Oh, those evil single-payer bullies!

Intimidation! Censorship! Bullying! The horror, the horror!

Eighteen supporters of creating universal health-care coverage took their cause Thursday to the front door of a Burlington woman who’s funding a campaign with an opposing viewpoint.

The Burlington woman? Lenore “Miss Daisy” Broughton, tea-party  moneybags and sole funder of conservative superPAC Vermonters First. The protesters? Members of a pro-health care reform group called Vermont Leads.

Broughton was nowhere to be seen, but in a statement she called the protest bullying.

Hmm. According to the Freeploid article, the group gathered in a nearby park and walked to Broughton’s house. They only briefly stood in front of her house because the sidewalk was under construction.

Bullying? Hah. Miss Daisy gets the vapors awful easy. As does Tayt Brooks, International Man of Mystery, who called the gathering an attempt to “intimidate and silence a citizen.”

Again, hah. The Tayter must be a real softie if a brief gathering of 18 people makes him feel intimidated.  

38 thoughts on “Oh, those evil single-payer bullies!

  1. It’s not ok to let a government bureaucrat get between you and your doctor.

    But it is OK to let a corporate administrator or number cruncher get between you and any sort of doctor. If you happen to have a job the provides you with this benefit of health insurance.

    And it is absolutely OK to let pro life protestors get between you and your healthcare provider. And shout at you. In the name of free speech, wink wink.

    And clearly, 18 protestors walking by your house is bullying. They should pool their resources, skip the coffee and donuts at their meetings maybe, and just do a huge media buy that targets her. Sure. That could work.  

  2. According to WPTZ:

    Asked about the picket, Brock said “people may not like the ads, people may as a result picket because of those ads, and Vermonters First has a right to advertise. But people have the right to picket. That’s what being in free country is all about.”

    Read more: http://www.wptz.com/news/vermo

  3. As a former constituent of mine I know that after having interacted with her on a number of occassions, I certainly do not agree with Lenore on just about any political issue, but protesting in front of someone’s house is absolutely bullying. Write letters, post blogs, attend civic meetings, send the person letters or emails …. but someone’s house should be off limits unless the police need to arrest someone for a crime.

    Can you imagine if Lenore and her colleagues started picketing outside of the houses of abortion providers?

    Actions like these will have a severe chilling effect on peoples’ willingness to engage in the political process. Either personally or through contributions.

    Let’s not lose the forest for the trees.  

    Best,

    Ed

  4. down my throat through mailers and TV ads that I get while inside my home, yet when the common folk carry $5 signs on the public street in front of her house, she feels bullied and threatened?

    Oh my goodness, where’s my rosary and hankie?

  5. the press and the cops the next time the religious folks come by asking to chat with me about how to solve the problems in the world, or the scout troop, or the high school kids looking to raise money for a volleyball tournament.

    And especially so if Kurt Wright runs again and comes by the house to leave a leaflet.

    I’d start to worry if they were out there every day, for the next week. Or even 2 days in a row. Or even once a week. So far they walked over, dropped off a note, took some pictures, and went home.

    Much ado about nothing at this point. It becomes a problem when the someone is actually bullied, no? Like when they can’t get in and out of the driveway, or mow the lawn in peace (but I bet the help does that). Or garden, play with the grandkids, etc.

    I doubt we’d have need of the buffer zone if the pro lifers walked over, dropped a hand written note in the mail box at PP, took a few photos of their signs and graphic images, and carried on their merry way.  Probably true if they did it every week.

    But they don’t – they shout, harass, and sometimes obstruct folks using the clinic.

    When this ‘protest’ parks on the sidewalk, obstructs a citizens movements, threatens, shouts, etc… I think we can twist up our panties.

    Welcome to the drifting of the OReilly Factor into ‘civil’ discourse.  

  6. Can someone send us the resumes of the 18 protestors, I might have a job for them. Or maybe we’d like to show up at their houses, well, at least the ones who live in Vermont….

  7. has made herself a public person by making a surreptitious bald attempt to purchase elections in VT which is clearly just the beginning. If she wishes to change the democratically elected scenery with her millions we do not have to roll over, write letters & be champions of politeness in the face of the war against democracy taking place in our nation funded by rich robber barons armed w/SCOTUS rulings & acres of cash. There is a war taking place, it’s the 99% against the 1%. To stand on the edge of her front yard is a relatively small inconvenience in relation the bringing of a war to VT’s backyard.  

    I saw no reports of any rude or nasty behavior, this is democracy. Channel Gloria Swanson, hide in an ivory tower & the rabble just may show up on the banks of your moat.

    Speaking of ivory towers, could she not find a suitably gated community to park hers in? Perhaps she can build one complete w/a security force to drag away the riff raff should they dare trouble the poor lady as she relaxes in the jacuzzi with her Chivas.

    How about a villa or at least a compound complete with security cams like the other wealthy power elites? A team of command attack rotties & a well armed security force sent to greet the ‘guests’ would surely send a strong message.

Comments are closed.