From The San Francisco Chronicle
Nasty rhetoric could backfire on bill's foes
By Joe Garofoli
The verbal nastiness that has shadowed the health care reform debate peaked as the bill rumbled to a finish, with opponents shouting racial epithets and spitting at members of the Congressional Black Caucus while yelling anti-gay slurs at Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.
Members of Congress were hardly more civil to each other, with one anti-abortion GOP congressman decrying the legislation by shouting "It's a baby killer" on the floor of Congress....
But the overheated rhetoric could lead to political damage for those who oppose the health care reform plan....
Added UC Berkeley linguist and author Geoffrey Nunberg: "This way of talking is not going to serve the needs of people who are trying to appeal to independent voters."...