Posted By:
MAF Blogger Danny
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UPDATE: VIDEO AT THE BOTTOM
November 26
1558 Hrs
Walnut Creek, CA
Leaving Ellen Tauscher’s Office

While it’s absolutely true that the focus of the Honoring Heroes at the Holidays tour is to honor veterans and those currently serving, it had come to our attention that some of our stops provided unique opportunities to do some ‘creative’ work. Walnut Creek afforded us one such opportunity.

After just leaving a great rally in San Jose, where we were brought 2500 cards for the troops by residents there, the Move America Forward team booked it to Walnut Creek where we had a mission to complete. Ellen Tauscher represents California’s 10th district, professes to be a moderate Blue Dog democrat, and is active in military affairs issues and sits on the House Armed Services Committee. She voted for the war along with most other democrats but when MoveOn.org targeted her in her primary race to get a more anti-war, liberal candidate, Tauscher turned hard to the left and adopted a political stance more in line with what MoveOn wanted.

It’s no secret that MoveOn and groups like it are steering democrats into more socialist, far left territory, and MoveOn is not bashful about using it’s money and influence to strong arm Democrats so that they fall in line. Washington Congressman Brian Baird has the political cajones to stand up for what is right and true, at least when it comes to Iraq. After returning from a visit to the war-torn country, he has changed his position, now saying that our troops are winning the war, and that we must stay until the job is complete. Tauscher has been to Iraq multiple times and returned from a trip at exactly the same time Baird changed his tune on the war. But rather than see all the improvements that Baird saw in Iraq, Tauscher denied any progress, maintaining that our troops were losing the war and dying for no reason.

Knowing this, Move America Forward just had to respond. When we arrived in Walnut Creek we were greeted by dozens of enthusiastic supporters who were eager to help us send Tauscher a message. From the bowels of our tour bus we produced stockings and bags of charcoal briquettes. Our eager volunteers each took hold of a stocking, 13 of them in all, and stood in line while I filled each to the brim with wonderfully black, sooty COAL !!!

We were so excited, crowding two elevators full of people and riding to the 5th floor of the building where Tauscher’s local field office was located in Walnut Creek. We were all in the hallway waiting and ready to deliver our message when Deborah Johns bursts through the door (well, sort of…more like casually walking in like you own the place!) followed by Debbie Lee leading a throng of patriots carrying 13 stockings full to the brim with coal. The office staff there feigned polity and listened as some of the people from the community voiced their concerns and disappointment. She tried to defend Tauscher’s positions, retreating into an office and returning back with fact sheets for everyone explaining some of Tauscher’s ‘official views’ on the troops. But that was no fooling the coal-bearers! One immediately protested that while Tauscher might have voted to fund a veteran’s aid program here or there, she votes against the bills that really count for funding the war and providing the supplies our troops in Iraq need to do their jobs. Another piped up that Tauscher’s derogatory comments about General David Patreus were not included on the ‘fact’ sheet.

They wanted to know who we were, so Deborah Johns and Debbie Lee stepped forward to speak on behalf of Move America Forward. Deborah Johns reiterated what everyone else had said, and pointed out several instances of Tauscher flip flopping on the war, pandering to the extreme liberals.

That said, Tauscher’s staff had enough and their chief of staff simply opened the door. I don’t recall her actually asking us to leave, but in a dramatic procession, each coal-bearer walked out the door, as they passed by the main reception desk, they each left his or her bag full of coal on a huge mounting pile of coal-filled stockings. And then we were gone. The last few remaining supporters made their sentiments known on their way out the door. One young man asked what would have happened if we had tried to fight World War 2 with half the congress speaking out in defiance and opposition to our Commander-in-Chief and against the war effort, as they do today.

Back downstairs in front of the building, there was cheering, clapping, and high fives. I congratulated some of the people I had seen upstairs voicing their opinions so articulately. We had made a bold statement, and we’d also collected 1,500 more Christmas Cards! Bravo!

I can tell I’m getting a little longwinded here, and while I could go on and on with more details about the whole scene, I’ll let the few pictures we were able to snap speak for themselves.

-danny [maf]

THERES THAT SIGN AGAIN (recall from Berkeley counterprotest agaisnt CodePink)

Our supporters were all very eager to make a statement and lined up to get a stocking full of coal

Everyone was anxious, lining up to get their stockings filled with ‘coal’

Our ‘coal’ was really charcoal briquettes...close enough!

Headline: “Our Supporters are Cuter than Yours - Conservative Kids Most Adorable”

Marching, ammunition in hand

MAF Supporters crowded into Tauscher’s office

Even with MAF packing the house, some of Tauscher’s staff remained hard at work (look in the back room) probably drafting some legislation to redirect Pentagon funds to a program to “save the california blue spotted weasel”

Joe point out the details of Tauschers war position conveniently left out of the ‘fact’ sheet

Overall it was an impressive pile of coal, I hope they send it all to Tauscher’s DC office

The young man who made the WW2 comment with Deborah Johns and 1,500 cards for our troops!

VIDEO!!! Courtesy of FreeRepublic poster Syncro

a few other vids

e-mail mafbloggerdanny@gmail.com for any feedback/comments/corrections.