No wonder people dislike Republicans’ brand of politics. Some of them follow their leader and win at any cost. One woman’s tweet in North Carolina showed her defending her whole Democratic party.
State Representative Deb Butler(D) appeared early at the state capitol ready to do the next thing. To her surprise, that next thing was expressing outrage at the Republicans. Rules Committee Chairman David R. Lewis told them and even the media there would be no votes that morning. Instead, the politicians were free to attend the 911 memorial event.
Yet when Butler arrived, she discovered the Republicans trying to take a vote to override the Democratic Governor’s veto of the state budget. She immediately intervened.
South Carolina House whip Deb Butler (D) Butler described the reason she just happened to appear early and catch the Republicans in the midst of their dirty deed:
‘I’m chronically punctual (and was present at the vote) by sheer luck. I saw it begin to unfold and was just aghast and tried to intervene as best I could.’
She shouted at House Speaker Tim Moore (R) “I will not yield” and more. Her video went viral with a #IWillNotYield hashtag on social media. Another Democrat had captured Butler shouting that message to Moore.
Later, Butler appeared on MSNBC’s Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell and the video showed her shouting:
‘How dare you subject this body to trickery, deceptive practices — hijacking the process. We have been here day and night for months, defending what we believe — and you would submit this body to trickery, deception, deceit. It is so typical of the way you conduct yourself.’
The Democratic whip continued in the video, according to The Splinter:
‘It is so typical of the way you conduct yourself. If this is the way you believe democracy works, shame on you…you will answer to the people of North Carolina!’
When the Republicans shut off her mike, she went to another one. Then, another one. All the while, she was shouting “I will not yield!” The Republicans called the police to have her removed, and she was threatened with arrest. Fortunately, the nine Democrats who came in formed a protective circle around her to shield her from the police.
Then, Butler expressed her regret to MSNBC host O’Donnell:
‘It’s a tragic day in North Carolina politics, honestly. We used to be known as the shining star of the South, and now, we’re a place of scorched earth politics.’
Moore denied that he had said there would be no votes. Democrat Representative Pricey Harrison said that although she did not the 9/11 memorial, she knew that Democrat Representative Garland Pierce had been in attendance when the vote was taken.
Butler lamented the situation:
‘It’s very frustrating. It erodes the trust in the institution, and the institution is built on trust.’
Since they had been told otherwise, almost half of the House’s members were gone. The committee meeting ended with a 55 to nine vote. The veto did not stand. Months of work went down the drain with it.
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