Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) expressed dismay at the behavior of her town hall audience today, stopping at one point to criticize what she called "rudeness."
"I don't understand this rudeness," she said when an attendee interrupted her. "What is this? I don't get it. I honestly don't get it. Do you all think that you're persuading people when you shout out like that?"
"I beg your pardon? You don't trust me?" McCaskill asked when the attendee responded. The crowd erupted with a loud "No!"
"I don't know what else I can do," McCaskill said.
A vandal painted a four foot swastika on Rep. David Scott's (D-Ga) district office, the Georgia Democrat said today.
"Well we woke up this morning and my staff called me and said there was a swastika," Scott told Fox News's Bill Hemmer.
"Nazi signs painted on the sign--which of course is very unfortunate and I just feel very bad about it--I really feel bad about the person who did it."
Scott was the subject of one of the most publicized town hall flare ups last week. After fielding a passionate (some would say angry) question on healthcare legislation, Scott criticized the questioner for "hijacking" a meeting that was supposed to focus on a different topic
"Not a single one of you had the decency to call my office to set up for a meeting....Do that! Do that!" Scott said. "But don't, don't come and take advantage of what these individuals [who prepared the event]l have done. You want a meeting on healthcare? I'll give it to you."
Sarah Palin's charge that healthcare reform would lead to government run "death panels" is simply "nuts," Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) said today.
In an interview with Ezra Klein, Isakson said that aspects of the legislation that deal with end-of-life planning have nothing to do with euthanasia.
Here's the relevant section:
Q: How did this become a question of euthanasia?
ISAKSON: I have no idea. I understand -- and you have to check this out -- I just had a phone call where someone said Sarah Palin's web site had talked about the House bill having death panels on it where people would be euthanized. How someone could take an end of life directive or a living will as that is nuts. You're putting the authority in the individual rather than the government. I don't know how that got so mixed up.
Q: You're saying that this is not a question of government. It's for individuals.
ISAKSON: It empowers you to be able to make decisions at a difficult time rather than having the government making them for you.
Q: The policy here as I understand it is that Medicare would cover a counseling session with your doctor on end-of-life options.
ISAKSON: Correct. And it's a voluntary deal.
Sarah Palin had written on her Facebook page that the House healthcare legislation would lead to government "death panels" deciding which members of society were productive enough to receive healthcare.
UPDATE: Isakson's office has clarified that the Georgia Republican absolutely opposes the House bill, including the "end of life language."
Isakson has offered his own amendment to the Senate HELP Committee bill that would provide for end of life planning, but he argues the House version "incentivises" end of life counseling and provides a government-mandated list of topics.
"The House provision is merely another ill-advised attempt at more government mandates, more government intrusion, and more government involvement in what should be an individual choice," said Isakson.
Nevertheless, Isakson has not backed away from his comments that the "death panel" interpretation of the bill is "nuts."
Police had to escort the father of a man with cerebral palsy out of Rep. John Dingell's (D-Mich.) town hall last night after the man confronted the Congressman and shouted him down.
Today, Dingell released a statement citing the "passionate" nature of the debate and offering the man a one-on-one meeting. So far, the constituent has declined.
"I also was confronted by the father of a young man afflicted with cerebral palsy last night. He was under the impression that health reform legislation being considered in Congress would exclude care for his son's condition. Unfortunately, he would not allow me an opportunity to respond to his concern. I'm sorry that Romulus Police had to escort them out, but he left officers no choice. We had 200 people in the hall, more than 200 people outside, and we could not let one person take over that meeting. My staff did offer the gentlemen a one-on-one meeting in my office, which is a more appropriate forum for a lengthy discussion about how the bill affects one person, but he refused. The offer still stands. Because there were so many people there, we actually did a second town hall and I am glad that we had to accommodate so many people, however, I am sorry for those who came sincerely wanting to know more about the bill but whose voices could not be heard over the protesters."
House Democratic leaders are going on offense against those protesting healthcare reform legislation at lawmaker town hall meetings across the country.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi described the disruptions as "simply un-American" in an op-ed for USA Today co-authored by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
"Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades," Pelosi (Caif.) and Hoyer (Md.) wrote.
The two described the protests as "an ugly campaign" meant to misrepresent healthcare legislation, disrupt public meetings and prevent a civil dialogue between lawmakers and their constituents.
The two singled out the hanging in effigy of Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-Md.), and protestors holding a sign displaying a tombstone of Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas.).
Democrats have also set up a "war room" in Hoyer's office to provide members with immediate health policy answers and updates from leadership offices. A number of lawmakers have either cancelled town halls or decided against having them entirely because of protests or the fear of protests.
Republicans have insisted the protests are spontaneous grass-roots efforts.
As his campaign heads to his native Bath County, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds (D) tied his opponent Bob McDonnell (R) to former President George W. Bush.
Deeds' attack demonstrates the extent to which his state's governor's race has been nationalized. President Obama appeared with Deeds at a campaign rally last week and McDonnell delivered the Republican weekly address this weekend.
Heading to Bath County...@BobMcDonnell thinks Bush economic policies helped here
McDonnell also played an early role in bringing national issues into the campaign, pressuring Deeds to say if he supports Democratic card-check, healthcare reform, and climate change legislation.
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said his chamber should give the bipartisan Wyden-Bennett bill a "LookSe." That health reform proposal was thought to be off the table in the Senate.
Republicans know need for healthCareReform That's why there are at least 4 Republican bills There is one bipartisan_Wyden-Bennett GiveLookSe
The Wyden-Bennett proposal calls for universal healthcare coverage with private insurance companies acting as the primary insurance providers.
Grassley's comments may raise some eyebrows since he has been the lead Republican negotiating the existing legislation in the Senate Finance Committee.
President Obama asked supporters to commit to attending at least one community event during August to voice support for healthcare.
The president's political arm, Organizing for America, emailed supporters to ask them to turn out to support lawmakers at public events after a rash of boisterous uprisings at town halls have made national headlines.
"Throughout August, members of Congress are back home, where the hands they shake and the voices they hear will not belong to lobbyists, but to people like you," Obama wrote in an OFA email.
"Home is where we're strongest," the president said. "That's why Organizing for America is putting together thousands of events this month where you can reach out to neighbors, show your support, and make certain your members of Congress know that you're counting on them to act."
The email asks supporters to join at least one event in their community during August.
The email marks an extensive organizing effort put together by Democrats in Washington to combat healthcare reform opponents during the August recess, especially after the very public uprisings at district events in recent days.
President Obama is too inexperienced in national politics to really understand the legislative process, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Wednesday.
Grassley, who as a lead negotiator of the bipartisan healthcare reform deal the president supports has dealt often with Obama, said that while he likes the president personally, Obama effectively only had two years of experience in national politics.
"I think that he is a good person, and good-intentioned," Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a radio interview. "But I believe he didn't serve in government long enough to understand really how things work."
"Remember, he was in the Senate four years, but effectively only two years because he spent two years where he was hardly ever here at all -- he was campaigning for president," Grassley said. "He really does not have an understanding of how Congress operates."
Grassley said that while the president's numerous advisers may help him understand the process, Obama still has a "tough time."
Still, Grassley did save some praise for Obama's personal skills, though.
"You can't help but like the guy," the Iowa Republican said. "As he's talking to you, he looks you right in the eye, and you're the most important person in the world. He's not like a lot of politicians."
"He's very idealistic, and so when you're idealistic you want to put all those things into practice," Grassley added. "So I think he's maybe trying to do too much at one time."
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