Congress, Free Speech, Politics

“We Shall Overcome”: Eighty Percent of the Public Opposed Green’s Conduct But Only Five Percent of Democratic Members Voted to Censure Him

The Democratic Party seemed to rush to embrace its utter obsolescence in disrupting the censure process of Rep. Al Green (D., Tx.). After Green disrupted the joint session address of President Donald Trump, Democrats responded by refusing to clear the well and singing “We shall overcome” over the voice of Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) — forcing him to put the house in recess. Polling indicates that the Democrats have a great deal to overcome as a CNN poll shows 80 percent of Americans disapprove of Green’s conduct.

CNN polling also found that 69 percent had a very or somewhat positive view of Trump’s speech. Other polls showed the same result, including a CBS News/YouGov survey showing 76 percent approval and only 23 percent disapproval.

In many ways, the moment captured how adrift the Democratic Party has become in the current political environment. It is entirely untethered to the majority of voters on such issues. Only roughly 5 percent of Democratic members voted to censure Green for his outrageous conduct despite over 80 percent of the public opposing the conduct.

As if to drive home the point, Democrats joined a defiant Green in the well to sing over Johnson’s voice. Neither House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries nor the other leadership members condemned Green or the disruption of the censure process.

Some moderate Democrats sought later to distance themselves, but their rationales were pathetically transparent.

Rep. Jared Golden (D, Maine) insisted that “In today’s environment, censure tends only to give a greater platform to the censured legislator. So I tend to lean in favor of free speech unless a clear red line is crossed.”

Golden’s statement succeeded in not only assaulting the principles of free speech but also logic.

First, there was a formal censure vote so the attention element was going to be satisfied regardless of how Golden voted. The only question is whether Maine’s representative would join his more courageous colleagues in condemning Green or stick with party loyalty over principle.

More importantly, Golden did not support free speech. He voted to undermine it. As I have previously discussed in my book and columns, deplatforming is denying the right of others to speak or to hear opposing views.

As shown in higher education, the argument that stopping free speech is free speech is nothing more than a twisted rationalization. Protesting outside of an event is an act of free speech. Entering an event to shout down or “deplatform” speakers is the denial or disruption of free speech.

Golden’s effort to portray Green’s violation of the House rules as an exercise of free speech is a mere rationalization for lacking the courage to stand with the small number of Democrats condemning the conduct.

Rep. Josh Riley (D., N.Y.) did little better. While he did not try to cloak his vote as a defense of free speech, he simply argued (as did Jeffries) that they have more important things to do: “I wish we’d spent this morning focused on that instead of the drama and political theater in Washington.”

Again, the problem is that there was a vote regardless of his desire to avoid it. He had to cast a vote and, at that defining moment, voted not to condemn this conduct. He also chose party over principle.

As I stated on the air yesterday after the vote, I watched the vote and the later protest in the well with profound sadness for an institution that I truly love. I first worked in Congress as a 15-year-old Democrat page. I revered the House and respected the members who worked on that floor. There was a time when this vote would have been unanimous against Green. There was a time when there were still things that remained beyond the pale; that transcended the rage.

It will take much more for the Democrats to “overcome” this moment. In a flash, they formally became the party of Al Green. As voters watched them rally around this unhinged member, their colleagues were being shown in cringe-worthy social media postings or clips spewing profanity in hearing rooms.

They have become more of a parody than a party.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.

300 thoughts on ““We Shall Overcome”: Eighty Percent of the Public Opposed Green’s Conduct But Only Five Percent of Democratic Members Voted to Censure Him”

  1. Professor Turley the wordsmith: “Democratic Parody”. That is masterful, and I think that is how they should be referred to from now on.

  2. The Democrats followed their disaster of a night being shown not to stand and applaud for survivors of horrendous crimes against their children, a freed hostage and his 95 year old mother (from RUSSIA no less), orphans getting into West Point and a 13 year old cancer fighter by releasing a cringe worthy “fighting video”, the useless Hakeem Jeffries giving more lame and radical answers to easy questions and singing for Al Green.

    When Jasmine Crockett, AOC, Al Green, Maxine Waters, Hakeem Jeffries, Eric Swalwell, the old lady from CT with purple hair, Kamala Harris, David Hogg and Tim Walz are the face of your party it is time for a facelift.

    1. It was all well choreographed. Pay attention to the line from the speech “no matter what i do, the democrats will not stand, smile, or applaud”.

      Then Trump proceeded to prove it.

      Every person acknowledged represented an 80/20 issue that should be 98/2.

      I believe Stephen Miller is the mastermind behind these tactics. He makes James Carville look like a booger eating kindergartner.

      Some pundits have called it political theater. The Dem stooges played their parts perfectly.

      All for the American people to see.

    3. “When Jasmine Crockett, AOC, Al Green, Maxine Waters, Hakeem Jeffries, Eric Swalwell, the old lady from CT with purple hair, Kamala Harris, David Hogg and Tim Walz are the face of your party it is time for…”

      ====>SEPPUKU<====

      FIFY 🙂

  3. There is a great Marx Brother’s movie that begins with Groucho singing “Whatever it is, I’m against it”, and it symbolizes today’s Democrats perfectly. I hope that someone with more computer savvy than me (almost everyone) will link it here for everyone to see.

  4. Here we thought it was Biden, but whatever he had is contagious. The Democrat Party has entered middle stage dementia.

  5. And the Green episode followed the juvenile behavior of Democrats wearing pink jackets and holding up pathetic little signs. As they view Trump as some kind of Hitler reincarnation, their behavior begs the question of whether they truly believe “Hitler” could be stopped by a tacky fashion statement and a protest placard. Their obnoxious silence during Trump’s acknowledgment of courageous citizens was the final straw. More than any other group in my lifetime, these robots put party power (and money) over the country in every situation.

  7. I have been reliably informed that top Democrat strategists have determined that the problem is, that they sang We Shall Overcome, when they should have been singing Kumbaya. It was just an optics boo-boo.

      1. ^^^Crybaby loser, lawn boy evis bug, the booger eating troll.

        Do you pitch these tantrums in real life???

      2. Was fun to watch Repukes clutch their pearls because Rep. Green was heckling the orangutan-in-chief. At least he wasn’t assaulting police officers.

        Things are just getting good. When Dems are back in power I hope Musk will be called to testify to Congress and gets grilled medium-well to well done. Then someone can shoot the S.O.B. to the moon with a one way ticket.

        1. “When Dems are back in power ”

          Did you take even a cursory look at the poll results? At the rate the Democratic Parody is declining, the eventuality that you propose will likely take place sometime between the 22nd Century and never…

        2. Lawn boy elvis bug, the booger eating troll, pitching another temper tantrum to satisfy his ARBD related HPD, exacerbated by TDS.

    2. Floyd,
      Good one! I think it was a lot more than a optics boo-boo. They have lost the narrative. They cannot control the message any more. More and more Americans are tried of the stupid and crazy. So, they are tuning out. Switching off the DNC mouth piece, MSM. They also painted themselves in to a corner by running on “We are not Trump!” and offering no solutions other than, “We are not Trump!” That is not going to cut it anymore. And all those woke progressive ideas, did not work at all.

  8. Since their slush fund was discovered (United States Agency for International Development) they are in a tailspin. Then the DOJ, EOA, FBI followed. They are losing their power.

    To twist the knife even further, their beloved media outlets are hemorrhaging viewers, listeners and readers. Doctor Pimple Popper gets more views than all the traditional news outlets combined. They are down there with reruns of Sponge Bob Square Pants.

    Did you know that an attorney is on set of The View? Joy had to cut for a commercial break after she’d slandered Elon. When the show was back, she retracted her statement.

    What they really fear is the 47 is not beholden to any industry for funding and he has learned how they operate during the past 8+ years of uninterrupted attacks. Like he said, there is nothing he could do to please them so he doesn’t worry about it.,

    2. E.M.
      Well said. Trump has the momentum going for him. He is winning.

  9. At some point – I’m not sure we’re there yet – Republicans will have to help the Democrats recover their party. It’s not to the nation’s advantage to have one-party rule, whether that one party is Democrat or Republican. Rebuilding the Democrat party means ridding it of the crazies, the “Squad” types, disrupters like Jasmine Crockette, Al Green, Maxine Waters, etc. These people only speak of their obligations to the nation when it’s in their best interest to do so. They are filled with pathological hatred for America and its people, including members of their own communities that disagree with them. Each could count on one hand the good they have done for their country and still have five fingers left over. I don’t begrudge them the right to represent the people who elected them – after all, that’s what democracy is for – but those constituents, likewise, need to wake up and see what little is accomplished by electing show clowns instead of dedicated and trustworthy lawmakers. Presently, these people are on the 20 percent side of every 80-20 issue. That is a recipe for disaster. If the midterms were held tomorrow, the House would be overwhelmingly Republican. That said, there is still a need for decent and honest Democrats to work with majority members for the benefit of the nation. Despite their political differences, Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill were pals and the nation thrived under their leadership. Tuesday night’s presidential address to the Congfress and the behavior of the Democrats demonstrated the very opposite of what constitutes decent bipartisanship for the benefit of America.

    1. You commenting with another moniker buddy – Mike? – down there at 7:37 am, your doppelganger blurted out the 80/20 rule. The stuff your silly commenters do, betcha have long conversations with yourselves here.

      1. Anon: In the immortal words of Donald Trump, “I don’t know what he said and I think he doesn’t know what he said, either.”

      2. Lawn boy elvis bug, the booger eating troll, once again pretending its not him.

      1. “get Democrats to stop driving on the shoulder.”

        I think a more accurate metaphor is that they are driving in the oncoming lane on the Interstate. I agree with several posters here that we need at least two viable parties. I disagree that the Democratic Parody remains one of them.

    3. @jjc

      Very much agreed. Only time will tell; right now it doesn’t look good. It is stunning how far the dems have fallen over the past 16 or so years. They are ludicrous, and I have never seen such blind and willful hate or immaturity in my life.

    4. JJC, although I agree with your comment almost entirely I do have to dissect from the idea that Republicans should try to revive or ensure Democrat resurgence. The Democrats tried to end the filibuster when they controlled the senate, they tried to pack the Supreme Court and would have if they ended the filibuster, they tried to nationalize federal elections in order to ban voter I.D. and other Dem friendly ideas and they wanted to add two Democrat states in order to add 4 new Dem senators.

      After all of the above I don’t think it is a reasonable for Republicans to give any assistance to these fascist liberals.

      1. hullbobby: I understand and agree substantially with you, but my opinion rested on the party you described changing and becoming more respectful and patriotic. The sins of the Democrats that you cataloged well and accurately are the doings of the current party that is filled with what I described as “crazies.” The party itself must rid itself of these pernicious and debilitating elements. Whatever help Republicans might provide in such a cleanup to hasten it should be considered. By no means should Republicans help the current class of clowns.

    5. JJC,
      Well said. Until the people, registered Democrats, vote these clowns out, the Democrat party will continue to suffer. I have no doubt there are Republicans who would like to work with sane and normal Democrats but there does not appear to be any.

    6. Mostly agree, jjc. But one must keep in mind the personality type of people who tend to run for public office. It’s rare to find doctors and scientists running for office. The few that do are outnumbered by the plethora of narcissistic lawyers who’s only goal in life is to control other people without their knowledge and/or consent, if not ignoring the citizenry all together. Even on it’s best days, the two-Party system fails most Americans. It collectively disregards the Constitution as often as it can. The trend more often than not is to enrich themselves first, then see about creating even more laws that will only negatively affect the law abiding anyway. So I disagree, for the duration of this administration at least. Team Red should NOT help the Blues – except for providing more shovels for them to continue digging their own political graves even faster.

      1. JAFO: Thank you for a great comment and one that provokes the sort of thinking that would take pages to discuss in full. Yes, there are many flaws in our system but we need not cut the foot to fit the shoe. It costs a lot of money to run for office and there are many good people, such as some who regularly post on this blog, who would be great representatives of the people but whose lives are filled with other chores that make such a choice beyond them. The economics of our political system ensures that we do not attract the best and brightest but mostly the available and willing. Perhaps the founders knew this and bult it in as a sort of self-controlling element to the system. In a somewhat strange sense, having incompetents serving alongside compétents reflects the competency makeup of the entire population. Still, having the Democrats, as they are, serving in office seems to be too restrictive of a well-functioning system of governance. It wasn’t always like this and, hopefully, we someday may recapture the collegiality and cooperation betwen the parties we once had and which can truly make America great again.

  10. This is what becomes of a party that for so long knew no accountability for their policies, actions or behavior. It all came back to bite them in the recent election and now they are flailing because they have no leader to chart a course back to the middle. For so long rather than serve the national interest they pursued only the accretion of power through division, dishonesty and turning the power of government against their opposition. Now they think if they simply lie better that can restore their control. The public has seen the truth and rejects them.

    1. No accountability? That’s an ethical question, what is accountability in the world of American politics?

      1. 36 trillion debt, 2 trillion annual deficits, wide open borders, a bloated bureaucracy just to name a few of the results of no accountability. On just those issues what side of the 80-20 divide are you?

        1. ” just to name a few of the results of no accountability”

          Accurate, but don’t forget that the historical blame and lack of accountability is shared between most Democrats and no small number of Republicans on many of those failings. The Republicans are in metamorphosis, and the Democrats should be, but are too blindly stupid to accept that.

      2. “…what is accountability in the world of American politics?”

        Easy! A lucrative book deal that includes a writer, a foundation feeding off the USAID scam, a seat on multiple boards, and a professorship.

    2. @tubwater

      That’s the thing: in their madness they think their strategy should be to lie and obfuscate better. They would quickly resume stomping our faces if ever given power again in their current form. People have got to wake up, and seem to be; we need to stay awake.

    3. @Tubwater: The Dems have no leader because any potential “leader” knows that it would be impossible to lead a herd of cats.

      1. Vincente-Cats have more honor and dignity than democrats. Please don’t insult our furry friends. After all cat owners are the smartest (proved by many studies).
        I would also prefer cats on my side than democrats.

        1. GEB,
          Well said. My barn cats are by far better people then the Democrats in Congress.

  11. The DEMS are run by Radical Left Wing NUTS, just look at their leadership. The hard core left run, and force Left Wing Radical policies. The moderate DEMS are afraid of the Radical Left. Just look what happens if a Moderate speaks out against the radical policies. Then we have the PAID/RENT a Mob by Soros and associates that go after anyone who disagrees. The DEM demonstrations are Paid Mobs. Antifa are the enforcers. The DEM party will continue to suffer losses in elections, except in the most radical states, such as California, Oregon, Mass etc. The DEMS need to shed the old leaders of Pelosi etc. This party is for Corruption, Fraud, Big Gov’t, Run by the Globalist etc.

    1. Anonymous, your comment is right on the money so here is an idea, create a name so that we know who you are and we can follow you more easily.

  12. Another clear example that the Democratic National Communist Party is completely out of touch with American reality. I hope the DNC continues on this path. It will result in the party and the “resist” movement are eliminated from the United States of America political landscape.

  13. Have you noticed how inappropriately angry these black Congressional critters are? I think they have WDS – White Derangement Syndrome.

      1. Anger is appropriate when you find out that your tax dollars are being spent for Guatemalan sex change operations.

        2. You like that appropriate. Then how is it appropriate for you to interject some racially tinged comment? You embarrass yourself nonstop.

          1. Clearly Lawn Boy ^^^

            Sign your name, elvis, you pathetic drunktard

          2. “Guatemalan” is an ethnicity now? Or is “gender dysphoria” racially-linked? On the subject of self-embarrassment, yours should be perpetual, but you are too completely fvcked up in the head to experience it.

    2. Da gravy train be a dryin up Floyd!

      Haven’t you heard, the white man wants to enslave them again. It’s all their leftwing leaders can spew, division.

      Who Stole my Cheese!

  14. During 2026, campaigning for the Nov. 2026 interim elections will begin in earnest.
    Everything the candidates have said, done, thought, and written about, will be front and present.

    All things being equal, which they never are, the democrat candidates will/should lose resoundingly — a bloodbath of electoral ‘shift’ unlike anything seen before.

  15. Somebody very powerful is directing this democrat party suicide mission. I wonder who, and what continent are they on?

        2. @Anonymous

          Sure. You likely think Soros is some kind of ‘humanitarian’. I’m sure the *actual* Nazis thought the same thing about their tyrant 80 or so years ago, he was just trying to make a ‘difference’ in the world through malignant narcissism, prejudice, manipulation, propaganda, insanity, and violence. Spare us. The information (it only requires a modicum of digging, too) linking the Soros family to all manner of atrocity is publicly available. They have exploited our system to their own twisted benefit like no one else in history.

      2. “His name is Soros”

        Why would Soros want to marginalize his own lackeys? More like Soros/Omidyar/Thiel (et al) started something in motion that they are now unable to control to any significant degree. That is one salient attribute of chaos: it is not subject to directional input.

        1. Thiel?

          He’s a long-time R., and is known as “Trump’s Man in Silicon Valley.”

    2. To Anonymous at 7:09 AM: Maybe they have been infiltrated by MAGA to make them look like fools? Nah, they really don’t need any help to do so.

    3. It seems that most likely that party is driven by outside money. Russia? Nope. EU? Nope. WEF/Davosians/Bilderbergers? Possibly. Incheks(Filipinos’ slang for Chinese)? Highly likely. So far their attacks on our country and culture are too successful for my comfort. Glad Trump is doing his thing.

      PS: I think Trump is egregiously wrong about H-1B, F-1, M-1 visas. No new ones, no renewals.

      1. “PS: I think Trump is egregiously wrong about H-1B, F-1, M-1 visas. No new ones, no renewals.”

        Why?

  16. It is a wonder to behold the Democrats making one huge blunder after another. But it does affirm the wisdom of the founding fathers to enable the country to self-correct.

        1. And only Dems play the fool? Such one liners just show how little you know. See if you can produce a 300 word comment without insulting anyone.

        1. Sarcasm is a sign of low mental function, especially your response, but yeah, list them.

          1. Already resorting to the personal slam, I see, as liberals do. Such an effective and totally unpredictable tactic. But to your point, where was his sarcasm? That was a legitimate question.

        1. Oh a statistician. So politics is a science. But is it?
          Then that’s why it seems the far majority of responses here are from the political science graduates crowd, never made it past just commenting rather than into the minor political leagues.

  17. Censure doesn’t seem to mean much, other than being told your behavior was inappropriate.

  18. They are a caricature of a “loyal opposition”. Just mindless resistance to everything Trump does.

    1. The imagery was perfect. A deracinated, old, black man, shouting irrelevancies during a public proceeding. It clarified everything: the Democrat Party has truly become the party of the subway schizophrenic.

      1. Yes, it doesn’t matter what Trump does. They’re going to oppose it, even trying to bolster the courage of a 13-year-old boy with cancer. I cannot believe that they are so cold and calloused, and that Pocahontas wants the war in the Ukraine to continue

        1. Ahem… its politics. And what were the reps doing during the Biden regime?

      2. “Democrat Party has truly become the party of the subway schizophrenic.”

        The “Bag Party”. Not quite up to the “Democratic Parody”, but not at all bad…

  19. “I was born a Dunceocrat. I have lived as a Dunceocrat. And I shall die a Dunceocrat. Though some may call me RINO. UniParty forever!”–Amy Vivian Coney Barrett

          1. Elections, idiot.

            And they have consequences.

            Oh, what consequences you ask??

            Give the phone back to mommy and go clean your room.

        2. Diogenes,
          Winning indeed. It is not only great to watch, but fun to watch Democrats losing.

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