South CarolinaPing
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Posted on 09/04/2009 5:41:48 AM PDT by MitchellC
ROCK HILL A hostile crowd greeted U.S. Rep. John Spratt in his home county Thursday night, filling a 700-seat hall to voice anger over far more than health-care reform.
Many in the Rock Hill audience lashed out at illegal immigration, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and a federal government they say no longer deserves the trust of Americans.
Outside, an overflow crowd of 200 listened on portable speakers.
The loudest applause inside a packed Baxter Hood Center might have come when a Fort Mill man denounced Pelosi for one criticism of opponents of Democratic reform efforts.
“One of the things that really made me angry is being called a brown shirt,” said Larry Magnuson. “I would really like to see Nancy Pelosi talk to me personally and I'd give her a piece of my mind as to what an American is.”
The boos and groans made for a far different atmosphere than a town hall one day earlier in Sumter, S.C., when many questioners began by thanking the 66-year-old York Democrat for his service.
Bill Butts of Catawba used his two minutes of public speaking time to describe what he called the “reverse Midas touch – whatever the government touches, it mostly turns to crap.”
“Do not tell me that illegal alien invaders do not get health care free in America,” Butts added. “I see it every day.”
Existing federal law bars illegal aliens from free medical care except in emergencies, Spratt replied.
Responding to other questions, Spratt sought to make clear he favors slowing down to search for bipartisan compromises on health care changes. Spratt said he also wants to push for tort reform to limit malpractice damages – even if a separate bill is necessary.
Any health-care overhaul bill must avoid adding to the federal deficit, he said, a goal that drew groans of disbelief from the Rock Hill audience.
Spratt said he is open to a so-called public option, but now doubts it has enough votes to pass.
“My mind is not made up,” Spratt said. “I'm committed to getting something done in this Congress. But as I said earlier, I think we should move with all deliberate speed.”
Pressed on whether he would follow his party or vote the will of constituents on health care reform, Spratt said it's possible for the two to converge.
“A major factor in how I vote will be how my constituents are stacked up on it,” he said.
Jo Maddox, among the few speakers to voice support for Spratt, said the crowd didn't fully represent his constituency.
“The working people were at work,” she said afterward of the crowd at the 5 p.m. meeting. “The working poor couldn't take a day off. “… There were a lot of folks in there with white hair. It was a skewed audience.”
ping
I hope he gets HAMMERED. There is trouble, right here in River City...
LOLOL!
Americans are going to drain the swamp that is the US Congress. Vote them OUT.
I hope Jo Maddox and the other “experts” keep rationalizing away the voice of the voters. They will have a serious surprise in November of 2010.
Emergency care is BY FAR the most expensive type of medical care. Idiotic federal laws drive ALL illegals needing medical care into this channel for even their basic care.
I believe the “know better” elitists in power understand, fully, the results and consequences of the incentives that they codify in law.
I also believe that the “sheep” elitists that put them in power have no clue about cause and effect between incentivizing certain behaviors and the behaviors themselves.
Is he a Dem or Pubbie? It dosen’t say.
Ok fourth part down said Demoncrat.
is anyone explaining to republicans that we dont want healthcare reform...they need to undo the damage they have already done.
“There were a lot of folks in there with white hair. It was a skewed audience.”
Hey lady, these “white hair” people paid into the Medicare system for decades and like social security is a social contract! Now they want to severely cut benefits and establish death panels. You think they might want to have a voice in the discussion? Typical lib who isn’t working but wants big government benefits.
Existing federal law bars illegal aliens from free medical care except in emergencies, Spratt replied.
I think we can safely assume Spratt has NEVER been in a Hospital Emergency room... Where colds are treated for $600 a visit...
I hope this Jack Spratt flack for Obamacare goes down in flaming defeat next year. South Carolina can do better than this. Don’t you love how the “reporter” tries to put down the protest with the nasty quote at the end.
“The boos and groans made for a far different atmosphere than a town hall one day earlier in Sumter, S.C., when many questioners began by thanking the 66-year-old York Democrat for his service.”
What is wrong with Sumter? It was once a decent place with a lot of Air Force families and other good hard working people.
That's right. All these so-called "representatives" schedule their town hall meetings when the working people HAVE to take time off to attend.
Otherwise they wouldn't just be hammered, they'd be BURIED!
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