Another Feingold Hostile (Tea Party) Crowd

Russ seems to be meeting a lot of those evil tea party people here in Wisconsin. Seems also the Shawano Leader, kudos, is reporting the news in Wisconsin.



From the Shawano Leader.

"Feingold meeting participants vocal on health care
By Tim Ryan, Leader Reporter

Area residents attending U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold’s listening session in Shawano County Wednesday were often skeptical and occasionally hostile about the Senate’s recently passed health care reform bill, which Feingold supported"

OH NO Russ, a H O S T I L E crowd?

Even so, the forum was more orderly than many similar town hall sessions on health care across the country sometimes marked by shouting matches and unruly verbal confrontations.

Opponents of the Senate bill — which is now in committee being reconciled with the House version — were clearly in the majority Wednesday, often punctuating Feingold’s comments with grumbling, scoffing and groaning.

Please, no G R U M B L I N G, S C O F F I N G, and G R O A N I N G!

But the Wisconsin Democrat sought to assure residents they would be more likely to support the bill if they knew what was in it.

“When you hear more about the bill, I think you’re going to be really surprised by some of these things,” Feingold said.

Does he think they are a bunch of dumb asses? Russ, they know more what's in the bill then you do!

Feingold also disputed polls some audience members cited showing most Americans are opposed to the health care reform plan, saying the opposition includes some who never wanted any kind of a bill and liberals who believe the bill doesn’t go far enough.

“This bill is not the government takeover of health care that many people wanted,” he said. “Those who wanted the government system lost. This bill is kind of middle of the road.”

Many in attendance, however, remained unconvinced.

Russ, they don't believe your B S

"I think everybody in this room would agree that health insurance reform of some sort is needed. But there’s a lot of people in this room that say the way we’re going about health insurance reform is not the way to do it,” said Bill Meyer.

“There’ve been votes bought, there’s been things done behind closed doors, deals that have come about with the drug companies,” Meyer said. “Why do we have to pass a bad bill that has some good things?”

Feingold said there are some things in the bill he doesn’t like, but the good outweighs the bad.

Will somebody, anyone run against Russ on 2010?

Among the good, he said, is closure of the so-called doughnut hole — a gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage.

“It will create a 10-year process where it does get filled and, immediately, there will be a $500 credit as well as a 50 percent reduction in all medicines,” Feingold said. “This is a huge thing for every single senior in America. Of course you don’t hear about that on Fox News.”

Russ, 10 year process, sure, starting in 2014?

What about Nebraska? Russ, what about Paul Ryans proposal? From CATO

The comment was met by a round of dismissive groaning from the crowd.

There goes those evil right wing nuts in the crowd.

Several audience members questioned the constitutionality of the proposed legislation.

Come on Russ, what do you think?

Feingold said there may be only one questionable aspect — an individual mandate for people to buy insurance.

“I’m not absolutely sure this (Supreme) Court will say it’s OK,” he said. “If that’s true, the authors of this bill were pretty stupid because the bill’s going to get struck down.”

Feingold said he believed the bill is constitutional, adding he would not have voted for it otherwise.

“The Constitution is absolutely at the core of this, and if there’s anything unconstitutional, I think it would be appropriate for the Supreme Court to strike it down,” he said.

But Russ, you voted for this!

Some raised question about the behind the scenes deal-making involved in the process.

“Why were some of these decisions made on weekends, at late hours and behind closed doors,” said Eileen Spittlemeister, to a round of applause from the rest of the crowd.

Feingold said a lack of transparency is an unfortunate and long-standing part of all law making and one which needs to change. However, he said, several key decisions were made publicly.

Russ, how many is "several"?

“Right out in the open under this bill, in the Senate Finance Committee, televised, we eliminated the ability of insurance companies to deny coverage to anyone who has a pre-existing condition,” he said.

Sure, sure Russ, that's nice to know!

Later, in reassuring a resident the bill would deny health care coverage to illegal immigrants, he noted that amendment, too, was passed in an open meeting of the Senate Finance Committee.

How can Russ Feingold lie to a constituent? It doesn't say it won't cover illegals! Good to the people who attended the meeting in Shawano. Will T T or Paul Ryan run against Feingold?

Sorry for the look of the post, must be having logistic problems from blogger, tried to fix and it didn't happen.