GOP senator Markwayne Mullin [OK] challenges Teamsters head to a fight in a fiery exchange at a Senate hearing

[essentialsaltes]

Mullin challenged International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien to a fight on the spot after the senator read aloud O’Brien’s tweets calling him out as a “clown” and a “fraud.”

“You tweeted at me, one, two, three, four, five times,” Mullin said at the hearing. “Let me read what the last one said: ‘Greedy CEO who pretends like he’s self-made. What a clown, fraud. Always has been, always will be. Quit the tough-guy act in these Senate hearings. You know where to find me, anyplace, anytime.'”

“Sir, this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults, we can finish it here,” Mullin said from the hearing room dais.

“OK, that’s fine. Perfect,” O’Brien shot back.

“You want to do it now?” Mullin asked. “Stand your butt up then.”

“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien retorted, prompting Mullin, who is 46 years old, to stand up from his chair as if he was preparing to spring into the middle of the hearing room to trade blows with the Teamster.

[Fortunately Bernie Sanders was there to put them both in a double headlock.]

 

[wing2000]

....is Jr High?

 

[Brihaha]

I was commenting about this story yesterday on foxnews. You should have read the comments from people cheering this childish behavior. As if our United States senate is an appropriate venue for a UFC fight. Americans have become addicted to reality show entertainment or something. I already had good reasons to avoid Oklahoma the rest of my life. This senator ensured it. Idiocracy is apropos to describe our reality show congress.

Maybe Oklahoma will run an actual UFC champion for senate, and that senator can use his newfound notoriety to make his UFC comeback a reality. He already has a rabid fan base.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Maybe Oklahoma will run an actual UFC champion for senate, and that senator can use his newfound notoriety to make his UFC comeback a reality. He already has a rabid fan base.

Between November 2006 and April 2007, Mullin fought in three mixed martial arts fights, winning all three.

 

[Brihaha]

Between November 2006 and April 2007, Mullin fought in three mixed martial arts fights, winning all three.

Yeah, it seems like that's where his interests still remain. I am curious about one thing. The teamster leader was in the senate testifying in a hearing. With words. Yet Mullin was bragging on fox this morning about how he wanted to shut this guy's mouth up. Doesn't it seem ridiculously counterproductive to shut a witness's mouth while testifying? Some voters sadly want entertainment from legislators now rather than qualified leadership. It's a shame politicians have become performers instead of actually taking on their commitments to govern.

 

[JustOneWay]

The Senator is supposed to be doing the people's work, but instead of doing that he is making the meeting all about him.

He was acting like a child. Worse yet, threatening a teamster is not a wise thing to do.

 

[JustOneWay]

Between November 2006 and April 2007, Mullin fought in three mixed martial arts fights, winning all three.

Maybe he should quit the Senate and go back to fighting?

 

[Hank77]

The Senator is supposed to be doing the people's work, but instead of doing that he is making the meeting all about him.

Yup, making the video-recorded meeting all about him.

 

[Fantine]

The movie "Lincoln" portrayed the circus-like atmosphere of Congress in the 1860's so vividly, and I could hardly believe it was real.

The more American citizens vote in members of Congress who are as colorful and combative as they are incompetent, the more our Congress will be like the one of the 1860's.

 

[wing2000]

fyi, Sen Mullin assumed office in January of this year..."he was elected in a special election in 2022 to serve the remainder of Jim Inhofe's term." He was elected to Congress in 2012.

Markwayne Mullin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ThatRobGuy]

The Senator is supposed to be doing the people's work, but instead of doing that he is making the meeting all about him.

He was acting like a child. Worse yet, threatening a teamster is not a wise thing to do.

Why not? Why would someone be afraid to mess with a teamster?

To be clear, what the senator did was an embarrassment (and his voters should be looking for someone a little more level-headed).

However, people expressing the "you don't wanna mess with the teamsters" sentiment as a rebuttal to what the senator did is basically lending credibility to the stereotype of the "mobbed up union boss who goes out intimidating people and busting kneecaps".

I would think leaders of organized labor and their supporters (the teamsters in particular) would want to be distancing themselves from that old persona from the Hoffa days.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien retorted, prompting Mullin, who is 46 years old, to stand up from his chair as if he was preparing to spring into the middle of the hearing room to trade blows with the Teamster.

[Fortunately Bernie Sanders was there to put them both in a double headlock.]

Is it just me or is it hard to take either guy seriously as a "tough guy" when after all that, they use the word butt instead of the actual word one may normally say in such an exchange?

If they wanted to really crank up the cringe factor, they could've finished it off by saying "and I'll beat the heck out of you and I don't give a darn who knows it"

 

[Fantine]

I prefer the Katie Porter method of interrogation.
With her white board and the right questions she exposes the truth--and the liars.

 

[Brihaha]

I prefer the Katie Porter method of interrogation.
With her white board and the right questions she exposes the truth--and the liars.

Yes, but can you imagine republican voters actually electing competent legislators? Especially when there's other candidates who can simply talk a good grievance game and manipulate their own anger and fear? Voters seem to believe in nothing, so in turn they still fall for anything. Many of them are cheering Markwayne's childish display on the senate floor. They want entertainment that gives them respite from their grievances. Not actual functioning government which could reduce their anxieties and grievances altogether.

 

[seeking.IAM]

Where have all the statesmen gone? We chose representation by a bunch clowns. Woe be to us.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Yes, but can you imagine republican voters actually electing competent legislators?

Doesn't really seem like they had any good options in that last one.

The other choice in the special republican primary (TW Shannon) was a guy who, on his last attempt at running for Senate a few years back, was endorsed by the Tea Party and Sarah Palin.

T.W. Shannon on the Issues

www.ontheissues.org

At best, they would've gotten a guy who was just as far right as Mullin (maybe even more so...), but just wouldn't have puffed up his chest during an exchange with a teamster.

All in all, probably would've been a wash in terms of actual policy.

 

[Brihaha]

Doesn't really seem like they had any good options in that last one.

The other choice in the special republican primary (TW Shannon) was a guy who, on his last attempt at running for Senate a few years back, was endorsed by the Tea Party and Sarah Palin.

T.W. Shannon on the Issues

www.ontheissues.org

At best, they would've gotten a guy who was just as far right as Mullin (maybe even more so...), but just wouldn't have puffed up his chest during an exchange with a teamster.

All in all, probably would've been a wash in terms of actual policy.

Maybe they don't have good options because they demand honest, truthful representatives be sacked and sent packing?! See Cheney and Kinzinger for reference. Sadly, Americans are saddled with whatever these closed-minded voters demand. Because gerrymandered America allows for a minority ruling the majority.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Maybe they don't have good options because they demand honest, truthful representatives be sacked and sent packing?! See Cheney and Kinzinger for reference. Sadly, Americans are saddled with whatever these closed-minded voters demand. Because gerrymandered America allows for a minority ruling the majority.

I think those incidents are more isolated than people think. While there were some cases of Trump sabotaging republicans for what he called "disloyalty", there were plenty who weathered the storm


I think a factor that needs to be considered is what I've talked about in the past where the regional component to politics has to be part of the conversation.

There are certain parts of the country that are a little more "ideologically monolithic" for lack of a better term, and those particular environments allow for a "lowering of the bar" so to speak.

This is Oklahoma we're talking about, where republicans outnumber democrats by 2 or 3 to 1. And where a lot of the positions of the Democratic party are so unpopular, that the Republicans don't exactly have to be on their "A-game", in terms of candidate selection, in order to win. (and that creates a certain level of laziness)

In a place like Oklahoma, a mediocre (or even sub-par) republican is going to beat a democrat.

Much like in certain districts/areas, some pretty terrible Democrats win just by virtue of "not being a Republican" (Bob Menendez who's now in ethics investigation #2 would be an example of that)

The 14 Most Corrupt Members of Congress

www.businessinsider.com

If you look at this list of the top 14 "most corrupt members of congress" (and the list is bipartisan), you'll notice a theme. Most, if not all, of them are in districts/areas that are very ideologically monolithic and where the other side doesn't have any chance of winning.

Which makes perfect sense when you think about it, are the DNC/RNC going to spend a ton of time researching/vetting candidates or sinking a bunch of effort into "finding the best one" in areas where they know they're already a 3:1 favorite to win no matter who they go with? For instance, if the CA-43 district was even remotely competitive or even somewhat resembled a purple district, the DNC would've gotten Maxine Waters out of there (via a primary) years ago.


Or to phrase it in a sports metaphor. You don't necessarily have to worry about recruiting a star quarterback if you're already the -2000 favorite for the big game.

 

[Brihaha]

I think those incidents are more isolated than people think. While there were some cases of Trump sabotaging republicans for what he called "disloyalty", there were plenty who weathered the storm


I think a factor that needs to be considered is what I've talked about in the past where the regional component to politics has to be part of the conversation.

There are certain parts of the country that are a little more "ideologically monolithic" for lack of a better term, and those particular environments allow for a "lowering of the bar" so to speak.

This is Oklahoma we're talking about, where republicans outnumber democrats by 2 or 3 to 1. And where a lot of the positions of the Democratic party are so unpopular, that the Republicans don't exactly have to be on their "A-game", in terms of candidate selection, in order to win. (and that creates a certain level of laziness)

In a place like Oklahoma, a mediocre (or even sub-par) republican is going to beat a democrat.

Much like in certain districts/areas, some pretty terrible Democrats win just by virtue of "not being a Republican" (Bob Menendez who's now in ethics investigation #2 would be an example of that)

The 14 Most Corrupt Members of Congress

www.businessinsider.com

If you look at this list of the top 14 "most corrupt members of congress" (and the list is bipartisan), you'll notice a theme. Most, if not all, of them are in districts/areas that are very ideologically monolithic and where the other side doesn't have any chance of winning.

Which makes perfect sense when you think about it, are the DNC/RNC going to spend a ton of time researching/vetting candidates or sinking a bunch of effort into "finding the best one" in areas where they know they're already a 3:1 favorite to win no matter who they go with?


Or to phrase it in a sports metaphor. You don't necessarily have to worry about recruiting a star quarterback if you're already the -2000 favorite for the big game.

You are right. Oklahoma had a 100% reelection rate for federal office and like cops, they only seem to vote for the R. I sometimes get carried away in the morning time. Frustration leads me to occasionally use emotions instead of rational thought before speaking. I removed the word Duh from my reply to you and thought that was sufficient lol. My apologies.

Yet the point stands regarding the effects of republican politicians offering honesty and truth to their constituents. If voters cannot accept the truth, they are apt to cancel the politicians who dare to speak it. Which leads other politicians to become more extreme, fearing retribution from voters. Regardless of how far from reality they lead their misguided constituents. Who knows how much of the rhetoric these politicians actually believe? Yet the damage done to the trust in American institutions is quite substantial with the "win at any cost" election campaigns today.