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| Humor by Specter fails to tranquilize health care hecklers |
| 2009-08-14 |
| Sen. Arlen Specter deployed a novel countermeasure at his raucous health care town halls on Wednesday: humor. "I consider it a compliment that you want to come back," Specter (D-Pa.) cracked during a round of boos, a reference to the hecklers who derailed his health care forums Tuesday. Heck, Specter even booed himself at one point. Not that it did him much good. He told CBS News the rage and venom constituents have displayed at town hall summits go beyond health care. "There is a mood in America of anger with so many people unemployed," he said. Specter speculated the anger "all boils over" when voters have the opportunity to vent at a lawmaker. And around the country, lawmaker after lawmaker continued to get hammered Wednesday by constituents angry about the health reform proposals winding through Congress. In North Carolina, Democratic Rep. G.K. Butterfield lost his cool during a contentious meeting when one protester shouted "Read it!" - a reference to the legislation. "How do you know I haven't read it?" he snapped, according to Raleigh newspaper the News & Observer. In Iowa, a self-described "dumb southern Iowa redneck" told GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley, "I see nowhere in the Constitution where health care is a right. I want to hear it from [President] Obama, I want to hear it from [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi, about how this is about 'We the people,'" the man added, according to Politico.com. Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin was shouted down at a meeting in his home state of Maryland. "With all due respect, you're not listening, senator!" one man screamed at Cardin, Politico reported. "You're not listening to us!" And many in the audience chanted "Just Say No!" to overhauling the nation's health insurance system. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 Arlen Specter has all the humor of an impacted wisdom tooth. |
| Posted by: WolfDog 2009-08-14 11:13 |
| #3 You know what was funny? The 29th guy Specter allowed to ask a question started out by verrry slllooowly prooommmissssiing tooo beee brrrieeef... and proceeded to tell a preposterous, long-winded shaggy-dog story about being a Pentagon legislative liaison for the next ten minutes or so. I have no idea whether he ever got to a point, or was just pulling Specter's chain in a really annoying fashion - I ran out of time & had to go back to work. The guys Specter were mocking had apparently followed him over from the next county over, it's not as if it was all that far of a jog. Maybe forty-five minutes drive. It's not as if we all aren't constituents of his - he's a senator, not a representative. The whole state's his district. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2009-08-14 10:57 |
| #2 Neither does he, Joe. Nuthin but his vote in the Senate, alas. |
| Posted by: lotp 2009-08-14 06:35 |
| #1 "Booed himself at one point" > Uh, uh, Okay-y-y... Gut nuthin. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-08-14 01:35 |