# Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) hoisted on her own petard **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 15, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352 "2013-10-15T21:49:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/1 "2013-10-15T21:49:39Z")
This is actually more of a high five to MSNBC reporter Thomas Roberts for doing something members of the media seem reluctant to do, dare they insult the sensibilities of a nation who wants their media to be free of bias (well, unless they watch Fox News). But he asked a hard question of a politician recently. Good on him. But there’s not a “Thumbs up” thread around here, so instead I’ll marvel at how thoroughly one of my least favorite politicians, Marsha Blackburn, got taken to the woodshed [in this interview](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/15/1247519/-GOP-Congresswoman-Stunned-Do-You-Hate-Obamacare-More-Than-You-Love-Your-Country-VIDEO). Because Roberts was able to use her own words to immediately stop her attempts to turn the question around on the interviewer. The question seems loaded, but it’s really not unfair as the rest of the interview will show, just sensationalistically worded: > [@](#): > > Do you hate Obamacare more than you love your country? The response was at first in the vein of a _how dare you ask that question_ whine followed by a telling deflection: “We didn’t want a government shutdown.” This allowed the intrepid investigator to hold her feet to the fire in a manner the media needs to do a lot more: With her own words. > [@](#): > > On August the 6th at the Economic Club of Nashville you said, “Everything we can do. Whether it is the funding, delaying, repealing, replacing, all of our energy needs to be in every one of these efforts. I applaud Ted Cruz for getting out there and bringing this to the forefront." Did you not say that? Yes. Yes she did. To quote noted conservative scholar Rick Perry: “Oops.” Which means that she does, in fact, hate Obamacare more than she loves America. Fuck her for that and fuck her a second time for not even having the courage of her convictions, as lame as they may be. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/2 "2013-10-15T22:03:55Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > Which means that she does, in fact, hate Obamacare more than she loves America. No it doesn’t. You can believe in enduring pain now to avoid a worse consequence later, every addict in recovery does it. Look, I agree the GOP are completely at fault for a ridiculous tantrum to prevent something I agree with. But ‘GOP hates America’ really deserves a :rolleyes:. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/3 "2013-10-15T22:10:53Z")
Their actions prove otherwise. What do you consider the damage that they intentionally set up to happen exclusively over the ACA? _Tough love_? :rolleyes: indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/4 "2013-10-15T22:35:01Z")
My first thought (and I found this echoed online) is just how easy the question is to answer (“Of course I love this country. That is why I am doing everything possible to prevent a wasteful government program that will only harm the people it claims to protect”), yet she STILL screws it up. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/5 "2013-10-15T22:46:11Z")
I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/6 "2013-10-15T22:54:13Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > My first thought (and I found this echoed online) is just how easy the question is to answer (“Of course I love this country. That is why I am doing everything possible to prevent a wasteful government program that will only harm the people it claims to protect”), yet she STILL screws it up. Exactly. By now they all should have prepared to bat down that line of attack. That they have not leaves me very disappointed at the quality of their handlers. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/7 "2013-10-15T23:19:14Z")
And it’s ‘hoisted BY ones own petard’. ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/8 "2013-10-15T23:33:01Z")
No, it’s “[Hoist with his own petar](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/260/whats-a-petard-as-in-hoist-by-his-own).” ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/9 "2013-10-16T00:15:26Z")
Its a retard with a hoist, isn’t it? Like impound tow truck driver? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/10 "2013-10-16T00:28:48Z")
Here in Blackburn Country, the media never even mentioned that. I didn’t know it even happened, until you posted. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/11 "2013-10-16T00:30:48Z")
Hillbillies got media? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/12 "2013-10-16T00:33:40Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > And it’s ‘hoisted BY ones own petard’. > [@E.Thorp](#): > > No, it’s “[Hoist with his own petar](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/260/whats-a-petard-as-in-hoist-by-his-own).” Nope. Cecil was merely quoting Shakespeare. It’s “petard.” ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/13 "2013-10-16T01:06:46Z")
Sorry, this is an OP fail, and a reporter fail. Playing a “how much do you love America” game is about as low as it gets as far as political criticism. “Hey Obama, do you have wearing a flag pin more than you love America?” ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/14 "2013-10-16T02:29:43Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Here in Blackburn Country, the media never even mentioned that. > I didn’t know it even happened, until you posted. Yep. Oddly enough, it didn’t manage to make at least two of our local newscasts. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/15 "2013-10-16T02:55:45Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Playing a “how much do you love America” game is about as low as it gets as far as political criticism. “Hey Obama, do you have wearing a flag pin more than you love America?” Because the damage to the country over a flag pin is completely comparable with the siutation now that Republicans have willingly and intentionally put us in. :rolleyes: Do Republicans ever have equivilancies that are not false? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/16 "2013-10-16T03:32:17Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Exactly. By now they all should have prepared to bat down that line of attack. That they have not leaves me very disappointed at the quality of their handlers. I agree. Any competent politician should have anticipated this kind of question was going to arise and prepared an answer. It’s says disappointing things about our media that politicians don’t expect to have to answer hard questions in an interview. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/17 "2013-10-16T03:35:07Z")
Well said, **Little Nemo**. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/18 "2013-10-16T03:40:11Z")
We always hurt the one we love. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/19 "2013-10-16T03:52:35Z")
> [@E.Thorp](#): > > No, it’s “[Hoist with his own petar](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/260/whats-a-petard-as-in-hoist-by-his-own).” So Marsha Blackburn is defeated by a fart-smell. Still fits, still is what she deserves. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352/20 "2013-10-16T04:16:21Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > We always hurt the one we love. “Do unto others, then…_split_!” - Jackie Vernon [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marsha-blackburn-r-tn-hoisted-on-her-own-petard/671352.md?page=2)