Health Care Reform Opponents Resort to Mob Rule

by Mike Hall, August 4, 2009 The extremist fringe of the anti-health care reform movement—with a wink and a nod from more mainstream health care opponents—is using mob rule to disrupt town hall meetings and community forums set for the congressional recess. Mob rule tactics stopped the Florida vote count during the contested 2000 presidential elections, ultimately turning the presidency over to George W. Bush—a strategy now emulated by the anti-health care reform lobby. As Slinkerwink at DailyKos wrote yesterday: The crazies are coming out in full force to local town hall and community events being held by Democratic lawmakers—with only one goal—to interrupt the Democratic lawmaker on health care reform, and shout right-wing talking points at him or her to scare the rest of his or her constituents at that event by sowing confusion and fear in the crowd. The coalition of extremists groups, including FreedomWorks, Right Principles, American Liberty Alliance, even has written game plan. The anti-government group Right Principles is telling people how to take over a meeting. Be disruptive early and often. You need to rock the boat early in the rep’s presentation. Watch for an opportunity to yell out. The goal is to rattle him…stand up and shout out. Look for these opportunities before he even takes questions. At town hall meeting in Setauket, N.Y., Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) was confronted by a loud mob that yelled criticisms of his stands on health care, energy and the economy and shouted down his answers. He even suspended some scheduled town halls. I have no problem with someone disagreeing with positions I hold….But there is no point in meeting with my constituents and [to] listen to them and have them listen to you if what is basically an unruly mob prevents you from having an intelligent conversation. On Sunday, a group of protestors showed up at a town hall in Philadelphia with Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. They shouted and booed loudly enough to drown out remarks from both officials and questions from the audience. On America Blog, Joe Sudbay describes these tactics as “thuggery that undermines democratic principles.” But thuggery seems just fine with some Republicans who, like Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Politico the days of civil town hall meetings are “over.” When asked if the Republican Party would use similar mob and shout tactics against Democrats, he said simply, “Wait until next year.” As Think Progress reported last week, these disruptive tactics have been used at a growing number of meetings and forums. This growing phenomenon is often marked by violence and absurdity. Recently, right-wing demonstrators hung Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-Md.) in effigy outside of his office. Missing from the reporting of these stories is the fact that much of these protests are coordinated by public relations firms and lobbyists who have a stake in opposing President Obama’s reforms. The lobbyist-run groups Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks, which orchestrated the anti-Obama tea parties earlier this year, are now pursuing an aggressive strategy to create an image of mass public opposition to health care and clean energy reform. The union movement has always supported free speech rights and the right to demonstrate and picket. But that’s not what these disruptions are about—they are crude and anti-democratic efforts to silence speakers, elected officials, in fact, in meetings with constituents—and intimidate people’s exercise of associational rights. Thousands of supporters for health care reform rallied June 25 in Washington, D.C., and with Congress on recess in August, union members and our allies plan to pack town halls and hold rallies across the nation to convey the message that Congress needs to enact health care reform now. Later today we will have more on recess actions on health care reform. AFL-CIO NOW Blog