Watch Jon Stewart And 9/11 First Responders Actually Change A GOP Senator's Mind

WASHINGTON -- As of Thursday morning, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) was among just 34 senators who had not signed on as a sponsor of a new 9/11 health and compensation bill.
But by nighttime that had changed, and the Ohio Republican and former Bush administration budget director became the 67th senator to back a bill that would make permanent the health and compensation program for 9/11 responders, which began to expire this year.
All it took was a visit from a firefighter dying from 9/11-linked cancer, a dozen other responders, and Jon Stewart.
"His chief of staff just called me and said he was going on the bill," said John Feal, the founder of the FealGood Foundation advocacy group, calling from his car on the way home from a day lobbying lawmakers with the former host of The Daily Show.
Portman's conversion didn't exactly come easy.
Responders visited his office on Wednesday and felt like they were not treated very well. They tried again Thursday with Stewart and did better, visiting with Portman's chief of staff.
www.huffingtonpost.com...

Klik^ for vid.
9/11 Responders Crash Mitch McConnell's Office

Multiple sources told The Huffington Post he wanted to use the 9/11 provisions as leverage to get other items added to the bill, including a measure to lift the U.S. ban on oil exports.
www.huffingtonpost.com...

These guys wrapped themselves in the American flag puff their damn chest up shouting a lot patriotic B# while having their pics taken with 911 first responders used as props then discard them as soon as the cameras are off , I am trying to be balance here but I can't , the GOP have this thing man where they are so blatantly nasty and disingenuous , it took what amounts to a court jester twice to have to shame them into compliance and it only worked because in both cases elections were at hand..sigh!

Watch the echo chamber-kook aid drinkers come with outlandish reasons why the GOP were right to vote no for this bill.

Let the fun begin in crazy land.

a reply to: Spider879

It's disgusting isn't it? Unfortunately that's become the nature of politics in this country. It's the same thing with the GOP pounding their chests wanting America to lead and send ground troops into the middles east. A majority of them are not putting their son's or daughter's into harms way. It's easy to talk tough when you're not on the receiving end.

It's the same thing when politicians want to ignore the deficiency of our health care system and cutting popular programs that help the poor and the elderly. As long as their pensions, benefits and salaries are not included in proposed bills that cut citizen programs, they'll continue to vote for these bills that don't directly affect them.

Our representatives are so far removed from the average American citizen, it's the reason why they no longer represent the will of the people.

One mind is a start. A very small start.

Surreal that these people even have to be reminded. But it clarifies that for them, 9/11 was simply and nothing but an opportunity to monger fear and gain control. They don't think and they don't care, but most of all they don't represent us.

It also clarifies how very mentally ill they have become as a result of their hatred for a man.

originally posted by: WeRpeons
a reply to: Spider879

It's disgusting isn't it? Unfortunately that's become the nature of politics in this country. It's the same thing with the GOP pounding their chests wanting America to lead and send ground troops into the middles east. A majority of them are not putting their son's or daughter's into harms way. It's easy to talk tough when you're not on the receiving end.

It's the same thing when politicians want to ignore the deficiency of our health care system and cutting popular programs that help the poor and the elderly. As long as they're pensions, benefits and salaries are not included in proposed bills that cut citizen programs, they'll continue to vote for these bills that don't directly affect them.

Our representatives are so far removed from the average American citizen, it's the reason why they no longer represent the will of the people.

Am glad I wasn't injured during my Gulf war, safer as we were cruising up and down the gulf, but I feel for those who do and came back home messed up physically or mentally, after that pat on the back and the thank for your service wounded warriors you are mostly on your own, as your budget is cut to give contracts to huge military industrial complex or for oil people.

eterans are twice as likely as other Americans to become chronically homeless.2
Veterans represent 11% of the adult civilian population, but 26% of the homeless population, according to the Homeless Research Institute (2007).
Veterans are more at risk of becoming homeless than non-veterans
The number of homeless Vietnam-era veterans, male and female, is greater than the number of soldiers who died during the war.1
Primary causes of homelessness among veterans are:
Lack of income due to limited education and lack of transferable skills from military to civilian life (especially true of younger veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan)
Combat-related physical health issues and disabilities
Combat-related mental health issues and disabilities
Substance abuse problems that interfere with job retention
Weak social networks due to problems adjusting to civilian life
Lack of services
www.veteransinc.org...

Increase in military spending hardly do jack #@$ for them. meanwhile
F-35 Stealth Fighter is Now "Too Big to Fail" — $400 Billion Later
mic.com...

I haven't been following this, so I don't know what the GOP's argument is here, but generally speaking, I agree, this is something we should be doing.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

But it clarifies that for them, 9/11 was simply and nothing but an opportunity to monger fear and gain control.

I'm sorry, you say that and debate me about gun control over in the president speech thread?

Who's side you really on?

a reply to: Spider879

Once again we pour money into other countries under the guise of huminitarian aid..screw those in our country who are just trying to do the right thing...