundamentally, all of the liberal / communist commentators complaining about the "window war" strategy cannot take their own medicine (leftist love breaking windows and firebombing buildings at G20 meetings and at European riots) and are totally ignorant of American Colonial and Revolutionary War history. That ignorance of the 1765 to 1837 period has led to so many of the abuses and intolerable acts that have forced history to repeat. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it...

Orygunner said...

countryguy79,

My, a lethal force response for an act of vandalism?

Are you from the government? :D

Perhaps you should seek some help for your anger issues.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous makes a great point. Here we have a bunch of crazy gun nuts who advocate lethal violence against attempted crime against THEIR OWN property--read their blogs and it's endless stuff about how anyone knocking at the wrong door in the middle of the night too loudly deserves an armed response. And yet they want to destroy the property of OTHERS with impunity. It would be a welcome news story to hear of a security guard at one of the targeted Dem offices shooting dead one of these thugs as he attempted to launch his hate-messaged brick.

Anonymous said...

Misquoted, Vanderboegh? All CNN has to do to verify the accuracy of the quote is read your hate-filled blog.

Really, you rant about your fellow citizens as though they were the Devil's very minions, and then you expect to be treated nicely by us?

Looking forward to seeing you with handcuffs on and this blog dead.

Anonymous said...

Have the Feds contacted you yet?

Might be time to lawyer up....

Dan F said...

To the Anonymous who compared this to car insurance- and likely won't return to read responses- car insurance is for the other guy. Republicans for health insurance? Come on now, it's incremental defense. SS has been a part of culture for so long that it would alienate too many people to dump 'reform' AND SS all at once. Your accusation doesn't work under the light.

rexxhead said...

Curious...

Some of these writers claim that 'the free market' has failed to provide affordable health care, exposing their assumption that a 'free market' (for anything) actually exists in this country.

Clearly, they have not been paying attention.

Anonymous said...

hey countryguy73 . . . . . man up with some balls and post your address . . . someone might take you up on that dare.

Until such time, you are just a snot dripping little libtard. . . with a 12ga to prove it's manhood.

anvil said...

Anyone who does not understand the difference between their state mandating LIABILITY insurance on public roadways and the feds mandating health insurance is a moron, has no buisness on this internet and got what they paid for with their govt. / public educatoin.
Cheers

Temnota said...

"This is not a threat. This is a promise and a fact."

...Although I note he omitted his address.

Hmmm.

Anonymous said...

Funny how you use the term "irregular." Isn't the term "unlawful enemy combatant" now? Have fun in Gitmo.

j3maccabee said...

Heh heh.... I see Mike allows inbreds like "countryguy' to post on his blog, that's tolerant. The guy, who at last count had two entire posts on his blog, apparently got off his Mom's couch long enough to write a badass comment about his phallic-substitute 'shotgun' and how he wuz a gonna kill them thar eeeevil three per center folk. I was really affrighted and may need counseling!
But maybe if I just cuddle with my official 'countryguy doll', I'll get over mah fears!!

Patrick Henry said...

According to "CountryGirl69's" (ahem) "blog" he should have completed his "degree" a year ago.

I wonder when he'll move out of Mommy's basement?

Don't worry honey - Mommy won't let the bad men from the internet get you. Would you like some warm milk? Want Mommy to rub your back?

This ain't counterstrike, boy. Be VERY careful what you wish for.

PS: Mike - you really oughta publish IP addresses with these moronic posts...

III more than them said...

"It would be a welcome news story to hear of a security guard at one of the targeted Dem offices shooting dead one of these thugs as he attempted to launch his hate-messaged brick."

Welcome, huh? You want to see people with bricks dead? Isn't that in itself "hateful"?

Thugs are your buddies the SEIU, who beat peaceful African Americans distributing politically protected free speech.

What a frapping hypocrit.

SamenoKami said...

"Anon. ... forced to buy car insurance...."
Are you really that ignorant, Anon.?
If you don't own a car, you don't have to buy car insurance. If you aren't 16yrs old, you don't have to buy insurance even if you own a car because legally you can't drive it anyway. This "health care" bill makes you buy health insurance just because you are breathing.
Man, no wonder this country is in such bad shape w/mental midgets like you being allowed to vote.

Anonymous said...

"It would be a welcome news story to hear of a security guard at one of the targeted Dem offices shooting dead one of these thugs as he attempted to launch his hate-messaged brick."

Personally, I've always wanted to see those rioting anarchists in Seattle get shot to the ground, but it never seems to happen. Pity, that.

Anyway, most security guards at these complexes aren't armed. The liability insurance costs would be astronomical.

Would be nice though, if these offices were forced to hire 24hr security out of their limited staff budgets.

jack said...

Hey, countryguy79, you forgot to post your address...

Anonymous said...

A suggestion, and a serious one at that, is to have your own recorder and preferably a video recorder running during any interview you give to anyone in the media. It will give you absolute backup if they try to distort what you say - and they will try.

If Sarah Palin had this during some of her first interviews after being nominated as the VP candidate by the GOP, she could have protected herself and not been at the mercy of the MSM.

March 23, 2010 1:01 AM
Blogger countryguy79 said...

Hey "Irregulars", here's a standing invitation to ANY of you: Come throw a brick at one of MY windows. You'll get a taste of what a full dose of 12-guage 00 buckshot will do to that tiny little brainpan of yours in return. This is not a threat. This is a promise and a fact.

March 23, 2010 3:20 AM

Hey REGULAR, these are not promises or a facts as you state as YET. They are illusions in your mind until that point of contact, Sir . Have you faced any person, animal or thing in a life or death struggle with or without a whimper excepting your own reflection in a mirror, Sir? Have you "personally" faced death up close and personal and won the day, Sir? I understand emotion, it is what most females exhibit and many males do in the face of dire personal consequence. Please be cautious with the keyboard bravado, Sir as you may have to put up or be shut up AND there are determined men and women out there, BE KIND or REWIND, OK?

Chris
III

Anonymous said...

Tsk, tsk Anvil. Name-calling speaks to your intelligence.

Car-insurance addresses liability, yes. Hmm, if we had a bunch of folks running around without car insurance then who foots the bill? State, local, federal governments? Wouldn't that increase your taxes.
OK, follow me now, who the hell do you think picks up the tab for all of these people without health insurance when they fall down the steps drunk and go to the emergency room? Just drawing a comparison here. However, feel free to keep name-calling if you are reliving your high school days.

Anonymous said...

Can you even spell (Illigal- ill lie gal, lol) you dumbass redneck… I will be there and show you ignorant fools. I think its time to rewrite the OLDASS CONSTITUTION!!! Didn’t men wear wigs back then. Please it’s time to update it. I can see Russia from my house…lol….Is there a North and South Korea. You guys are a bunch of IDIOTS and I think you have no business owning guns. I DARE YOU TO POST THIS. BRING IT!!!! YEE HAW... Karma is a Bitch

Anonymous said...

Heads up ....
My son often works at his local Democratic Committee headquarters, sometimes late at night. I will hold you personally responsible for any harm that may come to him as a result of someone hurling a brick through the headquarters' window upon your encouragement. This mom would be compelled to take up issue with your mom. Then you'd know what it feels like to have someone you love threatened/hurt!

Happy D said...

Want to put up your tape so we can laugh at CNN house of waffles.

CowboyDan said...

To one or more of the Anonymouses who've posted here in the last 24 hours - In 1964, there were 68 Democrats and 32 Republicans in the Senate.

57 D's and 14 R's voted for the bill, 7 D's and 17 R's against, 4 D's & 2 R's not voting.

In the House of Representatives, there were 293 D's & 140 R's. 237 D's for, 48 against, 8 not voting.
70 R's for, 68 against, and 2 not voting.

At the time, there were enough D's that the R's were strictly back benchers, as the Brits call them, a loyal but ineffectual opposition.

As for Country Guy or girl and some of the other Anonymouses, ya'll are just real rude, at best, and real damn dumb at worst.

Baiting people with offers of and calls for gratuitous violence is at best discourteous and unwise, at worst terminally stupid.

One dumb thing, you don't know who you're messing with, what they know, where they are or may be what kinds of weapons they may or may not have, who their friends are, where THEY are or may be, or if they're as unbalanced as you, seem to be.

Two, offering to deal with them in a violent manner puts the world on notice that you have violent tendencies toward these particular people.

That goes to show that you've not only thought about it but that you're planning it and actively taking steps to do so. Please hope that they stay safe for a long time to come, and be aware that there are a lot of people with a lot of useful skills that you may not want to call out for a fight. There are guys out there with shotguns, shovels, shivs, all sorts of ropes to play all sorts of tricks with, and there are swamps full of gators that you'll never find your way out of if you DO go in alive.

I for one will hope that you don't wander into the wrong yard at a really bad moment. Have a great day, and please learn to be more considerate of others.