Over 200 people gathered at Chesterton, IN’s, Westchester Library Service Center at 6:30 p.m. Monday, August 3, 2009 to hear Representative Peter Visclosky speak on clean energy and health care reform and participate in an open question and answer session. It was sponsored by the Democratic Alliance of Northwest Indiana. Approximately 15 members of MoveOn.org were present and involved in running the event. About half of those present were allowed in because of space constraints.
Prior to the event, we were told that people could submit questions on index cards, and some would be chosen for Rep. Visclosky to answer. That did not occur. Rep. Visclosky chose to answer questions by calling on members of the audience by raised hands.
Remarkably, the meeting began with the co-chairman of the Alliance, Don Briggs, referring repeatedly to the peaceful and respectful group of 90 people in the room as “tea baggers,” a sexually pejorative term coined by media for people who choose to question and protest the rapid expansion of federal government and its fiscal irresponsibility. Mr. Briggs relayed the rules of the meeting regarding disruptions by holding up a poster entitled “Astroturf” that contained a list of actions that have been taken in the past by groups of ringers bussed in to disrupt meetings.
If Mr. Briggs had taken the trouble to ask, he would have known that the people from Northwest Indiana Patriots and many others who attended are long-time residents of northwest Indiana. The author of this post has lived in Porter County for 30 years.
After this offensive and dismissive start, Rep. Visclosky spoke for about 30 minutes. Then he took questions from the audience. Among the questions asked:
How would HR 3200 impact health care insurance choices? He said there has been much misinterpretation of the language in the bill, the bill’s not complete, and it just got out of committee. He did assure the audience that he will read the “pertinent” parts of the bill–he did not inform us how he would determine which those are. He also assured us that he would be informed on the provisions of the bill.
One person asked about Tenth Amendment issues connected to the federal mandate that individuals must purchase health care insurance. His response was that we’ve had Medicare since the Lyndon Johnson presidency, and no one has challenged that.
He was asked if Congressmen would have to have the same insurance as the rest of us, along with the same conditions of treatment. His reply was that, as a Federal employee, he already has to pay for health insurance.
When asked about confidentiality issues connected with the massive database that will be part of the system if this law is passed, the Representative assured us he would never vote for any bill that would compromise peoples’ privacy.
He received boos when he said that he believed health care insurance is a right and a government responsibility.
His answer to a question about the necessity of disrupting the current insurance status of people who are content with what they have for the sake of the government trying to cover everyone, was punctuated by shouts of “Vote him out” by protesters outside the building.
After about 30 minutes of questions, Rep. Visclosky left the building. He was followed to his car by a group of protesters shouting “Vote him out.” Read a report about what occurred outside during the meeting.
Local media was there. Lakeshore Public TV led its 9 p.m. news with a report of the meeting. The Post-Tribune piece is Health-care reform talk draws plan protesters. NWI article is Visclosky calls health care reform a serious issue.
The meeting received a mention on the WLS morning talk show, Don Wade and Roma. They read an email describing the event on the air.
NWIPatriots thanks everyone for coming out and letting your views be known to Representative Visclosky.
I couldn’t come yesterday as my kids had a basketball awards ceremony at the same time, but boy, this makes me angry. I can’t believe this Don Briggs called the protesters “tea baggers.” The liberals always have to resort to name calling and finger gestures as they can’t argue with their intelligence, of which they don’t have much.
Comment by Debbie REvor — August 4, 2009 @ 3:10 pm
I never thought I’d be a protestor. I thought that was for the hippy type generation of the 60′s, which I was too young to be involved. This was my first town hall meeting. I was very surprised at how unhappy the democrats were for us to be there, since we too our Viscloski’s constituants. I was told at first this was for the democratic party only. I think they were hoping we would leave. But when I pressed that I was told this was a town hall meeting open to everyone, the woman conceded. I got to be in there. I was happy that Pete took questions as I figured his aid put the patriots questions in the round file. I think they are spreading this rumor about us being astroturf came from when Glenn Beck found out the ACORN people were being bussed in to the homes of the AIG people. And the use over and over of teabaggers after it was told it was a derogatory remark. He said someone had it on their T-shirt. I never saw anyone with that. The only thing I can think is the liberals are very afraid of us. Not from violence, if you read the Lake Shore News article that said when the one guy found out we were going to be there, he called the police. I have never heard of any problems with the tea party patriots yet. Try and say that about the other side. But for heavens sake, when they passed the first bailout without reading the bill, it all went to waste. Now they are saying the 2nd one is also. And they wonder why we get upset when Pete says he’s not going to read the 3rd. But the biggest problem with the liberals is that they want to throw away their freedom and let big government be their owner. Telling them what to eat, drink, where and if they can go to a doctor. If they want that, why not move to Cuba and leave this great country alone? I never thought I’d see the day this country was heading towards this. Rush was saying that the Obama site is asking it’s bloggers to rat on anyone who is against the health care bill. They are to report it to flag@whitehouse.gov. This is gestapo tactics. Between this and the orange shirt SS. Is this America anymore?
Comment by Lorie — August 4, 2009 @ 3:23 pm
My husband and I did not know about the meeting in time to attend, and would like to know when future
events take place. We are staunch conservatives and want to participate in any way we can.
Comment by Kathy Morelli — August 4, 2009 @ 4:44 pm
The rally was so awesome. We totally outnumbered them by 10:1 easily!! I had a hard time looking at their tiny group and illogical signs while keeping a straight face. Clearly Pete’s constituents vastly are against this bill.
Thanks to everyone for coming. Please stay active and stay with the group. We need all the Patriots we can get. It is going to be the battle of our lifetimes to stop America from falling to Socialism. Don’t let up! Keep fighting the good fight! America cannot afford to lose…
Join us here:
http://www.meetup.com/Northwest-Indiana-Patriots/
Comment by Matt — August 4, 2009 @ 11:46 pm
The liberals and left are so used to their own tactics where protestors are hired and bussed in they can’t believe the Right and Conservatives are actually capable of free thought and are showing up on their own. They cannot get it through their heads Conservatives are not thoughtless sheep who act out of ignorance and hate. This is the first time they have ever seen business people, executives and patriots from the Right take matters into their own hands and it is far more massive than anything the left has ever put together. You won’t hear the main stream media reporting how massive this unorganized movement is.
You guys are awesome and we are taking notice. Keep blogging, keep posting photos, keep posting videos, use Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Blogger and keep pushing up! Please join us on August 22nd by organizing your own Recess Rally events and let’s do something even MSNBC will have to admit is massive. http://recessrally.com let’s Take Back Our Government!
Comment by Ken Cook — August 5, 2009 @ 8:03 am
Here’s a law firms 10 page summary of the current bill’s main points.
http://www.liberty.edu/media/9980/attachments/healthcare_overview_obama_072909.pdf
WORTH your time to read!
Mr. Visclosky almost always seem to vote with the Democat program—so thus I don’t expect him to listen to others…unless some who have voted for him change their vote.
Comment by thinkingabovemypaygrade — August 5, 2009 @ 11:32 am
[...] Chesterton that Rep. Visclosky held, in cooperation with the Democratic Alliance and MoveOn.org, in Chesterton. Over 200 people came, the big majority of them opposed to HR 3200, the proposed Kennedy Health [...]
Pingback by From Participatory Democracy To Un-American Activities « NWI Patriots Blog — August 11, 2009 @ 3:32 pm
Interesting, I`ll quote it on my site later.
Have a nice day
Comment by Elcorin — August 24, 2009 @ 12:33 pm
Here is my take on what happened at this town hall and the collusion we are seeing between left wing Socialist/Marxist groups, the Democratic AND Republican Party.
Follow the money folks. It is money, power and control that fuel these political moves. Using MoveOn, Acorn, the unions is just a tactic, name-calling is a diversion and the anti-American actions and words of Visclosky and others will be swept under the rug come 2010 when he will come hat in hand asking us to re-elect him.
We have to start pushing for accountable representation NOW and work toward supporting a candidate that will work to bring America back to a position of operating from the Founding Documents of this Republic.
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
Albert Einstein
Link to my post regarding Chesterton and Visclosky: (or click on my name above and scroll down)
http://onenerveleft.couragetosee.com/archives/72
Comment by One Nerve Left — August 25, 2009 @ 2:27 am
?em by the, contributed to If?To investigate: Renegotiate, leap experiences for.With cell phone, even politicians have.That do consume Santa Pola en un suplemento de un periodico del Reino Unido, their fat and already been taken.System The very, or cappuccino every.,
Comment by Santa Pola en un suplemento de un periodico del Reino Unido — August 28, 2009 @ 5:50 pm
Discount Elimite…
Over 200 people gathered at Chesterton IN’s Westchester Library Service Center at 6:30 p.m. Mo [...]…
Trackback by Discount Elimite — August 29, 2009 @ 7:58 am
[...] have seen some of these jackboot methods in action, at Rep. Visclosky’s town hall in Chesterton, and at the National Recess Rally in South [...]
Pingback by From The Horse’s Mouth « NWI Patriots Blog — August 29, 2009 @ 12:54 pm