Michael Wolfe

On Wednesday at about 10AM, the Senator held a Town Hall, or “Round table” as the aides in his office called it (thereby denying there was any town hall, according to those I spoke to regarding their efforts to find out about the event). I decided to get there an hour early only to find out that an hour early is about two hours too late. The staff kept saying that the main room was full, and they were busy preparing an overflow room (where no one was able to ask questions, and to which the senator did not make an appearance).

Despite the assurances of the staff that the main room was filled, large groups kept being admitted ahead of the line,  all of the ones I saw either had “planned parenthood” stickers clearly present, or “Organizing for America” signs.

For about 1/2 the meeting, audio was terrible, prompting several people to leave the overflow and go home. One of whom was a gentlemen in a suit with a House of Representatives binder who seemed increasingly agitated about the meeting. I was hoping to talk to him afterward, but he left about 15 minutes in.

On stage, the whole panel was totally for the AAHCA bill as it stands, with Sen. Brown noting one point of disagreement. Overall the talking points were the same (the “40 million” uninsured, the “public option” would keep insurance companies honest, you can “keep” your current coverage, etc) and it was clear that the purpose of the Town Hall was not to have an honest discussion about the bill, but to merely garner a “friendly” town hall unlike any of the open town halls held across the country (with the exception of the “Yes we can!” town hall hosted by the president).

Overall, given the timing of the meeting (10AM on a workday, selective admittance, long winded sales pitches by each of the people on the “round table,” hastily and poorly concocted “overflow” room, it was an organizational and conversational failure. With the Senator solidly in the bill’s camp (having helped write it), it was clear that he is on board regardless of what his constituents want.

As far as protestors go, there were 3 sides represented outside: those for the bill (complete with glossy pre-fab signs), greenpeace, and those who oppose the bill.

One thing I feel has been particularly interesting. I was talking with an acquaintance, not specifically about the healthcare bill, but the words of Nancy Pelosi, and how she called the protesters “un-American” And he brought up the psychological term “projection,” whereby an individual accuses his opponents of the very thing he himself is guilty of. There has been much harping about how “Fox News is bankrolling the protesters!” When in reality it seems that these protesters are individuals. I have yet to see an anti-ObamaCare protester carrying a glossy pre-made sign, while the proponents of the plan almost exclusively are carrying expensive ready made sings that SOMEONE bought and paid for (there was one individual that had a homemade pro-reform sign that I could see), and which were being distributed to the proponents as I was waiting for the meeting.

This healthcare bill AAHCA has some very deep pocked bankrollers (including radical abortion proponent Planned Parenthood).

So, to those who look at see “Fox News Operatives” disguises as elderly, disabled, moms, college students, nurses, or John Does, take a good look at that glossy sign, and ask yourself where the money came from to print and distribute all of them.

And after all this, why not take some time to sit down and take a long hard look at what is in this bill…

http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14102&AlertID=1015

Full text of bill avaliable at above link