By comparing Obama to Hitler, who are these so-called Tea Party Patriots?

www.sodahead.com

Are the Tea Baggers (Tea party patriots) just modern day fascists using unpatriotic brown shirt tactics to stifle the free speech and democratic discourse of opposing view points at Town Hall Meetings and more town hall meetings to come.

I am very concerned that these people, by comparing Obama to Hitler, this movement has now given the green light to violent behavior to oppose health care change or any other policy they may disagree with.

Protesters disrupt town-hall healthcare talks

By Matthew Bigg and Nick Carey

BOILING SPRINGS, S.C./OCONTO FALLS, Wisc. (Reuters) - At scattered events across the United States, protesters are confronting members of Congress whose summer "town hall" meetings aim to get a sense of how Americans feel about overhauling healthcare.

Boiling Springs in South Carolina -- population 4,500 -- was true to its name on Thursday, giving U.S. Representative Bob Inglis a taste of rising anger among conservative voters toward President Barack Obama's reform plan.

"There is no way, shape or form we need to have a national healthcare system. No! Nothing! None! It's got to stop now," said one man who addressed the audience of 300 people to sustained applause.

The plans seek to provide coverage to nearly 46 million uninsured Americans and bring down healthcare costs.

Conservatives say they will lead to a nationalized healthcare system where government, rather than doctors, will make medical decisions. They say the plans will end up costing them more and boost the federal deficit.

With lawmakers gone from Washington for a month and much of the plans still to be drafted, the rancorous battle has spread to usually staid, relaxed town hall meetings.

A chorus of people in the audience heckled, shouted down and interrupted Inglis, a Republican, even as he tried to explain why he opposed the plans put forward by Obama, a Democrat who became president six months ago.

"MAINSTREAM AMERICA"

"I consider myself just an average American but there is not a day or a week that goes by that I don't hear talk about revolution in our country because (of) the government," said a man who called himself a "conservative, mainstream American."

"We (the United States under Obama) have gone so far out of the Constitution," he said to a standing ovation.

Other speakers asked about "martial law" and "forced vaccinations" and when the topic turned to illegal immigrants in the Bible Belt town, someone shouted: "Bus them home."

Last week, a crowd in Philadelphia directed boos at Obama's Health and Human Services secretary, Kathleen Sibelius, and Democratic Senator Arlen Specter.

Protesters disrupted another meeting on Thursday in Tampa, Florida, with cries of "tyranny," and police made arrests at a similar meeting in St. Louis, Missouri.

Opinion polls show that many Americans feel the U.S. healthcare system, the costliest in the world, is in need of reform. They also show millions of Americans with health insurance are satisfied with it.

A group called the Tea Party protesters -- named for the Boston tax revolt that helped spark the American Revolution -- has launched a campaign to disrupt Democratic town hall meetings on healthcare.

"Public opinion is the only way the Republicans can stop this," said James Ceaser, a political science professor at the University of Virginia. "They need to check Obama's momentum."

"COSTS OUT OF CONTROL"

Around a thousand miles northwest of Boiling Springs -- in Oconto Falls, Wisconsin -- the mood was different. Vic Bast, 86, a World War Two fighter pilot and retired school principal, attended a meeting with Democratic Congressman Steve Kagen.

"I'm a veteran, so I have good healthcare. But my daughter has just retired and she has to pay $1,000 a month in premiums," Bast said. "Healthcare costs are getting out of control. I don't know if this bill will pass, but something must be done."

"We are engaged in the most critical debate in our country in this century," Kagen told Reuters after meeting around 50 constituents in the dairy farming community of around 2,800.

"We don't have an option, we have to reform or this country will go broke," he said, but added: "People in my district are afraid of what they don't know, which is why I'm here."

Kagen's district tends to vote Republican and he is the target of radio advertisements attacking his policies in an attempt to undermine support for his reelection bid in 2010.

In Boiling Springs, Inglis was repeatedly interrupted when he said government could in some cases play a positive role in people's lives -- a sign that conservative anger could potentially threaten some Republicans as well as Democrats.

A few people waved pink slips to suggest he should lose his job and a banner read: "Inglis loves big government."

Aides praised Inglis for standing his ground. The lawmaker later told Reuters the mood at one town hall meeting did not reflect the entire district.

"Fear is driving people to the extremes," he said. "Tonight we had people that are very fearful about President Obama and very distrustful of him as a person and his agenda."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs urged that people go on discussing the issues but without the rancor.

"It's important that people be civil. We can discuss these issues without being uncivilized. It's the same thing I tell my 6-year-old," he told reporters on Friday.

(Editing by Peter Bohan and Howard Goller)

Obama braces for 'vigorous' town hall health talk

In his first North American summit, Obama met Monday with the leaders of Mexico and Canada, covering such shared hot topics as trade barriers, drug violence and the expected resurgence of swine flu. But questions about domestic policy — Obama's drive for overhauls to U.S. health care and immigration policy — followed him to Mexico and stole the biggest share of the hour the three leaders appeared together before reporters.

Concerns over Obama's health care reform proposal are heating up town hall meetings, chat rooms and radio shows in the U.S. — driving his poll numbers down and threatening the future of his highest domestic priority. While Congress is in recess for the month of August, lawmakers are hearing from constituents worried about divisive issues such as the government's role in health care and the costs of an overhaul.

Republicans say the heated debate is a sign of widespread public dissatisfaction with Obama's ideas. But with some of the anxieties spilling into angry disruptions and even threats, Democrats have accused Republicans of orchestrating the events to sabotage legislation. In an article published Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer wrote: "Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American."

Obama stayed away from such provocative language.

"We are having a vigorous debate in the United States, and I think that's a healthy thing," he said, repeating that thought three times. But, he said, the dynamic will change once the recess ends and the lawmakers — and the debate — return to Washington.

"I suspect that once we get into the fall and people look at the actual legislation that's being proposed, that more sensible and reasoned arguments will emerge. And we're going to get this passed," he said.

Obama will face a town hall audience Tuesday in Portsmouth, N.H.

Foes of his plans have disrupted town hall-style events with members of Congress, and the White House is bracing for such incidents on Tuesday. However, Obama's town hall audiences have tended to be orderly — and supportive.

The president on Tuesday planned to pivot his message somewhat to address people who already have insurance through their employers, highlighting how his proposals would affect them. The White House is retooling its message amid polling that shows Americans — especially those who have coverage — skeptical of Democratic proposals to expand to cover many of the 50 million or more uninsured.

Separately, the White House turned to the Internet on Monday to challenge what the administration contends are misconceptions about Democratic plans.

The government Web site takes on claims made by critics that the changes would result in rationing of health care, encourage euthanasia or endanger Medicare.

"Given a lot of the outrageous claims floating around, it's time to make sure everyone knows the facts about the security and stability you get with health insurance reform," said White House senior adviser David Axelrod.

Dear Mr. President,

Please Be careful, extra cautious and be extra alert...

Somehow I don't think these people want a "spirited" or just "boisterous"  debate...

see the outrage at www.912dc.org

Saying lots of prayers, meditations, wishing, hoping, praying for your safety, as always!

Peace and Blessings!

MaryBoston

New Hampshire protesters gear up for President Obama
Obama to pitch health care plan today

Members of the conservative Tea Party Coalition are planning to march to Portsmouth High School where Obama opens up the town hall session at 1 p.m.

It’s a big-time protest one coalition member said he’s taking the day off to catch.

“All my life, I was taught that communism and socialism were what we were fighting against. Then, without firing a single shot, that’s what we’re getting,” said Jack Kimball, a Portsmouth businessman.

Several other groups have also announced plans to protest outside the forum. Similar protests have dogged the president at other town hall forums, where the meetings have turned into shouting matches.

Democrats are accusing conservative groups of orchestrating the outrage, but some in Portsmouth argue the fear is real.

“We need to start to have a civil dialogue about the consequences of this proposal for average Americans, business owners,” said George Lovejoy, a former New Hampshire state representative and member of the Advantage Coalition.

Yesterday, two top Democrats in a USA Today opinion piece called some of the town hall shouting matches “un-American” and “ugly.”

“These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views - but of the facts themselves,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland.

Some of the proposals on the table include an optional, government-run health insurance plan. Obama and the Democrats say a public plan would push costs down by fostering competition with private insurers.

edinan@seacoastonline.com