US Senator Boxer (D-CA) says, "its Senator, not ma'am"
Noted uber liberal and military critic, San Francisco's own, US Senator Barbara Boxer, has again stirred anger among veteran's groups, bloggers and and conservative newscasters such as Sean Hannity for insisting a Brigadier General call her "Senator" and not "ma'am" as he was providing testimony to questions regarding environmental and public works issues in Senate Hearings.
"I worked hard to get that title" said the Senator, then cuts the General short with a "Yes. Thank you." The video has been posted on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch. Senator Boxer, who has not served in the military, apparently is unaware that military enlisted and officers are trained to respond to superiors with "sir" or "ma'am" and such responses are deemed to be well within the lines of protocol.
Senator Boxer does seem to understand proper protocol however. When addressing former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, she referred to the Secretary as "ma'am" numerous times during Congressional hearings. It is not clear whether Senator Boxer feels Secretary Rice worked hard for her title or not.
Comments
I can't believe people in california keep voting in people like her. she clearly has no business being a senator. her priorities are her own ego.
She is an idiot. She doesnt deserve to be called mam or anything else respectfull. She has not came close to putting in the hard work the General has.
Sorry, when you are in a Senate hearing you address a Senator as Senator. Did the good general address the male Senators as Sir? How did Colin Powell do it? How did Gen Patraeus address Senators? This General was disrespectful and deserved the admonishment. You are just an America hater and Republican lover.
I was stunned by the disrespect for the Brigadier General. He worked longer and harder than she could ever imagine to get to that point and certainly deserved respect. She is obviously very egotistical.
"I worked so hard to get that title..." -- 15 years after she got the title and she is still touting it about like it is carries supreme power and that she had to struggle for it recently... Get over yourself and if you do really get upset over military-protocol language, at least do it in private. No one thought less of you when he called you "ma'am," now a lot of people think less of you...smart move there...
Apparently Mrs asshat doesn't understand that being a senator is a position as a PUBLIC SERVANT. We put her in that position and she is up for re-election next year and I will be doing all I can take her out!!!!
Everyone I know is irate that this witch showed the disrespect to a Brig. Gen. during a Senate hearing. He showed her respect, she showed him disrespect. She didn't call him 'General'. She's petty, arrogant, egotistical and a has-been. Everyone I know is working to defeat her in 2010. She's an old hag!
She is an egotistical witch and doesn't even deserve to wipe his butt. How do these people get elected????
What a f#@&ing BITCH Boxer is.
She is an ignorant disrespectful witch. I can't believe that the people of California vote for such idiots. She is really full of herself but mostly she is one ignorant politician!!1
Mike, this is not a Republican or Democrat issue. In America we do teach our children to say Sir and Ma'am. It's good manners. There is a old saying that the problem with self-made men is they worship their creator. That seems to be the problem with self-made women too. Since when is Ma'am not a sign of respect??? MISS Boxer (she doesn't deserve the Senator or Ma'am respect) is, when it comes right down to it, a public servant. Less she forget. Democrat, Republican, Independent, whatever she was disrepectful to the General. She is on video referring to former Sec. of State Rice as Ma'am. No one found if offensive.
Boxer is ignorant of military protocol. She obviously felt intimidated by the general and subsequently said address me as senator because I've worked hard for it. All she's done to obtain her senate seat is to be elected, not much of a feat. She can raise funds to get re-elected, but couldn't raise funds to build a skate park which all the states are now paying for. When she's at work she not only represents California, but all Americans and should choose her words more carefully. That senate seat is not for her gratification.
The congress is filled with people like SENATOR Boxer.I would like to ask the SENATOR,if her husband also earned it when his company took funds from the TARP. Conflict of intrest?Its time the people took America back. We should vote all of these ignorant politicians out of office.You are not royalty,wake up, you work for the PEOPLE.
In the military, Ma'am is an address of respect toa superior. The title Senator is not always looked at as a title of respect. She should have quit while she was ahead.
This woman has no manners and no real accomplishment.
She does not know about duty, honor or country.
She is a loser.
Fellow Americans its time we all (Republicans and Dems) get rid of these fools serving us! And Senator you may call me BOSS cause you work for me and all other AMERICANS!!!! GET A CLUE!!!
Boxer's (no title) ignorance is appalling for one in her position. Ma'am and Sir are titles of respect. I'm a retired Ma'am of 23 years service. Like the General, my title wasn't paid for by my husband's money in a popularity contest. Please, Californians, retire the person. Lady is another title I won't use for her.
24 1/2 year Army retiree....
It is equally proper to address a "superior" as either Ma'am/Sir or by their rank at the discretion of the addressor, not the addressee. One exception is that a Gerenral officer is first addressed as "General" during an encounter. Thereafter he or she may be addressed as Ma'am/Sir.
Would it have been proper for Senator Boxer to address the General as "Mr. Walsh" ? Why or why not? Women put up with this type of disrespect everyday. Thank you Senator Boxer for leveling the playing field for all women regardless of what the good old boys club the military represents says.
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