People

Rant

Barb Boxer to General: "Call Me Senator"

Posted 32 months ago|13 comments|2,560 views
VIDEOS
Written by
Alex Layton
 Administrator
Puyallup, WA
Barbara Boxer, the prickly Senator from California (yet, strangely, only the third most prickly representative from that state), was offended when Brigadier General Michael Walsh addressed her as “Ma’am.” She even had to interrupt him to correct him.

Never mind the fact that “ma’am,” short for “madam” is a highly respectful term. It’s still below Ms Boxer. Barbara even referred to Secretary Condi Rice as “ma’am”, when she was addressing a congressional panel.

I understand that “Senator” is a nice title, that you need to work to earn, but don’t be disrespectful to a General, just because his attempt at being respectful didn’t meet your standards.

I, for one, have another title that she is deserving of, but I’ll refrain and let you use your imagination.
EMAIL|FLAG THIS POST
COMMENTS
32 months ago: He should have forgotten his "Southern Charm" and called her Madam Boxershorts. What a boxer****. Loving this, what state is the boxershorts from? Folding CA? The next bailout? yeah, yeah, yeah...
Zaphenath
Zaphenath
Port Huron, MI
32 months ago: Chris Matthews said this on his June 18 program: "I guess the question is this: Had he said "sir" to a male senator, would that senator be correct in correcting the general? There is a history, however, and let us not forget, of male-female condescension in the U.S. Senate. Just recall the Anita Hill testimony of not too long ago. That just might encourage a woman senator to insist on the title, senator. That being said, an Army spokesman later today says "sir, ma'am, or senator" are all deemed appropriate under the protocol when addressing a U.S. Senator. That's their story.”

So the General is clearly guilty of male-female condescension, Mr. Matthews? Maybe you should do what I did and actually research the story before commenting. I checked out more of the hearing at http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Choose&Hearing_id=c7026be1-802a-23ad-4fa3-4c8ed0b6d074. Was the General treating her Highness differently and more deferentially than the other senators? I randomly started at about 46.00 and ended around 1.09.00. In that time period Gen. Walsh addressed Sen. Vitter as "sir" 14 times and as "Senator" twice; he addressed Sen. Landrieu as "ma'am" 6 times and as "Senator" twice (and once as "sir" which he quickly corrected to "ma'am"). Neither Sens. Vitter nor Landrieu apparently had a problem with the polite and respectful way they were addressed – even though they had ‘earned’ the same title as her Royal Senatorness.

The only thing Boxer and her blind lackey Matthews have earned is my sincere contempt.
32 months ago: Alex,

Thank you for writing this. I wish people would point out to "Senator" Boxer that she has the ability to be called Senator, to go to work every day, to hold such a "prestigious" position simply because Brigadier General Michael Walsh and thousands of others are willing to sacrifice their time, their own freedoms, and even their lives to protect people everyone, even people like Barbara Boxer who are less than worthy...
Vectrexer
Vectrexer
Pacifica, CA
32 months ago: Just goes to show how little the Senator know about the military. Of course she professes to know just as little about other government branch operations and protocols. Especially when something goes wrong.

His address was appropriate. Her request, through appropriate, shows just how petty S. Boxer is. Just like many other Kali politicians she concentrates on the small stuff at the expense of the big stuff. She should just get stuffed.
32 months ago: I hope the citizens who elected her send her packing. She obviously fails to consider herself a servant of the people and is a high and mighty member of the governing elite. HA! She is a low browed commoner standing on a stump claiming to be equal to the queen (which we fortunately do not have).
32 months ago: You know, I have to agree with the "other" title for her that Alex did not mention.

If she wants to be referred to as Senator, that is fine. But does she really have to be so b****y about it? She could have easily made the same request in a respectful manor. I mean, earning the title of General isn't a friggin' walk in the park either!!!
32 months ago: I sent her an email telling her what I thought about the whole deal, hope she reads it!
32 months ago: I did use that other title in my email. Told her if that's what they called her she should answer promptly and properly. I really hate pompous people; 20 years of military service will do that to you!
Artaqq
Artaqq
Fairfax, IA
32 months ago: 20 years of Military Service will make you a hero. Also, Military protocol dictates use of 'Ma-am' and 'Sir'. This arrogant Senator put her disdain for the Military on full display. The same Military that provides her comfort and freedom to be a woman in the Senate. It was a moment reminiscent of the scene in the movie, 'A Few Good Men'. Barbara Boxer taking issue with a Brigadier General referring to her as a 'ma-am' is ludicrous. If a Brigadier General wants to call her 'Babs', she would be wise to thank him and keep her arrogance to herself. Tired of the likes of her, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and all the other cogs in the wheels of Freedom, that take their deplorable shots at our Military, while running to it's Flag for cover and protection. I'm going to quit here before I really get on a roll, because 'hate' isn't a strong enough word to describe my feelings. Traitors comes to mind.
Artaqq
Artaqq
Fairfax, IA
32 months ago: It is good to see a unified disapproval here for the incredible stupidity exhibited by this waste of good oxygen, occupying the Nation's Senate. Happy Father's Day, Six. And THANK YOU for your Service.
God Bless.
32 months ago: Artaqq, I have a website that sells rope. I usually charge before delivery. I will make an exception in this case and ship next day if you need it in a hurry. Please say YES!

The name says it all...

boxer
English: variant of Box, with the addition of the agent suffix -er.
Jewish (from Poland and Ukraine): from an Americanized spelling of Yiddish bokser ‘St. John’s bread’, presumably an ornamental name.

Flood the boxerbitc* with emails. Crash the server. go to yahoo and google and create new email addresses just so you can send more emails to crash the boxerbitc* page/site over the weekend. Call is a Happy Fathers Day message to the Bitc*er

http://boxer.senate.gov/

California Boxer...Bail-out my state next! mark my words.


JAK Gladney
JAK Gladney
Saint Albans, WV
32 months ago: Wow...hateful and misogynist. Good combo.

People are funny about titles. I've known PhD's who got touchy about not being called "Doctor". I thought it was silly and pretentious, but what the hell--doesn't cost me anything to honor their wishes.

I doubt the General was shocked by Boxer's rebuke. He's in the military--he understands being rigid about titles.
Rudi Stettner
Rudi Stettner
 Moderator
32 months ago: I don't think that the Senator from California is interested in an updated list of her titles.

Post a Comment
Sign in or sign up to post a comment.