A shiny silver bus covered with big red slogans arrived in a dusty little high desert town (Montrose, Colorado) yesterday. Its arrival was heralded by a front-page, top-of-fold article in the local "Montrose Daily Press". I’ve provided a link to the article Patients First bus arrives today to lead rally against health care proposals...but it is a summary only of the article. The complete article appeared only in the print edition.
The bus parked at a busy corner of town for ½ hour only. It then moved on to the next little dusty town up the road. Its purpose was to "rouse up the natives". This is an extremely red-state part of the West.
From the Daily Press article:
Americans for Prosperity’s Patients First Bus will make a stop in Montrose and allow citizens to voice their concern and disapproval of a government-run health care system.......
...Dave Laursen, chairman of the Montrose Republican Central Committee said he will be attending the event but he did not want to comment on why he is going.
According to the article there are two of these touring buses. One is covering the eastern U.S. states, and then this particular bus is stopping at towns in Nebraska, Colorado, S. Dakota, N. Dakota, Montana, Iowa, Arkansas and Missouri. The tour will end on Aug. 28.
The article goes on to state that Amy Menefee is a spokesperson for Patients First. Apparently she is issuing press releases to these small town newspapers to publicize the arrival of the bus. From the article, quoting Ms. Menefee:
"Americans are fired up about health care, and the bus tour gives people opportunity to come out and get involved."
She forgot to mention the obvious, that people on only one side of the issue are invited to "get involved" at this event.
I was able only to cruise by the event yesterday. My own personal circumstances prevented my being able to stop and observe. The crowd seemed large but not huge. I was heartened to see that most Montrosians were busy on a Friday afternoon with other things. I did see many sign-holders, and down on the curb, waving at people to turn in, was a small group holding a large red-and-white striped flag with the "don’t tread on me" snake on it. My son tells me supremecists use this flag.
There was no town hall event here. I suspect this was a pep-rally for any future such event in Montose or nearby. I also suspect a lot more hateful stuff was said than just "health care issues". It was an opportunity for haters to come out of the woodwork and assess their own numbers and local strength, facilitated by this "Americans for Prosperity" group.
This morning’s Daily Press has an article about the meeting. Heated debate: Hundreds gather to protest Obama’s health care reform It mentions that one of the local 9-12 folks was involved.
Anyone else seen these buses cruising around? Forty years ago this month I was heading out to Woodstock and let me tell you the Hog Farm bus looked a lot more friendly and welcoming than this one.
Peace, western star