2 Thrown Out Of Heated Meeting On Health Care Reform (Cleveland OH)

WEWS.com ^ | Aug 13, 2009

[meyer]

Case Western Reserve University police said two opponents of reform were ejected for being disorderly.

The Greenies nabbed two more.

[donna]

LOL, my gift to you!

[nathanbedford]

Under whose auspices was this meeting conducted? Was it conducted under the auspices of Case Western Reserve University? Did they make up the rules about free speech? Were the rules published and made available to all before the meeting? Were the rules ad hoc and that the cops simply operate at the direction of Congresswoman Fudge?

Case must be some sort of a public or at least a quasi public institution. When it opens its doors to the public it operates as a public institution to some degree. Can you imagine the University opening itself to lawsuits for false arrest because it improperly ejected a citizen at the direction of Congresswoman Fudge? Did the authorities within the university pass on this? Did they set up procedures? Do they instruct the police? Did they make the public aware? Did they advise the Congresswoman of the limits of her powers?

Seems to me that Case Western Reserve University owes a duty to the public at least as much as it does consideration to Congresswoman Fudge. What evidence does the public have that a public institution is operating in a responsible way in its conduct of a public forum?

Is it improper to ask whether a publicly funded institution has given over its public facilities to a meeting to be controlled by brownshirts? Does not that institution have a commensurate duty to protect the public from union thugs if it has a duty to provide police to see to the orderly conduct of the meeting. Is the university liable for the physical security of the citizens there if it assumes the responsibility of preventing the speaker from being interrupted by ejecting citizens who interrupt? Is the only value to be protected by police action the right of the speaker not to be interrupted?

Somewhere a line is created beyond which a citizen's participation by way of speech crosses the line and becomes disorderly enough for the police to eject him and perhaps even arrest or prosecute him. This is a very delicate and difficult area of constitutional law. Why are we abdicating the entire control and definition of free speech to forces which are neither defined nor seemingly responsible? We cannot force a member of the House of Representatives to participate in a town hall meeting. But neither should we permit that Member of Congress to define speech as criminal conduct in a public place on an ad hoc basis.

At least the rules of the game should be defined and published before the events.

[freekitty]

First mistake Fudge made was saying this is her meeting. It is not her meeting. It is the peoples meeting. She is an elected official. Remember her name because so you can vote her out or recall her. She is useless as an elected official and should be sent packing.

When voting new people in be sure to vet them and only vote for strong American candidates.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Bothers me too.

Seems that the precedent to oppress is there, however. This reminds of the police welcome that the Obama protesters at Notre Dame got. Some got hauled off accused of “trespassing” crime and Notre Dame didn’t even care even though many were Catholics.

[boxerblues]

First mistake Fudge made was saying this is her meeting. It is not her meeting. It is the peoples meeting

You forget where this was held. The sheep in Cleveland just do as they are told by their overlords.

[Las Vegas Dave]

UPDATED 11:18 P.M

. CLEVELAND, Ohio — Police removed two men from U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge's congressional district public forum Wednesday at Case Western Reserve University after the men heckled the congresswoman about health-care reform.

About an hour into the meeting, a man shouted that the proposed bill would lead to killing old people, apparently referencing a claim that the health-care act would lead to "death panels" relegating some people to die because caring for them is too expensive. A few minutes later, a second man created an outburst and also was removed.

Fudge, a Warrensville Heights Democrat, told the audience she doesn't mind debate, but, she said, "This is still my meeting. I will be respectful of you, and you will be respectful of me."

After the two men were removed, a few opponents of health-care reform continued to boo her remarks. Police twice approached those who spoke up, but did not remove anyone else.

Still, the disruption at Fudge's meeting was tame compared to other incidents, including in-your-face shouting matches, that have erupted across the nation as Congress members have held public meetings stumping for President Barack Obama's drive to reform health care.

Except for the two hecklers, Fudge's two-hour meeting remained orderly. A handful of the more than 450 in the audience occasionally booed or called out as most in attendance applauded.

In other parts of the state on Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown also held public meetings. But there were no significant disruptions and no one was ejected.

It's unclear what happened to the two men. Afterwards, University Circle Police and CWRU police said that no one was removed from the meeting, although they acknowledged that many were turned away after the auditorium was filled to capacity.

After introductory speakers and handing out awards, Fudge spoke for 30 minutes, highlighting the federal dollars Congress has directed to Northeast Ohio this year. She also talked about health-care reform. She then spent nearly 45 minutes answering questions, most of which were about health care.

LaTourette's public meeting was at a senior center in Eastlake. He made no secret of his distaste for the health-care proposals Congress was mulling.

The Bainbridge Township Republican and a receptive audience of about 75 people talked about the same fears and rumors that have been debated throughout the nation this summer -- losing access to doctors and being denied care.

He said illegal immigrants make up a large portion of the uninsured and he doesn't think they should get coverage. He also said that the uninsured include young people who simply don't avail themselves of health insurance.

He appeared sympathetic to the plight of an elderly woman who said she can't keep up with costs, especially after receiving a $600 bill from a company that provides managed-care services for Medicare and Medicaid. She said she lives on $504 monthly in Social Security benefits.

"This is a wonderful, generous country and those that for whatever reason are without, we have to figure out how to get them into the umbrella," LaTourette said.

In Columbus, Brown hosted a lively two-hour health-care forum at Ohio State University Medical Center.

About 200 people crowded into a conference room while others were shuttled to a pair of overflow rooms where sound was piped in.

Outside, police watched as dozens more waved signs and engaged in sidewalk debates.

Inside, despite some heckling and heated discussion among audience members, Brown managed to focus on the costs and impact of health-care legislation.

Those in the audience seemed about evenly split between supporters and opponents of the working health-care reform proposals.

Mike Neutzling, 56, a nurse at the Ohio State Medical Center, got a burst of applause by saying that the legislation was "classic overreaching."

"The whole concept of limited government is being tossed out the window," he said. "When you have unlimited government, you have unlimited tyranny."

Brown accused insurance companies of giving people bad information about the legislation and telling them they will lose their private coverage.

"Doing nothing is unacceptable," Brown said. "If we don't do anything, then we might see premiums double and you may not be able to afford coverage five years from now."

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[chadwimc]

“...Hoping there would be strength in numbers, Democrats packed the Ford Auditorium at Case Western Reserve University to show their support for Fudge and the president's plan...”

So...The Cleveland democrats are all “Fudge” packers now? Doesn't surprise me a bit...

[boxerblues]

The Cleveland democrats are all “Fudge” packers now

comment removed before mods can get to it

[wastoute]

I keep pointing this out. When the Brown Shirt media ignores us, the politicians mock and slander us, the courts contain no justice when we are beaten, and our tax dollars are given to organizations that run vote fraud what do the libtards think our response will ultimatley be? When they remove all other options they can't claim to be blameless with the result. Of course at that point blame will be the least of their problems.

Μολὼν λάβε

[Dov in Houston]

That was uncalled for EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW

Fugly and ruined my day

[freekitty]

LOL Last time I looked; Cleveland was still in America.

[IbJensen]

Appropriate name for a damned Democrap: FUDGE!

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Gee, health care according to Congresscritter Fudge has been broken for 60 years, that would mean it has been broker since 1949. If that’s the case, who broke it?

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Isn’t this the nitwit who is dating George Packer and wants them to be known as Marge and George Fudge-Packer after the nuptials?

[driftdiver]

wow some pretty obvious infringement on free speech. notice the acorn people could talk to anyone.

why is nobody challenging acorn getting all those govt funds. they are obviously a political group

[olezip]

"We have been trying to fix health care for more than 60 years. And we are going to fix it," Fudge said.

Government intervention has been undermining health care in this country for 60 years. Failed policy after failed policy yielded nothing but failure and increased costs.

As far as I can tell, thanks to government intervention, our health care premiums have been increased to pay for mental health disorders, high risk living (drinking, taking drugs, smoking, AIDS), sex change operations, cosmetic surgery, and other conditions associated with bad judgement, low intelligence, and lack of personal responsibility.

Our warped and twisted health care system, thanks to trail lawyers like John Edwards, now has overkill on testing and other unnecessary procedures to protect the care givers from lawsuits. Just what is Fudge going to fix? I am sure that Fudge is good at calling names, and character assassination but not at supporting assertions; problem: disordered mind.

It was better 60 years ago when we could pay as we go, and just have "hospitalization" insurance to cover accidents, appendicitus, etc. All of the extra coverages were imposed by the government, and its minions, like trail lawyers. And Fudge says we need more incompetence and failure!

[whershey]

The area she represents is the same area with all the Dem hacks being prosecuted. It’s not much different then Detroit and sadly they’ll keep voting her into office.

[whershey]

The area she represents is the same area with all the Dem hacks being prosecuted. It’s not much different then Detroit and sadly they’ll keep voting her into office.

[reaganbooster]

Hoping there would be strength in numbers, Democrats packed the Ford Auditorium at Case Western Reserve University to show their support for Fudge and the president’s plan.

###

I guess that makes her a “Fudge packer.”