News and notes from Reston (tm).

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Now Cough! Tonight's 'Town Hall' on Health Care to Attract Wackos of all Stripes

504x_504x_1-thumb_01.jpgGrab your wacky doctored Kenyan birth certificate and lovingly photoshopped photo of the President, because tonight's the night we've been waiting for -- the night Reston looks a lot like Alabama or Mississippi by embarrassing itself in front of its elected leaders, or at least former DNC Chair Howard Dean and career incumbent Jim Moran, at a "town hall" on health care. And they're expecting a donnybrook!

Moran spokesman Austin Durrer said the event has been highlighted on conservative blogs, a fact that has them gearing up for vocal opponents in the audience.

"We're anticipating an organized effort to bring people out," Durer said.
Among them: Randall Terry of anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, who is planning a special "skit" attacking the health plan, which he beleives will "kill unborn babies and old ladies." Wait, what?
A character wearing an Obama mask opened the skit by handing Terry three baby dolls in rapid succession. Terry stabbed each one, then threw them over his shoulder.

Terry, the physician, then examined a woman with a wig of long gray hair. After looking at her eyes and listening to her heart, Terry stabbed her.

"That's your health-care bill. Kill Granny," Terry said. "Go Obama. One dead person at a time."

Terry, director of Operation Rescue Insurrect Nex, is performing his skit in 10 cities on a trip whose final stop will be in Reston, Va., tomorrow.

"In Reston, we intend to disrupt a meeting being run by Congressman James Moran and [former Vermont Gov.] Howard Dean," he said.
We love legitimate theater! But in the interest of being (heh) Fair and Balanced, we'll point out the MoveOn.org folks have been carpet-bombing the area with phone calls and e-mails urging their supporters to attend, too. So we're expecting a reasoned, well-articulated debate on the merits of a multi-payer health care system. Then again, we're also expecting a pink sparkly pony named Sparkles to arrive at our house in time to whisk us to the town hall, so we're probably not the best judge of such things.

But there is good news. The conceal-carry nuts enthusiasts we've worried about won't be able to do their Patriotic Duty, for one simple reason: the last time we checked, South Lakes was a school:
Firearms advocates have created a stir at some town halls by openly carrying handguns and even a semiautomatic rifle. But Moran's town hall will be at a high school auditorium and weapons are banned from school grounds.
More proof that dissent will be crushed? Only folks from Moran's home district will be allowed into the 2,700-seat auditorium.
Attendance is being restricted to residents of Moran's Northern Virginia congressional district, which encompasses the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, Falls Church and parts of Fairfax County including Reston and Tysons Corner. Attendees will be asked to sign in and give their address and email address. Those not from the district will be turned away from the auditorium.
But will their names be sent to the death panels?

23 comments:

  1. "embarrassing itself.. in front of.. former DNC Chair Howard Dean.."

    I wouldn't be too worried about that.

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  2. The Convict in the South Reston GulagAugust 25, 2009 at 11:23 AM

    "Conceal carry nuts/enthusiasts" is the reason Virginia should have an open carry law.

    How fitting that the ad at the bottom of the web page (for me, at least) is for the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute. Any person that has a weapon should be required to take REAL firearms training.

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  3. "Beeyawwww!"

    That's my H. Dean impression. Totally looking forward to this tonight!

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  4. It took Barry 6 months to pick out a dog, and he trying to force thru this health care BS in 3 weeks...typical.

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  5. It's ashame ... while I have real questions for this evening's event, and want to participate (with civility) -- I fear that I, and almost everyone else (left & right of center), will be drowned out by the lunatics...

    Pitiful, just pitiful... betchya most believe there's a strong need to get government outta their Medicare ...

    Might as well get the government out of the Defense Department as well...

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  6. Why should Americans cede control to the Governement?

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  7. Let's not forget that the "the MoveOn.org folks [who] have been carpet-bombing the area with phone calls and e-mails" were the same "folks" responsible for all the assassination-chic Bush hatred and "dissent is patriotic" rhetoric in the not-too-distant past. So who's afraid of a few "racist-unAmerican-redneck-traitor-teabagging-Nazis?"

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  8. again... wish the left & right of center would have the opportunity to tune out the lunatics on both ends of this spectrum...

    and how are Americans ceding control to the government...

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  9. The Convict in the South Reston GulagAugust 25, 2009 at 3:57 PM

    It's no the few "racist-unAmerican-redneck-traitor-teabagging-Nazis" that are the problems. It's the rules preventing the use of Mace on the "racist-unAmerican-redneck-traitor-teabagging-Nazis" that are the problem.

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  10. "Convict," I could say that I'm surprised by the hostility to the protesters, but that would belie the conspicuous anxiety some people seem to have when statist planning is the subject to which objections are raised. Why do the author and some of the commenters here presume hard opposition to current health care program proposals are "lunatics?" What then is the "proper" channel for an airing of grievances? The media certainly aren't interested in asking hard questions. Are these representatives so thin-skinned that they can't hold up to questioning from the people they serve? Is America that fragile? Remember, early Americans used phrases like "Live free or die;" and, "Give me liberty or give me death."

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  11. To the comment on lunatics -- I only make that claim to fanatical views (as well as the naive views) portrayed as the norm -- from both sides. This is a big decision with bonafide concerns... I only hope the fringe would sit this one out and let the "grievances" be aired in a civil environment....

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  12. Peasant From Less Sought After South RestonAugust 25, 2009 at 5:55 PM

    Breaking news update: Just took a spin past South Lakes High School five minutes ago, and we got ourselves a regular three-ring circus here in Reston. The police are out, the tv satellite trucks are out, a group that I think were the the Code Pink whackos are out, and the parking lots already seemed to be filling up. And this was only what I could see from driving by. Should be a fun-filled evening filled with rationale polite debate on all sides!

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  13. Peasant From Less Sought After South RestonAugust 25, 2009 at 9:04 PM

    Correction to above post: those wearing pink were not from Code Pink but from a pro-family planning group.

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  14. John K. - There's a distinct difference between questioning and shouting/drowning out the debate. Many of the questions re: death panels and illegal immigrants have been addressed and debunked, and yet still we are carrying on about it... A large percentage of those who have attended such town halls recently don't care about the answers...

    When can we have a civil discussion where everyone is listening and providing constructive ideas?

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  15. O ne
    B ig
    A **
    M istake
    A merica

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  16. I love free speech -- allows idiots like the person above all the freedoms in the world -- hey bubba, try that in Russia right now cap'n...

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  17. Why is he/she an idiot...because they dont share your exact opinions?

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  18. good point -- my apologies... the person is not an idiot...

    ReplyDelete
  19. B ig
    U nintelligent
    S hit
    H ead

    ReplyDelete
  20. Or...

    B igoted
    U surping
    S tupid
    H ack

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hmmmm.... Nope , we all agree not as clever.

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  22. Speaking of wackos, bet your real proud of Officer Wesley Cheeks...you know, the kook who said, "Not any more" when a protestor asked "Isn't this America?" This is WHY the protestors are protesting and Cheeks said it beautifully: This isn't America any more!

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  23. Again,you make no sense...try to stay focused-

    ReplyDelete

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