The people doing the disruption are revolting, however, this is a democracy and if they wish to present themselves as complete idiots, they have that right. When lines are crossed, as in advocating violence, thye should be arrested, tried and if convicted, serve the sentence meted out by the court. One arrest, these people will disappear, they are nothing more than cowards.; ignorant cowards at that.

I find it humorous that the more ignorant one is, the result is louder squealing/squawking...judging by the volume, these people are about as ignorant as one can get.

Posted by rasputin195 at 08/11/2009

Democracy is messy, however, as the truth comes out, it will be evident that the ones blowing their stacks now are way off base and being fed by the right wing hate machine. Although the truth is not getting much coverage, I do see side comments on the web on on cable TV nightly news, so we are making some progess.

Posted by youngra at 08/11/2009

Well, democracy requires presence - they are present, they are loudest. They are obviously worth writing about, so you cannot just "ignore them."

PR is too impersonal - you are only ostracizing, agitating, an already festering sore.

There can be no "moving." They will follow, or they will declare victory. They must be included.

Thinking, the mob might be disassembled, if one goes about it properly. Together they can scream, be enraged and so forth as ignorance and violence become more and more acceptable as the mob gets bigger and bigger. That said, single them out - in a debate, of course. Concede the microphone, make them take questions, ask them for solutions - force them to defend their position.

We have stadiums, we have halls - make it a dress-casual sport. One by one, they can be publicly shamed, their points debunked, their faces attached to their unavoidable defeat.

Otherwise, if it stays this way, as "a mob," they might not win, but they still are a mob - somebody, somewhere, could be hurt.

Posted by shinglerslist at 08/11/2009

I have seen and heard several people that attended some meetings and they did not come across a wild and crazy at all. Just concerned citizens. It's interesting to not some of the representatives are saying amendments are being added to correct some of the concerns. Funny, they were bent on getting this monster passed before August without amendments, before the public could read it. This thing needs to go back for a complete rewrite in September with much more input than from a bunch of left-wing extremist control freaks. If the public does not support it, it is useless.

Posted by pyeatte at 08/11/2009

Keep Disrupting, It's American even if it's the right-wing nutjobs. OBAMA, VETO THIS BILL. It isn't single payer and it is a freakin mess. Start Over.

Posted by Dennis1957 at 08/12/2009

Yes, PLEASE DO launch an agressive campaign and get those jackbooted unions and marxists out there for the Demoncrats! Pretty Please?

Posted by BigPasture at 08/13/2009

The PR campaign would simply be brief interviews of these people as they leave the Town Halls televised nationally. That is all that will be needed.

Posted by !immutable at 08/13/2009

!immutable and shinglerslist are right: the best PR campaign is simply to shove a microphone in these people's faces and let them spew their ignorant, hate-filled scaremongering theories and accusations. The louder and more insane their ranting becomes, the more obvious it will be to anyone with a modicum of intelligence that these detractors have nothing to offer the debate but hysteria, and the easier it will be to identify and arrest them when their rhetoric crosses the line into inciting violence. They haven't brought a viable idea to the table in over three decades of attempts at health care reform -why should anyone believe they will now?

Posted by Veggeep at 08/13/2009

They should show the following: 1) people at the town halls spewing hate and nonesense, 2) the sources of the hate and nonesense (Beck, Limbaugh, and Hannity) and 3) prove definitively that the things they are afraid of are not even in the bill to begin with! Oh, and maybe throw in a clip of Newt Gingerich admitting that the bill is too long so how is he supposed to know what's in it! Finally, they should end with a clip of Sarah Palin saying, "How about, in honor of the American soldier, you stop making things up?"

Posted by JBoogie at 08/13/2009

I believe that every right won by us progressives has been a long and hard-fought battle (women's rights, end to slavery, abortion rights, the black vote, etc.). Why would ANYONE think that honest health care reform would be any easier than these previous fights? In the end, the majority shall rule, providing we stay strong and informed. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Remember, folks, we've been trying to get health reform for decades. Stay United.

Posted by sandramoore at 08/14/2009

I've been talking to folks recently that I consider pretty much completely apolitical. Without exception, they all are shocked and dismayed - not by the possibility of health care reform, but by the behavior of the right wing protestors.

I think these tactics are going to backfire.

Posted by Dwight Wall at 08/15/2009

The democrats need to get a little more ballsy in countering the bullies.

Posted by djsteinkopf at 08/15/2009

I believe that in this case the democrats should fight fire with fire. While Palin, Newt, and others are lying about health care reform the Democrats are trying to be civil. I don't think they need to stoop to their level but they need to be more aggressive and call them out on their lies.

Posted by dlara47 at 08/16/2009

The Democrats need a better line than "anyone who opposes anything we do is racist." Its like a freakin' broken record. I'm opposed to the Health Care Plan, so I should actually hope they continue with such a ridiculously ineffectual counter-approach.

Posted by KevinRiley at 08/16/2009

I would like to see President Obama be more aggressive in standing up for, and expressing what it is that he would like to be the end result of the health care reform bill. Up to now, the President has over-extended the olive branch to the conservatives, and it has become apparent that they are not interested in grabbing hold of it. Remember the "Waterloo" statement by one of the conservatives a few weeks ago? The Republican conservatives have no sincere interest in any of the Obama administration's ideas. This is why I am becoming disappointed with our President. I think that many conservatives are taking advantage of the President and his desire to be bi-partisan, and laughing at how delusional this idea actually is. I hope that President Obama remains steadfast on the Public Option; but if he gives in to the conservatives; he will loose my support, and I will not vote for him again.

Posted by AllBastards at 08/16/2009

As many have stated, Medicare doesn't work, look at all the fraud and abuse! So I did just that. Most of the fraud and abuse was from Pharmaceutical Companies in 08, with 3 companies paying fines of $640M ( total was $1.34B). In 2009, 2 major settlements: Eli Lilly paid $1.4B and Aventis paid $95.5M to settle claims about their packaging and off-label use of their drugs, others are still pending. In 2009, the cases against Durable Medical Equipment fraud are on the increase. If, as all of those against a public plan claim that, reducing the fraud in healthcare will somehow solve the financial crisis in healthcare, how do they propose that to happen? These cases and settlements are not the panacea. Do private health insurance companies care about the cost of drugs or medical equipment, as long as they continue to have a revenue stream by consumers and are "innocent bystanders in these fraud cases"? The reality seems to be that some want the government out of our personal health provider business, but damn them all to heck if they don't address the grievous malfeasance of big business health industry providers. For anyone to believe that all these companies who pay these fines are not going to raise pricing to overcome these fines are misguided. To allow the private insurance to continue to control the health delivery to the public is to accept the fact that we are not smart enough to recognize their interest, which is profit, not health.

Posted by afisher at 08/17/2009

I don't see a way to address the outrage over the health care reform movement by the right wing by any other way than engaging in a civilized discourse. PR, whether from the left or right, sometimes is not honest and borders on the lines of propagandizing. We need to provide citizens with an honest, sobering view of all positions on health care. Sure this is difficult, it will be much harder to debate, than to argue, but imposing ideas on others is not long term. Debate takes time, with wins and losses mounting, but it ultimately leads to a more rational, long term solution. Crazy comes from the right and left, shouting doesn't work, but one may not gather that from the media. Health care is an issue, lets start there, forget the politics. I am a progressive, but if the right has something that sounds good to me, I'll consider it. We should not be entrenched in our positions. This is the problem in America, we choose our "team" and than fight for it like a zealous football fan.

Posted by Jetfly83 at 08/17/2009

Here is my poem for Obama

I came to Washington pushing public healthcare Chuck said I was out to kill granma and gave me a scare My supporters tell me to stand an fight but I don't dare We can have no public healthcare only free market care

Posted by alexd at 08/17/2009

This tactic shifts the attention from rational discussion of health care options to the disrupters. The disruptions are this campaign's version of "guns, gays and religion", the social issues that have served the right so well in the past.Their colorful disruption draws the media like a magnet. It becomes the story rather than the real issue. Reformers are bogged down in answering ridiculous charges in riotous public meetings that don't allow them to make their case. Reformers have to make clear what is happenning.

Posted by ludwigdog at 08/17/2009

The right's rather vocal (and sometimes unruly) protests aren't really any different than the kind of stuff the left engaged in back in the '60'S AND '70'S. That the "silent majority" isn't always so silent anymore sticks in the left's craw, and if they want to fight back, they've got to find some blitz money and make the public understand just what a clown Rush Limbaugh is. EVERY TIME the SOB spouts some misleading crap someone needs to be ready to nationally counter with the truth. (And I mean the TRUTH, not the left's own misrepresentations.) They could start with the Death Panel nonsense: There's no such thing: Limbaugh knows it and he needs someone credible and objective to make the country understand how full of crap he is.

Posted by william.harry13 at 08/17/2009

Sometimes idiots need to be called idiots just to get their attention. We absolutely need to be scornful of those who grab the microphone and launch into their untruths and innuendo. I'd like to see more of Jon Stewart's acerbic wit on the nightly news shows. I mean, really. These folks are plain idiots. And that's part of democracy too -- calling people idiots when they are acting like idiots. It's like when young children do something nasty and get called on it by an adult other than their parents. It's called a reality check, it's mean and ugly, but it gets the message across: Hey, maybe you shouldn't take the microphone if you're dumber than dirt.

End rant.

Posted by barnesgene at 08/17/2009

An overly aggressive response to the wackos will not move the discussion forward. However, a calm, well reasoned campaign will get the truth out. Restraint in the responses is the key.

Posted by EmotionalProblems at 08/17/2009

The only way to deal with recalcitrant Repugs is to Freight Train them and pass with Budget Resolution and to have Medicare for All and no watered down compromise! 72% of Americans are for Single Payer and that is what they've voted for in electing Barack Obama President and Commander and Chief. Now act like the President and ram this thing through the Senate. All who resist have been bought by the Insurance Industry. Democrats must fight the Status No! These bums are NeoTheoFascists and have no right to be stealing our Government! Fight them W/every tool you have, which should include the TRUTH!

Posted by sscoop7 at 08/17/2009

These are not mobs, they're american citizens who are frustrated with the gov't spin on what they're trying to ram down our throats. We got a pork-laden "stimulous" pkg without anyone reading it and now it's lined pockets but hasn't produced one job! Medicaid, Medicare, VA, Social Security, the Post Office are all gov't failures. Now you want to turn 50& of the economy over to the govt?? Who's going to run it? One of the Chicago mobsters in the WH??

Posted by njpro at 08/20/2009