Durbin Responds To Lobbyist-Run Efforts To Harass Town Halls: We ‘Won’t Fall For A Sucker-Punch Like This’
Durbin Responds To Lobbyist-Run Efforts To Harass Town Halls: We ‘Won’t Fall For A Sucker-Punch Like This’
ThinkProgress reported today on the growing number of angry right-wing activists viciously harassing Democratic, as well as moderate Republican, members of Congress on health care reform. Jonathan Cohn wrote that these tactics represent “classic astroturf organizing, in some cases bankrolled by the health care industry.” The insurance industry is sending staff members to over 30 states to “confront” lawmakers about health care reform. Simultaneously, Cohn writes, the health care industry will use the August recess to “flood the airwaves with ads picking apart reform legislation.” Indeed, AHIP, the lobbying juggernaut for the health insurance industry, has promised to change its tone and begin running negative ads on reform soon.
ThinkProgress sat down today with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) to discuss efforts by the health insurance industry and the right wing to derail health reform. Asked about the recent ambushes at town halls, Durbin expressed confidence that his “colleagues won’t fall for a sucker-punch like this”:
DURBIN: Well I think members should be out, speaking with the public, meeting with people who are the health care professionals and talking about the current situation. I’ve done it and I’ll continue to do it. But you know, I hope my colleagues won’t fall for a sucker-punch like this. These health insurance companies and people like them are trying to load these town halls for visual impact on television. They want to show thousands of people screaming ‘socialism’ and try to overcome the public sentiment which now favors health care reform. That’s almost like flooding the switchboards on Capitol Hill. It doesn’t prove much other than the switchboards have limited capacity. So, we need to have a much more balanced approach that really allows members of Congress to hear both sides of the story, rather than being sucker-punched or side-tracked by these types of tactics.
Watch it:
The same lobbyist-run groups which orchestrated the tea party protests — Americans for Prosperity, run by a former associate of Jack Abramoff, and FreedomWorks, run by former Republican Majority Leader and current lobbyist Dick Armey — are now pushing to use the August recess as an opportunity to present a guise of public opposition to health care reform. ThinkProgress obtained a leaked memo from Bob MacGuffie, a volunteer with Tea Party Patriots, a website sponsored by Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks, that details how members should be infiltrating town halls and harassing Democratic members of Congress. Recommended tactics include: “yell,” “stand up and shout,” and “rattle” lawmakers.
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I’m afraid that the loud and the ugly will get the coverage they crave, while the quiet and intelligent will be completely ignored. Sensational tabloid journalism has usurped the role of the 4th Estate.
PEACE
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:12 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Let’s have town hall meetings. Lots and lots of them. Let’s encourage plain folks to attend. Lots of plain folks.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:13 pmThen let the agitators stand up with their scripted crap.
Then watch them run for their lives.
Sensational tabloidCorporate journalism has usurped the role of the 4th Estate.Fixed it fer ya…
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:15 pmAre the ARMED guards at these things allowed to shoot the idiots?
Sure hope so.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:20 pmtokin, I said what I meant and I meant what I said. No need to fix it for me.
But feel free to post your own opinion as your own.
PEACE
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:20 pmThe idea of these lunatics going out there at these town halls and making all this meaningless noise makes one wonder why all this effort to be disruptive and obstructive is going on? What are these crazies scared of? It really is a shameful display at what these low-information people are truly capable of. If they think they are doing the Repubs any good they are sadly mistaken. Rather than trying to disrupt normal people from gathering information about the health care system and true reform of it, they should put all their energy into bringing forth another option to reform it, that can be seriously and logically debated…instead they bring terribly written signs and placards and meaningless noise…which isn’t helpful.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:22 pminformal poll: do you think publicizing the fact that this memo is out there, at the beginning of the town hall meeting, would either discourage the astroturfers from following the script or encourage the real grassroots attendees to drown them out?
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:25 pmThis sort of GnOP thuggery is why we should be thankful that the GnOPs had control of the SCOTUS in 2000. Had a real recount been carried out these people might have started civil War II. Civil disobedience for these folks is not sitting quietly and allowing the oppressors and the world become disgusted with the oppressors. These people are true Maoists with power coming out of the barrel of a gun. Odd, the mixing of Nazis and Maoists seems to work here.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:29 pmKeep all out of district people out. Check ID’s . Tell everyone these are only for voters in district.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:31 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
“But you know, I hope my colleagues won’t fall for a sucker-punch like this. ”
Well, except that they are. And, the troublemakers aren’t all wearing the same color (brown) shirts.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:34 pmKeep all out of district people out. Check ID’s . Tell everyone these are only for voters in district.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
oh yeah, that’ll work. Can’t you just see the Faux outrage that would generate?
Obama’s supposed to be the open admin. The Busheviks were (justly) criticized for exactly the same tactics…
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:35 pmcr8f says:
Keep all out of district people out. Check ID’s . Tell everyone these are only for voters in district.
I agree. Check id’s before they come in and then when they are admitted, the Congressman can tell the audience who these protesters are and why they are there. Then toss them out when they disrupt.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:35 pmDurbin’s boss defended lobbyists at one point: ‘They Work for a Living’.
I say it’s time to remove the ‘Assistant’ from Durbin’s title of Assistant Majority Leader.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:36 pmtokin librul says:
then i may have to revise my opinion of you downward a point or two, darlin, cuz your description points only to the symptom, not the cause.
– - C’mon, if you’re gonna be condescending go all the way and refer to her as “kitten.”
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:38 pmtokin, how about we just use this as a “teachable moment” for our trolls on how to disagree without being disagreeable?
I’m coming at it from the audience perspective of “what sells” while you’re coming at it from the point of view of “who sells”. Either way, the audience is being manipulated and most are too dumb, lazy and/or ignorant to realize it.
PEACE
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:39 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
At the town hall meetings I’ve gone to, members of the audience wait to be called on to speak, and give their name and part of town they are from.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:41 pmOut of town partisan trouble makers would be escorted from the meeting for interruptions. Let them come and attend.
If the corporate media/insurance/Big pharma can keep the health insurance nightmare going, corporate powers that be will continue to have:
* increasing control over employees
* More revenue to accelerate this vicious cycle and take over
* more revenue to fight campaign finance reform – a reform needed to stop the buying off of Congress.
And, as many succumb to the take over, won’t there be more signing up for the military – supporting the MIC the other part of the corporate powers that be?
Is this a long shot?
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:41 pmcr8f says:
Checking IDs seems reasonable enough if for no other purpose than security. I hope they’re making them go through metal detectors, too.
The White Wing is ginning up the crazies, and it’s only a matter of time…
PEACE
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:42 pmconservative guy says:
People at this postings should be writting.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:42 pmSpencer’s Mom says:
The White Wing …
I like it, do you have it copyrighted yet?
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:43 pmHi conservative guy
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:43 pmPeople at this meetings should be heard.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Should read: “pippuls ad this meedinks shood be hurd!”
yo, badmood…how’s dat for condescension???
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:43 pmPeople at this meetings should be heard.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:45 pm—
Twice if they promise to mention dead baby juice…
conservative guy says:
Is our children learning?
PEACE
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:46 pmEither way, the audience is being manipulated and most are too dumb, lazy and/or ignorant to realize it.
PEACE
They’ve been TAUGHT. They think what they think, how they (don’t) think is normal and natural. I used to teach school. I have seen it. Shit, I have DONE it. (Well, no, n ot really. I always balked at it. Which is why I used to teach school.)
You have no idea how much work goes into the process of cleansinig the critical capacity from the crania of our kids…and just how much the average family contributes to the process.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:47 pmRUC, nope! The “White Wing” is now public domain. Feel free to use it… no better compliment!
PEACE
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:47 pmconservative guy, but will they listen?
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:48 pmConservative guy: “People at this meetings should be heard.”
Why do conservatives insist on being obtuse and irrelevant. The point is not that certain people are not being heard. The point is that they are creating a disturbance so that people who came to the meetings in support of health care reform CANNOT be heard. Are you really that stupid or are you just pretending to be stupid?
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:49 pmNinerFan says:
Can I answer that one? (raises hand)
PEACE
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:51 pmThese right-wing GOP thug attacks upon our functioning democratic institutions, such as public town hall meetings, are the same fascist crap that went on back in December 2000 when the Delay-GOP mobs shut down the counting of the votes in the Florida Presidential Election at Miami-Dade County offices.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:52 pmcr8f says:
Keep all out of district people out. Check ID’s . Tell everyone these are only for voters in district.
I’d take this idea a step further. Keep all out-of-district money out! If you’re not an eligible voter living in the district, then your money is no good. And, that means no corporate money and no politician or interest group rewarding your representative for voting against your interests.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:52 pmconservative guy says:
People at this meetings should be heard.
They’re heard shouting over the adults, doing the bidding of people on the 40th floor eager to forget about the minions once the status quo is preserved.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:53 pmconservative guy says:
——————————————————————————–
People at this meetings should be heard.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Yeah …………………Except if they’re Republicans , then they shouldn’t be allowed to say shit……….
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:54 pmMegaloptera McWars says:
I say it’s time to remove the ‘Assistant’ from Durbin’s title of Assistant Majority Leader.
I am very proud that Durbin is my senator. He took on the banks too when he stated publicly that the banks own the senate. That is pretty strong words from a person in Congress. I would hope he becomes majority leader soon because Reid has not been effective.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:56 pmIs our children learning?
PEACE
They IS learning, lotz. They is learning to detest math, distrust science, resist literacy, hate history, ignore civics.
Public or private (unless for the VERY ELITE), that is the curriculum of USer schools. The purpose of the USer school system, entire, is to ensure that, as much as humanly possible, every student remains in the social/economic niche into which they were born. It’s much easier for the Rulers, that way…
All the tests, grades, and reports exist for only one purpose: to retroactively validate decisions made about kids before they ever enter a classroom.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:57 pmI disagree. The kidz r phine for the most part.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:59 pmWhy can’t we have Senator Durbin as the Majority Leader?! I think he’d bust some heads and twist some arms and take no prisoners!
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:11 pmWhere are the press releases:
When dems tried to participate in town hall meetings to discuss options for healthcare reform, where were the repubs ? Were they trying to find a solution ?
No, they were just being disruptive. Watching medicare hurtling to insolvency.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:12 pmThat shit won’t fly in my book.
I will be at every dem gathering (in my neck of the woods) to make sure.
If I see a teabagger there I will snap a pic and post it under stupid.
RACIST MEETINGS/RALLIES BEING HELD IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.
The blame lies on all the sensible white people, you know, the ones who allow it to happen.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:18 pmMaplestreet: “Where are the press releases:”
The mainstream media is not going to help. They’ll continue to mis-frame the various issues and talk about anything but reality. Why don’t people know we’re the only industrial nation not to provide universal coverage? Why don’t people know that we spend twice as much per person than the rest of the world? Why don’t people know that the difference between what we pay per person and what the rest of the world pays per person is simply the profit we allow the insurance industry to take for being the middleman?
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:22 pmGame of Life says: “That shit won’t fly in my book.
I will be at every dem gathering (in my neck of the woods) to make sure. If I see a teabagger there I will snap a pic and post it under stupid.”
I’m with you 100% and I’ll go one step further. If I ask a guy to quiet down and let someone else speak and he doesn’t, I’m going to attempt to shut him up by force. If we both get kicked out, I’m going to kick his ass in the parking lot. I promise. And I suggest anyone who is 6′2″, 220 or larger as I am, do it as well.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:26 pmcr8f says:
Keep all out of district people out. Check ID’s . Tell everyone these are only for voters in district.
I dunno ’bout that.
I say snap their pics and post them to the net so we know who the stupids/racist teabaggers are.
It’s just like the repugs did during the 00/04 elections. They sent out goons to disrupt government.
I say we are going to see the same stupid faces over and over again.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:28 pmI have a suggestion. Instead of trying to get them to shut up, encourage them to shout LOUDER! And longer. Eventually, with any luck, they’ll go hoarse and we’ll separate the wheat from the chaff. It’s either that, or do your duty, police. They’re literally disturbing the peace.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:31 pmI’m tired of these teabaggers interrupting a better life for me, my families, friends and tp-ers. :)
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:31 pm“…I agree. Check id’s before they come in and then when they are admitted, the Congressman can tell the audience who these protesters are and why they are there. Then toss them out when they disrupt…”
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Let the outsiders (bussed in by the insurance lobby) have their very own “free speech” area, with beverages & chairs, roped off with red velvet, and with security guards there to make sure they are safe and comfy.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:35 pmIt’s really rather frightening, in my view. Even if congresspeople know that the disruptors are paid employees of so-called “public relations” firms, they can monopolize the time at these town halls so that the pro-health care attendees aren’t heard. In the worst case scenario, they could be instructed to provoke violence (which has the added virtue of being ‘telegenic’). That WOULD be “incitement to riot”, but would also suggest that further pursuit of health care reform would have to be abandoned as a matter of public safety. All I can say is, let’s hope that they’re too clever by half, and it backfires.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:35 pmThere is no part of our democratic process that the GOP hasn’t degraded. Now they’re disrupting town halls.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:37 pmSpencer’s mom says:
tokin, I said what I meant and I meant what I said. No need to fix it for me.
But feel free to post your own opinion as your own.
Now, this shit is funny.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:40 pmI winder if these harassers ahve considered that these tactics of astro-turf group driven townhall disruption could backfire.
For example, Dems may realize that if they politely ignore the ruckus, take into account the thoughtful questions and respond accordingly, and then vote for health care reform anyway when the time comes (all the while knowing full well what the party registration is in their districts and how the vote went last time, and how their district is polling on reform) it could be seen as a partial way to shut these people up the next time a progressive issue gets under the skin of corporate backed Republicans.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:41 pm“..the disruptors are paid employees of so-called “public relations” firms, they can monopolize the time at these town halls so that the pro-health care attendees aren’t heard…
Only if we allow it by trying to be “Nice”. Check all ID’s as well as checking for weapons and explosives. Put the “Out-Of-Towners” in their own “Free Speech Area”.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:41 pmNiner Fan — I think that’s what they want you to do. I think the best advice is to let your rep/senator know beforehand that there are paid disruptors present and ask for a) ground rules about interruption and time limits and b) a uniformed security detail. The right wants footage of democrats “silencing” these “patriots”; our goal is to make sure they DON’T get it.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:44 pmwilloworchid:
I suspect they’re too clever for that. They probably will be able to find their local true believers to carry water for them. And town halls are supposed to be discussions, not necessarily rallies for supporters only. So what’s needed is something that will allow people who politely disagree to have their say, but discourage those intent on disrupting the proceedings from succeeding.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:50 pmconservative guy
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt cause your name says it all. Thanks for the warning.
One should be heard but not to the extent of:
Being a broken record (not dvd)
or
Faking the funk
or
Wasting time being a loony bin.
But your racist, ignorant party would rather destroy the world than have an African-American as our President.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:56 pmMessage to all democrats for crying out loud, FIGHT BACK FIGHT BACK, FIGHT BACK YOU WIMPS. It’s a complete mystery as to way with such overwhelming majorities the democrats still hide under the tables as the republicans kick the living hell out of them. The only way to win a street fight is to fight back with dirty tactics like your opponents. STOP HIDING AND KICK THEM IN THE GROIN, in this country, those that yell the loudest get the followers FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:57 pmI need a spanking I accidentally hit “thumbs up” on #13.
~~~~teehee~~~~
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:20 pmRemember when you were in school trying to learn how to solve those tricky math problems, or trying to review for the big test, and there was always one or two idiots who continually disrupted the learning by shooting spit wads at other kids…
The health insurance industry, with the full support of the GOP, has decided that the best way to prevent the public from learning what actually is and is not in the various reform proposals is to send groups of people to the town hall meetings and have them act like the “spit wad patrol”.
Remember the 4 D’s of the Republican strategy during the Obama years: Delay, Distract, Distort, Deceive.
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:29 pmSchedule 10 meetings at the same time 20 days in a row in August!
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:41 pmheard on randi rhodes (tho it matters not):
check IDs at the door to make sure people are from that district.
the locals know which counties, townships and towns belong, which don’t…
the venues are usually small-ish and the reps are there to talk to THEIR constituents, not lobbyists…
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:53 pmThese poor people need our help. Please send a Conservative my “RIGHT WING DEPROGRAMMER” It’s your patriotic duty!
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:58 pmNinerFan, be careful what you wish for. The person you what to kick their ass may be an off duty cop or a concealed carry permit holder who is armed.
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:59 pmThanks for the tip but we already know you guys are cowards who hide behind your guns.
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:01 pmDO NOT ALLOW the right wing chaos machine to shout down the people trying to inform the public about insurance and health care reform. i suggest a tazer. if they stand up next to you, shock them back into their chairs and shut their mouths. put thumbtacks in their chairs when they stand up to shout down the speakers…when they sit down… hazaa. pull their chairs out from behind them. rotten tomato…whipped cream in their chairs… pies in the face…. stand up rational people…do what ever you can to intimidate and overwhelm the regressive morons…. their tactic has worked so often in history. we cant allow the regressive minority to bully us anymore.
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:29 pmHi conservative guy
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:38 pmI’ll still cut their silly throat before they can pull their wanna feel they have a bigger dick firearm…
Believe me, these fellow patriots at the town meetings are expressing their true feelings and don’t need this ridicule for standing up for themselves and America as they know it and want it to remain. What has happened to the democratic party? I have always voted Democratic until they stole the presidential primary away from Hillary with out a blink of an eye. FYI Hillary Clinton received more votes in a primary election than any other candidate in history running for President. Will the Democrats admit that? The spin that the Democrats are creating against the people of the United States of America should be a crime! What do we have to do to be heard? We vote for Hillary and you give us Barack! My state voted for Hillary but our senators and representatives went against our will and voted BO. Why? Don’t they work for us the people? In the primary election process, Acorn bussed people accross state lines to vote in states in which they didn’t reside. The democratic party did nothing to correct this wrong! I was a democrat until my party turned against myself and a large portion of their base to create their own agenda and not that of the will of the people. I left the democratic party because they refused to listen to what their constituents voted for. So don’t insult or inferiorate us any further then you already have. We the people of the United States are attending the town hall meetings to express our concerns face to face with our representatives. It seems to be the only way to get them to listen to our point of view because as evidenced by the presidential primary we have already tried voting which did not work. You took away my vote, but you can’t take away my voice. If my representatives don’t believe us at the town hall meetings maybe they will believe us when we vote out those who represent their agendas over the will and voice of the people.
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:48 pmOn behalf of the citizens of Chicago, I am extending an invitation for the astroturfer protesters to come to our fair city and engage in a screaming match with our Democrats in Congress. However, make sure you have a lot of health insurance and life insurance. You will find that Chicago politics is a full contact sport.
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:49 pmYou know, the republicans are really to be commended.
Never in my life did I think that a political party could find people stupid enough so as to fool them into actually chanting “NO WE DON’T WANT FREE HEALTH CARE!”.
They’re actually protesting the idea of getting free health care as part of the services we get for paying taxes.
:|
It’s one thing to get them to not want it.
But to get them to protest against it?
:|
Man that takes skill.
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:25 pmDidn’t the Nazi Brown Shirts use the same right-wing tactics to disrupt meetings and stifle dissenting/opposing viewpoints as Hitler rose to power?
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:02 pmWAYNEBRO,
You think we can have some sort of opt-out after a certain period of time? You don’t want this efficient public health care, you don’t have to pay taxes on it…and you don’t get any of the benefits.
Yes, I know, it’s not really implementable, but boy, how’d that grab ‘em? They see the folks in the public health care line being whisked through, taken care of, and not having to pay much, if anything, out of pocket. They see the rich, with their very expensive private health care seeing essentially the same results, albeit at a much higher cost to those folks. Meanwhile, they sit, and sit, and sit, and pay out the nose, get dropped for preexisting conditions, or hitting payout caps, etc.
I wonder how long it will take before they rush to get in on the public health care? Next tax season, I’d be really curious to see just how many of them check the box saying they would like to pay the X% amount to be a part of said system. Especially since everyone (but FOX) will be reporting on the amazing difference in costs and service the new plan has compared to most private insurers.
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:05 pmFine by me.
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:29 pmI went to Keith Ellison’s town hall. There were a lot of people anti health care reform there. For a room that was fairly diverse, the opponents were all white.
Ellison was well prepared for the disrupters. They kept to some low grumbling and outbursts. The room was not only standing room only, but some were in the hallway outside the room. There were two security guards, but no one was escorted out, it was close once or twice.
Many of the opponents to reform left before the session ended.
August 4th, 2009 at 12:31 amI like the idea of informing the audience at the beginning of the meeting that ANY disruption of the proceedings will result in immediate arrest for disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and disrupting a public meeting. Inform the police department beforehand that charges will be filed, so that they can be prepared to take appropriate action.
August 4th, 2009 at 12:32 amI have a sign in the back window of my car that reads “Republicans Are A Disease”. Get yours at http://www.RepublicansAreADisease.com and many more. How about “Hang Rove”.
Why do Republicans hate democracy?
August 4th, 2009 at 2:31 amIf I ask a guy to quiet down and let someone else speak and he doesn’t, I’m going to attempt to shut him up by force. If we both get kicked out, I’m going to kick his ass in the parking lot.
If you attempt to inflict bodily harm on me, I’ll put a bullet between your eyes.
August 4th, 2009 at 2:54 amBut it does seem that the town hall meetings portrayed on Countdown did catch these Democrats off-guard.
Since we knew they were going to do this, we didn’t have anyone prepare a plan of action to take if and when these angry outbursts occurred?
The drug and insurance companies have sent representatives to some 30 states to monitor these town halls. Can’t we have some Democratic organization and make contingency plans for people trying to disrupt meetings?
This is the frustrating part of the Democratic party – how Democrats are always reactionary in their response to these types of tactics instead of being proactive.
This goes on in the media every day. The Republicans tell a lie like “Health Care Reform means early death for many seniors”. That’s all they have to say.
Then, it takes untold hours of explanations by Democrats to convince people that this is just not true. Meanwhile, the Republicans have come out with 3 or 4 other outright lies.
Democrats need to learn to go on the offense. That’s the best defense.
August 4th, 2009 at 3:47 am1. Yell back.
2. Forward this very thread to the police about right wing intent to bring weapons to town hall meetings and shoot people.
August 4th, 2009 at 10:01 amOkay, I don’t get it. Lots of people here talk as if the intense public opposition to Obamacare is simply ginned up by flunkies of the insurance industry. But the public opinion polls on this matter make it clear that huge numbers of the public really do oppose this plan. Unless you believe that Gallup et al are all in the pay of the insurance lobby, you must admit that public opposition to the plan is very, very real. So why wouldn’t the most avid of these opponents come out to protest? Why assume the insurance industry must be behind it all? Seems like you’re engaged in wishful thinking.
August 4th, 2009 at 11:27 amBeck is a moron. Honestly, only knuckle dragging, paranoid, rightwingers watch that garbage called Fox News.
August 4th, 2009 at 2:50 pmJohn Skookum,
August 4th, 2009 at 4:56 pmI’ll bet you won’t,cause cowards like yourself only talk big when hiding behind a keyboard,in mommy’s basement!
The first time you’re hollored at,your “Extra Absorbant Depends” will flood quickly from both the front and back of them! From there it’s all downhill for you!
Let’s have a discussion and stop trying to cram reform down everyone’s throat. If Durbin and others would listen to options we could get something done with overwhelming support.
August 4th, 2009 at 6:15 pmI must say, with all the tactics going on, I figured it was only a matter of time before someone in the mainstream (and I mean newscasts aside from CNN/FOX/MSNBC) mentioned that the protests were orchestrated, with what is happening. Well, it appears ABC News Tonight has done just that tonight.
Hopefully there will be some video of it, but it does talk about the money health care is spending to plant people in meetings to try and sway senators.
August 4th, 2009 at 7:02 pmSpenser’s Mom is right about the 4th estate being absorbed by presenting packaged tabloid images that sell advertising between visuals and soundbites. The selfsame companies that pay for that advertising are preparing the ‘astro-turf parades of angry, racist, negating their own interests, citizenry. We must demand that the media present an intelligent and discoursed news which also points out that the busing and disruption organizers are paid for by the lobbying firms hired to shill the industry cry of “Maximizing profits on the backs of the people”
August 4th, 2009 at 9:28 pm“cr8f says:
Keep all out of district people out. Check ID’s . Tell everyone these are only for voters in district.”
YES! How nice of you to advocate checking ID’s to go into a meeting, but we cannot possibly ask for ID when someone registers to vote – why is it that when progressives bus groups of people to picket and protest AIG executives at their private homes, that’s ok and NOT astroturf, but average Americans demanding proper representation and some level of respect from elected officials bad?
August 5th, 2009 at 4:06 pmDon’t we all love double standards?
Lee,
How about giving the people the real story about that “leaked memo.”
You’ve turned a nobody into a national mastermind.
August 7th, 2009 at 3:56 am