Thousands Gather to Protest Health Care Overhaul

[CPBO 146]

Thousands Gather to Protest Health Care Overhaul

 

 

byJEFF ZELENY

Published: September 12, 2009

WASHINGTON — As President Obama flew to Minnesota on Saturday to rally support for his health care plan, thousands of protestors from around the country arrived here to demonstrate against the White House and Congress for what they say is an ever-expanding intrusion of government.

 

On a cloudy and cool September morning, scores of people waved flags and carried signs as they arrived in Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington for a march to the capital. The event was being billed as the culmination of summer protests at town meetings, where opposition to the president’s health care plan boiled over.

 

“This is not some kind of radical right-wing group,” Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, said in an interview as dozens of people streamed by him a few blocks from the White House. “I just hope the Congress, the Senate and the president recognize that people are afraid of what’s going on.”

 

They came by bus, car and airplane, arriving here from Texas and Tennessee, New Mexico and New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The hand-written messages on their signs told the story of an intense distrust with government, which began well before Mr. Obama took office and extends far beyond the effort to overhaul health care.One sign declared: “Congress: are you stoned or just stupid? Please wake up and save America.” Another said, “We are under attack by our own government.” And several signs said, “Our Constitution has termites!”

 

The crowd, organized by anti-tax groups, spilled from the plaza onto Pennsylvania Avenue and the surrounding streets as the demonstrators gathered for a march to Capitol Hill. It opened peacefully, with few visible signs of counter-protestors. The Democrats were leaving their message to the president, who warned in his weekly address on Saturday that nearly half of all Americans under age 65 could lose their health coverage at some point in the next decade.

 

“We’re not just talking about Americans in poverty, either — we’re talking about middle-class Americans,” Mr. Obama said before he flew for a large rally in Minneapolis. “In other words, it can happen to anyone.”

 

While the Census Bureau reports that 46.3 million people living in the United States currently lack health insurance, Mr. Obama cited a new Treasury Department analysis that aims to buttress his case that Americans are in danger of losing their coverage — whether they know it or not.

 

“I refuse to allow that future to happen,” Mr. Obama said. “In the United States of America, no on should have to worry that they’ll go without health insurance — not for one year, not for one month, not for one day. And once I sign my health reform plan into law, they won’t.”

 

As the morning wore on, more and more demonstrators arrived, identifying themselves as Republicans, libertarians and independents. Several speakers denounced the health care plan as “socialism.” A few Confederate flags waved in the air, but there were hundreds of American flags and chants of, “USA! USA! USA!” A young girl held a sign, saying, “Don’t redistribute the wealth of my Barbies.”

 

Ruth Lobbs, 57, a school teacher from Jacksonville, Fla., said she flew to Washington on Saturday to protest how she believes the government has violated the Constitution. She said she did not vote for the president, adding that her anger has been welling for years.

 

“It’s more than Obama. This isn’t a Republican or a Democratic issue,” Ms. Lobbs said in an interview, as she held a yellow flag that declared, “Don’t Tread on Me.” “I don’t know if anything will come of this or not, but this is a peaceful way of showing our frustration.”

 

The day was shaping up to offer a dueling set of images, with the protest in Washington and Mr. Obama’s health care rally at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The president seldom holds weekend events, but aides said he was not getting out of town simply because of the protest rally in Washington.

 

Still, the White House hopes that its rally will provide a powerful visual — thousands of boisterous Americans cheering in support of health reform — to counter the negative images that emerged during Congressional town meetings over the summer, where critics of Mr. Obama turned out in force.

[CPBO 146]

During his speech the other night he mentioned that Illegal Imigrant's will not be covered.......but if one get's hurt and goes into a hospital and gives the name John Doe and some bogus address....they cannot refuse that person.....and they will not get paid!!! Seems to me something needs to be done about this.....they come here use our resources, have kids....send money home and pay for nothing........

[rr4567 173]

During his speech the other night he mentioned that Illegal Imigrant's will not be covered.......but if one get's hurt and goes into a hospital and gives the name John Doe and some bogus address....they cannot refuse that person.....and they will not get paid!!! Seems to me something needs to be done about this.....they come here use our resources, have kids....send money home and pay for nothing........

 

Border Control issues...

[CPBO 146]

Border Control issues...

 

That is how it all starts........but they should have to register and be put in a status of pending for legal migration.....and they should have to pay into the new health care system in order to have services rendered.....no health plan.....then thier legal migration will be in jeopardy.......see how fast they pay up....again this is just one piece of the puzzle...

[rr4567 173]

That is how it all starts........but they should have to register and be put in a status of pending for legal migration.....and they should have to pay into the new health care system in order to have services rendered.....no health plan.....then thier legal migration will be in jeopardy.......see how fast they pay up....again this is just one piece of the puzzle...

 

That is a very good idea! That'll surely increase revenue.

[Y2Julio 206]

That is how it all starts........but they should have to register and be put in a status of pending for legal migration.....and they should have to pay into the new health care system in order to have services rendered.....no health plan.....then thier legal migration will be in jeopardy.......see how fast they pay up....again this is just one piece of the puzzle...

 

They shouldn't even be here to begin with. Please don't confuse illegal immigrants with those that do come here with temporary visas while they wait for their green cards. Those that come here illegally are criminals and should not get no path of becoming legal once they've come into the US and committed a crime.

[R32 3348 11]

This is ridiculous. The same people who vote for Obama because their health care is atrocious, B&M when Obama finally tries to pass health care. Then, following mob psychology, when some radicals come up with irrational ideas such as death panels, everyone gets scared. If people were actually smart enough to research Obama's health care plan then we would not be in such a health care "debate" right now.

[rr4567 173]

They shouldn't even be here to begin with. Please don't confuse illegal immigrants with those that do come here with temporary visas while they wait for their green cards. Those that come here illegally are criminals and should not get no path of becoming legal once they've come into the US and committed a crime.

 

That is also true.

[SubwayGuy 2,321]

This is ridiculous. The same people who vote for Obama because their health care is atrocious, B&M when Obama finally tries to pass health care. Then, following mob psychology, when some radicals come up with irrational ideas such as death panels, everyone gets scared. If people were actually smart enough to research Obama's health care plan then we would not be in such a health care "debate" right now.

 

THANK YOU.

 

The people that are saying they are "satisfied" (note the word satisfied...NOT the word "happy") with their healthcare would quickly change their opinion if they weren't healthy. medical bills in this country f*** people over daily and everyone KNOWS the ENTIRE insurance industry is a ripoff.

 

These a**holes all voted Obama in because they want change - because we NEED change - because the direction this country was headed from Reagan to Bush #2 is COMPLETELY UNSUSTAINABLE - but now that change is proposed they are just going to whine and complain and do nothing.

 

I've said this all along. Save your money. We ARE F***ed with idiots and talk radio leading the debate on EVERYTHING. We don't FIX problems anymore, we just STUDY HOW TO, and DON'T.

[Aqueduct 1]

My union has a great health and dental plan, that being said I find it disturbing that everyone in this country does not have a good and affordable health plan. A healthy workforce is a strong workforce. People go into massive debt having to pay off large hospital bills and usually this happens to hard working individuals who don't live on the high end of the pay scale. One thing I have noticed with these conservative talking heads is that they all are very well off and can afford some of the best doctors in the land and the other spoils that go to the wealthy, who are they to tell us what is best for the rest of country when they don't have to worry about paying the bills every month.

[metsfan 2]

This country is made of immigrants & descendants of immigrants. It's the ones who refuse to apply for citizenship and green card that are an issue.

 

As far as protesting health care reform.... it needs to be done stop claiming the sky will fall. :cool:

 

- A

[rr4567 173]

The current state of the government

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w13h1_8yi4k

 

[nel070 0]

this is not an immigration issue i just think that it is unacceptable for the largest industrial nation does not have nationalized healthcare and our grandparents have to choose between good healthcare and medicine and eating that is a disgrace and with everyday this nation is taking a downward turn with the hatred and ugliness being shown toward obama and it scares me and i wasnt even a obama supporter the disrespect and contempt shown to this president is unprecedented and the same people marching and speaking out against nationalized healthcare are the same people who continue to support a 3 billion dollar war a week against a nation who did nothing to us go figure america better wake up because with this kind of thinking we are destroying ourselves

[R32 3348 11]

IAWTP100%

[lilbluefoxie 820]

everyday this nation is taking a downward turn with the hatred and ugliness being shown toward obama and it scares me and i wasnt even a obama supporter the disrespect and contempt shown to this president is unprecedented

 

They said worse stuff about Bush

[SubwayGuy 2,321]

They said worse stuff about Bush

 

:confused::confused: absolutely NOT! bush was accused of cronyism and being a moron. Obama is being accused of being not born in the US, accused of being racist, accused of being a Nazi, and accused of being a socialist/communist.

 

Not to mention representatives and senators NEVER heckled bush...just the American people and foreign countries...

[lilbluefoxie 820]

:confused::confused: absolutely NOT! bush was accused of cronyism and being a moron. Obama is being accused of being not born in the US, accused of being racist, accused of being a Nazi, and accused of being a socialist/communist.

 

Not to mention representatives and senators NEVER heckled bush...just the American people and foreign countries...

 

They accused bush of being a nazi, and a racist, particulalry during hurricane katrina. They wont accuse Bush of being a socialist because his ideology runs opposite to socialism/communism.

[nel070 0]

the only thing bush was accussed of being was stupid and in his 8 yrs of being president got everything he wanted passed ie invading iraq those budget busting tax cuts for the rich and privatizing of was ie blackwater and haliburton he was never ostracized and disrespected like obama and by the way how many times did u see people taking guns to a rally bush was appearing at as president

[Urbanfortitude 123]

SubwayGuy and R160B8713 have said it way better than I ever could. Whoever it was that said this was a nation of cowards wasn't too far from the truth. We are a nation of double standards and its shameful.

[Grand Concourse 2,690]

imo, they should do away with the party system. All it does is allow one party to be in the thorn of another just to get things their way. And any member that is part of some 'special interest groups' should not be allowed to vote or be in office. They are elected by the people and should be listening to the voice of the people that elected them to office. the moment they think they are too good to hear from the people that voted for them, is the moment they no longer represent us and should be replaced by someone else.

 

Hillary's 'you have a right to debate anyone from this administration' speech was totally spot on and should be played at all times. Obviously she was talking about the Bush administration, but why should it only apply to Bush? Why not Obama and others?

[CPBO 146]

They shouldn't even be here to begin with. Please don't confuse illegal immigrants with those that do come here with temporary visas while they wait for their green cards. Those that come here illegally are criminals and should not get no path of becoming legal once they've come into the US and committed a crime.

 

yes I agree deport em....simple as that......