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(CNN) – Democrats are accusing Republicans of organizing "angry mobs" to disrupt town hall meetings across the country, but conservatives say the protests are a sign of the opposition to President Obama's health care plans.

The Democratic National Committee released a Web video Wednesday charging that Republican operatives "have no plan for moving our country forward, so they've called out the mob."

The video shows footage of angry constituents and protesters at recent events and then flashes pictures of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader John Boehner, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, and even conservative talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh on the screen.

The ad says "desperate Republicans and their well-funded allies" are trying to "destroy President Obama."

Obama had originally asked Congress to send him health care legislation before the August recess, but lawmakers were unable to reach an agreement on a plan. The House of Representatives recessed last week, and the Senate heads
home at the end of this week.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) - As Democrats on Capitol Hill prepare to unveil landmark bills to dramatically overhaul the nation's health care system, the White House and the Democratic National Committee are mounting increased efforts to rally public support around the idea.

On Saturday the DNC's advocacy arm, Organizing for America, is sponsoring thousands of meetings across the country in which it says tens of thousands of activists will discuss how to change the system, will hear a message from President Obama encouraging their activities, and will be recruited to engage in other activities that will be held throughout the summer's "campaign for healthcare reform."

In the message, the President says after decades of trying real reform is possible, in part because some groups who have never worked before are now joining together. “But the most important seat at the table belongs to you. To get this done, I need your voice to be part of the debate, and it needs to happen now,” he says, according to an excerpt of his remarks obtained by CNN.

In March, the group sponsored a canvassing effort and collected hundreds of thousands of pledges of support for the administration's budget bill. It's also mounted an effort to support the president's Supreme Court pick, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. This effort, though, will be the most sustained to date on a key agenda item for the president.

Activists on all sides are gearing up for a crucial few months. The first public outlines of a bill could be unveiled within the next week, and the Senate Finance and Health, Education and Labor panels are trying to pass measures by the end of the month. President Obama has asked both the House and Senate to act before the August recess.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) – Veteran Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter told colleagues Tuesday he intends to switch from the Republican to the Democratic party.

A Specter party switch would give Democrats a filibuster-proof Senate majority of 60 seats if Al Franken holds his current lead in the disputed Minnesota Senate race.

"Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right," Specter said in a written statement posted by his office on the Web site PoliticsPA.com.

"Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."

Specter, a five-term Senate veteran, was greeted by a loud, sustained round of applause by dozens of constituents outside his Washington office shortly after the news broke.

"I don't have to say anything to them," a smiling Specter said. "They've said it to me."

President Barack Obama called Specter shortly after learning the news during his daily economic briefing in the Oval Office Tuesday morning, according to a senior administration official.

"You have my full support and we're thrilled to have you," Obama told Specter.

Jubilant Senate Democrats also welcomed the news.

"Sen. Specter and I have had a long dialogue about his place in an evolving Republican party," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said in a written statement.

"We have not always agreed on every issue, but (he) has shown a willingness to work in a bipartisan manner, put people over party, and do what is right for Pennsylvanians and all Americans."

Reid called Specter a "man of honor and integrity" who would be welcome in the Democratic caucus.

Specter was expected to face a very tough primary challenge next year from former Rep. Pat Toomey, who nearly defeated Specter in the Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary in 2004.

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The DNC is out with a Web video hitting GOP leaders.

(CNN) – National Democrats will release a new Web video Tuesday criticizing two House Republican leaders who have disparaged President Obama’s budget plan.

The Democratic National Committee accuses House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, of being hypocrites for voting for former President Bush’s budgets, but now publicly opposing Obama’s proposal.

“Over eight years, Republicans nearly doubled the national debt,” reads text that flashes across the screen of the 30-second video. “John Boehner and Eric Cantor were with Bush every step of the way. Now, Washington Republicans want you to forget what they did.”

The video – "Party Of Hypocrites" – uses short sound bites from Boehner and Cantor knocking the Democratic president’s budget and then notes that Boehner voted for nearly $10 trillion in budget spending, and Cantor supported slightly more than $12 trillion during the Bush years.

Update:

House Minority Leader John Boehner's spokeswoman and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor's spokesman respond to the DNC video.

"We missed the part of the video where they defend the President’s massive, fiscally-irresponsible budget that will double the debt in five years and triple it in 10. When the President’s Budget Director concedes they are raising the deficit to unsustainable levels, I guess they have to blame everyone else."

– Antonia Ferrier, spokeswoman for House Minority Leader John Boehner

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"As we close in on President Obama's first 100 days, I would ask Virginia's Governor Tim Kaine if his partisan attack ads and disinformation campaigns are a calculated rejection of the President's attempts to change Washington.”

– Brad Dayspring, spokesman for House Minority Whip Eric Cantor

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter announced Monday she would not run for Senate in 2010.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Carol Shea-Porter announced Monday she would not run for Senate in 2010, helping New Hampshire Democrats avert what could have been a divisive primary.

"I thank the many people in New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. who have asked me to run, but I have decided that I do not want to run for the U.S. Senate," she said in a statement. "I love the House of Representatives and the work I am involved in there to help the people of New Hampshire."

Shea-Porter was first elected in 2006, beating Republican Rep. Jeb Bradley by just over 5,100 votes. In 2008, Shea-Porter defeated Bradley again, this time by 20,000-plus votes.

Had Shea-Porter decided to run for Senate, she would have faced off against Rep. Paul Hodes in a fight for the Democratic nomination. Hodes, who was also elected to the House in 2006, has already declared his candidacy for the Senate.

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