Health Care Rally w/Ellison & McCollum - Sat, 8/22, 10 AM

[mascarax]

Also coming up on Saturday...FYI (so where does McCollum stand on a public option?).

Health Care Canvass Kickoff and Rally with Representatives Betty McCollum and Keith Ellison

Details:

The rally will be followed by a canvass, where we will hit the streets and talk to you friends and neighbors about the need for reform this year!

Featured speakers include:

Congresswoman Betty McCollum
Congressman Keith Ellison
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman
Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak
State Representative Erin Murphy

Time: Saturday, August 22 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location:
DFL Headquarters (Saint Paul, MN)
255 East Plato Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55107


http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/healthcarecanvass/gpffy5

[MineralMan]

1. My wife and I are planning to be there.

[annm4peace]

2. Me too

but I'm also going to ask Mayor Rybak, and Mayor Coleman to drop charges on RNC 8 and RNC 800.

[nirvana3240]

3. how did it go?

I heard there were anti-reform protesters?

[dflprincess]

4. Yesterday I heard on AM 950 that at some big Republican picnic

they were encouraging the people there to show up at the DFL offices and disrupt today. I cannot remember ever being at a DFL event where party leaders told us to go to a Repuke rally and be obnoxious.

I was at a DFL picnic in Burnsville today and Chris Coleman said somthing about there being some disrupters at Plato Ave but he didn't give any details and he left before I got a chance to ask him how bad he thought it was. A couple other people who were there told me it wasn't too bad.

[Spike from MN]

5. Looks like those in favor of HR 676 were considered "anti-reform."

"They wouldn't let me in the ropes holding this sign," said Jeff Kerr, 34, of Roseville.

His sign read "HR 676" in big red letters. The bill in question was introduced in 2007 and aimed to establish a national insurance program. It was co-sponsored by Ellison.

Shari Sebastian, also of Roseville, was upset about having to sign a pledge of support in order to get in.

"You had to stand as a protester if you didn't support the Obama plan," said Sebastian, a 50-year-old political independent. "People over here are made to look like they don't support reform."

http://www.twincities.com/ci_13187219?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com

(Emphasis mine.)

So, anybody that wasn't 100% gung-ho on the Obama plan was considered a "protester" and lumped in with the anti-reform people. That's a great way to make it appear that all these people are opposed to any sort of health care reform whatsoever, rather than being pro-reform but just against the Obama plan. Of course, upping the numbers of the anti-reformers will ultimately help pave the way for a "bi-partisan" solution which will be a handout to insurance companies that once again reams the poor and working class. Rest assured that your elected representatives are working hard to protect the interests of the almighty insurance companies. Nothing new there.

Then again, I guess it's only fair. After all, the war profiteers have been raking it in for years. Last fall, it was Wall Street's turn for a payout. This time around, it's the insurance companies that get to step up and feed at the public trough. Ain't America grand?

And WTF is with the "pledge of support" they were making people sign. Sounds a lot like the Bush "loyalty oath."

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[dflprincess]

6. I wonder if Ellison knows they were doing this to the people

who support the bill he signed on to? If not, those who were there and can give an eyewitness account should call his office.

I think the DFL is becoming suicidal. Things have been going downhill since 2006 when they let the DSCC pick the senate candidate. It's time for the Farmer-Labor wing of the party to reassert itself.

[Spike from MN]

7. I was wondering about that too.

If not, he needs to know this was going on. I sure hope his office hears about it. I don't follow him all that closely but from what little I do, it seems Ellison is one of the very few good guys in DC. McCollum on the other hand can kiss my ass. She used to be fairly progressive but the past few years, it seems she has attached herself firmly to Pelosi's coattails. One Pelosi in Congress is one too many. We sure as shit don't need two of them. I really hope someone, anyone, runs against McCollum next time around.

The DFL has been suicidal only since 2006? Heh, Princess you diehard party faithful. ;) You had a lot more confidence in them for a lot longer than I did. I'd say they've been suicidal, oh, since around the time they pulled in the Farmer-Labor wing. Once that coup was accomplished, the "threat from the left" was gone and it's been downhill ever since. Wellstone was, of course, and exception but then again, Wellstone was exceptional.

I fully agree that it's time for the Farmer-Labor wing to split from the corporate Dem party. Then I'd have a party I could actually get behind.

[dflprincess]

8. I was a party stooge for far too long

my only excuse is that Wellstone gave me hope. I was ready to throw in the towel when he died but Tom Harkin's "stand up, keep fighting" speech at the memorial kept me going.

But, don't you just love how the invoke Wellstone's name when it's expedient, even though the party structure would do anything to avoid electing another Wellston? Humphrey (senior, not junior) would probably be too liberal for them now and he helped purge the Farmer-Laborites.

[Spike from MN]

9. That's OK Princess.

You've seen the light so all is forgiven. ;) I guess I can't really say I was ever a party stooge. Hell, I've voted straight commie ticket before, just to protest the fact that everyone on the ballot sucked. That was years ago and our ballot choices have only gotten worse since then.

Oh I've definitely noticed how they love to invoke Wellstone's name whenever they think it will get them somewhere. Hell, I was damn near expecting Normie to do it this fall out of desperation. Don't forget, Norm was a "Dem" when he was Mayor of Saint Paul. Apparently the Dems were just fine having Normie in their ranks back then. That alone says a lot about the party.

You're definitely right the party structure would do anything to avoid electing another Wellstone. Hell, I'm not sure which party leadership is happier with him gone, the Republicans or the Dems.