Iowa Angry Mob Diaries

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) at health care town hall in Des Moines meets with constituents who are less than pleased with the current health care plan.

My friend Todd shared video, which I believe he took, of the same event where an outburst did occur.

I think the guy was over the top, and unfortunately I belive it took away from questioners in the previous video.  However, Senator Harkin’s comment about a "nationally coordinated effort to disrupt these meetings" was stupid and all it did was further aggravate the situation.

First off, no there isn’t. I’m on several mailing lists and do you know how I found out about his schedule?  His website.  So I guess he’s part of the "nationally coordinated effort."  I’ve not received one email from a "national organization" to attend a Harkin, Grassley or Boswell meeting.

Second, even if there was it doesn’t diminish the massive problems in the current House health care bill and the Senate version that nobody has seen yet.  But let’s take the focus off the mess of government-run health care and place it on the “vast right-wing conspiracy” (that sounds vaguely familiar).

Politico reports that Senator Chuck Grassley validated concerns about the potential of rationing health care in a meeting in Winterset, IA.

"I won’t name people in Congress, people in Washington, but there’s some people that think it’s a terrible problem that Grandma’s laying in the hospital bed with tubes in her and think that there ought to be some government policy that enters into that," Grassley said, adding that he thinks such matters should be left to the family. 

Sen. Grassley also told the questioner who raised the issue that she had "every right to fear" the House legislation which includes a provision that would offer end-of-life counseling services from a medical practitioner.  But then he conflated the House language with the debunked notion that the legislation would create a "death panel."

"We should not have a government program that determines you’re going to pull the plug on Grandma," Grassley said.

I know angry mobs.  They have no place in these discussions.  They are just part of an organized national conspiracy.  Just a day in the life of a right-wing extremist.

Update: Katie Favazza reminds us to also go to support the good guys, not just the people we want to “punish.”

Update II: These protests do seem to be winning over independents.  Hmmm…

Update III: Iowans Pack Grassley’s Town Hall Meetings and Congressman Leonard Boswell had to postpone events yesterday due to his grandson being injured.  I hope all is well with his grandson, and I’ll pray for a good recovery.