This piece from the Washington Post illustrates the situation in the healthcare debate right now. I have never seen anything like it. I attended a “tea party” rally in Mission Viejo last April and there were 500 people, mostly middle aged, demonstrating for hours. The political left tried to belittle this activity using a gay obscenity term, “tea baggers,” but the rallies continue. They seem to have unnerved many Democrats. In April they were about taxes and deficits. Now they are about healthcare. They are also getting larger. Maybe there is a message to be read here.
“What I don’t want to do is create an opportunity for the people who are political terrorists to blow up the meeting and not try to answer thoughtful questions.”
That decision irritates some of Hill’s constituents, who have been calling his office to demand time. They are furious that he voted July 31 in the House Energy and Commerce Committee for a hefty bill that would include a government-run insurance option.
“He needs to answer the people. He voted yes. Why? Tell us why, Baron. I’m not going to hang you in effigy,” said Salem pediatrician Christy Lane. She failed several times to reach Hill’s Washington staff, so she instead called the nearby Jeffersonville office.
He certainly wouldn’t want to talk to one of his constituents who is a physician about healthcare reform. Maybe she is a political terrorist.
This situation is unique in my experience. The Viet Nam demonstrators were kids, many of them trying to avoid the draft. The labor union members who populate many left wing demonstrations are used to turning out for picket lines and are often paid. I can’t recall seeing tthe sort of turnout by middle class, middle aged people we have seen the past four months. If I were Pelosi, I would be concerned.
Hello Michael. Found you via a comment on Chicago Boyz. Nice posts.
Here in Western Washington it’s been an interesting contrast between how the various politicos handle their town halls. My Rep (Larsen – WA2), while a reliable Dem vote has had the integrity to have multiple openly announced town halls, and has moved them to larger venues as needed to allow full attendance. On the other hand, our Senators (the mom-in-tennis-shoes and Mariaaaaaaa…) and Rep. Baird (WA3) are having an stealth meeting announced in secret only on the Obama mailing list and hosted in what is probably the most heavily union town (Longview) in the state. It’s hard for me to envision Maggie, Scoop (or for that matter Dan Evans or Slade Gorton) ever stooping so low. How far the WA Dems (at least at the Senatorial level) have fallen.
I’ve only been able to attend one tea party, however I do go over to my Mom’s retirement complex weekly and regardless of political persuasion, they’re talking about little else right now. And they’re running at least 10:1 against. If health-care is still and issue in Nov 2010, I agree the Dems should be worried.
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