Murphy hears it from both sides of issue ("not a town hall meeting")

Bucks County Courier Times ^ | 8/2/09 | ANDY VINEBERG

[Born Conservative]

At two public events on Saturday, the hot topic was health care reform.

The plan was for Congressman Patrick Murphy to discuss health care reform and other hot-button topics with his constituents on a one-on-one basis.

The plan didn't last long.

Minutes into the first of two scheduled "Congressman on Your Corner" sessions Saturday afternoon at the jam-packed Concerto Fusion restaurant in Morrisville, shouts from an impatient, frustrated crowd forced Murphy and his staff to reconsider the format of the event.

"You're concerned about the format. We've changed the format," Larry Glick, Murphy's director of outreach, told the crowd. "The congressman will talk to you as a group."

Murphy's about-face (in his opening remarks, he specifically told a woman "this was not a town hall meeting") resulted in a 90-plus-minute, frequently contentious Q&A session with voters clearly emotional about health care. But the congressman kept his cool, listening to people's concerns and defending his plans while occasionally asking hecklers "to be respectful."

The revised format was repeated later in the day in front of the produce department at the Acme in Levittown. Emotions ran high at the second gathering as well, although the crowd seemed more evenly divided politically at the supermarket than the restaurant.

The meetings were the 78th and 79th "Congressman on Your Corner" events of Murphy's two-and-a-half years in office.

"The great thing about Bucks County is that people really can be very passionate," Murphy said as he left Acme. "So that's why I don't flinch and give them their chance to talk while most of my colleagues are putting their heads in the sand."

Of the change in format, Murphy said, "We called an audible. Driving over (to Morrisville), I was told there were 25 people there. When we showed up, there were about 150."

[LeonardFMason]

“Yet he is an Iraq war veteran?”

He was an Army LAWYER!!!!! ZERO combat experience. He went on a few patrols and heard some small arms fire in the distance. I’m glad he served but, be advised, he was no hardened combat veteran.

[mikelets456]

The arrogant commies are not listening and things are getting nasty....folks, I think we are on the brink of a revolution.

Like a child that is frustrated by the abusive parent that does not give a $-it...there are consequences!

[TNCMAXQ]

On the Imus show I think he was talking about a book he had written. Hard to believe he ever read a book much less wrote one. OK, enough cheap shots, ha ha. Though isn’t he the guy even Chris Matthews said did not appear to have the stature or gravitas to serve in Congress? Brilliant move by voters there.

Anyway, in the radio interview spoke of how many service people in Iraq told him they thought things were going badly and they thought a change of leadership was needed. I find it hard to believe though that a majority of people on the ground in Iraq really believed that by putting Pelosi, Reid, and company in power that this would help them.