Violent threats hit Obama allies over health vote

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Violent threats hit Obama allies over health vote

Thu Mar 25, 6:28 AM

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Top Democratic lawmakers called in police and the FBI after

House members who voted for historic health care reform received violent threats

and obscene, abusive messages.

Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said more than 10 lawmakers had

reported incidents since Sunday's vote, some of which he described as " very

serious " without giving details.

Lawmakers stepped up their security, as one senior Democrat reported bricks had

been thrown through the windows of her home district office.

Democratic Representative Bart Stupak, who brokered a deal clearing the way for

some fellow anti-abortion lawmakers to vote for the legislation, received a fax

with a noose and the caption " all Baby Killers come to unseemly ends Either by

the hand of man or by the Hand of God. "

The abusive tone of some of the threats as well as incidents of violence have

clearly shaken lawmakers as they prepare to head home this weekend for a spring

recess.

Stupak's office received a voicemail in which an irate man declares: " You

baby-killing mother(expletive). You turncoat son of a (expletive) piece of

(expletive). I hope you bleed out your (expletive), get cancer and die. "

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was investigating a reported incident

of a gas line being cut at the home of one lawmaker's brother, and the US

Capitol Police was briefing worried representatives on how to keep themselves

and their families safe.

" We received information that the congressman may have been threatened and that

was the reason for us going to his brother's house, because it was related to us

that he may have been targeted, " the FBI said.

" Any member who feels themself at risk is getting attention from the proper

authorities, " said Hoyer. " That activity ought to be unacceptable in our

democracy. "

House Rules Committee chairman Louise Slaughter said in a statement that someone

threw a brick through the window of her district office and " a voicemail

referencing snipers " was left on her campaign office phone system.

" 'Assassinate' is the word they used... toward the children of lawmakers who

voted yes, " reported a Rochester television news outlet of the message left for

the New York lawmaker.

" The US Capitol Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police

departments are all aware of these incidents and are still investigating, " she

said in a statement.

The incidents occurred after demonstrators demanding lawmakers " kill the bill "

reportedly spat on one black representative and called others racial slurs just

outside the Capitol over the weekend.

Republican House Minority Leader Boehner said many Americans were " angry "

about the health law, but underlined that " violence and threats are

unacceptable. That's not the American way. "

" We need to take that anger and channel it into positive change. Call your

congressman, go out and register people to vote, go volunteer on a political

campaign, make your voice heard -- but let's do it the right way, " he said.

Democratic Representative Clyburn said it was up to lawmakers from all

political stripes to send a unified message that such threats from constituents

were unacceptable.

" We in this Congress have got to come together in a bipartisan way and tamp this

foolishness down. It doesn't make sense. That's not what a democracy is all

about, " Clyburn told CNN.

Ahead of the health care vote, conservative blogger " Solly " Forell was already

reportedly being investigated by the US Secret Service for threatening posts

toward Obama that he made on the website Twitter.

" ASSASSINATION America, we survived the assassinations of Lincoln and Kennedy.

We'll surely get over a bullet 2 #BarackObama's head, " he wrote in a posting.

Forell later deleted the post and backtracked, writing: " Let us all renounce the

harsh rhetoric about the (president). Several, including myself, (have) used

inappropriate language. Let's remain civil! "