The Democrats’ Lovers’ Quarrel with Occupiers

January 19, 2012

Pelosi Attempts to Create Distance from Occupy Protestors Amidst Growing Criminal Allegations

Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi attempted this week to distance herself from increasingly extreme Occupiers, claiming that Democrats “don’t really have much of a connection with the Occupy.”
If Democrats lack “a connection” with Occupy protestors, it’s not for a lack of trying. Pelosi herself has been nothing short of glowing in her comments, and she has been far from alone among top Democrats in lavishing praise on the movement.
Why the sudden flip-flop, then? Perhaps this lovers’ quarrel between Democrats and Occupiers has something to do with growing reports of criminal activity surrounding the Occupy movement. Democrats are being forced to admit that the object of their affections may not be all they’ve hyped it up to be.

Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi attempted this week to distance herself from increasingly extreme Occupiers, claiming that Democrats “don’t really have much of a connection with the Occupy”:

PELOSI ON “THE OCCUPY”: “WE DON’T REALLY HAVE MUCH OF A CONNECTION”: “House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday sought to distance Democrats from the left-leaning Occupy movement that’s swept the nation in recent months. … ‘As opposed to the Tea Party, which was practically a wholly owned subsidiary of the Republican Party, we don’t really have much of a connection with the Occupy [protesters],’ Pelosi said during a public interview with Politico in Washington.” (Mike Lillis, “Pelosi Distances Dems from Occupy Protestors, Compares to Tea Party,” The Hill, 1/17/2012)

If Democrats lack “a connection” with Occupy protestors, it’s not for a lack of trying. Pelosi herself has been nothing short of glowing in her comments, and she has been far from alone among top Democrats in lavishing praise on the movement:

DEMS COURTED OCCUPIERS:

DEMOCRAT LEADER NANCY PELOSI: OCCUPY POLITICALLY HELPFUL TO DEMOCRATS: “Despite some unfavorable polling, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi still thinks the Occupy movement has been politically helpful to Democrats.” (Brian Beutler, “Pelosi: Occupy Movement Enhances Dems’ National Message,”Talking Points Memo, 12/5/2011)

DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE HAS PETITION FOR “STANDING WITH OCCUPY WALL STREET”: (“Goal: 100,000 Strong Standing With Occupy Wall Street,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Accessed 11/23/2011)

WHILE 51% OF AMERICANS THINK OCCUPIERS ARE A “PUBLIC NUISANCE”: (“51% See Occupy Wall Street Protestors as a Public Nuisance,” Rasmussen Reports, 1/5/2012)

OCCUPIERS SPURNED DEMS:

“DEMOCRATS BECOME TARGET OF OCCUPY PROTESTS”: (Steven Yaccino, “Democrats Become Target of Occupy Protests,” The New York Times, 1/4/2012)

IOWA OCCUPIERS TRIED TO “OCCUPY OBAMA”: (Tyler Kingkade, “Occupy Obama,” The Huffington Post, 12/19/2011)

“AS OCCUPIERS PROTEST DEMOCRATS, DEMOCRATS COURT OCCUPIERS”:(Jessica Brady, “As Occupiers Protest Democrats, Democrats Court Occupiers,” Roll Call, 12/3/2011)

“OCCUPY, LIBERALS CAN’T GET TOGETHER”: “A planned meeting today between the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Occupy Wall Street activists was scuttled late Tuesday after Roll Call inquired about it, highlighting increasing tensions between Democrats and the movement.” (Janie Lorber, “Occupy, Liberals Can’t Get Together,” Roll Call, 12/14/2011)

AFTER DEMOCRATS LAVISHED PRAISE ON OCCUPIERS:

HOUSE DEMS BRAINSTORMING WAYS “TO MAINTAIN TIES WITH THE LEFTIST PROTESTORS”: “Congressional Democrats still haven’t quite figured out how to harness the energy behind the Occupy Wall Street movement for political gain, but they nevertheless are incorporating the group into their messaging as a way to maintain ties with the leftist protesters.” (Jessica Brady, “As Occupiers Protest Democrats, Democrats Court Occupiers,” Roll Call, 12/3/2011)

“DESPITE ATTACKS, DEMS STANDING BY OCCUPY WALL STREET”: “For weeks now, Republicans have attacked Democrats for voicing support for the Occupy Wall Street protesters, in particular faulting the DCCC for standing up for them. And the incidents of violence and excess have led some neutral commentators to predict that Dems will pay a political price if they align themselves with the movement.” (Greg Sargent, “Despite Attacks, Dems Standing by Occupy Wall Street,” The Washington Post’s Plumline Blog, 11/22/2011)

“NANCY PELOSI STANDS BY OCCUPY WALL STREET IN FUNDRAISING E-MAIL FROM DCCC”: (Aliyah Shahid, “Nancy Pelosi Stands by Occupy Wall Street in Fundraising E-mail from DCCC,” NY Daily News, 11/22/2011)

OBAMA TO “OCCUPIERS”: “YOU ARE THE REASON I RAN FOR OFFICE”: “A few minutes later, Obama acknowledged the Occupy protest movement again, saying: ‘You are the reason I ran for office.'” (Bernie Becker and Alicia Cohn, “Obama Heckled by Protestors at New Hampshire Speech,” The Hill, 11/22/2011)

EARLIER PELOSI COMMENTS ON OCCUPY WALL STREET: “GOD BLESS THEM”: “‘God bless them,’ Pelosi said, ‘for their spontaneity. It’s independent … it’s young, it’s spontaneous, and it’s focused. And it’s going to be effective.'” (John McCormack, “Pelosi on Occupy Wall Street Protestors: ‘God Bless Them,'” The Weekly Standard, 10/6/2011)

Why the sudden flip-flop, then? Perhaps this lovers’ quarrel between Democrats and Occupiers has something to do with growing reports of criminal activity surrounding the Occupy movement. Democrats are being forced to admit that the object of their affections may not be all they’ve hyped it up to be:

OCCUPY MOVEMENT PROUDLY PROCLAIMS 5,897 ARRESTS: (Occupy Arrests Twitter Account, Accessed 1/18/2012)

“OCCUPY CONGRESS ASSAULTS A COP”: (“Obama Creates a Monster: Occupy Congress Assaults a Cop,” Fox News, 1/17/2012)

“CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN CAMPS BRINGING DOWN OCCUPY MOVEMENT”: (Brandi Kruse, “Criminal Activity in Camps Bringing Down Occupy Movement,” KIRO FM, 11/15/2011)

“AT SCENE OF WALL ST. PROTEST, RISING CONCERNS ABOUT CRIME”: (Cara Buckley and Matt Flegenheimer, “At Scene of Wall St. Protest, Rising Concerns About Crime,” The New York Times, 11/8/2011)