This is my personal account of Saturday's town hall with Representative Scott Murphy.
I have met the wingnuts and looked into their eyes, and they are very scared, badly misinformed, angry, and dumb as hell.
Early on the screamers tried to troll out the event. Representative Scott Murphy (D-NY20) answered back with a line that sums up the whole argument when he said
"When we are done people can tell me what they hate."
I have broken this diary up into four sections, including a breakdown of Congressmen Murphy's conversations with the public and his stance on Health Care reform, as well as pictures from the event, the lobbyists role in all of this, and a statement on the need to throw bipartisanship overboard from now on.
Having engaged the GOP base firsthand, I can easily state that these are the dumbest people in the country.
I personally told Scott Murphy on behalf of Progressives everywhere and the Daily Kos community that a Robust Public Option is the only true reform, short of Single Payer. I have told him that Co-Ops are a joke and unacceptable. I also offered him our support in the future, should he support us in return.
Police officers were visible in the crowd. I told one anti-socialist that Police officers are socialists who work for the Government, and I asked why he hated police officers. I don't think he got the joke.
Representative Murphy handled the crowd perfectly. He was very well informed and never stumbled for an answer, no matter how absurd the question. Very few of the questions asked pertained to health care reform, other than those from the left. Rather, I felt like we were debating whether we even need a Government at all.
Congressman Murphy, while standing by his wife and children, told us a story of how he took one of his daughters to the dentist to remove five cavities. They had to make six visits, one to make sure there really was five cavities and then another one for each cavity. He explained how this is a huge part of the problem, and why we should reform health care in order to avoid waste just like this.
Sadly, I can not report that Scott Murphy has stated his support for a Public Option during the town hall, but he has stated in the past that he does. He is very much in support of reform, but he will not say so in certain terms. Despite this, I believe he will do the right thing in the end and vote for Health Care reform bill in the House. I am just not sure what type of reform he is for, but he is certainly for doing something. I am just not sure if that is enough.
The words Co-Op and Options were used by Representative Murphy. I do not know if this is the message coming from the WhiteHouse, or if this is a Democrat in a Red District trying to avoid stoking his constituants already paranoid fears.
NY-20 is a red district. Politically, I can understand why Scott Murphy did not go all in on a public option in the face of scared and stupid Republicans. Democrats were outnumbered at the Town Hall, but held their own. In a crowd of 100-200 the screamers were few, but the message from the Right is clear. That message is NO. No to everything, No to government, No, and greed, and I got mine, screw you.
Still, I feel like we should strongly support Freshman Democrats in red and tight districts. As much as I hate the Blue Dogs (of which Re. Murphy is NOT a member), I understand how much better they are than Republicans. If we cannot support Freshman Dems like Murphy who won by 200+ votes or Rep. Kratovil or others, we are going to lose. We should make sure that doesn't happen by supporting them when we can and when they deserve it.
Part 2: The Pictures, Worth a thousand words
A few progressives did show up, but seemed to be outnumbered in this red district. Still, we held our own, and when necessary, we Yelled Louder, so Fuck you Rahm.
This needs to be said to the NO on everything crowd.
But, of course, they just don't get it. Fishsticks, man. Why can't you just get it?
This is a wingnut video shot from the Town Hall, and it portrays best the willfull ignorance of the Know Nothing party
These are the dopes we are dealing with.
Single Payer advocates, rest assured your voice was heard. So were other health care reform advocates.
A nurse who I spoke to who wished to remain anonymous had this to say.
"Health care (reform) has to be done now. My main thing is the donut hole for prescription coverage and the co-payment."
Many others from the left agreed and made many other statements which are too many to catalouge, but speak to the urgency with which we need reform now.
But we were outnumbered by the wingnuts. Their message is clear, and it is No! and I do not know how or even why we should still debate them anymore.
Gov'ment cannot "care" - I want to frame this and put it on my wall.
Let's play count the No's and Negative messages
Meet the hardest working person in America
I saw old people who opposed reform crying. Why, I am not sure even they knew.
People were yelling about Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi. When one person yelled out about Pelosi I Yelled Louder that she should have Impeached George W. Bush, which got a bunch of laughs.
These people are afraid. Of what? Everything.
And why? Well, I think there might be a reason.
Part 3: The Lobbyists, hiding in plain sight.
Within minutes of arriving at the town hall a person who had shouted "They haven't even read the whole bill!" was kind enough to hand me a helpful flyer explaining HR 3200. The flyer, which I am holding in my hand right now, is a 10 page explanation of why we are all going to die if this bill passes. You can read the whole piece here and at the link at FreeRepublic.com
The top 10 dumbest of these, in my opinion, are listed below.
#10 The government will establish a National Medical Device Registry. Will you be tracked?
#9. Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage.
#8. The Public Health Workforce Corps includes veterinarians. Will animals have health care, too?
#7 School Based Health Clinics will be intergrated into the school environment. More Government brainwashing in school.
#6 Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for electronic funds transfers
#5 HC will be provided to ALL NON-US citizens
#4 This Home Visitation Program includes the government coming into your home and teaching/telling you how to parent!
#3 Doctors in Residency government will tell you where your residency is, thus where you'll live.
#2 YOUR HEALTH CARE WILL BE RATIONED
and finally, the Number #1 dumbest reason anyone might belive that health care reform is the devil himself.
#1 Government will establish school based "health" clinics. your children will be indoctrinated and your grandchildren may be aborted!
Liberty Counsel takes credit for this atrocious piece of Conspiracy Theory stuffed misinformation. Liberty Counsel is a "Religious Civil Lberty Law Firm" that says nothing about torture, but is very clearly anti LGBT rights and opposed to hate crime legislation, which tells me that they are pro-hate crimes.
For those who recall, Rachel Maddow covered this morans in an expose about the CT going around that Health Care reform will mandate compulsory sex changes.
So, Sarah Palin isn't that smart. She didn't make this shit up, she was just reading straight from the lobbyists playbook.
The 10 page printout sites ACORN, abortion, euthanasia for the elderly rationing and taxes, as well as other and even dumber bullshit.
Now here is the crazier thing. People on the right actually believe this shit.
Part 4: In conclusion
The Republican party and it's rabid base are the dumbest fucking people in this country. They are easily scared, easily decieved, grossly misinformed, racist, not intellectually curiius, not intellectual at all, slow, stupid and certain they are right.
There can be no debate with someone who doesn't believe in reality. I have said it before, but if you look at these equations it is easy to understand.
Idea + NO = FUBAR Legislation
Stupid + Bipartisanship = FAIL
I had a long conversation with a Republican banker about economics and progressive taxes. I tried to tell him his ideas have failed over and over again for more than 100 years. I have come to the conclusion that our bankers have no frigging idea what they are talking about.
I did learn a great technique in dealing with Republican stupidity. Talk about George W. Bush. It makes their heads explode.
Republicans will say in a knee jerk response "Don't blame Bush", and this goes to the heart of the doublethink which is required to be a Republican today. They KNOW he fucked up, but they don't want to admit it, and they would rather blame Obama.
We should use this as much as we can.
Sadly, Godwin died a terrible death yesterday. I actually watched a Republican WWII vet tell Representative Murphy that this is what Hitler did. He gave all Germans, including the Jews, government run health care.
I watched, stunned by the enormity of teh stoopid.
It is like talking to a meth addict. No, there are no monsters in the shadows. No, there are no spiders on you. No, you can not fly, and there are no underpants gnomes.
I wonder what the political version of delirium tremons is.
The fact is, the GOP hopes Obama fails, from top to bottom. They hate you and Government, they believe whatever they are told as long as it reaffirms what they already think. These are the people who voted for McCain/Palin.
If we are depending on these clowns to compromise with us, we might as well wait for the Rapture with them.
If the bought off wing of the Democratic party does not give us real reform but pass a watered down FUBAR reform they will have succeded in pissing off everyone on both sides while accomplishing nothing. Real Progressives need to stand up, get out there, and campaign all over again for this reform., because every fight we have is going to be just like this one for the next 3 1/2 - 7 1/2 years.
Fox News and the Right Wing Noise machine has convinced these loons and full mooners that the end is nigh. The lobbyists love it. We need to fight back and stand up for the mandate we won in the election of 2008. This is my opinion.
At the end of the town hall, Congressman Murphy asked the crowd to vote on whether Government should be involved in any health care programs at all. To my amazement, they cheered loudly and said NO!
But then, maybe I shouldn't be surprised. This is the Know-Nothing party of No!!! I should have expected as much.
Per a comment by Andrew C White which can be found below.
As you said, most of this had nothing to do with health care and everything to do with fear and stupidty.
I disagree however that they out numbered us. I think we out numbered them but it was close. They are simpy louder and better organized than we are at this point.
At the end when he did his informal survey single-payer followed closely by the public option received the most votes.
It is also VERY worth noting that while the original vote for no government involvement in health care was large and loud it got a heck of a lot smaller when he made it clear that he meant... no Meedicare, no Medicaid, no VA, no Tri-Care, nothing. That received a very small vote.
These are the people who just don't get it.
This clip from South Park is intended to illustarte the people who JUST DON'T GET It. In no way is this meant to advocate for violence or Kanye West, nor is it intended to be insulting to Carlos Mencia, latinos, rappers or gay fish.
They will never get it. Time to stop trying and just make them take their medicine.
A BIG hat tip to fellow Kossack mad cow without whom this diary and my attendance at the NY-20 town hall could not be possible, and more hat tips to Kossacks nyceve and slinkerwink who always inspire with their dedication and hard work. I take this as further proof that this communtiy and progressives everywhere truly ROCK!
My gratitude also goes to progressives and others who fight hard here and elsewhere on a daily basis. Without you there can be no change.
In conclusion, screw Rahm! and screw bipartisanship. get out there, be heard, and if necessary, "YELL LOUDER"
I might add that I feel the event was a great success,, and would encourage othher Democrats to attend these events when they can, and to watch, and be seen, and be heard.
