Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor said Thursday that his Richmond campaign office has been shot at and that he's received "threatening e-mails" -- but at the same time the House minority whip accused top Democrats of trying to exploit the threats they've been receiving for "political gain."
Cantor said "a bullet was shot through the window" of his campaign office. The incident happened Monday, Fox News has learned, the latest in a rash of apparent threats and acts of intimidation against members of Congress. Most of the threats so far have been reported by Democrats, but Cantor -- the No. 2 Republican in the House -- is one of about 10 lawmakers who has asked for increased security protection, Fox News has learned.
In brief and pointed remarks, Cantor said he would not be releasing any information about the other threats he's received, as some lawmakers have done, out of concern that it would "encourage more to be sent."
And he admonished his colleagues -- specifically Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine -- for "dangerously fanning the flames by suggesting these incidents be used as a political weapon."
"Any suggestion that a leader in this body would incite threats or acts against other members is akin to saying that I would endanger myself, my wife or my children," Cantor said. "It is reckless to use these incidents as media vehicles for political gain."
Van Hollen told MSNBC on Wednesday that Republican leaders were "pouring more and more gasoline on the flames." Kaine, in an interview with the Huffington Post, said Republican leaders are "trying to stoke anger" with lies.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., in an interview with MSNBC Wednesday night, said people are getting "signals" from lawmakers on how to behave and that lawmakers need to "disown" the activity before it gets out of control. He suggested his colleagues were culpable.
"If we participate in it, either from the balcony or on the floor of the House, you are aiding and abetting this kind of terrorism, really," Clyburn said.
And Rep. Phil Hare, D-Ill., told Fox News on Thursday that he thought House Republican Leader John Boehner should step aside for not being more vocal in denouncing the threats.
"He has a responsibility to step up and put an end to this," Hare said. "I think this is despicable."
Cantor said Thursday that such threats should not be a "partisan issue."
Cantor, as minority whip, is the highest elected Jewish politician in the country, and he said some of the threats he's gotten in the past have been because of his religion. But all the recent threats against lawmakers appear to be connected to the health care debate.
The Department of Homeland Security is involved in the Cantor case because he is a member of the House leadership. U.S. Capitol Police already provide Cantor with a security detail around the clock because of his leadership position, but he has asked for more security.
Fox News has also obtained a threatening message left Friday on the voicemail of Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, which comes on top of a slew of other threats.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced Wednesday that more than 10 lawmakers have been harassed in some way.
A senior Senate Democratic leadership aide told Fox News that threats also have been made against Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., called that odd, given that Frumin just sided against the Democrats on a GOP challenge over the package of fixes being considered in the Senate, in effect sending it back to the House for an extra vote.
"The irony here is that he has people threatening him, but here's a guy who's held against us," Conrad said.
Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., has also reportedly requested police patrols around her unoccupied home for fear it might be vandalized, after her office received a threatening message.
A coffin was found on the lawn of Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., though it apparently was intended to represent those who might die due to policies in the health care bill.
Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer, in a memo to lawmakers and their staffs Wednesday, exhorted members to "remain vigilant."
The memo came after at least four Democratic offices were vandalized, including Rep. Louise Slaughter's local office in upstate New York, which was was hit by a brick that shattered a window.
The office of Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich. -- who initially opposed the Senate's health bill over concerns about abortion funding but switched to support the plan following assurance from the White House -- has received several threatening messages, recordings of which have been obtained by Fox News.
In one recording, a man swears at Stupak repeatedly while wishing for him to die.
"Congressman Stupak, you baby-killing motherf---er. ... I hope you bleed out your a--, got cancer and die, you motherf---er," he says.
Somebody also cut a propane line attached to a grill at the Virginia home of Rep. Tom Perriello's brother, whose address was mistakenly posted online as being that of the congressman.
Cantor said "a bullet was shot through the window" of his campaign office. The incident happened Monday, Fox News has learned, the latest in a rash of apparent threats and acts of intimidation against members of Congress. Most of the threats so far have been reported by Democrats, but Cantor -- the No. 2 Republican in the House -- is one of about 10 lawmakers who has asked for increased security protection, Fox News has learned.
In brief and pointed remarks, Cantor said he would not be releasing any information about the other threats he's received, as some lawmakers have done, out of concern that it would "encourage more to be sent."
And he admonished his colleagues -- specifically Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine -- for "dangerously fanning the flames by suggesting these incidents be used as a political weapon."
"Any suggestion that a leader in this body would incite threats or acts against other members is akin to saying that I would endanger myself, my wife or my children," Cantor said. "It is reckless to use these incidents as media vehicles for political gain."
Van Hollen told MSNBC on Wednesday that Republican leaders were "pouring more and more gasoline on the flames." Kaine, in an interview with the Huffington Post, said Republican leaders are "trying to stoke anger" with lies.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., in an interview with MSNBC Wednesday night, said people are getting "signals" from lawmakers on how to behave and that lawmakers need to "disown" the activity before it gets out of control. He suggested his colleagues were culpable.
"If we participate in it, either from the balcony or on the floor of the House, you are aiding and abetting this kind of terrorism, really," Clyburn said.
And Rep. Phil Hare, D-Ill., told Fox News on Thursday that he thought House Republican Leader John Boehner should step aside for not being more vocal in denouncing the threats.
"He has a responsibility to step up and put an end to this," Hare said. "I think this is despicable."
Cantor said Thursday that such threats should not be a "partisan issue."
Cantor, as minority whip, is the highest elected Jewish politician in the country, and he said some of the threats he's gotten in the past have been because of his religion. But all the recent threats against lawmakers appear to be connected to the health care debate.
The Department of Homeland Security is involved in the Cantor case because he is a member of the House leadership. U.S. Capitol Police already provide Cantor with a security detail around the clock because of his leadership position, but he has asked for more security.
Fox News has also obtained a threatening message left Friday on the voicemail of Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, which comes on top of a slew of other threats.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced Wednesday that more than 10 lawmakers have been harassed in some way.
A senior Senate Democratic leadership aide told Fox News that threats also have been made against Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., called that odd, given that Frumin just sided against the Democrats on a GOP challenge over the package of fixes being considered in the Senate, in effect sending it back to the House for an extra vote.
"The irony here is that he has people threatening him, but here's a guy who's held against us," Conrad said.
Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., has also reportedly requested police patrols around her unoccupied home for fear it might be vandalized, after her office received a threatening message.
A coffin was found on the lawn of Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., though it apparently was intended to represent those who might die due to policies in the health care bill.
Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer, in a memo to lawmakers and their staffs Wednesday, exhorted members to "remain vigilant."
The memo came after at least four Democratic offices were vandalized, including Rep. Louise Slaughter's local office in upstate New York, which was was hit by a brick that shattered a window.
The office of Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich. -- who initially opposed the Senate's health bill over concerns about abortion funding but switched to support the plan following assurance from the White House -- has received several threatening messages, recordings of which have been obtained by Fox News.
In one recording, a man swears at Stupak repeatedly while wishing for him to die.
"Congressman Stupak, you baby-killing motherf---er. ... I hope you bleed out your a--, got cancer and die, you motherf---er," he says.
Somebody also cut a propane line attached to a grill at the Virginia home of Rep. Tom Perriello's brother, whose address was mistakenly posted online as being that of the congressman.
8 comments:
castill0People are getting Cra cra It looks to me like its a scary time to be a politian. But I guess when isn't it?
Death threats are not new, people argue, and when you disagree, higher chance of dying. You try and make a difference, but people just hate you for it.
Honestly, politicians will always use the media for their own political gain so saying that they shouldnt do it is like telling a bird not chirp: it's going to happen one way or another. As far as the whole threating emails go, there will always be disgruntled citizens who dont like the way politicians run things and we as americans have a right to voice our opnion. However, to shoot at their office, now thats going overboard. The bill has passed, there isnt anything you can do about it now. Killing the politicians who are responsible amounts to nothing but a dead body, a grieving family, and major jail time for the assasin.
I think that all of this is rooting from the intiation of the health care bill in which some people dont approve of. These attacks are just messages they wish to send to these people. I think however that these people should be found and punished for there misbehavior,it was way out of line.
Who cares if your a democrat or a republican! That has absolutely nothing to do with the current issue. The real problem is that some people are whacked-out/immature enough to make violent and threatening remarks and acts towards others.
Sadly this problem isn't new because for years politicians have faced both threats and violent actions. The irony is that these "threateners" feel as if their own moral superiority allows them to over step their legal boundaries to act on a principle... who do they think the are... Raskolnikov???
Anyone who states that they understand the THOUSAND page bill is lying!!! I think that everyone who is super excited or super peeved about this bill needs to chill out, get their panties out of a twist, let go of their political party pride, and search for a little health care bill nirvana.
"If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us. The free mind is not a barking dog, to be tethered on a ten-foot chain."
-Adlai E. Stevenson Jr.
These threats are getting out of hand. But I feel that it is deeply hypocritical for Republicans to announce they are receiving threats and then denounce the Democrats for exploiting such a situation. It's like they are saying, "How dare you announce that people have threatened you? I've recently been shot at, but you don't hear me announcing that at all! Wait a second...except for the fact that I just did. Well, other than right now, I'm not being public about the very threating threats against me!"
And why am I not surprised to find that fox news is presenting the scandals (congressmen suggesting others step down for not being firm enough in their opinion of the threats, and eagerly collecting recordings of threats? Maybe Fox thinks that if viewers are readily exposed to these messages, maybe the viewers will begin to second the threat's opinion on the health care bill.
These threats are definitely bipartisan!!! :) that's quite ironic phrasing, but very true. The truth of the matter is that the American people are not happy with congress, because why? Because everything is so partisan so nothing gets done! Democrat approval rating in congress: 36%. Republican: 27%. expect the midterms to shape quite nicely for the republicans though. All of this violence going on at the offices of these lawmakers is to be expected and well deserved. When a congressman himself Is radical enough to yell "baby killer", what to you expect the populace attitude to be? Loving?
This is getting a little bit ridiculous. I mean Im all for free speech but this? This is intimidation. Im sure people will comment on this saying things like this is what they get for passing Obamacare or Socialistic bills, but really? "I hope you bleed out your a--? And the thing is, most people dont even understand what's in the bill, and ironically those who dont are most likely the ones who would be aided by it. So there must be a misunderstanding somewhere along these lines...hmmm who's to blame? Inflammatory politicians and spin doctors(even those who claim to be surrounded by a NO-SPIN-ZONE)like the tea party express movement headed by sarah palin and her favorite moose. My point is, wrong info and spin has been disseminated throughout america this whole political cycle, I mean remember when people claimed Obama was a muslim terrorist?
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