Dave,

Not all of the people attending the townhalls are calling themselves, 'conservatives'. I should attack you on that but, its really not a bargain for me to do such. However, when you listen to the Questions at the townhalls regarding the Health Care and you draw an opinion that the people are being disruptive, yet you have failed to report the truth and merely snagged up a few lines from the 'State Run Media' and you go with it, why not? Olberman is a nice Guy, Ann Coulter and Huckabee are nice people, and then there is the Sunday Highlights and edited interviews. The news you see on TV, and the news you hear on the radio is paid for by you, many others, and I (advertiser dollars comes from consumer spenders), and regulated by the FCC, and most if not all of it has been censored in some way or another (one more freedom taken away) to control what you see and hear. Since, that is how I see that you have gathered the information for this article and left out the facts of the events that took place during this Congressional Summer Recess in August, and you blatantly badgered the Conservatives, and started the name calling its 'typical' for a statist. I will be a humble servant among all the readers of this article and present to you and all readers the FACTS about health care in this 'melting-pot' of a country.

As the members of Congress head home for the August recess, they should take a close look at some poll numbers before they attempt to pass any new legislation.

The most important fundamental is that 68% of American voters have health insurance coverage they rate good or excellent. Most of these voters approach the health-care debate fearing that they have more to lose than to gain.

While the president says his plan will reduce costs, 53% believe it will have the opposite effect.

There?s also the reality that 74% of voters rate the quality of care they now receive as good or excellent. And 52% fear that if Congress passes health-care reform, it will lead to a decline in quality of that care, and only 13% believe care would improve.

Also, 51% fear the federal government more than private insurance companies when it comes to health care decisions. Just 19% of Americans now rate the overall system as poor while 48% say it?s good or excellent. (Ed.?hardly a mandate for change!)

Source: Aug. 7 and 10, 2009 by Scott Rasmussen, founder and president of Rasmussen Reports (a national, non-partisan polling organization).

All polling data can be found at RasmussenReports.com.

One particular thing comes to mind when reading the article, and that is the whole left-right paradigm. Left attacking the right, right attacking the left, and somehow in the middle of it all arises communism, fascism. There is a left in this country, and it is totalitarianism. The whole paradigm of left and right is misinterpreted, and I see it as a pyramid scheme, one gets to say what ever it wants, yet when the other says what it wants, it is portrayed as some right wing blander or a "angry mob". When I heard all of that stuff about 'Angry Mob', I totally lost all respect for the DNC, blaming people for standing up for their rights and calling them names. Its one thing to make a statement about the people being blatant in their opposition to STATE-RUN Health Care, then to go run an ad that calls names, its very disturbing and I miss the point of it. The same goes for the GOP and their run around ads regarding the flagrant behavior of congressional members. WAKE UP. If there is any fight in this battle against tyranny of the majority, it should be for reasons of LESS GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE, LESS GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN YOUR BUSINESS. The battle however sad as it is, its for free speech first and the right to petition the government of their grievances, maybe if the reactions to tyranny is looked at another way, then maybe the others will get a second shake.

The efforts to get Congress, and Executive Branch, to read the facts in the fall of '08, during the banker bailouts (TARP). They did not listen to the people, and then the auto companies getting a bailout. The bailouts benefit the banks not the people. Once again, congress is not listening to the people about health care reform. Dave, IF YOU REMEMBER, there was a local health care option on the ballot in Bay County. The people VOTED 'NO', so what does our U.S. Representative do? Gets reelected and goes to Washington D.C., proceeds to go over the head of the people back home, and votes in favor of a National Healh Care plan. Can you blame the frustration of some people? Before I forget, let me remind you, if the first amendment doesn't work, the second amendment will.

Signed

Brandon.

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." John F. Kennedy, In a speech at the White House, 1962

**comment archived for re-submitting**

I disagree. You couldn't be more wrong on the protesters. What would a Bucklian-conservative (yes I made that word up) do when they were: 1)ignored when telling their reps to vote against TARP, 2) to vote against Stimulus, 3)vote against Cap & Trade, 4)Vote against HR 3200? All of which put us further in debt for no positive reason other than giving more power to Washington in a non-constitutional way. A Bucklian-conservative would likely have realized at some point that the Right vs. Left argument is a canard that Washington wants us to argue over while both sides push or "nudge" us closer to Brandon's totalitarian state. So the polite recourse would be to show up at a townhall meeting ou get on a townhall teleconference (the weasle's way out Mr. Kildee) in unprecedented numbers.

Sure there are kooks from all sides showing up, as demonstrated by the SEIU assaulting one of the protestors, but they are "useful idiots" for their causes. The reality is that for every kook, I've seen many more questions go unanswered by our non-representing representatives. Indeed, it points out the weakness of today's journalists who don't seem to know how to ask questions. When the politician gives an answer that is unacceptable, they hear from the townsfolks.

The reality here is that the President and Congress live in a bubble and this is the first time they are walking outside of the bubble in decades. The funny thing is that they seem most surprised/shocked at the fact that we have actually read the bills they are trying to pass. This obviously hasn't concerned them in the past. They should be very affraid. By that I mean for their job security. They are spending us into oblivion and have demonstrated no coherent thought as to why. As the curtain has been pulled back these last few weeks/months, we see frightend rats on both sides scrambling to protect what they can and try to remain re-electable.

I've thrown a few responses up here because I'm not sure what exactly your asking for a response to in your letter. The last thing I'll throw out and address is your last set of questions. You seem to think that Rove, Armey, et al are unique. I would see that and raise you a pair of Emanuel brothers, an Axlerod (big pharma tool), a slew of "Czars" and Acorn & SEIU as the muscle. As far as fascism goes, you can make the argument as Jonah Goldberg does that Italy and Germany learned from the best and that was us via the early 20th Century progressives in the US.

Erik

Mr. Rogers, the only "intellectually unsophisticated folks" in this debate are the ones who believe everything the President tells them about his and the Democrats' plan for health care reform. Even the President doesn't know what is in this plan or how it will work.

I don't know a single person who thinks that no reform is needed. What the majority of protestors abhor is the fact that the government is rushing to a solution which will cost billions, destroy jobs, take away choices, and limit the freedoms of Americans all without addressing any of the real issues which make health care and health insurance more expensive. The government can play a part in fixing the problems with health insurance, but dismantling a system in favor of the plan outlined in HB 3200 is not going to work. Anyone who actually reads the bill and gives it any thought can tell you that it is the first step to a single-payer, govt controlled system. I don't want that and I will exercise my right to free speech to oppose it.

And just in case you were wondering, I am not a Republican, or a lobbyist, and nobody is paying me to share my thoughts or spread any message. I am highly educated wit a master's degree and then some. And furthermore, I know a lot of people just like me who think for themselves and come to the same conclusions I do. Your theory that opponents of the Obama health reform plan are somehow paid by lobbyists is complete fiction - or "propaganda" if you will- created by the most corrupt administration in the history of the United States.

And cleary you don't understand the how radio works. People listen to radio they like and can identify with. Advertisers pay because they want to be heard by the largest audience possible. Conservatives thrive on talk radio because people identify with what they have to say, keep tuning in, and generate advertising sales. Liberals fail because people don't
identify with their message. You should realize that based on the fact that NPR and PBS are having a hard time making ends meet while conservative commericial radio and TV programming thrive. Liberals need the fairness doctrine to be reinstated in order to compete because based on merit and appeal, they don't have a chance.

And, perhaps you missed this article in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday and all over the Internet (not, of course on state-run media) http://tinyurl.com/mo5z77 showing that conservatives actually outnumber liberals in all 50 states. So, the fact that conservatives are showing up in protest to the most liberal agenda this country has ever seen should come as no surprise.

Kimberly
Saginaw

"Reactionary Plolitical Hack", "fruitcake", "ideological bully" "lunatic fringe" and "right wing reactionaries"?
My goodness, a lot of name calling! Last time I checked, I was just a mom (with three bachelors degrees), a wife and nurse who loves my children.

When I saw TARP go through, I thought "What?? We are in debt!" I then started to question why the border hasn't been secured,(for after all, didn't we have the funds allocated for it?) and started to be more aware of what was going on in government. I am almost sorry I did. Over the years, our Constitution has been dismantled, discarded and government has grown, along with our debt.

Then there was hope . . . maybe this next guy will cut out all the pork like he promised . . . "What?? They didn't even READ the bill? More pork?" Stimulus. For who? Okay, that's just one. Give them a chance.

Then Cap and Trade. I find news stories conflicted, the sources are really biased! I do my own reading of the bills. I don't like what I see. I don't want this government monopoly, I smell fish. I call my reps for the first time in my life.

Fast forward. I have been to protests. (I haven't seen any violence). I have called, emailed and sent letters to my so-called representatives. I don't care what party they are from. They are not listening to me, or a lot of us "fruitcakes" - is that the term you used? I am getting frustrated. I feel I have no choice, no voice in the matters at hand. I have handed my children all this debt, and it is growing exponentially. I adopted from overseas, and to my naivete, I thought I would be giving them a better chance at life here. "Sorry" doesn't cut it.

So, you think I have no consideration for the less fortunate, no thoughtfulness, no reason. Rather audacious statement. I don't like to play games either. And the "Fairness" Doctrine?? If someone doesn't like a radio or T.V. station, turn the channel. I disagree with your position, I think you do propose censorship.

There are other options to solving these issues, there are other bills that are not being looked at. Why? (Look at HR 3400, for example). What is being proposed with ALL of these things, is bigger government, and government control. I feel that unless I speak up, and "make a fool of (myself)", that I will regret it forever. I will be heard. If someone doesn't listen, I will just get louder. Not in a literal sense, of course (I know you think I am a fringe political groupie), but I will double my efforts. In the mean time, my floors don't get swept as much, my bed goes unmade. But I have been neglectful in my duty as a U.S. Citizen.

James Madison stated "I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations . . .. This danger ought to be wisely guarded against." (Elliot, Debates in the State Conventions, 3:87.)

Oh, one more thing; You called your "friend", "intellectually unsophisticated"? Nice.


Regards, S. Johnson