Democrats plan hospitable greeting for Tea Partiers

The Hill ^

[Sub-Driver]

Democrats plan hospitable greeting for Tea Partiers By Eric Zimmermann - 03/15/10 06:15 PM ET

Tea Partiers are storming the Capitol tomorrow, and Democrats are preapring to roll out the red carpet.

In a memo sent to freshman and sophomore lawmakers, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the House leadership, urges lawmakers to make special accomodations to prepare for the protesters, ranging from refreshments to extra staff members.

"Activists are expected to begin arriving around 9am and they have been given instructions to wait in your office until they can have a meeting," the memo says. "Please have an orderly process and enough staff and interns to welcome what could be a very large number of visitors throughout the day."

Among the suggestions:

Consider having some light snacks, H2O, and coffee available;

Have multiple guest books/comment sheets available for all visitors to sign-in and leave comments

Have a Capitol Directory and map available to direct visitors to their Member of Congress and written instructions on how to get over to the Senate side of the Hill

Listen and communicate in small groups:

But lawmakers and their staff should also understand that the tea partiers are reacting merely to a "caricature of the reform bill presented by right-wing media outlets" and aren't intimately familiar with the legislation, the memo says.

"[D]on't assume common myths about this bill have been debunked," lawmakers are told. "Be prepared to explain that there are no death panels, that Medicare is in fact strengthened, and that reform is not a government take-over, but it is an attempt to crack down on the abusive practices of health insurance companies by providing oversight and increasing competition."

Read the full memo after the jump:

TO: Freshman and Sophomore House Democrats

FROM: Office of the Assistant to the Speaker

DATE: March 15, 2010

RE: Tea Party Etiquette

As many of you have read, tomorrow, Tuesday, March 16, 2010, tens of thousands of conservative and Tea Party activists will be on the Hill as part of what they are dubbing a "Surge Against Obamacare." Rick Scott, a multimillionaire investor and former hospital executive, is helping to lead the grassroots effort along with a number of other groups on the right like Dick Armey's FreedomWorks. While many of you have met with outspoken activists in your districts in the past, we wanted to remind you of some of the best practices to review with your DC staff:

1. Be prepared. Activists are expected to begin arriving around 9am and they have been given instructions to wait in your office until they can have a meeting. Please have an orderly process and enough staff and interns to welcome what could be a very large number of visitors throughout the day:

· Have staff and/or Member time set-aside to visit with attendees in small groups;

· Ask for extra chairs or seating to be brought to your office or the hall in case there are seniors or disabled visitors that need to be accommodated;

· Consider having some light snacks, H2O, and coffee available;

· Ask visitors to leave all signs and banners outside the office.

2. Prioritize listening to your constituents:

· Have multiple guest books/comment sheets available for all visitors to sign-in and leave comments - we recommend you have one for residents of your district, one for residents of your state (but not your district), and one for out-of-state visitors. Have a Capitol Directory and map available to direct visitors to their Member of Congress and written instructions on how to get over to the Senate side of the Hill.

· There is limited rationale for your Member to meet with out-of-district constituents, especially if you already had other business or meetings previously scheduled with constituents who had planned to visit with you tomorrow on other topics. It is up to individual offices to decide if staff would like to take these meetings.

3. Listen and communicate in small groups:

· As we learned in August, small groups are typically the best venue for exchanges on this complicated topic.

· Many of the conservative activists are not opposing the actual provisions in the bill, but are instead reacting to a caricature of the reform bill presented by right-wing media outlets. In fact, many conservative and GOP ideas and concerns are addressed in the legislation:

Reduces the deficit;

Cracks down on Medicare waste, fraud, and abuse;

Provides historic tax credit for small businesses and individuals to purchase health insurance;

Allows consumers to shop for health insurance across state lines via multi-state compacts;

Inaugurates medical malpractice reforms, (an area where the GOP failed to take any action when in charge of Congress for 12 years).

· Also, don't assume common myths about this bill have been debunked. Be prepared to explain that there are no death panels, that Medicare is in fact strengthened, and that reform is not a government take-over, but it is an attempt to crack down on the abusive practices of health insurance companies by providing oversight and increasing competition.

· Finally, work to establish common-ground with visitors by ensuring they are aware and supportive of the important changes that will take place immediately:

Offer tax credits to small businesses to purchase coverage;

Prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans;

Provide immediate access to insurance for uninsured Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary high-risk pool;

Prohibit dropping people from coverage when they get sick in all individual plans;

Eliminate lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on benefits in all plans;

Require premium rebates to enrollees from insurers with high administrative expenditures and require public disclosure of the percent of premiums applied to overhead costs;

Ensure consumers have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal new insurance plan decisions;

Require plans to cover an enrollee's dependent children until age 26;

Require new plans to cover preventive services and immunizations without cost-sharing;

Relief on the Donut Hole.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

[Sub-Driver]

Relief on the Donut Hole? Barny Frank to explain that one?

[cranked]

Will not change what occurs at the voting booths in Novemeber....moronic Dem idiots.

[Dominic01]

sounds like you relieve yourself on a donut hole apparently

[acoulterfan]

Totally condescending!!!!

[freekitty]

Is it to late to tell them not to drink the water?

[VanDeKoik]

Dem Memo: “But lawmakers and their staff should also understand that the tea partiers are reacting merely to a “caricature of the reform bill presented by right-wing media outlets” and aren’t intimately familiar with the legislation, the memo says. “

Nancy Pelosi: “We have to pass the health care bill so that you can find out what is in it”

Lunatics.

[rlmorel]

"...the tea partiers are reacting merely to a "caricature of the reform bill presented by right-wing media outlets" and aren't intimately familiar with the legislation..."

Tea Party protesters understand the proposed legislation much better than the ignoramuses voting for it WHO DON'T EVEN BOTHER TO READ IT.

Many of us have taken the time to wade through some of that steaming pile of bureaucratic crap, and have access to people who know more about this than most of those legislators.

Worse, some of them seem quite proud they are going to just vote yes on this incredibly horrific legislation without having read it. No shame. None.

[Mygirlsmom]

Kool-aid served all day long. Grab a paper cup and join us!

[Psycho_Bunny]

Ya. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

[Recovering_Democrat]

THE ONLY HOSPITABLE GREETING DESIRED IS A "NO" VOTE ON HUSSEINCARE. PERIOD.

The clowns, after ignoring the will of the people for a YEAR now think the "soft sell" is going to work? No doubt they'll have video of them "being reasonable"...and that will be used in commercials this fall.

Let me tell ya somethin' Van Hollen you PUNK: we're not stupid. Our premiums are NOT going to fall 3000%, and Obamacare ISN'T a good idea.

So vote NO or be prepared to go into the ever-dwindling private sector in January.

[quintr]

Aren’t intimately familiar with the legislation? Neither are the lawmakers, according to their own mouths.

I wouldn’t call it a caricature though.

[Need4Truth]

tea partiers are reacting merely to a "caricature of the reform bill presented by right-wing media outlets" and aren't intimately familiar with the legislation

so make the "legislation" available.

[Man50D]

That changes everything. Hospitality for one day when facing their constituents but it will be back to the knifing the people in the back on Wednesday. I’ve changed my mind. Vote for socialist health care because socialists are nice people!

[A_Former_Democrat]

“And the internal survey says . . . “

[darkwing104]

Someone needs to bring music...I Suggest the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again"

[Texas56]

And requires taxpayers to fund abortions. They forgot that little talking point.

[hstacey]

Maybe if they speak slower and use smaller words we’ll finally come to our senses and get it...A$$HOLES

[LibLieSlayer]

WE CANNOT BE BOUGHT BY CHEAP POLITICAL TRICKS... WE ARE NOT THE FAGGOTS, LEFTISTS, SOCIALISTS, PROGRESSIVES, COMMUNISTS AND ISLAMOFACIST EVIL DOERS THAT YOU ARE IN BED WITH AND USUALLY DEAL WITH... WE LOVE THIS NATION... WE KNOW HER HISTORY AND FOUNDING BETTER THAN ANY OF YOU EVILCRATS... AND WE KNOW YOU ARE ALL EVIL LYING POS PUSS INFECTED CANKER SORES ON satan’s ARSE.

LLS

[Secret Agent Man]

Rolling out the commie red carpet....

“F U, we’re forcing this through no matter what.”

[Trteamer]

Ask them to see a copy of the bill.