From AARP Meetings to Town Hall Meetings Nationwide – American’s Tell Members – No To Health Care Plan – Basic Theme – “You Work For Us” – Analysis

Town Hall Meetings across the country the past week held by members of the U.S. Congress and supporters of President Obama’s Health Care Plan, all of which are being attended by the general public (members of specific congressional districts and/or organizations supporting the plan) – at first, these meetings were attracting small crowds, that were shockingly vocal in their opposition to the plan (Shockingly vocal as far as the President and the DNC are concerned). This resulted in backlash from members of Congress and the DNC directed at the public as well as a campaign from the President and his continuing Presidential Campaign urging members of the Democrat Party to support the bill, while demeaning those who do not as “special interest groups”. The White House went so far as to ask members of the public to report “fishy” people who were opposed to Health Care “reform” via email on the White House website. As a result, these meetings have since exploded – crowds are larger and even more vocal in their opposition to the program, asking that the specific representative listen to their concerns, which, for the most part, is not happening.

The President has had plenty of time to sell the program and allow American’s to make up their minds about what they want. In June the President spent an evening on ABC, explaining his program to the public,, and from that point forward, polling on the reform of America’s health care program suggested that a growing number of the public does not support the President’s plan. The latest poll released shows increased confidence in the current system with merely 25% strongly supporting the President’s plan. One would think that the President and members of Congress would now take the time and review the options, taking a clue from the growing number of constituents who are in opposition to the bill in its present form.

Therefore, it is time for the President and members of Congress to go back to the drawing board, and remember, as one gentleman at an AARP informational session put it, who they work for. The problem arises in that the public at large has access to a variety of news outlets, as well as the ability to read the actual bill on line - and they are not happy with what they have read. The suggestion by the DNC stating that individuals who oppose reform are “Republican operatives”, or “hired by insurance companies” is ludicrous in the extreme. Those who oppose the bill come from a variety of parties, including the President’s Party. The email received by this blog urging calls in support of the President’s plan (complete with instruction) to a U.S. Representative’s office did not come from a Republican Operative or Insurance Company – rather from the recipient of the email. It is not without some alarm, that individuals who are registered Republican’s, Independent Voters, Libertarians and Democrats are concerned with the tactics taken by the Democrat Party to push this legislation on the American people. Additionally, the emails contain a factual error – noting that the majority of American’s are in favor of the Presidents’ plan, while published polls have been telling the nation otherwise.

As to the Republican Party – it is this blogs opinion that Party members (or more pointedly – members of Congress – who have disagreed with the bill, and have been vocal about it – are merely doing their job – although two parties exist – the main point of our system of government is to allow a variety of types of representatives to work together, agree and disagree, based on what their constituents want. The RNC, while statements have been issued (as statements have been issued by their counterpart, the DNC), do not play a large role in this debate. They will, however, reap the benefits of the debate, should the President and those members of Congress who are failing to listen to their constituents politely and with respect to their employers, continue in this vein, they will surely suffer politically.

In fact, the point has been reached where those “insurance companies” or “Republican” or “Conservative” groups that allegedly are “hurting the president” (Barbara Boxer Comments) did not utter a peep, the steps taken by the DNC, the President and the Union working for the President (SEIU), have done enough damage to sway the court of public opinion and fuel the angst of the public.

It goes without saying, that members of groups that disagree with the President, are not affiliated with one party over another, rather they are politically mixed, a fact that escapes the DNC, or rather, a fact they choose to ignore while trying to invent a boogeyman to take the blame for “inciting the general public against the President and his plan”. The problem with that tactic, is those people within the groups know who they are, and so do their neighbors, their families, their friends, and they are, individually emailing, and calling and organizing trips to town hall meetings, without the aid of any “political machine”.

Therefore, the “Truth Squads”, should realize the truth, the public is not that stupid, they do know what’s best for them (see Andrea Mitchell), and the times has come for the President and members of Congress to do the job that they were sent to Washington to do in the first place – work for the good of the American people, at their behest. Should they fail to listen, and continue the current course of dismissal of the public, disinformation to constituents (who have the ability to form opinions based on what they read), and move forward on this legislation, they public will simply employ someone else in their position come 2010 and 2012. In the final analysis, the issue of health care reform, has come under a great deal of scrutiny, for the most part because it affects all American’s, but the more importantly, the people have had previews with other legislation, specifically eh Stimulus, and moving forward, one can anticipate that all legislation, regardless of which party suggests a bill, will be given the same scrutiny by the public.

A sample of the many video’s available of Meetings Held across the country are shown below

AARP Meeting Cancelled over Opposition

Indiana Health Care Protest

Denver Health Care Protest

Health Care Protests Michigan

Kathy Castor Town Hall Meeting