From Politico’s “White House to Democrats: ‘Punch back twice as hard’” article we learn that the White House has given game plan briefings to Congressional Democrats on how to ‘sell’ the Health Insurance Reform bill to the public at their upcoming Town Hall Meetings.
“The next five weeks is about closing the sale with the insured population,” Sen. Ron Wyden
Senator Harry Reid said that the White House staffers were, “ just helping us understand the fringe that is trying to mess up our meetings.”As they see it, anyone who isn’t in agreement that H.R. 3200 is needed, and is right as written, is the enemy.
Update: The 25-page booklet, obtained by Fox, is entitled, “Responsible Reform for the Middle Class,” and is chock-full of tidbits on legislative efforts, with a specific section titled, “Responding to Opponents of Health Insurance Reform.”
This section deals with hot button issues, like funding for abortion, cuts to Medicare, and a government takeover of health care. On abortion, the book tacitly acknowledges what enrages some on the right — that abortion could be paid for with taxpayer dollars.
The book says merely that “abortion coverage is not mandated…Just like today’s private insurance market, reform will not force or prohibit health plans from covering abortion.” But there is nothing stating that taxpayers funds will not be used, though reform effort negotiators have said they are attempting to deal the issue.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-PA, said, “There’s going to be conflict and combat, but there are still people out there who want answers. We cannot allow a vocal, well-organized minority to drown out, not just a message from a member of congress, but the questions from members of the public.”
Dems are being told to point out ‘key facts’ to their constituents while they have not been told to answer their concerns over the total cost of H.R. 3200
All while telling the congressional members to “do more prep work than usual for their public meetings by making sure their own supporters turn out”. Part of that is, as I see it, the use of UNION goons to shout down the dissenters who may show up.
In Ybor City, Florida, a pretty Democratic friendly state, people were turned away from a state senators Town Hally Style meeting featuring U.S. Rep Kathy Castor when over 1000 people showed up for a room limited to 250 people. According to MyFox Tampa Bay, Castor left the meeting early, saying she couldn’t be heard above all the shouting inside the meeting.
What will the local Democratic Party say, that those rowdy protesters were bussed in from Texas? Don’t our politicians see that people are fed up with the current game? Dems are not the only ones being shouted down at meetings.
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