Ignoring D.C. rally, Matthews claims "there's no public demonstration of support" for health reform
Asserting that "[w]hen somebody wants something, they fill the streets of Washington," Hardball host Chris Matthews falsely claimed that "[t]here's no public demonstration of support for health care" since President Obama was elected. In fact, thousands of supporters of health care reform reportedly rallied in Washington, D.C., on June 25.
Please upgrade your flash player. The video for this item requires a newer version of Flash Player. If you are unable to install flash you can download a QuickTime version of the video.
Matthews claimed supporters of health care reform are not "marching in the streets"
From the July 31 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
MATTHEWS: August is nearly here, and there's still no health care bill. President Obama acts like there's an urgency to getting this done, but why isn't anybody else acting that way? Where are the people marching in the streets? The streets are empty in this town. If they really want it, where are they?
Ron Brownstein's political director for Atlantic Media and Susan Page is the Washington bureau chief for USA Today.
I do not want to knock health care. I believe this country needs a health care plan for everybody, especially the uninsured, but the streets are empty. People have disabled people come here; gay rights people come here; antiwar people come here; pro-life people come here. When somebody wants something, they fill the streets of Washington.
Susan Page, the streets are empty.
PAGE: Well, but, you know, the August deadline was a political deadline for Barack Obama.
MATTHEWS: But where are the people since January, since this president was elected? There's no public demonstration of support for health care.
HCAN health care rally on June 25 reportedly drew "thousands"
HCAN hosted a rally at the Capitol on June 25 "in support of quality, affordable health care for all." According to the event schedule, the Health Care for America Now rally featured several speakers, including actress "Edie Falco, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), HCAN Campaign Manager Richard Kirsch, CWA President Larry Cohen, AFSCME President Jerry McEntee, SEIU Secretary Treasurer Anna Burger, Governor Howard Dean, Congressman [Xavier] Becerra (D-CA), National Physicians Alliance President-Elect Valerie Arkoosh and other leading Members of Congress and Senators." HCAN estimated that more than 10,000 people came to the rally.
New York Times and McClatchy reported that "thousands" attended the HCAN rally.
The New York Times reported on June 25:
While senators haggled over the intricacies of policy, thousands of people held a rally in a park nearby demanding "health care reform now." The crowd included doctors, nurses, labor union leaders and people without insurance. Many urged Congress to create a public health insurance plan, as a possible alternative to private insurance.
McClatchy reported on June 25:
Thousands of their constituents rallied outside the Capitol to show their support for change, and the Obama administration called for action.
[...]
In a lively rally in a park one block from the Capitol, unions, community groups and liberal organizations rallied behind the White House effort.
They weren't talking specifics, just change.
"I traveled through the health care system, and there are some holes," said actress Edie Falco, a breast cancer survivor. "My hope is this country can finally provide affordable health care."
HCAN documented the event with photos posted online.
From HCAN's Flickr photostream:
As defined by Republican pundits.
Besides we are a center right country (not)
The right lives in areas with more acreage than the left.
(on, and on, etc)
Let's not forget: Beck (no degree), Hannity (no degree), Limbaugh (no degree), Rove (no degree), Savage, Coulter (old white guy), Cunningham (no degree), Buchanan, O'Rielly, Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, McCain...
The list of stupid white guys seems to know no end on the republican side of things. Thank god (for them) that they've embraced diversity and are now bolsted by such mental giants as... Michelle Malkin, Clarence Thomas, Michael Steel, Alan Keyes... oh... wait a sec...
I mean: COLIN POWELL... oh... wait a sec...
-or-
I could point out that the use of irony in making a satirical critique is not the same as hypocrisy.
Besides - I didn't make a single racist statement. I called out STUPIDITY, and what's more I did so in a way that shows that it knows no racial boundaries. Believe me: There's more than enough stupid to go around for both geneders & races, all sexual orientations, all religions and non-religions and yes, even every political point of view.
BUT, again, I'm not sure I see how I'm race-bating here.. I agreed that there's a lot of stupid white guys (and even added to the list) and went onto to give examples of a bunch of stupid black guys (in there ranks)as well. Stills seems to me that I either stupid-bating or republican-bating. (Or man-bating, as my inclusion of Ann Coulter hardly add much to the gender diversity there, but still...)
Please clarify.
Go to at least one town hall meeting where a Democrat is speaking, but days before the event, call and demand that your local government and/or authorities make it mandatory that anyone that wants to attend the public and very democratic gathering/meeting between your elected officials and you, their constituents must have either:
a) a valid ID that proves that the person attending is actually a resident of said district or town or what have you
b) a bill with their name on it that proves residency
As far as I'm concerned... any punk-ass right-wing blowhard that wants to speak their line of corporate crap can do so all they want... they simply must be from the area!
FYI: Don't think for one second that the right-wing crazies are not going out of their way to bus people in from other states.
As Thom Hartmann says all the time... Tag! We are all it!
Go out and get active! Because rest assured, the right-wing is!
Do you have any proof that this is happening? I think the Republicans are so out of sorts now that they can't possibly be this organized. Or so MMfA keeps telling me.
1. Matthews talked about "filling the streets". MMFA is referencing a rally in a park. I think Matthews has a point.
2. Here is a partial list of the organizations who make up HCAN. (I got this from their website.)
Our Steering Committee includes: ACORN, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, Americans United for Change, Campaign for America’s Future, Center for American Progress Action Fund, Campaign for Community Change, Children’s Defense Fund Action Council, Communications Workers of America, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), MoveOn.org, NAACP, National Council of La Raza, National Education Association, National Women’s Law Center, SEIU, UFCW, USAction, Women's Voices, Women's Vote and Working America.
As you can see it is coalition of liberal and far right activist groups and unions. One might reasonably surmise that they called out their members for this rally in the park.
Oh.. why are you trying to misstate what I wrote. I said "far left activist" not "radical leftist".
If you think ACORN is not far left, then we simply disagree.
http://www.acorncracked.com
Virtually every website connected to ACORN claims the organization is "non-partisan." That's difficult to swallow, given its efforts.
Truth be told, ACORN can honestly claim to be a bi-partisan organization. In addition to working to elect Democrats to office, ACORN was honored by the Communist Party USA for its "critical but generally unrecognized role of organized labor and grassroots voter registration efforts in winning Ohio for Barack Obama." The AFL-CIO was also honored as an "unsung hero" of the 2008 election in Ohio
ACORN has a core of paid staffers that drift around the country to work in swing states. When we saw an ACORN staffer, Johanna Sharrard, in a YouTube video, we wondered who she was and why she was speaking on behalf of the organization.
(hint - the number is between zero and zero)
Where is proof that ACORN is bi-partisan? What Republican candidates have they ever endorsed? What Conservative bill have they tried to get passed by spreading the word?
They REGISTER people. That's it. If these people vote overwhelming Democrat, well, then who's fault is that?
Look Mark, let me let you in on a little secret. ACORN registered voters. Not Democratic voters. Voters. And they registered them, and got paid by how many they registered. So yeah, Mickey Mouse might have been registered to vote in Ohio, but did he show up at the polls?
Oh nevermind, you're right, Obama's jack-booted Islamo-nazi thugs secretly run everything. Careful what you say on the intertubes here though, Next thing you know they're gonna break your door down in the middle of the night and take your whole family off to those FEMA concentration camps.
Now THESE guys (hint, there's a link in "THESE"), they're just innocent Christian bystanders who just want what's good for the nation. And by innocent, I mean they can rape children and feel no remorse. So to them, and to Doug Coe, they're innocent.
http://jeffsharlet.com/
They seem to have a God complex. Truly scary. I think I'm going to pick up his book.
I guess that means all the tea parties should be ignored too, since there turnout was pretty sparse.
FWIW I think Matthews's gauge for support of health care reform is pretty odd and abstract and not adequate.
Fail.
epic fail
Uber-double-epic-fail, YSAPGKY, etc.
No. Anyone on the left or right (or wherever it is Harley feels he is at), are free to lawfully rally or protest in the capital or anywhere else they desire.
My point was that MMFA's example even though true, was pretty comical.
One rally in a park over a month ago by a coalition of leftist groups, unions, and other special interests loyal to the Democratic Party and Obama serves to make Matthews point rather than refute it.
Nice attempt at deflection. I didn't keep up with the Tea Parties so I have no idea how many turned out. But their turnout really has nothing to do with this issue.
Also, it was not meant as "deflection". I was pointing out that if the justification of support or not was "filling the streets" then the tea parties didn't meet this definition either.
Personally I think the free expression of our opinions is one of the things we need to celebrate. Of course, I also think we need to tone it down a notch too. (notice the inclusive, I don't single out left or right) The newest way of expressing ourselves thru "disruption" of town hall events, IMHO, in order to get "our" point heard, is wrong and does nothing to help foster public debate in anyway.
Of course, I also to do not expect much out of any talking head or pundit that I see or hear in the media.
I agree that Matthews is wrong about a public demonstration. Last time I watched him was during the elections. He and Olbermann looked rather comical.
My point was that since Matthews was not talking about Tea Parties, it doesn't matter if they meet this definition or not. It is immaterial.
I agree with you about free expression of our opinions. It would be nice if both sides would tone it down. But doing so is like catching smoke.
Leftist groups, ranging from ACORN to environmental groups to anti-war demonstrations, has a long history of disrupting meetings. Although I do not agree with disruptions, I find it laughable that all of the sudden those on the left object when the same tactics are used to object to this radical restructuring and government control of our health industry.
I'm of the opinion that Obama and Pelosi and Reid have stirred up the right with his leftist agenda and you'll be seeing a lot more of these types of demonstrations... that is, if the politicians have enough nerve to have any more town hall meetings this month.
I don't try to look at any politicians actions as leftist or rightist but; rather try to look at the consequences. You can talk about Pelosi, etc stirring up the right or whatever (whether I agree with them or not) but; they are just indulging in more of the same, per the standard set by the previous administration. By stating "will they did it" doesn't make it right but; since the dems tend to not be as organized as the repubs, it tends to be one or two (sometimes more) people who are acting out on their own, not a group of people with a written agenda on how to disrupt the meeting. If you think that is the best way to "get your point across" to the politicians, I feel for you. I feel it is wrong (no matter who partakes) and does not engender positive change.
Talking about leftist groups does not denigrate them in any way any more than talking about rightist groups denigrate them.
I find it laughable that you consider the dems to be not as organized as the Repubs.
Apparently you have not read any of the ACORN memos or Saul Alinsky's book regarding organized disruption.
The supposed memo in questions by Bob MacGuffie is unsubstantiated and produced by a far leftist, agenda driven organization.
Where do you see that I support any type of disruption. Why you would claim so in a response where I said "...I do not agree with disruptions..." seems a bit disingenuous on your part and a straw man argument.
Thanks for feeling sorry for me, but you can save your pity.
I suggest you take the time to learn more about Alinsky and ACORN before asserting those on the left are beyond committing their own disruptive acts.
Oh and thanks for stating the obvious about freedom of assembly.
The day Congress returns to go back to work after the summer recess, let all those who support health coverage reform show up as well, demanding to be heard, and demanding the changes that will save health care for everyone, rich and poor alike.
Of course, I'm also saying several million Americans in the Washington Mall chanting for health coverage reform would have a significant impact, especially if it happened on the day when Congress returned to resume work.
This growing phenomenon is often marked by violence and absurdity. Recently, right-wing demonstrators hung Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD) in effigy outside of his office. Missing from the reporting of these stories is the fact that much of these protests are coordinated by public relations firms and lobbyists who have a stake in opposing President Obama’s reforms.
The lobbyist-run groups Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks, which orchestrated the anti-Obama tea parties earlier this year, are now pursuing an aggressive strategy to create an image of mass public opposition to health care and clean energy reform. A leaked memo from Bob MacGuffie, a volunteer with the FreedomWorks website Tea Party Patriots, details how members should be infiltrating town halls and harassing Democratic members of Congress:
– Artificially Inflate Your Numbers: “Spread out in the hall and try to be in the front half. The objective is to put the Rep on the defensive with your questions and follow-up. The Rep should be made to feel that a majority, and if not, a significant portion of at least the audience, opposes the socialist agenda of Washington.”
– Be Disruptive Early And Often: “You need to rock-the-boat early in the Rep’s presentation, Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early.”
– Try To “Rattle Him,” Not Have An Intelligent Debate: “The goal is to rattle him, get him off his prepared script and agenda. If he says something outrageous, stand up and shout out and sit right back down. Look for these opportunities before he even takes questions.”
The memo above also resembles the talking points being distributed by FreedomWorks for pushing an anti-health reform assault all summer. Patients United, a front group maintained by Americans for Prosperity, is currently busing people all over the country for more protests against Democratic members. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), chairman of the NRCC, has endorsed the strategy, telling the Politico the days of civil town halls are now “over.”
Meanwhile, AHIP, the trade group and lobbying juggernaut representing the health insurance industry is sending staffers to monitor town halls and other right-wing front groups are stepping up their ad campaign to smear reform efforts. The strategy for defeating reform — recently outlined by an influential lobbyist to the Hill newspaper as “delay” then “kill” — is becoming apparent. By delaying a vote until after the August recess, lobbyists are now seizing upon recess town halls as opportunities to ambush lawmakers and fool them into believing there is wide opposition to reform.
Do you have a link? Thanks.
Think Progress, doesn't seem to have any proof that this guy wrote this memo. All TP has is innuendo and assumption. It doesn’t appear that the person that supposedly wrote the memo is an employee of FreedomWorks nor is FreedomWorks mentioned in any way in the supposedly leaked memo.
Also the supposedly leaked memo bears no similarity in style or graphics to the FreedomWorks activism packet that Think Progress is using as a comparison.
I could find no proof offered by Think Progress that this is a actually a leaked memo from this person or organization.
If you like take a look at this blog pointing this out:
http://www.stoptheaclu.com/
Can you find any link that proves this guy Bob actually wrote the memo, so that you might convince a skeptic?
Sorry, couldn't help myself, and no (like the birthers) I do not believe that you have an open enough mind to be convinced of anything that you do not currently believe in.
I have said before I think Obama is an American citizen. Even though we haven't seen the actual long form birth certificate, I think the birthers look foolish pressing this issue.
You seem to have a rather low opinion of me. Get in line. :-)
Good clarification there. You could add "And even though his grandmother said she witnessed him born in Kenya, and even though a Kenyan birth certificate has been found, and even though he won't address the issue..."
Please there is no proof of your insurance group claim, you heard that on MSNBC, and they did not have proof either. Now that I see where you get your news not much you say can be accepted. If I remember correctly was Matthews not the new person that said he would do all he could to make this President successful?
Earth to mark - health care is on the road to ruin. You just haven't realized it yet.
http://patientsunitednow.com/?q=node/233
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/19/AR2009071902176.html
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/07/obamas_healthcare_handling_sli.html
http://www.gallup.com/poll/121814/more-disapprove-than-approve-obama-healthcare.aspx
No, we on the right do not accept everything this government puts out. You would be happy that Cap and Trade, Healthcare bill and other government spending bill pass. Peace, so when you are out of money with limited income, do you spend you way out, or do you cut your spending?
more Americans said it would be better to pass "major reform" to health care (55%) rather than "minor adjustments" (43%).
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1913426,00.html
Make a note of it.
I have had this discussion(?) so much, it makes my head hurt.
"These statistics show, etc"
"Well, you can't trust those statistics."
BTW where do you get your data for: a majority of other individuals come to the U.S. for cancer treatments, for heart health and other related medical care.
Yes, our best health care might be the best in the world. But who can afford it? Those who come here for treatment are usually rich or are heads of state. Also, according to a 2008 Deloitte study, an estimated 6 million Americans will travel abroad for surgery. According to the report "Medical care in countries such as India, Thailand and Singapore can cost as little as 10 percent of the cost of comparable care in the United States". We have to stop thinking we have the best care in the world. It is absolutely false.
Oh, and did I forget? We cover only 80% of our citizens.
Put it on a bumper sticker and slap it on your car, mark.
In Canada the percentage of gross pay retained by an employee is 82%. That is, the combined deductions for taxes, pension, employment insurance plus all employer deductions is 18%. That tax deduction pays for my health care and ALL other government services.
In the US, the percentage retained is 81.9%. There is no universal healthcare in that - it is all taxes for other services.
Who is getting better results from their investment in health care? I am speaking of the COST of the care, BTW.
Second para should read:
In the US, the percentage retained is 81.9%. There is no universal health care in that deduction - it is all taxes for other services and employer deductions.
Peace, I agree kids should stay in School, not sure about Scoll.
http://www.acorncracked.com/agenda_tactics.html
So to the youth of America, go out earn your own living, do not wait on the government to ever take care of you. Read the Constitution, you may learn what the government real job is to do for us. .
yes, acron may have paid people to do some things but you have no proof they did any such thing in this instance. all i can say is it's a good thing you live here in the u.s because if you were born in any other country you would have starved to death a long time ago.
Go to at least one town hall meeting where a Democrat is speaking, but days before the event, call and demand that your local government and/or authorities make it mandatory that anyone that wants to attend the public and very democratic gathering/meeting between your elected officials and you, their constituents must have either:
a) a valid ID that proves that the person attending is actually a resident of said district or town or what have you
b) a bill with their name on it that proves residency
As far as I'm concerned... any punk-ass right-wing blowhard that wants to speak their line of corporate crap can do so all they want... they simply must be from the area!
FYI: Don't think for one second that the right-wing crazies are not going out of their way to bus people in from other states.
As Thom Hartmann says all the time... Tag! We are all it!
Go out and get active! Because rest assured, the right-wing is!
Maybe they are too sick to march?
If this were the criterion for action, how many people filled the streets demanding we go to war in Iraq? FISA, PATRIOT Act, privatizing social security, or any other really terrible idea that came out of the last administration/Congress...
P.S. Now we have the internet, Chris, so everyone has a forum. This is like saying, "Is everyone in America sitting in darkness? People used to turn on the gaslights when the sun set, but they just don't care about illumination anymore. There, I proved it. QED."