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It does sound weird the way he says it, but is the general rule in formal settings (giving testimony, obv.) to address a congressperson by the title 'senator' or 'representative'?
Her short request for him to call her senator was fine though.
Just don't call her Liz.
Also, Obama shouldn't be allowed to use the word "fierce" at all. It's a drag queen word, and the drag queens aren't happy, so he can't borrow it.
(BTW, I bet every General has used that old "I worked hard for the title" line ten thousand times with their subordinates when he wants to put them off balance.)
Slow dad, huh?
"Mam" is standard military courtesy to a ranking female.
you think it's code.
boxer is rude. that's a more reasonable take on how she often treats committee witnesses.
Get your tongue off the doorknob and think about it.
Boxer it too fucking clueless to understand that "ma'am: shows for more respect than "Senator." The term "senator" is about as worthy as "shit stain."
The fact that Boxer's umbrage is based on a title she "worked so hard for" has more to do with her personal ambition than her sense of service to the public.
Fuck you Babs!
How dare you try and correct a representative of our armed services on a ticky-tack bullshit point of order, when members of those same services are sleeping in dirt and in danger, in the service of justice to those far less fortunate than us all, on this very night.
Argue the merits of any war, at any time, but don't you fucking dare to get pissy with people who have been far more giving, with far more at risk, with far greater sacrifice, than your
super-sized
bitch-faced
fundraiser-luncheon-stuffed
paper-shuffling
bureaucratic
ass!
I don't.
I'm guessing they rarely if ever call the guys "Sir," in which case Boxer is totally in the right.
I dunno, maybe she just doesn't like the word 'Ma'am'.... I can certainly understand that........ It's late, I'm rambling, good night....
This holds true even when they are voted out of office. A former senator still prefers to be referred to as "senator," which I think is pretty ridiculous.
When Boxer does something for gays I'll be impressed.
What's the difference between Senator Boxer and the Panama Canal?
The Panama Canal is a lazy ditch.
Women have balls too. We just keep them inside where any sane person would. My doctor assures me they -are- bigger then men's.
Right on! Couldn't have said it any better. It's Barbara Boxer's fault for being ignorant about how military officials show respect. Her assumption (born out of ignorance) was that he was condescending to her because she was a female when in fact it was the opposite.
You were fucking WRONG you pushy, power-hungry, uninformed bitch! She made a complete ass of herself.
Right on! Couldn't have said it any better. It's Barbara Boxer's fault for being ignorant about how military officials show respect. Her assumption (born out of ignorance) was that he was condescending to her because she was a female when in fact it was the opposite.
You were fucking WRONG you pushy, power-hungry, uninformed bitch! She made a complete ass of herself.
maybe.
If you're a Democratic Party Ass Kisser.
If you're Obama's Credulous Bitch.
If you are an America Hating military disrespecting liberal sack of shit.
We need universal health care ...
Hard to stay focused, isn't it ....
Yes, it's how those in the military show respect (god help me, they do it to me on tech support calls). And no, it's not appropriate for the senate, regardless of how much of a pain Boxer is. And yes, a general who's going to the Senate should bloody well know that.
..sense...
I don't see a huge problem. She asked the general to use a term of address appropriate to the setting -- the Senate. Just because something's military doesn't mean it's suitable everywhere. I doubt she would have raised the issue in a less formal, less official setting.
do you mean that women are even MORE
impulsive
prone to violence
demanding of instant action
wanting to get to the bottom line, stop boring us with the lengthy linear description of every detail
excited by risk
need to have hierarchies
like to "do stuff" with buddies instead of "talking and sharing"
and love war
then men?
Such that if women had been in charge the last 40000000 years we'd of had EVEN MORE tribal violaence national violence genocide and domestic violence?
Wow, I'm going to have to go tell this to all my feminist friends. Women are JUST LIKE MEN ONLY MORE SO.
Got it.
a Senator from California (550,000 - 40000000). And the whole point of the Senate is to block the hasty intemperate action of the House.
so instead of microanalyzing 15 words in a meaningless exchange why dont' we just eliminate the entire senate?
We'd be done with the need for 60 votes which is the principal thing preventing us from enacting progressive legislation in every area. It's fundamentally undemocratic as is the Senate itself, and there's no other advanced nation that has such a crusty, nonrepresentative, conservatizing legislative chamber.
Off with your heads, Sirs and Madames!
personally, my opinion of the word "ma'am?" OUTSIDE the military, in the everyday world, it has a somewhat different connotation. i would not want to be called ma'am outside of the military. non-military folks don't muster up as much respect for the word, ESPECIALLY in comparison to SIR.
As many others have pointed out, his "ma'aming" was clearly intended respectfully (it's good enough for the Queen of England, after all, although I don't know if that is true for all situations), and he also immediately honored her request that he call her "Senator", without seeming knocked off stride at all).
She comes off as more concerned about matters dignitary than about whatever substantive matters of State were at hand. She doesn't seem particularly aggressive about it, nor to be trying tactically to get him off-balance.
"Brass ovaries" seems a little strong. "Unfocused ADHD sufferer" seems more like it.
- "Sir" or "Ma'am" is a general term of respect to be used for anyone of a higher rank without any prejudice. Sir or Ma'am trumps all other terms of reference.
- If you have been formally introduced, it is appropriate to refer to a person as "Senator Smith" or "Admiral Jones". Using that form of address before an introduction, and not while trying to discriminate among the same (several Admirals standing together, and you need to get the attention of Admiral Jones), is considered unduly familiar and impolite. Exceptions include the five basic responses (yes sir, no ma'am, aye'aye sir, I will find out ma'am, -direct answer to the question- ma'am) after you have been introduced.
- calling someone by rank alone is equivalent to calling someone an asshole. It means you are smart enough to recognize the person's rank, but unwilling to recognize the person as respectable. "Yes Captain" rather than "Yes sir" is a tacit implication that "I recognize that you outrank me, but you do not deserve to be called sir or ma'am, because that implies that I have some modicum of respect for you". The exception is calling the commanding officer of your ship "captain" (or the commanding officer of your squadron "commodore"), since that is not just a rank but a specific position.
I don't know what happened before this interaction, but I can infer that the General was only trying to be respectful.
-LT L