Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:28 pm
While desperately seeking to exploit the situation in Iran for domestic political gain, US House Republicans have taken to comparing themselves to Iranian bloggers and Twitterers who are risking their safety and freedom to get information out of the country.
After Democrats ended debate on the Appropriations Bill last night, Rep. David Drier (R-CA) said, “I wonder if there isn’t more freedom on the streets of Tehran right now than we are seeing here.” Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) posted to his Twitter page, “Iranian twitter activity similar to what we did in House last year when Republicans were shut down in the House.”
Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) claimed that House Republicans are being oppressed just like the Iranians, “Oppressed minorities includeHouseRepubs: We are using social media to expose repression such as last night’s D clampdown shutting off amends.” House Republicans whining because debate was shut off on the Appropriations Bill is not the same as the brave people who are documenting the protests and getting information out of the country.
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The people who are writing, or uploading videos and photos are risking severe punishment. Being in the minority position in the House of Representatives is not even in the same galaxy as what is going on in Iran. House Republicans are not oppressed in any way. They are allowed to state their positions on the House floor. They are free to cast their votes.
The comparison itself is an insult to the protesters in Iran. It shows that the House Republicans don’t get it. The level of arrogance that it takes to even make such a self serving comparison is stomach turning. Republicans are always whining about fascism, but they have no idea what they are talking about. What the people of Iran are going through is real oppression. The Republicans need to understand that not getting to debate or propose new amendments is not the same thing.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
