Minnick runs from ambush blogger ridiculing Republicans over Obama's birthplace
A group of critics continues to question whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States, though his Hawaii birth certificate and a newspaper birth announcement show he was born in Honolulu in 1961.
So self-described citizen-journalist Mike Stark went to Capitol Hill asking Republican congressmen what they think. In a montage of interviews with Republicans, he shows some clips of what happened when he ran into Idaho Democratic Rep. Walt Minnick. Stark didn't recognize who Minnick was, but identified himself as being from the blogs Huffington Post and Firedoglake.
Minnick, headed to a committee meeting, increased his pace from a brisk walk to a run. Stark recognized Minnick as a member of Congress, but had to ask for his name and party affiliation.
Instead of answering, Minnick led the reporter on a dash around the massive Rayburn House Office Building. Minnick, 66, ran and finished the Boston Marathon last year.
In the video, Stark never asks Minnick about Obama.
He does ask, "Is this as fast as you can go?" But as Minnick turns the corner toward the building entrance, Stark says, "You look like you are in pretty good shape." Then, pausing to catch his breath, Stark adds, "For an older guy."
Minnick replies: "I don't appreciate guys like you. You are the scum of the earth."
Stark’s video is posted on the Huffington Post.
Minnick’s communications director John Foster was quick to decry ambush journalism and point out that Stark never asked Minnick about where Obama was born.
“He’s absolutely a native-born American and a proud native son of Hawaii,” Foster said. “Anyone who wastes time debating on either side of this is silly.”
Minnick was hurrying, Foster said, to make a committee vote when Stark approached him.
If Stark had wanted an answer to his question, Foster said, he need only call Minnick's office.
“Walt answers to the people of Idaho, not people with cameras ambushing Congressmen on Independence Avenue,” Foster said.
- Rocky Barker's blog
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Back on July 27th
This was posted to the Neurolux Message Board, Boise's first choice for the undernews.
http://www.neurolux.com/thread.cfm?threadid=30152&messages=56
Minnick doesn't have the
Minnick doesn't have the balls to personally answer the question as he still panders daily to the conservative wing-nuts in his district.
Minnick's failure to stand up for our overwhelmingly elected president only reaffirms he is anti- American and anti-government, how can this type of representation be beneficial for the people of Idaho.
re: Minnick doesn't have the
cojones? Why because he doesn't pander to your ilk either? How dare Minnick put his country before his party who does he think he is.
Tell you what genius why don't you get one of your kind to run in the next election here and see how they do. I highly doubt they would unseat Minnick.
And why don't you tell us why that just because someone doesn't agree with your point of view it makes them Anti-American? Who made you the person that decides whether someone is American enough? The general of your basement keyboard brigade? I daresay Minnick has served this country far more than some keyboard commando who insults him on the statesman blogsite.
Funny
So getting 52.9% of the vote is "overwhelming"? Interesting definition. I suppose that means you believe that Proposition 8 in California passed with the overwhelming support of the voters, too, right? It got 52.2% of the vote.
That made no sense whatsoever
To be anti-American and anti-government is mutually exclusive. The statements by our founding fathers reflect that the true nature of this country IS to be anti-government. Therefore, to be anti-government IS to be an American.
You can't be anti-government and anti-American at the same time. If you think so, then you obviously know nothing about the historical establishment of this nation.
Regarding the Mother of All Barfights, the "Civil War"...
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Was it Minnick?
The video identified the jogger as some Republican, but if it was Minnick, we need to get rid of the guy. He is either as silly as Sali or disrespects Idaho's electorate assuming they have a high proportion of crazies.
wow
There are no depths people wont sink to try and have their own candidate in office. They will stoop to absolute insanity.
re: WOW
Yeah we know the dimocrats are pure as driven snow and they never ever do anything wrong to get their candidates in office like having dead people vote or stationing thugs with clubs outside of Philly voting stations to keep people from voting. Nah that never ever happens. By the way pot, do you ever get tired of calling the kettle black?
We got the snow from a Republicans dealer. BIPARTISANSHIP!
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Freakin' birthers. Honestly,
Freakin' birthers. Honestly, whackos like this may be Republicans, but they're the screaming minority of the party that futilely waves a tiny fist in an insane effort to drum up support for yet another conspiracy theory. Add them to the truthers, the grassy knollers and the moon landing nutjobs.
The Democrats have theirs, too, but the party does a better job of ignoring them.
re: Freakin' birthers. Honestly,
ROFLMAO this coming from the same people that say the govt killed 3,000 of their own people on 9/11? And you're ripping the Repukes for their crazies? Yeah the Dems really ignore theirs. Talk about hypocricy.
I have a life, and three classic bikes too. Got extra 4x4s?
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
I didn't vote for Walt
but I will in the next election. I'm starting to love this guy.
same
same here. co-sponsored hr1207. voted against the first round of stimulus. voted against cap and tax. will vote against national "health care". I am really enjoying his representation.
What? This was an attempt to get the GOP members of Congress
to admit their belief that Obama was born in the U.S. and put an end to their encouragement of the crazy "birther" faction. On this one, I agree with the statement the activist/reporter was trying to make.
However, I still think the tactic is slimy and no person should be forced to make a comment on an issue when they don't know who they are talking to or how the information will be manipulated. We all know statements can be twisted and taken out of context. I don't think he knew anything about this guy except that it was an ambush. I'm with Minnick on this. I probably would have just told the guy no comment and that he should work through the press office, but he is right about this scummy approach to "journalism". I think Minnick gave the most honest and direct comment of any of them.
minnick
I am surprised congress critters don't have ninjas to smack these little people who think they can ask questions .
That would be a great Japanese import!
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
I'd run too.
If I were a busy member of Congress, and I had to be somewhere at a certain time, I would try to avoid this reporter too, (well, maybe not the guy looking at pens), especially from the Liberal hack site Huffington Post. The reporter was a pushy little worm.
SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT???
Hooray for bluedogs who have a independent mind. For the Bonehead who thinks they are there to upport the president show a total ignorance of our system and how lost some people are. If those nasty democrats dare disagree with the president lets just get rid of the congress and senate and let him do as he wants. More than a few who voted for the president disagree with the change he is bringing. It seems a lot of people in the I dont pay taxes bracket could care less as long as they get taken care at others expense. The writer obviously is no top wage earner. With the country near bankruptcy and jobs being lost Im glad he is not taking time to answer stupid questions.Perhaps Mr Stark should ask if everyone in the country who is in trouble from the economy should take on massive debt they cant repay as congress is doing.
In my book, this issue isn't about supporting the president...
it's about supporting common sense and ignoring these crazy "birther" claims.
What do the Blue Dogs have to do with this? This has nothing to do with Blue Dogs' right to disagree with the president on any issue. It has everything to do with those who will lie and invent conspiracy theories instead of discussing real issues and trying to address the needs of this country.
They just love the way "Blue Dogs" sounds...
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
When your candidate is tanking what does the left wing media do?
Find a bunch of right wing kooks who claim obama was not born in the US. It makes some people forget about the inexperence of this empty suit and his terrible policys. His polls will be in the low 40's by labor day, even with the flunkies in the media propping him up.
Is Lou Dobbs considered left wing media?
He has been reporting on this regularly. I'm not sure which left wing media you are talking about because I see daily criticism of the president on all channels.
No, but Dobbs is an anomaly,
not a liberal but someone with some ideas that are outside of the mainstream. (immigration and birthers) I think he has taken that position for the ratings. Interesting point though, there is always an exception. Surely you must admit CNN, MSNBC and the 3 networks have created a (beyond honeymoon) glide path for this congress and administration. This administrations policys are new, different and edgey, certainly if others were in charge there would be more scrutiny. Most of these approaches have never been tried. I do see daily criticism on Fox though.
I see criticism on all stations...including MSNBC
I don't see a glide path for this congress at all. For example, they have regularly reported on the poor approval ratings of congress and the decline in ratings for Obama. By the way, what is wrong with different and edgey? Just about every politician campaigns on being different and fighting against the status quo in Washington, D.C..
Different and edgey policys are ok during a campaign,
but not during a historic recession and 10% unemployment. Concerning bias reporting, Pew Research reports, favorable stories percentage, Obama 42%, Bush 22%, Clinton 27%. Democrat congress has had a 13%-30%approval rating between 2008 and 2009. If this was a republican congress with these ratings, this story would lead every night.
Birthers are idiots
But consider that they make up far less of the republican population than the excrable truthers make of of the democratic population. Sorry, but the libs really do have have the market on effed up conspiracy theories.
Truth is hard to come by
Some way to roll over the Michael Jackson death scandal at least
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Minnick answers nothing
Let's see, I've emailed Minnick's office 4 times with specific questions since he's taken office and he hasn't responded to any of them. So I call BS on Walt. What a wuss!
Maybe you're being watched now (oooooOEEEEEEEEoooooooh)
Are you sure they weren't addressed from "Stan, your biggest fan"?
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
I've had just the opposite experience...
After writing, his office has contacted me on the issue and asked for more Idaho data to review on the topic. I have found him and his office staff to be quite engaged.
Just a thought, was the tone of your letter the same as the tone of your post here? He may be in no hurry to respond to those using insults to address him.
Minnick’s failure to
Minnick’s failure to answer the question straight up about the absolute false attacks on the president’s citizenship reaffirms Minnick’s weak representation, however he is in a good position to fuel the fire and become the conspiracy candidate for all those hypocrisy riddled conservative district 1 voters, who love federal farm aid but hate government.
LMFAO, you taters mistake Minnick’s obstructionism, for having his own mind no wonder Idaho politicians are such losers, the voters are uneducated slack-jaws yokels that vote against their own interests. Minnick has presented no viable solutions to any issue confronting our state and nation; he consistently re-presents archaic economic ideas of the past that put us in the hole! Minnick continues to show he is out of touch and is not preparing Idaho for the future.
Why don't YOU run and put your money where your mouth is?
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Bias Media
I like it at the end when he tells the good senator from the great state of Arizona, that because he appreciates the upfront answer, "this is going unedited".
*****
The connection to that is, "well normally I edit stuff and cherry pick the stuff that makes you look bad or tries to support by bias. But in this case I will actually present your complete answer."
"Normally I screw people over, but this ONE time it's unedited."
Stark only proves in his own words, it is well justified to avoid bias media.
Walt minnick hides well
I have been trying to get his help with a problem for several weeks now, his staff has promised many return calls not one yet, the only thing I get from them is that since I live outside of his district they would try to help, that is all BS he was on my ballot, if he dosn't want to help at least have the common courtesy to say so, I believe the only reason he got elected in the first place is that the Republicans decided Sali was unelectable and they knew Walt goes his own way, I am still trying to figure out this Blue Dog, sounds like an elite east coast bar hunting club.
Walt minnick hides well
I have been trying to get his help with a problem for several weeks now, his staff has promised many return calls not one yet, the only thing I get from them is that since I live outside of his district they would try to help, that is all BS he was on my ballot, if he dosn't want to help at least have the common courtesy to say so, I believe the only reason he got elected in the first place is that the Republicans decided Sali was unelectable and they knew Walt goes his own way, I am still trying to figure out this Blue Dog, sounds like an elite east coast bar hunting club.
Why don't you contact the congressman from your own district?
If you are in Simpson's district, then you should contact on of his local offices.
Walt minnick hides well
I have been trying to get his help with a problem for several weeks now, his staff has promised many return calls not one yet, the only thing I get from them is that since I live outside of his district they would try to help, that is all BS he was on my ballot, if he dosn't want to help at least have the common courtesy to say so, I believe the only reason he got elected in the first place is that the Republicans decided Sali was unelectable and they knew Walt goes his own way, I am still trying to figure out this Blue Dog, sounds like an elite east coast bar hunting club.
Walt did the right thing
He doesn't need to lend any creedence to either the HuffPo wacko or the birthers that won't drop the issue. He did the best thing by ignoring the petulant, self important children.
Anyone that just walks up and asks big dumb questions...
should be tackled and cuffed.
He's a US Senator.
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
OMG!
Another time I agree with FO. Should either of us be worried?
It's not fatal. Thank you.
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
No. . . . .
He's our Congressman. Get your facts straight
He probably could carry concealed too. So he handles cretins OK.
Congress is the term for the entire body, Representatives and Senators.
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Okay, then he's our
Okay, then he's our Representative. He is DEFINITELY NOT a Senator
Probably a good deduction : )
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Is this really smoking gun of Obama's Kenyan birth?
If you want to see pictures of what might be President Obama's Kenyan birth certificate:
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=105764
Not that the constitution applies to our presidents any more, but that is the latest if you're interested.
I do not run from ambush bloggers.
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There is no life in Idaho...it is a mirror site on god's server. You were dreaming but it is over. Go to your residence and await our commands and THEN we will restore control...
Probably not...
I saw something on the news that noted the certificate had the wrong name of the country and wrong leader listed. As in, whoever tried to forge this document wasn't educated enough to realize that Kenya's government had changed since 1964.