LW Thug Disrupts Health Care Town Hall
Find a Conversation
| Mon, 08-10-2009 - 11:57am |
I'll apply the standard of libraone from her thread about RW thugs. I'm certain all who don't have double standards will be outraged over this LW thug, who also happens to be a Democrat House member.
Georgia Democrat yells at local doctor over health care
Tensions are running so high at town hall meetings that Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat, yelled at a local doctor concerned about health care after mistaking him for an "astroturf" political operative looking for a fight.
Mr. Scott became visibly agitated when one of his constituents, a practicing doctor, asked a few questions about health care reform during a town hall meeting. The meeting was held to discuss a road project, but was opened up for questions near the end. That's when Dr. Brian Hill stood up to speak.
Dr. Hill asked Mr. Scott why he was going to vote for a health care plan similar to that implemented in Massachusetts "that is shown not to work" and if he supported a government-provided health care insurance option.
The congressman replied by accusing the doctor of "hijacking" his event.
"I'm listening to my constituents, OK?" Scott said, "These are people who live in the 13th Congressional district, who vote in this district. That’s who I’ve got to respond to … So what you’ve got to understand, those of you who are here, who have taken and came and hijacked this event we dealing with here, this is not a health care event."
"You chose to come and to do it on your own," he yelled. "Not a single one of you had the decency to call my office and set up for a meeting." He went on, in a threatening voice, "You want a meeting with me on health care, I'll give it to you!"
The outburst is yet another example of how confrontational town hall meetings have become over recent weeks, as constituents are becoming more forthright in asking their elected representatives challenging questions. These actions and other forms of protest have been encouraged by limited government advocacy groups opposed to the stimulus package, the Democrats favored health care reforms and other big spending government proposals.
The White House has labeled these efforts "astroturf", shorthand for fake grassroots. To combat these efforts, groups supporting these plans — such as Service Employees International Employees Union — have been appearing at these town halls as well, effectively creating local "showdowns" between opposing political powers.
Mr. Scott's public tirade against the doctor was filmed by WXIA-TV News, a local NBC affiliate that confirmed the doctor lived in the congressman's district in a follow-up interview.
The doctor told WXIA he wasn't working for any outside causes and had called Mr. Scott's office repeatedly, asking to speak with the congressman.
"I did not go to a meeting to create any problems, I went to the meeting to literally ask a question that I thought was very, very important for my patients," he said.
(NOTE: The WXIA video report of the event that includes the congressman's remarks and the post-interview with the doctor is available on their website here under the video titled "Congressman Scott's Town Hall." HotAir.com, a conservative-leaning blog, also has it embedded into their item about the town hall here. It is more easily accessed on HotAir.com)

Pages
I was invited to participate as a constituent in my local town hall meeting.
"I'll apply the standard of libraone from her thread about RW thugs."
FYI: That was the title of the article.
No, No, No!
I feel your passion. What a well written post. Thank you for putting your heartfelt feelings down in type for all to see. It will go down as just another leftist rant about how the right wingers don't play "fair", and are out to make Obama look badly, even at the expense of future improvements in the economy, universal health care, etc., but what you said is how it is in this country anymore. I sometimes get very depressed listening to the talking heads go on and on about all the doom and gloom facing us as long as the current administration is in power.
This is just a hollow shell of the country I knew growing up. Back then we didn't have all the radio and TV access we do now. Back then there weren't any media outlets for these crazy people to have free reign over. I fear that things are only going to get worse, and more polarized as time goes on.
Thank you again for saying what you did. I couldn't have come close to stating it as well as you.
Thank you, and thanks to Claddagh. You may be right that things will get worse. How sad for us. How sad for our children that this is what so many people wish to give them as a country - a place that is torn with anger from the inside.
A swastika was sprayed painted on
Thank you for your eloquent well written posts.
You're so right about her well written, precise and to the point posts. As I read her remarks, it's as if she's sitting across from me explaining in great detail exactly what we as a nation should be worried about.
Okay, now that we've totally increased the size of her noggin', let's get back to the case at hand.....lol. Somebody is makin' a whole lotta money if united healthcare is not going to happen. Pretty evident as far as I'm concerned.
Pages