Health Care 'Listening Tour' Kept Private - Media Not Allowed Access To Meeting

The Morning News ^ | 19 Aug 2009 | Doug Thompson

[KRyanJames]

FAYETTEVILLE — Supporters of the administration's push for health care reform hosted a listening tour in Fayetteville on Wednesday evening, but didn't want to be overheard.

"We want people to feel free to express their opinion and their very personal stories about experiences they've had with health care," said Kyle Simon of Organizing for America after he refused access to the media.

The group hosted an event billed as part of "The Arkansas Listening Tour," at a rented room in a downtown Fayetteville restaurant. "Please join us and let us know how you'd like to see Arkansas Organized," the announcement said. Attendees were asked to register in advance, Simon said.

A similar listening tour by the Republican Party of Arkansas will not be closed to the media or require prior notification by those wishing to attend, said party spokeswoman Alice Stewart. "They are all going to be open to the public and the press," Stewart said. "We won't show you the hand."

[KRyanJames]

From the same "O"rganizers who had to be disavowed by the state party and Sen. Blanche Lincoln for telling their followers to crash a "health care rally" that was really a Dem county party fundraiser.

HopenFAIL!

[bareford101]

o.k. let's hear it for the obamanation’s transparency... you know the one... the black-out one... the obscure, the obtuse.... the lies.... yep, that's the one.

[newheart]

Could be interesting. Arkansas was the birthplace of ACORN.