I’ve said before I think the homes of public figures should be off-limits to political protesters. It’s incivil and unncessary. Save it for the public square. Despite my deep disregard for Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s views, I feel the same way about the anti-war zealots who tramped up to Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home in San Francisco:

A few dozen peace activists marched across the Golden Gate Bridge and gathered outside the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday, demanding that Congress stop funding the war in Iraq.

“San Francisco has been against this war from the very beginning,” said Toby Blome, a physical therapist who organized the event. “This is our fifth year of the war, and Nancy needs to wake up and represent San Franciscans.”

Blome, holding a plate of cheese and bread and a glass of wine, was stopped on her way to Pelosi’s front door and told the Speaker would not see them. Blom and about 10 other activists said they plan to camp outside the residence overnight.

Meanwhile:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is struggling to round up Democratic support for an emergency spending bill that would also pull American troops out of Iraq.

As Democrats seek to lower troop numbers, President Bush is moving in the other direction. Vowing to veto any deadline for withdrawal, Bush asked Congress for 8,200 more troops for Iraq and Afghanistan this weekend.

Those troops, 4,700 for Iraq and 3,500 for Afghanistan, would be in addition to the previously announced 21,500 surge of combat troops in Iraq. With the addition of what the Pentagon describes as at least 7,000 support troops, the troops in Iraq would total at least 32,000.

In a major test for the Democrats’ new leader, Pelosi, D-Calif., is working overtime to find the 218 votes she needs from within a deeply divided party to approve a troop withdrawal by August 2008 as part of the supplemental spending bill.

What’s the phrase I’m looking for? Oh, yeah: “Idiot liberals.”

***

Speaking of Rep. David Obey’s famous phrase, the anti-war extremist he confronted last week is headed back to his office. She has issued a press release:

Washington, DC: Today, Tina Richards, mother of a Marine facing a third Iraq deployment, who made national news last week when she had a chance encounter in the hallway with Rep. David Obey, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, will return to Obey’s office.

Where: Office of Rep. David Obey, 2314 Rayburn House Office Bldg.

When: Monday, March 12, 2007, 11:00 AM

“I want to ask him, how he is going to end the killing and maiming of our sons and daughters and of the Iraqi people?” said Tina Richards.

Ms. Richards has also been phoned by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office seeking a meeting. “I look forward to meeting with the Speaker,” Richards said. “It is important for the Democrats to end this war. Already 192 soldiers have been killed since the Democrats took control of both Houses of Congress.”

“It’s offensive,” Richards added, “to try to make a bill for war, which will result in more casualties, more palatable by adding health care for veterans on the bill.”

The encounter between Ms. Richards and Rep. Obey in the hallway on Capitol Hill was caught on YouTube and created a national news story. The YouTube video has been seen over 111,000 times. Richards’ press appearances have included Hardball with Chris Matthews (ed.: of course!), and her encounter was discussed widely on the Sunday political talk shows. Obey ranted at “idiot liberals,” and claimed that his appropriation would de-authorize the war.

Knock yourselves out.

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