With the rightwing machine continuing to gin up false outrage at town hall meetings across the country, with their only goal being to intimidate and disrupt any meaningful debate on health care reform, Democrats are fighting back.
Today from the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs:
Q: Are you concerned at what appears to be well-orchestrated protesting of health care reform at town halls as derailing your message?
GIBBS: No, I get asked every day about the myriad of things that could be derailing our message. I would point out that I don't know what all those guys were doing, what were they called, the Brooks Brothers Brigade in Florida in 2000, appear to have rented a similar bus and are appearing together at town hall meetings throughout the country. [...]
Q: Robert, if these town halls are even being influenced by, whatever, a cabal or individuals, how problematic is that for you guys to try to your message out? Even if the premise that it is unfair is correct, it's still going to shape the way these town halls are viewed throughout the country.
GIBBS: Well, you know, look, I hope people will take a jaundiced eye to what is clearly the Astro Turf nature of so-called grassroots lobbying ...
Q: The grassroots what?
GIBBS: The Astro Turf nature of grassroots lobbying, which is largely the term for, you know, this is manufactured anger.
Senators Schumer (D-NY) and Durbin (D-IL) had a few words to say on the subject:
"It is a small fringe group," Schumer told the Huffington Post, "and if we let a small group of people who want to monopolize the conversation and not listen to the facts win, you may as well hang it up."
"These town hall meetings have been orchestrated by the tea baggers and the birthers to just be a free-for-alls, make a lot of noise, go on YouTube and show discord," said Durbin. "I mean that is what they are determined to do. But that is not going to accomplish what we need to accomplish: real health care reform."
From Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), who saw first hand one of these mobs in action:
This mob, sent by the local Republican and Libertarian parties, did not come just to be heard, but to deny others the right to be heard. And this appears to be part of a coordinated, nationwide effort. What could be more appropriate for the "party of no" than having its stalwarts drowning out the voices of their neighbors by screaming "just say no!" Their fanatical insistence on repealing Social Security and Medicare is not just about halting health care reform but rolling back 75 years of progress. I am more committed than ever to win approval of legislation to offer more individual choice to access affordable health care. An effective public plan is essential to achieve that goal.
And the Democratic National Committee is on board:
"The Republicans and their allied groups — desperate after losing two consecutive elections and every major policy fight on Capitol Hill — are inciting angry mobs of a small number of rabid right wing extremists funded by K Street Lobbyists to disrupt thoughtful discussions about the future of health care in America taking place in Congressional Districts across the country," Woodhouse said in a statement.
Woodhouse likened the crowds to those during the 2008 presidential campaign who accused then-Sen. Obama of being a "socialist," out of which he said the "birther" movement was born.
This is the kind of pushback we need to hear from all Democrats.
And kudos to the reporters who have recognized what has been happening and are asking questions about it. But of course the question is, will they aggressively report on it or will they follow the lead of the New York Times and CNN's Candy Crowley and either ignore or dismiss it?