These past couple of days have given us some examples of anger being expressed by those against the proposed health care reform. First, here is a town hall meeting at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center on August 2nd. When Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius and Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) took questions from those in attendance, the response to some of their answers was surprising:Interestingly, the Kos crowd is labeling such protesters as "anti-reform" and describes the meeting as being infiltrated by teabaggers. "jbigss" commented: "I hope progressives are ready for this battle, because it looks like the anti-reform side is playing to win." Denise Dennis at The Huffingston Post described the angry attendees as "right wingers", addings: "This afternoon, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, I saw the face of ignorance and hate--and it wasn't pretty."
The day before on August 1st, Rep. Lloyd Doggett met with constituents outside a grocery store in south Austin, Tx:
Tug at the Daily Kos described the protestors as "Republi-thugs" who staged a calculated disruption and chased off Rep. Doggett.
Wow ... if you protest, you're angry, ignorant and hate-filled? So, it's the old "sit down and shut up -- you're rockin' the boat" mentality. Apparently, in some people's minds, the issue of nationalized health care only falls strictly along party lines? I wonder how many from the left and from the right are content with the proposal, and how many from both sides are unhappy?
So, I was curious about how other sources were portraying these health reform protesters. How about looking at that bastion of journalistic integrity and impartiality: The New York Times? Here's what Herszenhorn and Stolberg wrote yesterday (edited & emphasis added):
Is this becoming like the abortion debate with the use of Orwellian newspeak: "anti-choice" vs. "pro-life"? Now, you're "anti-reform" if you express dismay at Congress being on an insane, downhill, "headed-for-the-trees" tobaggan towards health care "reform?" Does this mean that those who are "pro-reform" (gag) are in favor of not insisting that congressmen do their homework and actually read the bills they're voting on?
...The protests, organized by loose-knit coalition of conservative voters and advocacy groups, were a raucous start to what is expected to be weeks of political and ideological clashes over the health care overhaul President Obama is trying to push through Congress.
The conservative groups, including FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity, are harnessing social networking Web sites to organize their supporters in much the same way Mr. Obama did during his election campaign. Democrats said they expected supporters of the health care overhaul to mobilize against Republican events later in the month.
Republicans, however, seemed to get the early jump, in part because Democrats, who hold the majority in Congress, have scheduled numerous events, including forums and town-hall-style meetings, to discuss the proposed health care legislation with constituents.
The Texas protest against Mr. Doggett was coordinated by Heather Liggett, who has worked with the local Republican Party, as well as the state chapter of Americans for Prosperity, to organize antitax “tea party” demonstrations.
When a member of her group saw a newspaper advertisement about Mr. Doggett’s event, Mrs. Liggett posted it on her Web site, she said, and the word spread “like a domino effect” through her network. She estimated that 450 people showed up.
Mrs. Liggett said she was also in touch with conservative voters around the country who were helping organize similar events. “Whether it’s Arlen Specter or Claire McCaskill or Lloyd Doggett, they are showing up in force,” she said, referring to the Democratic senator from Missouri.
Mr. Doggett said he had been ambushed while trying to hold “neighborhood office hours” at a Randalls grocery store, where he usually gets questions about veterans’ benefits or listens to constituents’ advice on how to fix the budget deficit.
“If you look at the YouTube video, you can barely see in the edge of that a beautiful marble tombstone with my name on it,” (huh??? -- what does that have to do with the subject at hand??) he said. “People that worked so hard to get their signs in full-color did not come to dialogue. They came to be destructive.” Video of protesters confronting Mr. Specter and Ms. Sebelius in Philadelphia was also quickly posted to YouTube.
...
The effort to flood events held by Democratic lawmakers appears to be part of a concerted strategy that began earlier in the spring at the behest of conservative, libertarian and antitax groups.
One group, called Right Principles, which sent protesters to an event in May held by Representative Jim Himes, a freshman Democrat from Connecticut, has distributed a memorandum laying out strategies to “pack the hall” and pummel lawmakers with questions.
In Virginia, Bill Wilson, the president of Americans for Limited Government, a conservative group, issued a clarion call on Monday for protests against Representative Tom Periello, another freshman Democrat. Mr. Wilson urged residents of Mr. Periello’s district to “hold rallies, demonstrations, tea parties and protests in opposition to Barack Obama's insidious efforts to take over the health system.”
Democrats have made plans for their own offensive, including a swing through Western states by Mr. Obama. They have accused Republicans of stifling discourse. “Conservative activists don’t want to have a conversation,” said Jennifer Crider, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “They want to disrupt.”
Republicans said that the protests were just the beginning of spontaneous opposition to the health care proposals and that they would only gain momentum as Americans learn more about the legislation. “The more the American people hear about the Democrats’ plan, the less they like it,” said Michael Steel, a spokesman for the House Republican leader, Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio.
...Eventually, Mr. Doggett cut the meeting short and headed for his car. “He jumped in and fled,” Ms. Markley said with a laugh. “It was like he was tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail. It was a beautiful thing.”
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Blind obedience ... scary.
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