Democrats and GOP leaders condemn threats against lawmakers
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In separate appearances, top Republicans and Democrats joined Thursday to condemn vandalism and threats against lawmakers after the highly politicized battled over the healthcare insurance overhaul.
It was a rare display of bipartisanship as top GOP leaders and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held televised news conferences to condemn the threats against lawmakers and attacks on property.
“I don’t want this to be a distraction,” Pelosi said. Such actions have “no place in a civil debate in our country” and must be rejected, she said
House Minority Leader John Boehner underlined those comments in his news conference.
“I’ve said countless times that it’s possible to disagree without being disagreeable,” he said.
Democrats on Wednesday said at least 10 incidents had been reported, including attacks on offices in New York, Arizona and Kansas. A fuel line at the home of a relative of a congressional Democrat was cut after the address was posted on the Internet. Threats against lawmakers and their families have been left on answering machines in congressional offices.
Local and federal authorities are investigating, but no arrests have been made.
Democrats have blamed the fiery language used by Republicans to fight healthcare for inciting opponents, especially those from the tea party movement who staged rallies against the bill. Tea party officials have distanced themselves from those who used racial or homophobic epithets against members of Congress.
On Wednesday, Democrats called for a joint appearance by Democratic and Republican leaders to present a united front, but that was not to be.
At his news conference, Minority Whip Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, condemned the threats but noted that Democrats too had engaged in fiery rhetoric and argued that some, like Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, were using them to tar Republicans.
“It is reckless to use to use these incidents as a media vehicle for political gain,” Cantor said. “That is why I have deep concerns [some Democrats] are dangerously fanning the flames by suggesting that these incidents be used as a political weapon.”
Cantor also said that someone had fired a bullet through a window of his campaign office in Richmond and that he had received threatening e-mails.
-- Michael Muskal
Twitter.com/LATimesmuskal
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