Health care town halls will press on, could get heated
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/08/13/town.hall.wrap/art.grassley2.cnn.jpg caption="People protest President Obama's health care plan Wednesday at a town hall meeting in Panora, Iowa."]
(CNN) - Town hall meetings are continuing Thursday, and more members of Congress will undoubtedly face an onslaught of tough questions - and maybe even some anger - about health care reform plans.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, will have three town hall meetings Thursday. Coburn, one of two doctors in the Senate, is against the current draft legislation in the House.
And to the north, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, will also hold a series of meetings throughout the state. Grassley is one of six members of the Senate Finance Committee, which is made up of three Democrats and three Republicans.
Rep. Mike Ross, D-Arkansas, will have a town hall meeting later Thursday in his home state. The member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats has been a vocal critic of leadership in the Democratic-controlled Congress.
Also Thursday, Rep. Steve Rothman, D-New Jersey, will have a health care town hall meeting in Secaucus; Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, will have town halls in McPherson and Cottonwood; Rep. Thomas Petri, R-Wisconsin, will hold two town hall meetings in Oakfield; and Rep. David Wu, D-Oregon, will have a meeting in Seaside.
On Wednesday, Grassley got an earful from his constituents after holding four town meetings, welcoming what he called much larger crowds than such gatherings usually attract.
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As an 84 year old woman in relative good health, I have NO fear that a medical plan or my doctor will ever try to 'PULL THE PLUG' on me. I listen, read, and think regarding this whole scene and I find it ludicrous that anyone would believe the garbage that is being promoted as fact. The insurance companies,aided and abetted by the Republican party are trying to scare us to defeat this plan. It's all money to them. If This plan fails, there will be NO insurance for thousands of our citizens. The Republicans have no plan. Sarah can't come up with one by herself. Where is help coming from?. If you are one of these screamers at a Town Hall.....try reading and thinking. Fear is your worst enemy.
It's time for TRUE AMERICANS to stand up and be counted!
Enough of the RATpublicans!
Deal with it you aren't in control anylonger and you cant handle the truth.
I'm sorry to say this, but if I were one of these elected officials I don't think I would continue to even hold these town halls. The supporters of the bill are afraid to come to the meeting b/c of the lunatics harassing and threatening them, ripping up there signs etc. The people who are there screaming and hollering aren't going to believe anything you say even when you give them the facts as clear as day so why waste your time trying to reason with them. It's lunacy to even talk about death panels. I work with nursing homes and have seen how important it is for people to have living wills, setup power of attorney, hospice care. Newt Gingrich a couple of months ago touted how the program had been successful in reducing end of life cost and how great it was now he has flip flopped and followed Palin off the ledge saying this idea is horrible...typical!
Can somebody tell me where all the anger from the right over balanced budgets and deficits was when the last president was spending borrowed money on invading other countries?
I guess deficits are okay as long as you're using the money to wage bloody wars, rather than using it to try to help your own citizens.
The people we see on TV are not representative of the entire U.S. They are the extremists - on either side. I consider myself in a cross-section of America. African American, college educated, urban, upper middle class and racially diverse neighborhood, diverse suburban professional workplace (though mostly Republican) and multi-cultural school for children. 90% of the folks I speak with say 1)The way these people are carrying on at the town hall meetings is disgraceful; 2)We need serious healthcare reform; and 3) We need to nail down how we are going to pay for it. No one is talking about Socialism, Communisim or any other "ism". Additionally there is no talk of "taking away my insurance", "pulling the plug on grandma", "death panels" or "government takeover". Those are all lies to misinform and scare people!
Please don't believe the hype of what we see on TV. The average American is at WORK while these things are going on and only watching in awe when we get home!
I don't get it. The Bush Administration spent monies we didn't have for 8 years! All of the monies being spent went out of the US or to anywhere but back to the American people. From unnecessary wars to big business & screwed the hard working (well, that is until most of the US jobs were sent to other countries & then these countries sold us the products at astronomical retail rates) American middle class by taxing us at crippling rates, cutting our insurances or charging us three times the rate during that time without these same working-(now out of work) class Americans getting anything but astronomical debt for their trouble. Yet...The Obama Administration is trying to get these same individuals jobs, healthcare they can afford & we are rioting at town hall meetings designed to inform & enable us. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If the don't know what they're talking about or can not explain the highlights of the program why bother? Us seniors and other people will not set idely by while our goverment twists us good. OH YEAH THEY LIE. AND THEY LIE A LOT. tHES PEOPLE OR SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTING US BUT NOT SO. tHEY REPRESENT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES AND BIG BUSINESS.
Oh, the classic was Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee....she's being asked a question and in the middle of the question Sheila Jackson Lee gets on her cell phone. What a hack.....and her statement later was the reason she was on the phone was to get a question answered on the Obamacare Hotline. (sure we're buying that one) This woman is an embarrassment to not only the folks of Houston, but to the entire state of Texas!
Fear mongers and hate mongers will not stop reform this time.
No union thugs roughing up the American citizens please. That stuff went out of style in the 1930's.
I hope more of my really smart people show up. The one's that have memorized the SAME debunked questions over and over...and then chat when confronted with the truth.
Maybe we'll get really lucky, and one of our really good members with the ability to express their feelings rationally and maturely will show up, and then break down and cry when confronted with the facts that we are lying.
I am a true believe in: If you are confronted with the truth, then cry.
have you noticed that ALL of these noise maker people about the Health Care issue are WHITE, FAT & VERY UNHEALTHY?
Bet you these are moron republicans that are unemployed, happy to be on the DOUGH and they are the first once to go and stuff their faces at the ALL YOU CAN EAT restaurants!!!!
UNBELIEAVABLE!!!!!!
The forces against health care reform have been manipulated by the GOP/millionaire radio talk show "entertainer's" along with the insurance lobby by using fear and division.
This tactic is reprehensible and unfortunately if this tactic is not countered the majority of americans will loose the opportunity to take health care out of the hands of those who would use your ill health to make a profit and eventually truly bankrupt the nation.
Overall, the town hallers are displaying a hysterical and thinnly veiled bigotry against the president in spite of their very own interest.
How stupid americans have become?
If we yell, scream and drown out our opponents, we can stop health insurance reform.
(a message paid for by Aetna, United Health, Blue Shield and all the dealth panel members of your health insurance company)
Who wants to attend these hate mongering events with tons of hillbillys drawing "NOBAMA" signs in crayon while yelling out lies?
People please stop this maddness! Read (if you can) the bill that is being proposed instead of the lies!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hatred , fear, and lies, will only further YOU from the TRUTH!!!!!!!!
Even CNN has stated the misinformation and lies being brought up by the GOP!!!!