GOP Thugs at Town Halls: Paid By Healthcare Industry

Obamacare town halls draw hooligans

(Photo: votingfemale.wordpress.com)

You would expect that people would be able to hold a civilized discourse with elected officials when it comes to arguing the merits or drawbacks to an important piece of legislation. However, when it comes to universal healthcare with a public option in America, it appears that productive discussion is beyond the mental faculties of the maddening handful of people who instead shout and scream until town hall meetings are shut down.

Considering how similar the tactics of these hooligans have been across the nation at the various town hall meetings, it seems like these people have been organized. No, it doesn’t just seem like it… they have actually been organized and paid for! No short term loans or payday loans here – they’re receiving cash stipends. In some cases, they’ll probably also receive jobs within the Republican Party, much like protesters at the Florida Bush-Gore recount did.

“Shut it down!”

According to “The Rachel Maddow Show,” a leaked memo from a group called Right Principles was intercepted by the Web site Think Progress. This memo indicates that these town hall protests against Democratic senators speaking in support of public option health insurance are being orchestrated, even scripted. They are instructions on how to shut down the town hall meetings.

Here are some sample instructions given to the supposedly “average Joe” voters:

You need to rock-the-boat early in the Rep’s presentation, Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early. If he blames Bush for something or offers other excuses — call him on it, yell back and have someone else tallow-up with a shout-out. The goal is to rattle him.

When the formal Q&A session begins get all your hands up and keep them up…. The balance of the group should applaud when the question is asked, further putting the Rep on the defensive.

And who produced that memo?

Bob MacGuffie, a man who works for a Washington DC lobbying firm called Freedom Works. Freedom Works is run by Dick Armey, who is the former Republican majority leader. Apparently Freedom Works doesn’t actually believe in freedom, however, or they’d understand that both sides should be FREE to speak. Shouts and attempts to intimidate are not characteristics of an honest organization.

Intimidation? Yes. It isn’t just shouting. According to Maddow, one congressman from New York named Tim Bishop had to be escorted to his car by five police officers after his town hall event came to a screeching halt. It would have been unsafe to do otherwise.

If you need to purchase your own security detail, short term loans and payday loans can help. Apply here to protect yourself from hooligans!

This is not politics

This is not even representative of reasonable members of the public that might have questions about President Obama’s proposed universal healthcare with a public option. There are people who are being advised and likely paid to be boorish and cause distraction. It’s a cheap tactic that should only serve to swing momentum back to the Obama camp in a form of political judo. Their bluster will be turned against the GOP, particularly since the highest ranked Republicans in the Senate are stepping forward to endorse this hooliganism.

Maddow compares the scare tactics with what “deathers” are doing. These are the people who are attempting to frighten uninformed or easily manipulated Medicare patients that Obamacare is a plot to “kill old people.” The amount of idiocy that goes into concocting such an idea is staggering.

But don’t take my word for it. Check out the videos below, and see not only how this desperate attempt at organization is taking place, but also how it relates to the controversial Florida recount in the Bush-Gore race.

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