Hi Folks,
My wife and I went to a town hall meeting tonight in Crystal Lake, IL. I filed the following report to Glenn Beck. I would urge anyone who likes Glenn to go to
www.defendglenn.comregards,
5412
Dear Glenn,
My wife and I went to the town hall meeting tonight, with guest star Congressman Don Manzullo, in Crystal Lake, IL. It was an unseasonable cold, rainy night and I heard there were over 800 people there. There was a big sign on the door, "NO hand held signs allowed", so we had to leave ours in the car.
We did not know what to expect and got there early. We had seen an email asking for those who had time to help set up, arriving early and helping would be appreciated. The meeting was truly grass roots, locally organized and well done. Seats were set out and we helped by putting various pieces of literature on every chair. In the back of the room was a couple of patriotic cakes, there were some books and other things on display. The group that hosted the event is truly grass roots. They started three or four months ago. They put up their "values" as here is what we stand for. We do not endorse candidates or parties, but rather, issue by issues lend our support to candidates who share and support those values. At the end, they had the ticket stubs in a jar and the congressman drew a couple out and some folks went home with some gifts; certainly the way a commie, nazi organization would conduct a meeting......
Much to everyone's relief acorn and friends, no paid professional protesters showed up even though notice of the event had been in the local paper several times.
There were three panelists. One an attorney who has represented doctors in malpractice claims for years, plus experienced in hospital management. He also happened to be the mayor of Crystal Lake, Illinois. Second was a heavy duty economist who is very familiar with the health care industry. And finally, Congressman Don Manzullo from the district. He ran a couple of meeting in Rockford, IL and the turnout was so big, he scheduled another one and wants a bigger hall so everyone can be accomodated. He is not running and hiding from the public.
There were two moderators, one a local family practice physician, who asked the members of the panel questions. GLENN YOU REALLY NEED TO SEE IF YOU CAN GET CONGRESSMAN MANZULLO AS A GUEST. He was very professional, but most of all it was how he answered each and every question. He started by saying he had read every page of the bill and it is designed to destroy the insurance companies so that it is 100% government run. He read some pages from the bill that made his point very clear. If he has some idea the type of questions you ask, he is familiar enough with the bill to go to the chapter, book and verse and give you the answer.
Then as he was asked a question, he turned to certain pages and passages in the bill, read the bill (house version), and then basically told us what it all meant. Example of a question: "Congressman there is a lot of talk about rationing health care, some saying it is in the bill, others saying that is a lie, there is nothing in the bill about that at all. " He calmly went into the bill and read different things, talked about agencies and then flat out said, "Rationing health care is undeniably the result."
That is the procedure he used to answer each and every question. Glenn, this bill is even worse than I realized. It is big brother to the tenth power.
Of course the congressman voted against it, voted for the amendment requiring the president, congress, and 4000 federal employees to be under the same plan. He explained what we already knew, every republican voted for the amendment, every democrat voted against it.
They then allowed for questions from the audience. It was very respectful and handled professionally. They really tried to find some folks who were not in favor of the bill and give them a shot. One genteman got up and said he was a small businessman and could not afford health care for his employees, and that if it was to be mandated didn't there have to be a public option provision in the bill for folks in his situation? The congressman thanked him for the question and went into the bill and read passages from the bill and pretty much told the guy that the bill was designed to put him out of business, he would have no choice but to do it one way, and that is that. He then went on to say that by allowing insurance companies to go interstate, and allowing small businesses to form buying groups that he would find there would more than likely be better affordable options to any public "one size fits all" plan.
Glenn, Crystal Lake, Illinois is a small town that has become a Chicago suburb as the city sprawled. His district goes out to rural Illinois in Rockford so his constituients are farmers and middle America. If this is not what American politics should be all about, I do not know what is.
WITH THAT BEING SAID I WAS VERY, VERY FRUSTRATED. There was a long line of folks to talk to the congressman and, had I been willing to wait, I would have had my turn. I decided to talk to the mayor instead and voice my frustration. Tonight I felt like the audience, and the congressman were preaching to the choir. Glenn we are showing up at meetings, emailing, calling writing our congressman, sending emails to our friends. I think it is amazing that in three short months they can draw 800 at a meeting on a rainy, chilly Friday night. At the same time, a member of congress proposing amendments in committee that he knows will be voted down, and voting no against a bill that he knows will pass is not going to get the job done. As the old saying goes, "If you continue with the same type of behavior, expect the same type of result!"
I VOICED MY CONCERN AND WAS ENCOURAGED BY WHAT I HEARD. My real concern is what we are doing is not working, they are not listening. The mayor disagreed. He pointed out to me that he knew of at least a dozen or more people in the meeting who were plants from the democratic party and they were going back to their folks and reporting what is happening. He then mentioned the report I sent to you by the guy in Cook County, Illinois that said the democrats stand to lose 20+ house seats in the next election. He told me to just keep doing what we are doing, they may pretend to ignore us but they are hearing us. He also told me there is at least one or more busload of folks from Crystal Lake, IL going to Washington on 9/12. My God Glenn, it hit me that there could be thousands of folks in Washington in September. Sure hope so. We plan on attending the event in Lakeland, FL.
I still feel the Republicans need to do something very radically different; particularly if the libs try to pull the nuclear option. They should walk out of the chamber and contend that the democrats are not listening, they do not care, they are going to do it their way, and the party wants the American people to know there is no bipartisanship, nor evern any attempt on the part of the administration. My guess is there will be a 300 page amendment come down at the last minute like they did last time, and demand a vote which would give Republicans a great chance which would garner public support. Instead of voting no, they refuse to vote on something they have not read. Personally I fear there are too many Republicans who do not have the courage to do something like that.
As I said earlier, I believe Congressman Manzullo should be getting a lot of air time around the country. His manner of answering questions, plus his down home style give him great credibility.
That is the end of your report from your member of the vast right wing conspiracy, nazi, commie, wacko, un-American part of the country.
