My freeper co-worker is at it again...

[lapislzi]

I may have to start a blog just to chronicle her litany of idiocy. Someone made an unflattering remark about lawyers and she chimes in, "Oh, and YOU (pointing at me) want two of them running the country! Very nice."

I had to walk away, thus bringing upon myself the accusation that I cannot defend my position. No, if I didn't walk away she would have needed the services of a proctologist. I am sick unto death of her little ambushes and digs. I can only hope that their recent upsurge means she's becoming desperate because her Boy King is indefensible.

Any strategies for the office guerilla war?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. Yeah, don't fight

It's childish. You're better than that.

[bryant69]

3. Yeah, I mean if she keeps slamming into you

Well, say something. It's crap to have to put up with that kind of stuff all the time.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[lapislzi]

5. Y'see...I would fight

if she would just address the issues. But there is nothing to her paper tiger but ad hominem bullshit. It's been that way for the 7 years I've worked here.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. Just bring this picture to work:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

26. That's the point - don't indulge her childishness

Although i understand after 7 years, that might be hard to do.

[Cats Against Frist]

34. Tell her what an ad hominem attack is

if she can't debate, learn the rules of debate and smack her with them. Point out every time that she uses one of the fallacies. It makes them look very stupid -- because they can't do anything else. And it will PISS them off -- not only is your "elite" ass correcting them, but making them look like a fool.

It provides relief for you -- because they usually, in my experience cannot debate the issues. So instead of trying, just beat them with the rules of debate. Maybe they'll learn something.

If they do make a valid point, counter it logically. Treat them like a baby that doesn't know how to speak.

It's fun. If you think you can convert them -- go some other route, though and try.

[GOPisEvil]

2. Dubya's not a lawyer only because the UT Law School denied him entry.

Plus, everyone hates lawyers until they need one.

[oasis]

41. Then Dumbya is essentially a law school flunkout. (eom)

[Warpy]

4. Beats the hell out of two corrup, dirty businessmen

who have no concept of the rule of law or of upholding the constitution they swore to protect and who are selling out everybody who works for a living to fatten corporations and start stupid, unwinnable wars in countries we had no business going near.

[SheilaT]

20. That's GOOD!

I'm going to work on memorizing that!

[NormanConquest]

6. Kindly point out that Abraham Lincoln...

was a trial lawyer.

[northzax]

43. exactly. put up pictures of Jefferson and Lincoln

and, hey, why not Moses as well? all lawyers. let her trash talk Moses.

[kayell]

7. The office is an inappropriate place for a guerilla war, call a truce

avoid all talk of politics. If some one tries to engage you on political talk at work, smile sweetly and say that you have learned that talk of religion, politics and sex is not suitable in the workplace.

Save your energies for where you can make a difference without causing an office war.

I know this isn't easy. I fight the temptation daily, but fortunately I work in a place where the office culture does not include much political discussion. It's much calmer that way.

[lapislzi]

14. I know it sounds weird, but we're not that kind of office

I am the office activist, and there is at least one spirited discussion going on in my office every week. It's like I have the office "salon."

Last week we debabted the 2nd Amendment. People who are apolitical just don't participate. Sometimes I don't participate, and sometimes I just moderate. Everyone knows my views, and everyone also knows that I am well informed and often come to me for facts. We fall into a few groups: liberal (largest group); apolitical; a couple of libertarians; and the lone freeper. Except that the freeper will only join in to attack a Democrat. That's what's upsetting the balance of the free exchange of ideas. And no one will take her on. She is formidable, armed as she is with her copy of the NY Post and the latest screed from Faux news.

Yeah, so maybe in a perfect world we wouldn't be talking politics in the office, but we do, and it's usually fine except when she comes in and drops one of her little bombs.

[kayell]

35. She probably feels very threatened

I agree with the poster below then, smile and ignore her. Or try the surprised stare and giggle routine.

[gratuitous]

9. Just smile

Let's face it, your co-worker is an idiot. Okay, maybe you couldn't prove it by an IQ test, but her blatherings are designed solely to get under your skin; they don't affect anything real, and are not informed by anything so pesky as logic or facts. You're smarter than she is, and you're right. Let it slide off like so much water off a duck's back.

Yes, Kerry and Edwards are both lawyers. Who better to understand and apply the law to situations? Two Texas oilmen have illegally incarcerated hundreds at Guantanamo, tried to strip our populace of our most basic civil rights, and strained mightily to avoid the strictures of international and constitutional law in arresting and torturing people they say are "bad."

The loss of American prestige and moral authority all over the world is incalculable, thanks to the immature, illegal and uninformed policies and actions of George W. Bush.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

10. Well

we have a choice 2 trial lawyers & 2 oil cronies ???
Ummmmmm ???

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. Never mind the coworker. Which side is MANAGEMENT on?

That is what will determine the most appropriate response.

[lapislzi]

15. LOL...I AM management

So is she.

The top folks (to whom we both report) are quite liberal. They also enjoy joining in our weekly discussions.

We tried a book club, but it just wasn't as much fun. B-)

[Tellurian]

21. Ask the questions..

Ask if she is complaining about Kerry/Edwards because she regrets voting for Bush and that Bush has made a mess of our country and Iraq?

Does she feel she made a mistake...(moi? not moi!)

[lapislzi]

27. She ADORES Bush

calls him "my boy." He can do no wrong in her eyes. None.

I think she is the only serious bush supporter in the office.

[Tellurian]

53. Of course, you know she's lying because she's embarrassed..

the only person in the world that calls him,
'my boy', is his mother..

[baldguy]

12. Edwards helped a little girl

who got her intestines sucked out by a pool filter. $25 million to cover the suffering & debilitating injuries for the rest of her life.

Yes, thats the kind of person I'd like running the country.

[Ruffhowse]

13. Nothing works like high explosives.

[porphyrian]

16. Don't back down, she's trying to bully you.

She's an idiot, man. Try their own tactics against her - employ a shit eating grin and just keep repeating "your traitors are going down." If she shows weakness, attack. Never miss an opportunity to make her look stupid, weak, or unpatriotic. Pre-emptively declare Kerry and Edwards to be doing just what she thinks they aren't, even if it's a lie. No low is too low. But, whatever you do, don't get fired before she does.

[lapislzi]

17. Now, that might work!

That's the kind of language she understands.

She's on her way to retirement. I will be the one lighting the candles on the cake at the retirement party!

(Funny, she and I have the same birthday, and we really like each other very much. She just lives in the bizarro world politically. I know she thinks the same of me.)

[Norquist Nemesis]

25. Best defense is a good offense

Go with this one and have fun with it!

[Guaranteed]

31. Hell, declare them the winners of the election already.

Kill her morale. That's the best way to get her to shut up.

Just tell her Bush is obviously going to lose.

On edit: Then tell her it's unpatriotic to talk about her future president that way.

[radwriter0555]

18. You need to get some balls and politely say that she has no right to say

the demeaning and denigrating things she does in the office. TELL her to reserve her scathing political commentary for situations outside the office, and to please keep the atmosphere professional, since you won't be descsnding to her level in the name calling, and butt biting commentary.

When she makes one of those nasty comments, say "can you save your political rhetoric for when we're not in the office? This really isn't the place; your comments just aren't acceptable or appropriate." Then smile and change the subject.

Take the power back.

[Richardo]

19. Abraham Lincoln was a trial lawyer...

(Hey! That's a pretty good bumper sticker!)

[LoZoccolo]

22. Ask her if she's pro-disembowlment of children.

The defining case in Edwards' legal career wrapped up that same year. In 1993, a five-year-old girl named Valerie Lakey had been playing in a Wake County, N.C., wading pool when she became caught in an uncovered drain so forcefully that the suction pulled out most of her intestines. She survived but for the rest of her life will need to be hooked up to feeding tubes for 12 hours each night. Edwards filed suit on the Lakeys' behalf against Sta-Rite Industries, the Wisconsin corporation that manufactured the drain. Attorneys describe his handling of the case as a virtuoso example of a trial layer bringing a negligent corporation to heel.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0110.green.html

Anyone who wants to criticize Edwards for being a lawyer should think about that.

[Ducks In A Row]

24. You said it better

[lapislzi]

30. Thank you. I just cut and pasted your post

and will be e-mailing it to her shortly. Of course, she has this interesting habit of discarding facts that do not conform to her theories.

[Guaranteed]

33. Well just be sure to mention that one in front of everyone else nt

[Ducks In A Row]

23. You can say it depends on the kind of lawyer

then ask her what she has against a lawyer who defended a little girl against a company whose product sucked out her guts (and injured many others), then refused to fix the product so it wouldn't continue to be a death-trap.

[Ready4Change]

28. Better two men who understand laws...

...Than an entire administration that ignores and breaks laws.

[Guaranteed]

29. Tell her the great thing about lawyers is that at least

they know the LAW.

[dodger501]

32. A Comeback for you:

"I wonder what Kennyboy and Rushbo think of trial lawyers these days? Not to mention soon-to-be-indicted Dick "F-Bomb" Cheney"

[lapislzi]

36. No. Here is what I said:

with thanks to LoZoccolo:

I know you think I have a “closed mind,” and I don’t want you to think that I’m throwing down the gauntlet (because I’m not!) but I would like you to consider the following:

The defining case in Edwards' legal career wrapped up that same year. In 1993, a five-year-old girl named Valerie Lakey had been playing in a Wake County, N.C., wading pool when she became caught in an uncovered drain so forcefully that the suction pulled out most of her intestines. She survived but for the rest of her life will need to be hooked up to feeding tubes for 12 hours each night. Edwards filed suit on the Lakeys' behalf against Sta-Rite Industries, the Wisconsin corporation that manufactured the drain. Attorneys describe his handling of the case as a virtuoso example of a trial layer bringing a negligent corporation to heel.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0110.gre...

Anyone who wants to criticize Edwards for being a lawyer should think about that.

I am always open to discussions that address the issues facing the American people. If we are going to have political discussions, we should all agree to refrain from personal attacks on the candidates and limit our remarks to fact-based analysis of the candidates’ records and/or positions on the issues.

[Jokinomx]

37. You should have asked her why chimpy and cheney

each hired one. In regards to the Plume case....

Even though... I feel your pain.... :-)

[calimary]

38. Sweetly ask her WHY the two oil crooks currently running the country

suddenly had to hire their own lawyers? (And didn't Kenny-boy recently sidle up to one of those very same lawyers?)

[louis c]

39. My reply to such a ridiculous statement is.........

Abe Lincoln and Tom Jefferson didn't do a bad job as President, and they were Lawyers.

Now, you tell me two good Presidents that were Oil execs?

[northzax]

45. oooh, I got one, I got one!

hold it, no I don't never mind.

[liberalmike27]

40. Listen

To Air America radio on your computer, and when something applies to what she's said, turn it up loud.

You should be able to discuss politics without someone freaking out, but unfortunately with some people you just can't.

[rolodomo]

42. Don't forget other co-workers...

who might be more persuadable than the freeper. If you ever get in another debate, consider framing the arguments to persuade them but act like your taking the freeper head on.

[Zolok]

44. My response would be

"Better a trial lawyer than a crooked oilman who made his fortune by bilking his investors out of millions..."
or
"Better a trial lawyer who actually did right by poor clients than a selfish young bastard whose greatest most public spirited feat was to bilk his local government out of 17 million to build an overpriced sports stadium!"
or
"Better former public prosecutor than a god damned crook and his greedy crooked puppeteer of a Vice President".
:)
www.chimesatmidnight.blogspot.com

[northzax]

46. or the classic line

"yeah, everyone hates lawyers until they need one."

[CO Liberal]

47. That May Constitute Workplace Harassment

Check you company's plicies and procedures - I did the other day, and lodged a formal complaint with my manager when I came in to work to find several anti-Kerry documents tacked to the outside of my cubicle.

[lapislzi]

49. I feel irked, but not harassed

I was not personally offended by the remark, nor did the remark prevent me from performing my job.

It may be harassment in the sense that it contributes to a hostile atmosphere, but I have to tread lightly there. I have made my share of really nasty remarks about the chimp. But, as you will see in my post above, I'm not going to do that any more.

There is no need to attack bush's persona, and it just fans the flames of the mean-spiritedness. It's like shooting fish in a barrel anyhow. I am sticking only to bush's record, because it will sink him like the Titanic. If my freeper co-worker thinks she can defend bush's record, she's welcome to try.

[Mr_Charlie]

48. get used to it. "trial lawyer" is about the only thing they seem to ...

... have left in their arsenal.

The problem is, everyone does seem to hate lawyers. So I think the best defense is to have a list ready of all the republitards that have recently hid behind their 'trial lawyers', and MAYBE that will shut them up.

But any defense where you try to argue the virtue of lawyers is going to be a tough one to pull off.

[newyawker99]

50. Hi Mr_Charlie!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[proud patriot]

51. ask this person "How many Care packages has she sent to troops?"

until she walks the walk of patriotism she should
shut up ! :grr:

[sangh0]

52. Contrarian advice

You need to make this personal. She already has, and you need to make it clear to everyone else. In the situation you described, I would have responded with a "You'll just use any excuse to attack me, even if I or Kerry/Edwards had nothing to do with whatever you're talking about. But you'll never criticize the way Bush* ran to his lawyers when he lost the election"

You have to make sure that every time she attacks you, she regrets it.