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How to Handle a Bully, by Senator Jeanne Shaheen

by: Dean Barker

Sat Sep 18, 2010 at 08:30:09 AM EDT
Jim DeMint pretends he's not like other establishment Senate GOPers, but he employs the same schoolyard bully tactics they always do:
During Thursday's hearing on the treaty, the South Carolina senator strongly criticized the accord, saying that it would undermine U.S. national security.  DeMint tried to win support for an amendment that would permit the United States to develop a missile defense system.

...Senator DeMint insisted that the treaty would hurt U.S. national security unless his amendment passed, angering Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

"Are you suggesting that if we vote against your amendment that we, in some way, are not defending this country and do not believe that we should defend this country against our enemies, because if that is what you are suggesting, I personally resent that," said Jeanne Shaheen.

DeMint said he did not intend to offend anyone...

This is exactly the right approach.

When a bully calls you weak or unpatriotic because you disagree with his position, you call him out on it right then and there. Bullies don't expect to be pushed back.  When they are, they are less likely to bully in the future.

Just one more example of the quiet, but tough as nails approach to governance that Jeanne Shaheen has been providing New Hampshire in the US Senate.

My admiration for her grows every day; I only regret that it took me some time to understand her style. Now I see what a terrific role model she is to other Dems for getting good things done in an institution that has become almost completely dysfunctional.
Dean Barker :: How to Handle a Bully, by Senator Jeanne Shaheen
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How to Handle a Bully, by Senator Jeanne Shaheen | 7 comments
She's a teacher at heart (4.00 / 3)
and a good teacher knows how to deal with classroom bullies and loudmouths.  An excellent skill in Congress!
Carol has the same approach.  "I am not afraid of you, I know your kind. I will be polite, but firm, and you won't know what hit you."
I respect Sen. Shaheen (0.00 / 0)
a heck of a lot more than I do Carol Shea-Porter.

Is the senator too old to make a presidential run in 2016?

I Thought (0.00 / 0)
she was a waste of space as governor, but I've been very pleased with her senatorial performance.  Perhaps she feels a lot less constrained to get along with Republicans now.

A liberal listens to a conservative and says "You may have a couple of points there.  Let's try to compromise.

A leftist listens to a conservative and says "Your ideas are ridiculous.  Shut up and listen."

Maybe.... (4.00 / 3)
You weren't paying enough attention to the economic growth, expansion of health care coverage, kindergarten, repeal of anti choice laws, enactment of civil rights laws that were major steps on the way to equality regardless of preference, enactment of MLK day; I could go on but that should do it for now.



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    
[ Parent ]
Civil Rights day... (0.00 / 0)
When I was a kid in school we studied Gandhi, Leonard Peltier and AIM, and other civil rights movements as well as the 1960s movement on MLK's birthday.  I really thought that Civil Rights Day was a better tribute to MLK than just celebrating his birthday.

I had participated in previous efforts to keep Civil Rights Day and although I don't remember the exact circumstances I think the vote to change it to MLK day happened while everyone was distracted by the school funding crisis, which kind of seemed like a dirty trick.  Especially because it was all primarily due to pressure to get in line with other states.

That's the most prominent thing I remember from when she was governor.  I also didn't agree with public kindergarten; I support pubic schools in general, I was briefly a high school teacher myself, but the research I'd read showed that any advantages from kindergarten disappear by the  sixth grade.  (Of course, I didn't really like kindergarten myself so maybe that's got something to do with it.)  But like Ref I've appreciated her performance as a senator.

[ Parent ]
OMG, where do I start? (0.00 / 0)
Without Governor Shaheen's repeated vetoes of the Republican gerrymandered redistricting plans it never would have made it to the supreme court. It is highly doubtful we could have obtained out legislative majorities (and subsequent progressive legislative victories) without her vetoes.

Governor Shaheen signed NH's gay civil rights law (housing, employment and services non-discrimination), our first school bullying law, repeal of the ban on gay adoption, foster care and legal guardianships, HIV/AIDS victims non discrimination law, gay divorce (legal framework for the dissolution of property and assets for longterm unmarried relationships) and so much more...



2012 starts today.

[ Parent ]
Sen. Shaheen (4.00 / 1)
Sen. Shaheen is doing a great job. She knows and likes policy, people, and politics, a rare combination, particularly in the United States Senate. When I worked in her energy office in the late 1990s she couldn't have been more supportive of our work to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency at a time when Global Warming and energy independence were barely being discussed in the media or by elected officials or policy makers.
How to Handle a Bully, by Senator Jeanne Shaheen | 7 comments

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