Barbara Boxer Don't call me Ma'am.

I hate when people dont respect respect.... It is a show of honor when pleasantries are used. It is the way of the military. Why should she be offended by that?
She's a moron.
~M

Thanks for your comment Michael. I couldn't agree more. I think someone should tag her 2010 re-election signs with "don't call me ma'am".

Michael - Do you not see the irony in your comment?

I felt Senator Boxer was out of line.  Brig. General Walsh has spent his lifetime serving his country and saying "ma'am" is a conditioned response in military members.

My brother is a soldier, currently in Afghanistan, and when has came home from basic training, everything he said was accompanied by a "yes sir" or "yes ma'am".

Megan I grew up in the south and we always said yes sir and yes ma'am and when I went in the Army we always said Yes ma'am and yes sir to higher ranking officers. It is respect pure and simple. Thank you for your comment.

Barbara Boxer is a senator. She has been elected over and over by the people of California. I think it is you people, who should "get over yourself."

Btw, the general proceded to recognize her as "Senator". Perhaps, you folks should follow his example.

Steve did it really require her interrupting him to "set him straight"? Who was disrespectful here? Yea she is a Senator, who acted childish. Who was so "concerned" about her title.

And Steve no matter how you try to spin it the General wasn't being disrespectful.

Thanks for the comment.

The general didn't seem to take as much offense as you have. Your antipathy toward Senator Boxer is likely grounded in something other than this incident. I suspect there's more than a little grandstanding going on here.

I don't think I said the general was being disrespective. I don't think Senator Boxer said that either. She simply insisted on being addressed as "Senator". She is, after all, a senator.

I live in the deep south. I understand what this is about. I have seen many women physicians addressed as Mrs., or Ms., or Miss. It's not really out of any intended disrespect. It's cultural. I have also seen some of these physicians confront it. There's nothing wrong in asserting their legitimate role in a setting that does not typically recognize it. I'm surprised you would have a problem with that.

You're welcome for my comment.

"Who the hell does she think she is? This is what's wrong with these idiots they think to highly of themselves"

Sigh.  She's a US Senator and deserves to be called Senator just like all the other Senators.  I doubt the General was being disrespectful since the military are trained to say Sir and Ma'am.  And she didn't make a big deal of it, just asked him to call her Senator, as she has a right to be called.

Either way, this is a totally meaningless non-issue.  Don't you have anything important to talk about?

Thanks for the comment.

David, if it's such a non issue, why are lots of folks so disgusted with her lack of civiity? She's simply cemented the idea that she is incompetent. Her "lack of self confidence" screamed itself in her remark. Competent people don't need the "strokes" of title recognition.

Nora - You're transferring your feelings to others.  There are very few "disgusted by her lack of civility."

Also, how does this reflect at all on her being incompetent, never mind "cementing the idea?"  She has been elected to be Senator 3 times, and is likely going to win a 4th term next year easily. That's after her 10 years as a Congresswoman.  Seems there are not many folks who think she is incompetent.

And "lack of confidence?"  Again, this may reflect your feelings towards her, but I doubt there are many folks who would agree with you.  Boxer, whether you agree with her politics or not, is highly respected by her constituents and her fellow constituents.  They may not all like her, but they do respect her.

Indeed, David. Nora seems to be wishful thinking. I like her (Nora's) icon - a screaming baby with hands over her ears.

I would imagine that she knows (not thinks) that she is a United States Senator, and that she is entitled to be addressed as "Senator" rather than as "ma'am" if she prefers, which she apparently does.

I watched the clip you provided the URL for, and she didn't say "Don't call me ma'am" so I'm not sure who you're pretending to quote in your title.

This woman has a huge ego or she has self issue problems. The General was showing respect as the norm by those in the military who use "Sir" and "Ma'am" as means to show respect.

I commend General Michael Walsh for his grace under fire.  It was unnecessary for Senator Boxer to tell him off!   As others have mentioned, in the military and other parts of the USA it is a sign of respect to say "Ma'ma" and "Sir."

In the political world is a sign of respect to say "Senator". If we are to know military protoccal, shouldn't they know political?

Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh did use the proper form of address in the Senate to address Senator Boxer.

I have always used Ma'am and Sir.

Wonderful and congratulations, Sir Juan!

I just saw the video clip.  Yes, I think she was rude to interupt General Walsh with her comment.  What disturbs me more, however, is that she carried on about her "worked so hard for the title". 

The General is well aware that Barbara Boxer is a Senator.  He probably understands that she worked hard for it.  General Walsh worked hard to become a general.  She was out of line.

If the general was well aware Senator Boxer is a senator, he should acknowledge it by calling her "senator". Why do you have such a problem with that? I have seen women physicians called Mrs., Ms., and Miss. I don't really think any disrespect is meant by it. It's just not part of the culture I live in to recognize women in positions of authority. I'm very surprised you would have a problem with Senator Boxer insisting on being called "senator".

Steve, I don't have a problem with Senator Boxer wanting to be addressed as such.  I just think it was inappropriate of her to interrupt the entire proceeding to cause such a riff, and then go on to describe the long and hard work she put in to become a Senator.

I don't think the General meant ANY disrespect to Senator Boxer. 

No one said he did mean any disrespect. When do you think the "appropriate" time would have been? The general did not seem to have the same objection.

During a break. After the thing was over. Just a couple of idea's when she could have brought it up.

And you're telling me you wouldn't have objected then, either?

Nope correcting someone privately is fine. You can address the issue without making it a public spectical.

Actually, this exchange occured in the Senate.  Protocol requires that Senators be referred to as "Senator." This is a 20 second clip completely out of context.  Was he calling the male senators "sir" instead of "senator?"  THAT in my opinion would be the key point.

IF the general was referring to the male senators as "senator" but referred to her as "ma'am" then he was out of line.  If he was referring to the male senators as "sir" then she is overstepping. 

Senator Boxer is a senator. Regardless of what the general called male senators, Senator Boxer can insist on being called "senator" if she likes. She is a senator, after all. No one said the general was "out of line". She simply insisted on being called "senator".

Oh, f'r th' luvva...  Will you whiners PLEASE stop sifting every word and phrase for something to take out of context and bitch about?  Sheesh!

Who the hell do you think you are to tell someone else what she should want to be called? Or to assume that you know whether or not the person calling her maam was being respectful? I would image she knows when she is being respected better than you. I don't want to be called maam, ever, but I can tell whether or not the person addressing me that way cares about me or not.

Did you detect any disrespect from the General Sandy.

Charles, what matters here is that I detected a great deal of disrespect in your post. This is about you. You posted this tripe, now you must stand behind your words and your disrespect.

I do I think she went over board a bit on something that didn't need to happen at the time it did. She could have waited and addressed it privately but she choice to publicly admonish the General for disrespect where there was none.

Be back later gotta go make money so I can be patriotic.

Thanks for commenting.

The general sure took it better than you. Actually, he and Boxer did meet afterward.

OK fine I'm sure he did.

I find it amusing that you can take offense at Boxer's behavior.  The thought did cross my mind that perhaps you were looking for something to take offense at.

I'm curious about what all the people whining away on here would think if she had addressed General Walsh as "Mr."

I'm also betting none of you will be in the least disturbed by your own hypocrisy.

And dude, you didn't even bother to get an accurate quote in the title. How lazy are you?

opps

Do you mean oops?

Fine oops. That better. (probably not) I know what a stickler you are Sandy.

I think the Comment by  Kris is very much to the point. 

If the Senator had referred to the General as "Mister Walsh", there would be gnashing of teeth by the same folks who have unrelated grievances against a very successful Democratic Senator.

Not so much a stickler as taking advantage of an opportunity to point out an error that isn't mine for a change.

Kris, Senator Boxer would have been correct if she addressed Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh as "Sir" not "Mr."

(In this whole affair, the only thing I slightly object is Senator Boxer's interruption of the important proceedings underway at that time in the Senate.)

What? You make error's(not mistakes) Sandy? Say it isn't so Sandy! LOL just kiddin Sandy.

Boxer, yes you are a senator, senator of the bankrupt state you represent-Kalifornia.  Senator you are a complete failure at your job- you are an incompetent, dishonest dead-beat.  Senator, you are worthless as a senator, a complete failure who lives the life of a politician leech-attached to our paycheck and you just keep sucking the money out of us.

Ma'am I hope I have answered all your questions satisfactorily.  General Walsh!.

Another non-issue being blown out of proportions so the right can feel righteously indignant about something.

(Now, if her shirt was indeed "stripped" during the proceedings, that would be interesting.)

Well I'm not right or left I think both parties a full of it and are only truely concerned for themselves and staying in power.

Plus if you check the video Aniko she was wearing a striped shirt.(hence the striped shirt reference)

Oh, it's "striped"!  Got it. Thanks for the explananation.

Aniko, the shirts of all these crooked, lying, incompetent , gutless politicians like Boxer should all be waring striped shirts Prision striped shirts.

Thanks for commenting Micky.

There are still prisons that use striped shirts?

I don't know if there are still stripped shirts in prison or not. Wonder why they stopped. Maybe they should be stripped neon orange shirts.

Wow!  Such an important issue!  Glad they're focused on what's important as far as current issues!  NOT!  Why such a microscopic focus on minutae yet complete obliviousness to the role of the past 8 years regarding the issues we now confront?

Thanks for stopping by Mark.

Charles, it's your fault.  You started it.

Whew.  What a waste of energy.

Cool.

She was out of line. Being married to a military man for 24 years Mame was appropriate coming from the General.

Thanks Janet. I know the Brigadier General Walsh worked much harder and longer for his "title" than Senator Boxer did. So in spite of the actual rank of titles his deserves much more respect than her's.

Again, I ask.  Was the General referring to the male senators as "Senator" or as "Sir."?  Nobody has answered THAT question yet.  And that, IMNHO, would be the key point.

Julie Ann, Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh did address Sen. Vitter as "Sir" 14 times and Senator Landrieu as "Ma'am" 6 times.   Neither Senators apparently had a problem with the polite way they were addressed.

In a separate hearing, two Navy Officers referred several times to Senator Roger Wicker as "Sir."   Senator Wicker did not raise any objections.

Thank you for answering the question.  That's what I needed to know, and that does make all the difference.  In that context, her comment was snotty and out of line.

A non-issue for us to be riled up and discussing with such ferver, and passion.

True, but it keeps them from having to admit they have nothing else.

What else do you want admitted?

I dont know that she was out of line. While I agree that military individuals are used to addressing people as sir or Maam and it is a sign of respect, for some it is not a welcomed title. Personally I dont care when someone calls me sir, but i admit it makes me feel old.

By the same token in a court of law a judge is addressed as your honor, so I guess I can understand her desire to be referred to as senator and she didnt seem hateful as she explained to him that she felt she had worked hard for that title and prefered it to maam.

Sorry but i just dont see it as a big deal one way or the other.