Rep Steve Israel (D, LI NY) - holding townhall meeting (finally) on Monday 10/5

[FreedFromNY]

Steve Israel (2nd district, Long Island, NY) is finally holding a townhall meeting this Monday, 10/5. As many on LI know, Israel has been ducking his constituents all summer. In typical cowardly fashion, he's trying to stack the audience with healthcare reform supporters, and asking them to show up earlier than the publicized start time. We intend to do the same. If anyone else in the area would like to join in, we'd love to have you.

Here's the info I've rec'd on this meeting, from the group Individuals United for Freedom:

Congressman Steve Israel's website has announced that he's holding a Health Care town hall meeting on Monday at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood.

We All need to be there!

The meeting time is set for 6:30pm, but Israel has asked his friends -- including those at the Long Island Progressive Coalition -- to meet there at 5pm.

Israel has announced and then canceled meetings before, but he is publicizing this to his supporters.

[kjo]

What makes you think he’s going to allow anybody to be seated in the hall who are not his supporters?

Can’t remember who, right now, but a Congressman, I think in Illinois, held one of these...but filled over half the hall with SEIU people before the doors were opened.

I hope you check this out first.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Get an after action report up as soon as possible. Go get ‘em and good luck!

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Can’t remember who, right now, but a Congressman, I think in Illinois, held one of these...but filled over half the hall with SEIU people before the doors were opened.

I believe it was Kathy Castor in Tampa. It got ugly.

[mapmaker77]

When does the season for congresscritters open?

[kjo]

Thank you for refreshing my memory...Yes it did happen in Florida...and to the best of my knowledge...only Fox pointed this out.

No surprise.

[FreedFromNY]

It’s worth it even if he doesn’t allow us to be seated. I half expect that to be the case, quite frankly. They can’t prevent us from being outside, though.

There was another congressman, one county over, who had a healthcare reform meeting at one of the local union offices. Protesters still showed up & exercised their rights outside of the venue. Although I wasn’t able to attend that protest, I know someone who did go. And he, too, said it was worth it.

[Bernard]

How difficult is it to get any prominent Democrat like Jimmy Carter to come out and “support Israel” during his re-election efforts? It must be a bitter pill for those people to swallow.

[classified]

I suggest you wear red t-shirts over your regular shirts so you can fool the eye. Most of the acorn people and SEIU wear red. Just organize and bring red t-shirts so you can quickly slip them over your shirts so you can get in. Then peel off the red t-shirts once you get in. I would help to make protest signs up and have white freezer paper over them with the candidates name on them as if you were supporting him. Once your in, take the white freezer paper off the sign revealing your true identity. Trick the City Slicker who is always full of tricks! Plan and organize among each other.

Remember most of the people who are bussed in go into the building from the side doors. Join the line as they get off. Mingle as if you are an off shoot member joining in. Join the line in small groups talking among each other about work and union stuff. Live the part. Most of these bussed in people are not aware of what or who is going to be there. They just go from point A to point B. Even the people who are letting the bussed in people in the side doors aren't aware of who or how many are coming in. If enough of you get in the lines quickly up front you can make a stealth of a difference!

[Clemenza]

Steve Israel is not nearly the left wing douchebag that Tom "Closet" Downey* was, but I really wish the old farts who run the Suffolk GOP would get their heads out of their backsides and find a decent, well-funded candidate.

*Tom Downey was a left-wing Dem who represented this suburban district in the 1970s and 1980s. He was replaced by Rick Lazio in the 1990s following retirement. Lazy-O was subsequently replaced by Israel when Lazy-O ran for the Senate.