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Conservatives Descend on Capitol for ‘House Call’ Protest

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Posted on Nov 5, 2009
House Call protesters
AP / Jose Luis Magana

Demonstrators chant at the Capitol on Thursday during a Republican rally against health care reform.

Thursday would have been a good day for members of Congress to use those underground tunnels to get around the Capitol. Outside, throngs of conservative protesters, heeding Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s loony call, converged on the Hill to demonstrate against the proposed health care bill—also known, in GOP-speak, as the first official step in the socialist takeover of our government.

Reports that arrests were made in or around House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, as well as Sen. Joe Lieberman’s, surfaced later in the day. However, it’s more than likely that there were significant political differences between the groups storming those offices, or else some Tea Party-types got a little confused over at Lieberman’s cubicle.  —KA

The Washington Post:

Thousands of emboldened conservative activists converged on Capitol Hill for a midday rally Thursday, a last-ditch effort to kill the Democrats’ health-care reform legislation they called “Pelosi Care.”

Protesters from across the Eastern Seaboard waved flags, held signs and rang cowbells as their chants of “Kill This Bill” echoed across the Mall. Dozens of Republican lawmakers, led by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), stood on the Capitol steps and pledged to do everything they could to defeat the health-care reform bill by Saturday, when House members plan to vote.

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By purplewolf, November 6, 2009 at 10:49 am Link to this comment

Good points Jason. These same people never seem to mind all the WAR EXPENSES and wars that their beloved G.W. lied us into however. Also schools, many health facilities, water plants, government “safety net programs” would also be a minus. Let’s see what happens when they are snowed in their homes and cannot get out on the public streets to go to work.

Michelle Bachman needs a designer straightjacket with a cell-not padded, so she can feel the hard knocks of the reality of real life the majority of people already have known. But, I fear she is too far gone to ever make a full recovery to reality, that’s why we have politicians.

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By Jason, November 6, 2009 at 8:53 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Well, just look at these status quo defenders who long for George W. Bush to be the President of the United States again. 

I am sorry, but is “socialistic” the correct word to use in the context of that sign?  Because “no socialized medicine” sounds more correct to me.  The other sign that is a picture of President Obama says “yes we can destroy America” is not amusing at all.  Finally, the one says that says “traitor to the…” traitor to the what exactly?  The people attending the tea parties seem like traitors to me in this scenario.  For example, the littering of the White House lawn with tea bags.  Talk about disrespectful!  Would George W. Bush tolerate littering of the White House lawn with anything if he was President of the USA now?

I truly believe that most people are against the health care reform, regardless of political stripe.  Therefore, it is for different reasons.  Personally, my problem with it is that the insurance companies are going to get the bigger piece of the pie as usual.  How American!  Think about how much money would be made for them if the USA government makes it mandatory for people to buy health insurance out of their own pockets.  I find the health care reform (it should be a complete overhaul) similar to PLPD insurance for cars.  If this passes, I sure hope that the insurance will be cheap but I am not crossing my fingers.

If these tea party people believe that the health care reform bill is socialism, they need to read a book on socialism and/or buy an encyclopedia set.  Their paranoia with socialism is starting to really become annoying.  The USA is among the least socialist nations in the first world.  Someone commented on a similar article saying something like his sister going to a social security office and then going to a tea party rally.  That is pretty funny.  Tragic, but funny.

Now there were some of radical fringe type people over there saying that the USA can survive with ZERO public programs.  That the USA should not have anything nationalized and instead everything should be managed by the private sector.  This hypothetical social experiment would be VERY dangerous - more dangerous than even having a monarchy or a dictatorship even. 

What would happen if everything is privatized? 

no fire department
no police department
no trash pickup
no infrastructure maintenance
no post office
and, of course, no military personnel

I suppose these people prefer Blackwater (now they are called XE) over the military branches.  No more 911 service for you tea partiers!  If your house is burning to the ground do not call the fire department.  If you wind up being burglarized, kidnapped, or raped - don’t bother calling the cops.  Let your trash just keep piling up at your house too while you are at it.  After all, if these people truly are against socialism - then boycott public service entities.  That would be more sensible than going to a tea party.  If you are against nationalized health care WHEN it eventually becomes policy, then don’t go to the doctor.  Refuse medical attention if you need to go to the emergency room.  Actions such as these will allow these particular Americans to back up their cherished beliefs with constructive actions that would truly make a difference.

I will close with saying that most nations in Europe have adopted more socialist policies than the USA.  Most people who live in Europe seemed relatively content and laid back to me as I have toured Europe before.  They don’t seem to complain too much about high tax rates either.  Plus, the Euro is more valuable than the USA Dollar right now.  Now, how does an individual who affiliates with the ultra right anti-socialist fringe explain that one?

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By Outraged, November 5, 2009 at 8:08 pm Link to this comment

Looks like the ol’ “Me First” crowd with the ol’ ball and chain in tow in the photo. Yep….. that it does.  Where’s the young people the ME FIRSTERS are screwing over…?  The young are “noticealby” missing….AHEM.

You just keep on screaming you bunch of curmudgeons, show your TRUE NATURE….. it invigorates the multitudes.

We know, we know…. you got yours, the rest of AMERICA be damned.

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By GregDiablo, November 5, 2009 at 6:17 pm Link to this comment

If these idiots only knew how they were making corporate America grin with Grinch-y glee.  It never fails to amaze me how dumbed down this country has become by Pox News and their conservative think tank/astroturfing fellow travelers.

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By Proud American, November 5, 2009 at 6:07 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

God Bless the patriots who attended today’s “house call”.  I’m looking forward to the 2010 elections so this great nation can purge the socialist from the halls of congress, and Nancy Pelosi will become a footnote in the pages of American history!

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By Virginia777, November 5, 2009 at 5:08 pm Link to this comment

I think Michele Bachmann should be arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in the emergency room of a County hospital.

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