Posted on 09/03/2009 10:37:48 AM PDT by nutmeg
Congressman John Larson (D-CT) held a town hall meeting on Wednesday, September 2 in deep-blue West Hartford, CT at the Town Hall Auditorium. My husband "zelig" and I arrived about 45 minutes before the town hall started. As expected, there were two distinct groups rallying outside the Auditorium.
Just like every rally we've ever attended, it was easy to find the folks on "our side": They were the ones with the American flags, the yellow Gadsden flags and the red and white-striped First U.S. Navy Jack flags... AND the homemade signs.
The pro-ObamaCare crowd had their professionally printed full color signs (provided by SEIU and AFSCME and, of course, Organizing for America). Most of them wore very large professionally printed "Health Care For All" (something like that) stickers. Groups that I saw represented there were Organizing For America, SEIU, AFSCME, Planned Parenthood and SustiNet (the Connecticut Universal Healthcare advocate group).
The pro-ObamaCare moonbats had positioned themselves strategically on the steps of the Town Hall Auditorium, so they could be the first into the forum. As we arrived, they were singing one of many Kumbaya-type songs, accompanied by a guitarist. You can see 'em singing in the video below during the early part of the rally (this is actually a pretty good video by the locally famous "Palin Smith". It was filmed during the early part of the outside rallies, before the bulk of the crowd arrived):
**The Health Care Song** West Hartford, CT Sept. 2 -- Video by Palin Smith - runs 4:18 minutes (Don’t miss the end of the video! LOL).
Whenever our group started a chant, we were drowned out by the moonbats with chants of - you guessed it - "Yes We Can!" (barf)
We tried to counter with "No You Won't", but we were drowned out.
Although our anti-ObamaCare patriots were positioned away from the building, on the front lawn of the building near the street, at first my husband and I decided to hold up our signs near the moonbats on the steps of the building. One older woman told me I was in the wrong place... "your people are over there" she warned me sternly.
Then, some of the union types (women) started their usual tactic of jumping directly in front of us, holding their signs on top of ours, so no one could read them. I kept putting my sign back in front, it went back and forth for awhile until a bona fide shoving match went on between me and this one union woman. Then she hit me with her sign, and yelled to me "Don't YOU dare hit me!" I just laughed and said: "You people really have that tactic down cold, don't you?" She said "What tactic?" then backed away, wide-eyed, to the comfort of her comrades... they all stared back at me as if I had two heads.
A so-called doctor then came up to me and said - in the most condescending tone you could imagine - "You're very misguided." I told him HE was misguided. We went back and forth for a few minutes, then I brought up the subject of tort reform. Suddenly he had somewhere else to be... he couldn't get away from me fast enough. He had NO interest in even discussing the subject.
My husband questioned one Obama supporter about illegal aliens who would be covered in the bill... the guy basically called my husband a racist for even daring to call these "immigrants" illegal!
The doors opened to the Town Hall... my husband was one of the first in, as he had kept his perch on the steps. He assumed he'd get a prime seat in the front row. NOT the case... he walks in and the place is already full... NO seats available. He saw Larson's toadies letting pro-ObamaCare people in through the side doors. The place was stacked with pro-ObamaCare people, from all the organizations listed above (especially Organizing For America). We were supposed to leave our signs outside (which everyone did), but the OFA, Planned Parenthood and union types were all decked out with those "Health Care For All" stickers, buttons and T-shirts. I think most of our patriots stayed outside to continue their rally, or they just couldn't get into the building.
Rep. Larson's "panel" was an absolute joke: A total lovefest for the pro-ObamaCare crowd. Representatives were from the Center for Medicare Advocacy, AARP, a pro-universal healthcare doctor and some guy who started "Small Businesses for Health Care Reform". If you wanted to ask a question, you had to write it on an index card, and one of Larson's assistants would pick the cards out randomly. There was to be no give and take between the Congressman and his constituents.
My husband and I stood at the back of the room (I'm guessing there were 500-700 in attendance) and figured there would be no dissent. However, there turned out to be a pretty vocal minority (about 25-30% of the crowd) who were clearly anti-ObamaCare, so Larson wasn't going to have such a smooth time of it.
I had never really heard Larson give a speech before... he is truly awful... he comes across as a dullard, actually. "Not the brightest bulb in the box" as my mother often says... LOL. His opening speech consisted of "We've all got to get along, work together... blah blah blah..." putting everyone to sleep, then - as if someone pushed a button - he'd lead up to an algore-like crescendo of: "And America is the greatest country in the world!" to loud applause... it was idiotic. Oh, and Larson blamed the financial mess we're in now on - who else? - BUSH, but he didn't mention him by name... just "the previous administration" and “those bigwigs on Wall Street”. More wild applause from the moonbats.
Larson kept saying: "the President's healthcare plan is revenue-neutral". He used the terms "revenue-neutral", "competition" and "once everyone is in The System" over and over again. He lied and stated that "when President Obama says 'you can keep your private health insurance', it's the truth: We can keep our private health insurance and our doctors". (That’s not what HR 3200 says)
One question was: Won't there be a big loss of jobs in Connecticut, “the insurance capital of the world”? He stammered for a moment, then mumbled something to the effect that the 'RAT's healthcare plan 'would create more jobs' (huh?), but he didn't elaborate.
He did claim that he supported the "Abercrombie amendment" regarding tort reform. I admit I'm not familiar with this... but Larson claims he's for tort reform. Whenever tort reform was brought up, both Larson and the lib woman doctor on the panel kind of swept it under the rug. They gave pretty skillful non-answers. I honestly don’t think most in the moonbat crowd even understood what tort reform was.
The patriots in the crowd absolutely ROARED with disapproval when Larson stated how Obama has "reached across the aisle numerous times" to Republicans (locking out the Republicans during the crafting of these HC bills is 'reaching across the aisle'?). He then went on about how Boehner and other Republicans are the Party of No. He got a roar of approval from the moonbats with: "The status quo of Just Say No hasn't been working!”. (Moonbats just adore rhymes!).
A really telling moment was when Big Catholic Larson was asked if taxpayer-funded abortion would be covered in the bill. He turned beet red, and hemmed and hawed for quite a while. He asked his assistant to repeat the question, danced around the subject, then gave some mumbling non-answer... it was incredible. I wish I had a video of that.
The panel got their brand-new talking points from Obamamessiah... they rolled out one sob story after another about the uninsured who have gone bankrupt over medical bills, and horror stories of people who couldn't afford medical treatments. They all claimed that insurance companies ration healthcare already, and complained about the CEOs and big profits of the insurance companies. The small business guy weirdly discussed how he might have to go out of business if ObamaCare isn't passed "this year", and how he felt OhSoGuilty about not providing his employees with health insurance. The AARP woman stated: "we have many new members", to which a woman in the crowd shouted out: "Not anymore!" LOL
Their talking points all consisted of sob stories and how Medicare and the VA health care systems are government programs that "are excellent, and have worked for decades". (Our side really needs to get up to speed to counter those arguments, IMO, particularly regarding Medicare.) Medicare in particular was fiercely defended and promoted, yet there was no mention of any cuts to Medicare.
The militant Medicare advocate waved a copy of the Constitution to the crowd and read the first paragraph... her emphasis in bold:
WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
She honed right in on the phrase "promote the general Welfare", stating that the Constitution DOES mandate that the government provide 'healthcare for all'. This was met with wild applause from the moonbats.
I admit that there was pretty much adequate time alloted for questions, and Larson said that if anyone's question wasn't answered, he would personally answer our questions privately (via e-mail, I guess).
No minds were changed at the town hall, so we all left the building and continued shouting across the sidewalk at each other for another 30 minutes or so until the West Hartford police told us to break it up. The moonbats’ final wimpy chant through their bullhorn: “Save humanity! Healthcare for all!” Someone on our side yelled back: “Nuke the baby whales!” ROTFL
We spoke to several patriots on the way out of the rally and were heartened to see so many age groups represented. Many of the younger people plan to attend the March on Washington on September 12. Just about everybody we talked to plans to be in Hartford on Friday, September 11 at 10:00am to meet the Tea Party Express.
“Failure of the peoples will is not an option”. In other words, we will not fail. “Failure is not an option for us.”
Right, I forgot to mention there were a few young doctors (interns or residents) still wearing their UConn Hospital white lab coats there. I can't for the life of me understand why any doctor would favor ObamaCare, unless they've drunk the Kool-Aid and assume they will have "less paperwork" (dealing with various insurance companies) in their offices once we're all in the government "system" {{shudder}}.
I'm sorry I lost track of you once the doors opened. The objective of my husband and me was to get inside the town hall meeting. Although the place was "stacked" with ObamaCare supporters, I was heartened that in deep-blue West Hartford, at least 25-30% of the audience definitely did NOT favor ObamaCare and were pretty vocal about it. Did you get inside the building?
I think you're right about the battle being tougher... Obama keeps shifting his tactics... we can't let up on the pressure!
OK, I gotcha now. That's good!
That is Woody Allen from the movie “Zelig” in one of his myriad persona’s.
I know that Zelig looks better than the Child molester, Woody Allen.
Right. Th Dems are for tort reform, but we need to wait to take care of that after ObamaCare is passed. Yeah. wink-wink nudge-nudge. We support it, no doubt, but we'll get to it later. /duh
Oh, shoot... you were there? I would have liked to have met you. The only other FReeper I recognized there was Biggirl. RaceBannon had a prior commitment. "Next time", I hope we can meet in person.
OK, I stand corrected re: the chant, but the enemy sure sounded louder to me where I was standing.
My husband and I stood at the back of the room (I'm guessing there were 500-700 in attendance) and figured there would be no dissent.
I asked a police officer the seating capacity. He replied 343.
Good job, asking the police officer, and I appreciate the correction. Did that include the seats on the top (4th) floor?
I should have had my husband estimate the crowd... he's better at that than I am! LOL
LOL, you're right! I didn't even recognize him. Hubby is more familiar with the movie "Zelig" than I am...
See traderrob6's post #24. That pic IS Woody Allen as one of his personas in the movie "Zelig" (I didn't recognize him).
Yeah, I warned my husband about choosing a screen name that had anything to do with Woody Allen, but he didn't listen to me. He has a mind of his own... ;-)
Yup. Or as my husband says: "Pass the bill NOW... we'll write it later."
It will be a hard battle. I have been asked by RaceBannon to give a speech to what he thinks could be a gathering of up to 10,000 people. Will be starting to type. Do not feel bad about trying to get inside, I did not need to be inside, the fun was going on on the outside.
Wow, where will that be?
Do not feel bad about trying to get inside, I did not need to be inside, the fun was going on on the outside.
I think you're right. It was MUCH more fun outside! Nothing but a 'RAT lovefest on the inside, IMHO.
Oh geez, that always happens it seems. I saw Biggirl briefly, then we sort of raced off to try to get inside. Maybe we'll meet next time...
Actually, were there many moonbats still left outside once the town hall started? Seemed like a LOT of ‘em made were inside, and they had all the prime seats.
It is not easy attending these events in “enemy territory” - many thanks to you and your husband for taking the time to go and speak out. I am glad you did not lose any fingers like the poor guy in Calif.
These libs are such facists.
Good job Nutmeg and thanks for the update.
You are right, when debating with the ill educated it’s best to keep it simple.
I have known Race a Long time, go out and do it, he has a good feel for a crowd. If you have three or three thousand speak from the heart.
A SUMMARY OF THE 2009 ANNUAL REPORTS Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees
"The financial condition of the Social Security and Medicare programs remains challenging. Projected long run program costs are not sustainable under current program parameters. Social Security's annual surpluses of tax income over expenditures are expected to fall sharply this year and to stay about constant in 2010 because of the economic recession, and to rise only briefly before declining and turning to cash flow deficits beginning in 2016 that grow as the baby boom generation retires. The deficits will be made up by redeeming trust fund assets until reserves are exhausted in 2037, at which point tax income would be sufficient to pay about three fourths of scheduled benefits through 2083.
Medicare's financial status is much worse. As was true in 2008, Medicare's Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund is expected to pay out more in hospital benefits and other expenditures this year than it receives in taxes and other dedicated revenues. The difference will be made up by redeeming trust fund assets. Growing annual deficits are projected to exhaust HI reserves in 2017, after which the percentage of scheduled benefits payable from tax income would decline from 81 percent in 2017 to about 50 percent in 2035 and 30 percent in 2080. In addition, the Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) Trust Fund that pays for physician services and the prescription drug benefit will continue to require general revenue financing and charges on beneficiaries that grow substantially faster than the economy and beneficiary incomes over time."
"The drawdown of Social Security and HI Trust Fund reserves and the general revenue transfers into SMI will result in mounting pressure on the Federal budget. In fact, pressure is already evident. For the third consecutive year, a "Medicare funding warning" is being triggered, signaling that non-dedicated sources of revenues—primarily general revenues—will soon account for more than 45 percent of Medicare's outlays. A Presidential proposal will be needed in response to the latest warning.
ObamaCare will be twice the size of Medicare. This country is headed for a major fiscal train wreck. Medicare is one of the reasons. It is unsustainable. We will have to cut benefits and raise taxes. Nine out of ten Medicare recipients has private insurance to cover what Medicare won't. The Dems are touting a failed system that will get worse as the baby boomers retire. By 2030, one in five Americans will be 65 or older, or about twice the number as now.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.