Iowa City preparing for visit from President Obama Thursday (ticket and protest info)

Cedar Rapids Gazette ^ | 03/22/2010 | Jami Brinton

[iowamark]

UPDATED: President Barack Obama will speak about health care Thursday in Iowa City, marking passage of the historic legislation by returning to the place where he proposed his reform plan in 2007 while campaigning for the Democratic nomination.

Members of the general public who wish to attend the event can register for tickets at the following site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/rsvp/university-iowa-100325

Doors open at 11 a.m., the speech will begin at 1:00 p.m.

Obama will “discuss how health care insurance reform lowers costs for small businesses and American families and gives them more control over their health care,” said Matthew Lehrich, a White House spokesman.

The visit will come four days after the House approved a bill extending health care to millions of uninsured Americans and preventing insurance companies from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions. Obama could sign the bill as soon as Tuesday.

Obama chose Iowa City because the eastern Iowa college town was where he first offered his health care plan on May 29, 2007. Lehrich said the plan launched “a grassroots campaign for reform that led directly to the legislation passed this week.”

Obama announced his health care plan about eight months before Iowa’s caucuses, where he had a surprisingly strong win and gained the momentum that ultimately led to the Democratic nomination. In the 2008 general election, Obama easily won Iowa’s seven electoral votes.

Although Obama’s support of health care reform was key in the support he received in the caucuses, the president will find widely divergent opinions on the issue in Iowa.

All three Republican candidates for governor opposed Obama’s health care plan, with state Rep. Rod Roberts and businessman Bob Vander Plaats calling for amending the Iowa Constitution to block the measure.

Vander Plaats described it as “federalism run amok at best and, at worst, a big step toward socialism.”

GOP gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad hasn’t said whether he’d support a constitutional amendment, but he issued a statement Monday criticizing the reform plan.

“We can ill afford another trillion dollars in spending by the federal government,” Branstad said.

Democratic Gov. Chet Culver has been a strong supporter of Obama’s health care proposal.

Longtime Democratic activist Jerry Crawford said he believes support for the plan will grown in the state, and nationally, over time.

“The advantage he has is the opposition was so over the top in predicting that the world would end,” Crawford said. “Sooner rather than later people are going to figure out that the world didn’t end.”

Drake University political science professor Dennis Goldford said he thought passage of the health care bill would give Obama a boost or at least avoid the mess the president would have faced if it had failed.

“If he had lost this it would have been disastrous,” said Goldford. “People would be saying that Democrats can’t govern.”

Mark Daley, a Democratic strategist who is working for Democratic Senate hopeful Roxanne Conlin, said Obama’s visit would put the spotlight on Sen. Charles Grassley.

Grassley, who is seeking a sixth term in the Senate, worked through last summer with Democrats on health care reform but eventually became a prominent opponent of the effort.

“This presidential visit is great for us because it’s going to remind Iowans of what they have in Washington,” Daley said, referring to Grassley.

Grassley issued a statement predicting the measure approved by the House would raise taxes, hurt Medicare and cause health insurance premiums to rise.

“Rather than bring the country together around some commonsense reforms, this bill has driven the country further apart, at the very time we need to come together, especially for economic recovery efforts,” he said.

Iowa City Police Chief Sam Hargadine says members of the Secret Service have been in town since Friday preparing for Obama’s visit.

The Secret Service held a briefing with Iowa City police this past Thursday. Details of the visit haven’t yet been announced.

“We’re dusting off a lot of the old plans from previous [presidential] visits,” Hargadine said.

Hargadine said the Secret Service is “familiar” with Iowa City due to the campaign trail.

He said local traffic won’t likely be affected by the president’s visit until Thursday morning.

[iowamark]

Speech at the UIowa Field House:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/rsvp/university-iowa-100325
""Thank you for your interest in attending a speech by President Barack Obama at the University of Iowa on Thursday, March 25, 2010.
Due to limited space at the event, we will only be able to fulfill a limited number of requests for tickets. Please note that filling out this form DOES NOT guarantee a ticket to this event.
Filling out this form qualifies you to be selected for a ticket.
Doors for the event will open at 11:00 a.m. CDT. The event location and further details will be given to those individuals who are selected to pick-up tickets.
At 4:00 pm CDT on Tuesday, March 23rd, when the online sign-up has expired, a limited number of individuals will be selected and contacted by phone regarding ticket pick-up information. Each individual selected will have the opportunity to pick up a maximum of TWO tickets.

Please note that the White House will not be able to respond to all requests for tickets. You will only receive a call if you are selected to pick up a ticket.
Because of space limitations we will not be able to accommodate all interested parties.
This form will be available until 4:00 pm CDT on Tuesday, March 23rd. All fields are required.""

[iowamark]

http://coralvillecourier.typepad.com/community/2010/03/stand-up-4-freedom-rally-to-be-held-in-protest-of-obama-visit-to-iowa-city.html
“”Stand Up 4 Freedom Rally to be held in protest of Obama visit to Iowa City”

The weekend passage of unpopular health care legislation marks a sharp turning point not just for our health system, but for the future of this country.

Despite a majority of Americans voicing strong opposition to ObamaCare, 219 liberal members of Congress voted yesterday to pass the new legislation. They ignored the emails, the phone calls, letters, polls and the tea parties. But most significantly, they ignored their constituents.

So in a response to President Obama’s “Look what I did” trip to Iowa City on Thursday, the Republican Party of Iowa is hosting a Stand Up 4 Freedom Rally on Wednesday evening.

Located on the east side of the Pentacrest, the event will begin at 6:00pm and conclude by 9:00pm.

Tentative speakers include:

Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Candidate for U.S. Congress

Steve Rathje, Candidate for U.S. Congress

Christopher Reed, Candidate for U.S. Congress

Rob Gettemy, Candidate for U.S. Congress

Brenna Findley, Candidate for Iowa Attorney General

Matt Strawn, Republican Party of Iowa

Natalie Ginty, Univ. of Iowa College Republicans

Additional details of the event will be posted as they become available.””

[BookmanTheJanitor]

I guess the ‘time for talk’ wasn’t over for Obama.

[iowamark]

UIowa Campus maps

Downtown Campus map (Wednesday night's rally will be on the east steps of Old Capitol)

[Frantzie]

This is the “rubbing in the thuggery” tour.

Remind any baby boomers or seniors that ObamaCare pretty much screwed their future and maybe they might want to do something about it.

8 years of Bush was heaven compared to this.

[chicken head]

we need about 40 people screaming “BABY KILLER” at the top of their lungs during the whole speech

[iowamark]

Obama to speak at Field House Thursday
“I am just excited as can be. I want him to give me my marching orders and tell me what to do next,” said Sue Dvorsky, Obama’s former Johnson County campaign co-chairwoman.""

[jackieh]

OMG...will this nightmare never end?

[greene66]

Everyone within a 200-mile range, GO THERE with picket signs and screaming voices, and rain holy hell on the g*ddamn bastard and his whole traitorous entourage!! Take rifles too, just to make the media-scum wet themselves! Let them know to the marrow of their bones that we will NEVER submit to their corrupt Marxist designs.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

Don't think I've ever seen this before, where a piece of legislation still gets a sales pitch even after passing.

 

 

[ThomasSawyer]

“I am just excited as can be. I want him to give me my marching orders and tell me what to do next,” said Sue Dvorsky, Obama’s former Johnson County campaign co-chairwoman.""

So Comrade Dvorsky (kinda has a ring to it doesn't it) wants some marching orders. Well, not to worry. I'm sure he's going to be passing out plenty of marching orders to you and all the other good little socialists and useful idiots.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

*Groan* This is a target rich article, full of little gems.

 

Another example - “If he had lost this it would have been disastrous,” said Goldford. “People would be saying that Democrats can’t govern.”

 

 

 

This next one gives away the farm on their long-term PR spin strategy -

 

“The advantage he has is the opposition was so over the top in predicting that the world would end,” Crawford said. “Sooner rather than later people are going to figure out that the world didn’t end.”

 

Job #1 is going to be to try and keep people snowed that everything is coming up roses and rainbows.

 

 

[skr]

Victory lap; he requires adulation and will spent thousands of dollars travelling to find some.

[Semperfiwife]

It is just like O’Stalin to make you think you love his policies. Straight out of the communist playbook. Ego and all.

[Semperfiwife]

It is just like O’Stalin to make you think you love his policies. Straight out of the communist playbook. Ego and all.

[JohnBovenmyer]

Obama’s talking at the Field House? I think it would be MUCH more appropriate if they moved the venue to HANCHER. There’s not a site in the country currently more suitable.

[funfan]

Goose step Sue

[Free Vulcan]

Mariannette bump.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2476571/posts

[bossmechanic]

Gonna cost the city a fortune to clean up the mess left behind - and that’s just the oral diarrhea aspect. Then there’s the rest of the CRAP. Dunno - sounds like a LOSER to me.

[redgolum]

Great. Just what we need.

[nomad]

Is anyone following this?What about Ohio?

[gathersnomoss]

The American Idol Tour. Take a liberal friend to see their Messiah.

[gathersnomoss]

The “Look What I Did” Tour. Insert one steaming plopper.

[dforest]

Why waste jet fuel Obozo? The bill is passed and signed. Now, why do I have to wait for all my savings and bennies?

[gathersnomoss]

It's called “your marching orders”. Barry and his Stateist (sp) partners want you to be prepared.

Europeans who have come to this country to escape Socialism know what is in line for The Stupid Americans.

Nice job.

[gathersnomoss]

“Sooner rather than later people are going to figure out that the world didn’t end.”

Hey Crawford, what an uplifting and motivating gem.

Notice how there is ZERO motivation in The Barry Show speeches. Kennedy must be rolling in his grave.

Reagan is surely missed.

Please show me the tunnel that has the light at it’s end.

[gathersnomoss]

Isn’t it time for another vacation?

[dforest]

I guess returning to his Muslim roots is on hold. He is still trying to justify his takeover of the US Healthcare industry.

If this bill is so great, why do we have to wait for all the wonders?

[gathersnomoss]

Don’t forget, we are boiling stupid AmeriKan frogs here.

[iowamark]

http://www.standup4freedom.com/