"I don't recall learning about our Founding Fathers screaming at someone when they were debating. I always thought they were a little more composed than that."

Oh from what I understand they got into fistcuffs among other things.

"What does it tell you about someone trying desperately to drown out what another person is saying? It tells me the yeller is afraid that if people hear that message they may agree with it. Trying to drown out opinion by yelling over it is incredibly un-democratic. It basically says "only this point of view will be tolerated" and that IS un-American at its core."

More like the person feels marginalized...like their opinion doesn't matter anymore to the person they are trying to speak to so they are raising the volumne

"There was more than one protester with the "Obama is Hitler" propaganda at the town halls. I saw another with the "SS" style font on another poster. Then there was the idiot who spray-painted a swastika on a local Congressman's office here in Atlanta. The "healthcare reform is Nazism" meme is rife throughout the Internet right now. Rush Limbaugh also compared the logo Obama is using for his healthcare plan to a swastika. You make it sound very isolated but in fact it isn't and should be denounced by all REAL "conservatives" who value their political philosophy (not to mention how offensive this must be to Jewish people who lost loved ones during the Holocaust)."

I didn't say there was only one, I said a few. BTW, I do find it rather amusing that Obama is promoting socialized medicine - which no matter how you slice it is along the lines of fascism. NOT saying he is a fascist...just saying the irony isn't lost on me.

"Again, while you want to portray "conservatives" as being very rational, calm people wanting to engage in civil debate, the perception amongst most people is far different. Yes the "liberal news media" is somewhat to blame for this but they're only going to show that which is most inflammatory as that's what sells on television."

Oh NOT just the liberal news media. Recall that a lot of liberal groups did the same thing during the Bush years. Seems to me a lot of the radical conservatives have learned a bit from the radical liberals.

"Once again, "conservatives" have an obligation to call out the Rush Limbaughs and other extremists in their midst. They are destroying any credibility you want to have with the "great middle" of us moderate folks who make up the majority of the electorate."

Sorry but Rush Limbaugh, et al aside - it appears (at least per polls which I grant you are somewhat suspect) that the conservatives are making tremendous headway with the moderate independents right now.

"Obviously my parents did not approve of the left-wing extremists who railed against Bush. But also know that they figured out after a while that the Iraq War was a sham and they'd been sold a bill of goods on that and many other issues....there is a great number of "conservatives" like my folks who aren't virulently right-wing and are being left behind by a GOP bent on being just this side of Atilla The Hun. Once again, it is imperative for the GOP to come back towards the middle and having people like Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter as your de-facto leadership isn't helping that."

Glad to hear you're parents didn't approve of the extreme lefts tactics either. But I wouldn't hold your breath for conservatives to move to the middle. Not going to happen anytime soon. And there really ISN'T leadership in the GOP. Limbaugh and Coulter may fan flames, but they lead nothing really. I've laughed about people saying they are.

"The question I asked you is WHO demonized them."

Pelosi and Reid for two.

"As for calling them teabaggers, how do you equate that with demonization? I am really curious."

Oh come on...you know what that is. I don't need to spell it out for you.

chiefpayne: "Well we know for sure he said "I won.""

"You said Obama was rude about the health-care protesters."

Very well then...point take...OBAMA has not been rude.

"Drowning out opposing views IS un-American. Pelosi didn't say that being vocal for a cause was un-American, she said preventing others from being vocal is un-American. If you read carefully, Pelosi is saying the exact opposite of what you claim she is saying."

Well that's the point...they aren't drowning out opposing points of view. They are striving to get their message out but it either is falling on deaf ears or is being lost. And it's not helping when Congressmen are putting their constituents out of the meeting and filling up the seats with those who agree with them. Looks pretty bad, actually.

"I don't think of Harry Reid as a shining example, in general, but the overall point of his comment is that it's wrong to purposely and intentionally inject lies into a public debate. I don't see how you could disagree with that as a general concept."

The overall concept no...the MANNER in which he made it, YES. And shining example or no, he is a leader in the Senate.

"What do you object to in Pelosi's statement here? Is it inaccurate? I've seen photos of people doing exactly what Pelosi described. So what is your objection? How is Pelosi demonizing anybody by accurately describing them?"

The generalized "they" in the opposition to healthcare. That's like saying every liberal is like the extreme members of PETA means all of them are like that.