# Should Democrats in US Congress Obsdtruct & Play Harball?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-democrats-in-us-congress-obsdtruct-play-harball/52453>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 30, 2001, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-democrats-in-us-congress-obsdtruct-play-harball/52453 "2001-01-30T21:11:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-democrats-in-us-congress-obsdtruct-play-harball/52453/21 "2001-02-06T00:05:03Z")

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> [@](#):
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> It’s not like she didn’t try to find a peaceful solution beforehand, after all – the Davidians just wouldn’t give ground.

Do you know anything about Waco?

Do you know that Koresh called the ATF a couple of weeks before the raid and offered to talk to them?

Do you know that the local sheriff had questioned Koresh before, and taken him into custody? All he did was call Koresh and ask him to come down to the police station.

Do you know that the ATF lied to the military about what they were doing in order to get military cooperation?

Do you know Janet Reno tried to find a peaceful solution?

What do you really know about Waco?

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-democrats-in-us-congress-obsdtruct-play-harball/52453/22 "2001-02-06T04:36:56Z")

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Actually, Janet Reno had nothing to do with the _initial_ raid on the Branch Davidian compound, which was carried out by the ATF (a Treasury Department agency). She and the FBI inherited a situation from ATF/Treasury in which a heavily armed group which had already killed several federal agents was barricaded inside a compound full of women and children. In other words, Reno only wound up with the job of seeking a peaceful solution _after_ there had been a shoot out and law enforcement officers had already been killed. This is certainly not to say the FBI and Janet Reno handled their phase of the whole hideous mess properly. But, somehow it’s more fun to demonize Janet Reno than it is to demonize Lloyd Bentsen, isn’t it?

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**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-democrats-in-us-congress-obsdtruct-play-harball/52453/23 "2001-02-06T04:48:06Z")

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> [@](#):
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> But, somehow it’s more fun to demonize Janet Reno than it is to demonize Lloyd Bentsen, isn’t it?

That is a point I will not argue:)

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