Democrats say angry protesters won’t derail health care town halls
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., addresses protesters at a town hall meeting in Utica, N.Y. YouTube screen capture photo
The leader of House Republicans responded by saying that “Democrats are in denial” in dismissing the objections as a fringe movement, “instead of acknowledging the widespread anger millions of Americans are feeling this summer,” The Washington Post reports. Conservative groups opposed to the health-care plan have asked their supporters to flood public gatherings featuring members of Congress. From Pennsylvania to Texas to Wisconsin, Democrats have been confronted in recent days by sometimes belligerent attacks against Obama’s health-care plan. In one incident, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, an effigy of freshman Rep. Frank Kratovil Jr., D-Md., was hanged from a noose outside his district office.
The increasingly vocal opposition provoked Democrats to respond Wednesday.
The Democratic National Committee released a Web advertisement that alleges, “Desperate Republicans and their well-funded allies are organizing angry mobs” to “destroy President Obama and stop the change Americans voted for overwhelmingly in November.”
And Obama wrote to the 13 million people on his e-mail list, asking them to commit to attending at least one health-care event this month in support of his plan. The message, distributed by Organizing for America, seeks to draw on the popularity that vaulted Obama into office.
“This is the moment our movement was built for,” Obama wrote, adding: “There are those who profit from the status quo, or see this debate as a political game, and they will stop at nothing to block reform. They are filling the airwaves and the Internet with outrageous falsehoods to scare people into opposing change. And some people, not surprisingly, are getting pretty nervous. So we’ve got to get out there, fight lies with truth, and set the record straight.”
“We have to push back against what is knowingly not true,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele denied that party leaders were behind the town-hall uproars, saying, “We’re not inciting anyone to disrupt anything.”
“We’re not encouraging people to be angry to the point where they are being . . . brutish,” Steele told reporters Wednesday in a conference call.
But he defended the right of critics to attend the events of lawmakers, and he blasted the White House’s response.
“Instead of focusing on people having legitimate concerns, the administration has the arrogance to look down their nose” at the activists, Steele said. He added, “To sit back and say this is some Republican cabal is a bunch of baloney.”
In a statement Wednesday, House Republican Leader Rep. John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, similarly defended the activists.
Click here for The Washington Post story.
BLOOMBERG NEWS: Democrats accuse foes of staging health care protests
The dems have it right. The fringe minority causing these disruptions already lost. No one is going to cater to these fringe lunatics and it is laughable that they think the disruptions will be effective. Democrats will pass health care reform for sure, with or without repubs. This game is already over the left won the battle last november.
Want to bet Perlmutter cancels his meeting?
Who cares if he has a meeting or not. Major sweeping healthcare reform is a done deal. No one needs to answer these idiots questions.
Arto,
As a common man reading the medias, I found this;
After 6 Months, More View Obama’s Presidency as a ‘Failure’ Than Bush’s . . . CNN poll.
PS,
CNN is not “Cheney Conspiracy Nuts.”
geneo,
you puzzle me. you are so polite and not angered like some are – but still so blind about those that dislike obama and spread stories. those dislikers say so many bad things and repeat things that Obama said would not happen and he would not do.
Like the batty person in the neighborhood that wants the military forces to not get wages and benefits. this person said they should be really volunteer as they already get room and boarding and ffod for cheap and free. the batty person says that money saving can go to get everyone in the USA healthcare. I know rich people want to get richer and do not want health care for the common man but to make soldiers not get paid is not good.
art
Arto,
“The problem with socialism is that you eventually, run out of other people’s money.”
That was Margaret Thatcher, a very polite and fine woman and Prime Minster of England. Everytime I hear Obama slamming rich people, I think of that. Why do you and Obama think rich people are the solution to problems?
Arto,
“The problem with s___________ is that you eventually, run out of other people’s money.”
That was Margaret Thatcher, a very polite and fine woman and Prime Minster of England. Everytime I hear Obama slamming rich people, I think of that. Why do you and Obama think rich people are the solution to problems?
( I am awaiting moveration on the s word again. Others can type it – I cannot )
Arto,
Do you want the government telling you when you are too old, so therefore it it time to die.
No more soup for you ! . . the Seinfeld soup Nazi.
No more medicine for you ! . . . the ObamaCare Nazi.
Let’s you and I go to this meeting with Perlmutter and ask questions . . .
Ask all the questions you want, it won’t do any good. Its too late liberals already won the election. If you don’t want health care reform too bad for you. You can pack up and move to a third world country with no govt sponsered services if you don’t like it.
<—- Scratching his head.
The government does tell Americans when they are old already, it is called retirement age and that is when the government provides them their Social Security, a form of Socialism. Government bailouts to Wall Street and auto makers is a form of Socialism, and can be debated, Communism too as I do not remember the American people voting for this very important matter, the "elected" officials just did it and continue to do it.
All social programs in America are Socialism. How one gets the money to pay for these programs is irrelevant, as that is when the two party system will bicker on how to fund these programs; what Americans need to realize is that we have a mutated form of Capitalism with Socialism already in the mix. I say let politicians error on the side of the un-insured this time. Will we get it right at the start, no, but it will be a start. And Social Security was a good idea until the politicians bled that funding source dry.
gregory is a troll
Ahhh. It is so satisfying to know I have backed you into a corner so badly all you can do is call me a troll. Reducing your racists, bitter, nutjob a s s down to a wimpering fool who can not articulate any kind of response is more satisfying than having you admit I am right. Nice job gene, you’re a loser.
DAILYKOS Poll: Sinking Obama ratings maybe sinking Dem gubernatorial candidate..
CNN POLL: After 6 Months, More View Obama Presidency a ‘Failure’ Than Bush…
Crowd mocks lawmakers over Obama health plan in Arkansas…
TOMORROW: Unemployment rate seen climbing to 9.6%…
Tempers flare in South Florida…
Disrupted in Connecticut…
Community DISorgan…
FAilures….
Those who view President Obama’s short tenure as President as a failure are probably the same ones who think President Bush was an eloquent speaker.
ben,
my young man you need more faith in obama. he is not short tenured and he is not failed.
yet
Art you are a nutty ole bat that can’t talk. Of course your neighbor is right! The soldier boys should have to go without pay. They get cruises, time at far away vacation places and free food and bed. They have it too good right now. With the money from their pay cuts we could get health care for all!!
K3wl R3y
Art,
I hope that was sarcasm what you wrote about me being a young man needing faith and all. If it was not, please read my post again.
Ben
Ben,
Regarding that ‘faith thing’ as G.H.W. Bush used to say, I believe Art wants you to have . . faith in Obama.
Gene,
LOL, I know this, but no where did I say I did, or didn’t, have faith in Obama. My original post, I thought, was very obvious, and full of dripping sarcasm that one need not read inbetween the lines.
Can we please bring back the Iowa Basic Skill Test please??? 
Ben
Skill = Skills LOL, I need a refresher course myself.
Ben,
Your Iowa references and sarcasm references brought to mind both subjects. A couple of weeks ago when you were still defending us, I was recommending to Art, a humor piece by IowaHawk, on the subject of Prof. Gates, the Harvard guy Obama had to have a beer with. I don’t know if he read it or not, as I warned him it was full of blue words and black humor. If you can handle it;
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2009/07/cambridge-police-profiling-still-a-grim-reality-for-harvard-faculty-assholes.html
HEY INDenverTimes . . . how come nobody knew Nancy Pelosi was in Denver today? I guess I know why. Too many people wanted a piece of her (her healthCare Scam, that is) WE HAVE QUESTIONS. . . Scardy Cat Nancy.
No one cares about your questions. They don’t need your support, major health care reform is a done deal. You had your chance for questions before the election, and your side lost and is still in the minority. You can scream as loud as you want and be as disruptive as you want, but we outnumber you, loser.