Is Scott Murphy dodging health care protesters?
Congressman Scott Murphy posted an announcement on his website Wednesday that he had held a healthcare roundtable with local business leaders the day before.
Democrats are scrambling to find ways to avoid raucous protesters organized by groups opposed to health care reform.
About the congressman's after-the-fact notification of the roundtable, the Albany Times Union's Casey Seiler wrote:
Was Murphy trying to reap the publicity benefits of holding a health care discussion without having those pesky media types there to cover the actual content of the event?Contacted by the newspaper, Murphy said“It wasn’t a press event."
Or was the congressman just being savvy by setting up two distinct kinds of public forums: town hall-style meetings — the kind that have recently been transformed into whipping posts by groups ranging from health care traditionalists to anti-Obama “birthers” — and more sedate sessions where the absence of the media might result in less grandstanding and a more frank exchange of views?
The Times-Union coverage sparked this response from a conservative website called Next Right.Murphy said the meeting of about two dozen businesspeople and members of the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County allowed for a much deeper discussion than would be possible at a larger public forum “where you’ve got a lot of people waiting in line to speak.”
Now here's real political courage. Hold meetings and announce them to the press AFTER they've occurred. Why not just use stock photos for your franked newsletter if they are just staged photo ops, Scott?
Then again, maybe this is the way Democratic Congressmen will need to greet their constituents these days.
According to the Associated Press, Murphy has already been targeted with one protest:
About 20 protesters gathered in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Thursday to let Democratic Rep. Scott Murphy know they oppose the health care plans in Washington. They carried signs saying: "Obamacare Seniors beware! Rationing is here," and "If socialized medicine is best ... why didn't Ted Kennedy go to Canada?" Motorists honked as they drove by.
In the same article, the AP reported that Democrats are working on strategies to respond to the anti-reform protests.
Top White House officials counseled Democratic senators Thursday on coping with disruptions at public events on health care this summer, officials said, and promised the party and allies would respond with twice the force if any individual lawmaker is criticized in television advertising.
Labels: healthcare
posted by Brian Mann @ 8/07/2009 08:08:00 AM
14 Comments
14 Comments:
I would say that it was a very samrt move on Murphy's part. He was able to have a discussion with business leaders in his district and tout the Democrat plan without having to involve the general public. It provides for a more controlled setting which would lend itself to being able to gloss over some of the unattractive parts of the plan. By keeping the media out, he is able to control the message. That's the goal.
What is accomplished by having a open public forum when the are disrupted by people asking questions or heckling the speaker?
Kudos to Congressman Murphy.
Macomb
Does any one really care what the anti this, that or the other thing protesters think, or what the "birthers" think?
Real news stories are lost when buried under the protests of a few.
If any actual work is to be done by elected officials, they do need to avoid the protesters.
Let's get real by realizing all protesters are "Special Intrest" lobbiests.
So we are all to believe that all the protesting being done all over the country is corporate sponsored? I suppose that is why they are using hand made signs, unlike other protest such as immigration where the signs were all professionally made and everyone suddenly had a flag.
Keep in mind that the Seniors who are protesting are the same Seniors that are used as political pawns during elections.
Anyone who believes that these grass roots protests are all staged are completely out of touch with reality.
Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are all in trouble and the only way to keep us all in the dark about it is to pass a new health care bill that will allow the government to further tax us to death to keep these insolvent programs running. Its all smoke and mirrors folks. Do some real research, watch town hall meeting protests on youtube, many of them, from all different areas of the country and you will soon see that the only thing being manufactured here is a plan by the democrats to stifle decent and deceive the public.
"So we are all to believe that all the protesting being done all over the country is corporate sponsored?"
The simple answer is yes. It must be true. That is what original post described and that is what the current administration is telling. The DNC has started to circulate talking points and prescribed methods to deal with these organized protesters. Some have even solicited the help of union heavys to provide a deterrent.
To think any other way would be to believe that an individual might oppose the current "plan" for health reform. That would also mean that an individual would be opposed to Pres. Obama plan for healthcare reform. That's ludicrous.
Read Paul Krugman's editorial in today's NY Times. It contains the names of the organizations and people behind some of these crazed "Protesters." And I'm baffled that people can actually protest the plan given hardly anyone knows what it is given it's still being tossed around various committees in both houses of Congress. It's the same tactic used during the Clinton attempt. Scare the hell out of everyone and take advantage of the uncertainty.
Too bad you are totally wrong. Murphy held a public town hall meeting in Valatie on Saturday. It was attended by at least 200 people, about 60 or so were anti health care reform. While they were civil for the most part, they were woefully uninformed and misinformed.
Many of them were either on Medicare or VA health care but they were against "government run healthcare." They have no clue what they are talking about, they are just angry because they listen to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh's lies.
Congressman Murphy is doing a great job trying to inform his constituents about healthcare reform and I see no problem trying different venues out. I think his support for the public option, which is the only way to control healthcare costs is very important and hope the misinformed can open their minds long enough to listen to something other than right wing propaganda and untruths and learn what the various plans actually entail rather than just make noise and try to shut down the discussion.
We definitely need a strong public option. The protesters are simply trying to drown out the substance with misinformation and other noise.
I hope Scott Murphy is pressing hard for the public option. Without that what's the point? The insurance companies will have the road all to themselves. These healthcare coops? Jesus, that's a giant disaster waiting to happen (actually, more like hundreds of little disasters spread across 50 states).
No matter how much noise the opposition makes the American public overwhelmingly still wants a public option. Stay strong Mr. Murphy - it will get you re-elected!!
Scott Murphy supports a public option and should be applauded for it. I currently have medicare, which is a national health insurance and it's the best coverage I've ever had. I wish everyone who wants it could have the peace of mind that those of us with the current "public option" have.
I don't' know why Scott Murphy would hold one of those free for all meetings where only the screamers get to speak. Serious health care reform requires thoughtful discussion. I hope he stays on board with the public option. Anything less and the insurance companies stay fat and happy while they continue to exploit Americans.
Your comment should reference the Is Scott Murphy doding health care protesters? Maybe. And that's okay. He's already heard them. Now what about the rest of us? Rep. Scott Murphy needs to support a real public health insurance option. We can't afford to wait any longer for real reform. Not when millions are losing jobs and the accompanying health care options -- limited as they are -- every week.
Scott Murphy need to support a health care reform with a public option. To many people in a great country like ours can not get insurance. I feel like the USA is becoming a third world country when it come to health care. Do the right thing!
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