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Home Front: Politix
Health care town hall anger rages on
2009-08-14
Out on the health care firing line, senators and members of Congress continued to get battered by constituents angry over President Barack Obama's reform plan Wednesday -- with voters raising questions about everything from assisted suicide to coverage for illegal immigrants.

Lawmakers insisted over and over that the bills in Congress would cover neither -- but their answers did nothing to tamp down the anger from Afton, Iowa, to Hagerstown, Md., to Rocky Mount, N.C.

In Iowa, a self-described "dumb southern Iowa redneck" told Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, "I see nowhere in the Constitution where health care is a right. ... I want to hear it from Obama, I want to hear it from Pelosi, about how this is about 'We the people.'"

In Maryland, a town hall by Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin quickly devolved into shouting after one questioner ordered Cardin to "cease and desist" from considering health care legislation. Cardin's insistence that he was being fiscally responsible -- "I'm not going to vote for any bill that adds to the national debt," Cardin said -- did nothing to quiet the crowd.

"That's your answer?" one man shouted.

"You already did!" said another.

On the outside, opponents of the legislation outnumbered supporters by about a 10-1 ratio. "Obama energized the youth just like Hitler did," said Barbara Kelly, a substance abuse counselor from Hagerstown. "He's given the country away to the elitist Obama supporters. They don't have to answer to anyone!"

In North Carolina, Democratic Rep. G.K. Butterfield seemed to get a little tired of the frequent interruptions and shouting during a two-hour town hall Wednesday, snapping back at some in the crowd.

"Read it!" one protester shouted. "How do you know I haven't read it?" the North Carolina Democrat fired back, according to the News & Observer.

Butterfield also tried to correct numerous attendees who insisted that illegal immigrants would be covered under the Democratic plan. "They are not counted in this bill," Butterfield said. "I am telling you they are not in the bill."

The events Wednesday seemed to continue what was seen in televised glimpses of town halls Tuesday -- constituents screaming at Specter, a fight breaking out at an event by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) -- that have left the impression of a popular uprising against the plan. The outbursts have clearly rattled the White House into taking a much sharper tack in Obama's own pitch for the idea.

But advocates on both sides of the issues are trying to assess just how deep the anger truly runs -- whether 24-hour cable cameras are capturing a small but extremely vocal minority or something much bigger.

And perhaps most important, all sides are trying to figure out whether Democrats -- even the ones who didn't get screamed at during their town halls, many of which were peaceable -- will have the political will to vote yes on bills in the House and Senate come fall.
Posted by:Fred

#9  Even if you read the bill, you won't be able to understand it. Many provisions insert specific words into specific sentences of other bills, and so you need to figure out what the provision does to the other bill. It's like the typical earmark that hides the company or entity being benefited: "... the company applying for a permit to build on the Blah-Blah-Blih National Park during the month of April 2008...." Read it? FInd the guy who wrote it and administer truth serum.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2009-08-14 18:28  

#8  I have three questions:

When will Congress be covered by this plan?

When will it address tort reform?

How will it make people take responsibility for their own costs?

Anybody who's read it, feel free to answer.
Posted by: Bobby   2009-08-14 18:05  

#7  Read the hit piece from Good Morning We Hate America.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2009-08-14 17:22  

#6  White House anger intensifies.
Posted by: Besoeker   2009-08-14 16:48  

#5  Yet the congressional Budget Office (CBO) has determined that the House bill would add $239 billion to the deficit in the next 10 years

It'll be more than that.

My guess is that out of the gate universal health care will cost $2 trillion the first year
Posted by: badanov   2009-08-14 10:24  

#4  I have not read the bill. Does it say anywhere in there that hospitals will be able to refuse ER access to anyone? If not, it means that illegals will continue to get gold-plated free health care "paid for" by Medicare cuts -- or rationing.

Rationing is the human version of the cash for clunkers program: remove nanna from this Vale of Tears to free up cash to "pay for" "expanded access." Let's call it Soylent Green for Grannies.

If you don't like it you are a 2X racist.
Posted by: regular joe   2009-08-14 10:09  

#3  Â“Â…with voters raising questions about everything from assisted suicide to coverage for illegal immigrants.”

It’s all fine and dandy that folks are concerned about the cultural implications regarding Health care legislation. However, when it comes to motivating elected officials, it would be wise to remember – Follow the Money! President Obama has repeatedly said that any bill he signs into law “must be deficit neutral”. Yet the congressional Budget Office (CBO) has determined that the House bill would add $239 billion to the deficit in the next 10 years. And analysis of the Senate draft also suggests the spending curve bends upwards. Another recent CBO analysis also suggests Obama’s “Preventive” approach not only doesn’t “reduce cost” it increases cost. So the ultimate question is…will Obmacare use the CBO for its baseline? Until they answer that question the rest is simply chatter.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2009-08-14 10:02  

#2  Health care town hall anger rages on

The only real 'anger' is that of the 'betters' who are upset that the serfs dare raise such questions about their august wisdom and power.

The 'betters' had better do a quick reexamination. When people believe you're going to saddle them with 'death panels', what do they have to lose?
Posted by: Procopius2k   2009-08-14 09:22  

#1  "Read it!" one protester shouted. "How do you know I haven't read it?"

Maybe because it's 1018 pages long? I doubt The One himself has read it, too.
Posted by: gorb   2009-08-14 01:52  

00:00