Advice to Townhall Activists
Filed under Congress , Events , GOP Party , Heath Care , Issues
(An open letter from the Chairman of the RLC to liberty activists attending health care Town Hall events this month)
I’ve been studying videos of the Townhall protests which have taken place so far, have talked to participants and have been tracking the media coverage and the spin which the left is trying to put on the protests. As a result I have some suggestions for Republican Liberty Caucus activists who attend these events which I hope you will also share with others who go with you.
The line of attack against the protests is to try to discredit them as “AstroTurf” events sponsored by healthcare lobbyists and organized by national issue advocacy groups like FreedomWorks. They’re also calling grassroots activists “mobs” and “rioters” who are trying to silence debate by intimidation. They’re even suggesting that protesters are being bussed in from other areas in completely staged events. Because it’s what they know and what they have done themselves, they’re assuming that our authentic grassroots protests are as bogus and contrived as the paid picketers sent out by the unions and the fraudulent protest rallies by paid ACORN stooges. At least they think they can make that accusation stick.
There’s almost a month of further opportunities ahead of us as legislators go to their home districts and meet with constituents. Before the left can seize control of the debate and totally distort public perception of our legitimate protests and very real concerns, we need to take some steps to make that more difficult for them and to counter their talking points. So when you go to a townhall meeting — and I hope every one of you will attend one or more — keep these five suggestions in mind.
1. Go to expose the truth, not just to protest. There’s a lot more potential to advance our issues if you get to talk and ask questions and give legislators a chance to hang themselves with their answers. Ask them questions and let them know what you want, what you’re worried about and that you will hold them accountable. Just waving signs and shouting slogans will let them paint you as bullies. Some townhall meetings have already been cancelled because of protests, so you have to appear non-threatening. Be nice, but don’t let them get away with anything. Challenge their talking points and spin with the facts. Keep calm and demand answers.
2. Go with questions in mind. Have several thought out in advance so that if someone else asks one you wanted to ask you have a back-up ready. Read the Health Care bill (HR3200 on opencongress.org) and find something in it which bothers you. Preface your question by telling them that you’ve read the bill or most of the bill. Be honest about it and ask them about specifics. Ask them how they plan to pay for the massive cost of the “public option” without raising the deficit as Obama has promised. Will it mean raising taxes? Ask them if you’ll be able to stay with your current doctor or change from one private plan to another under Obamacare. Ask them how they expect private insurers to compete with a tax-subsidized government “public option.” Ask them if they’re going to enroll themselves and their faimily in the new system. Ask about the penalties for small businesses and individuals which want to opt out of the system.
3. Don’t limit your questions to healthcare. Once you have the floor you can’t be brushed off before you can get a question off, so ask about other issues which concern you. Ask about the new Food Safety act (HR2749) and whether it’s a good idea to put control of our food supply under the FDA. Ask them if they are going to support the Federal Reserve Transparency Act (HR1207). Ask them whether they think the “Cash for Clunkers” program (HR2751) is a good idea considering it encourages so many Americans to take on more debt. Ask them if they support the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act (HR197) and the Citizens Self Defense Act (HR17) which protect the rights of gun owners. Ask them if they support the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act (HR2835). Ask about the cost of “Cap and Trade” (HR2454) and how much it will cost taxpayers and small businesses. Ask if they think that creating special classes of privileged citizens under the Hate Crimes Bill (HR1913) is a good idea. There are lots of good issues to raise and you can find all the bills on opencongress.org. Just make sure you know the issue you’re asking about and don’t let them get away with brushing off your question. If all else fails, just ask them if they’ve actually read the Health Care bill or if they read all the bills they vote on. That seems to throw all of them for a loop.
4. Don’t just hold Democrats accountable. If there are Republican Congressmen or Senators in your area who are holding Town Hall meetings don’t give them a break. Attend their events and ask them the same questions you would ask the Democrats and ask them clearly if they are going to support or oppose Obamacare. Ask them about other issues as well. Let them know that you don’t want them caving in to the Democrats on these issues and that you support them if they remain true to Republican principles of fiscal responsibility and individual liberty.
5. It’s a small technical point, but vitally important. When you are called on, state your name and where you are from very clearly. This will allow the media to follow up with you afterward if they want more information and it will make very clear that you are from the congressman’s district or at least his state and have a legitimate reason to be there. Don’t let the media portray you as a shill or an outside agitator. Stand up, be counted and be clearly identified.
Remember to have confidence and not to be be intimidated. These are your representatives. You pay their salary and they should be responsive to your concerns. Be knowledgeable, be polite, make your points and ask your questions clearly and then let them respond. Ask a followup if you can. Their response is likely to do them more harm than anything you say if you can expose them as ill-prepared, ignorant or dismissive. Be informed. Be outspoken. Let them know you hold them accountable.
In Liberty,
Dave Nalle
National Chairman,
Republican Liberty Caucus
On August 5th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY. (Thomas Paine)
We have the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed world. Conservative estimates are that over 120,000 of you dies each year in America from treatable illness that people in other developed countries don’t die from. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Insured and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies. This is what being 37th in quality of healthcare means.
I know that many of you are angry and frustrated that REPUBLICANS! In congress are dragging their feet and trying to block TRUE healthcare reform. What republicans want is just a taxpayer bailout of the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry, and the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare industry. A trillion dollar taxpayer funded private health insurance bailout is all you really get without a robust government-run public option available on day one. Co-OP’s ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION. They are a fraud being pushed by the GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry that is KILLING YOU!
YOU CANT HAVE AN INSURANCE MANDATE WITHOUT A ROBUST PUBLIC OPTION. MANDATING PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTH INSURANCE AS YOUR ONLY CHOICE WOULD BE A DISASTER AND UNETHICAL, CORRUPT, AND MORALLY REPUGNANT. AND PROBABLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS WELL.
These industries have been slaughtering you and your loved ones like cattle for decades for profit. Including members of congress and their families. These REPUBLICANS are FOOLS!
Republicans and their traitorous allies have been trying to make it look like it’s President Obama’s fault for the delays, and foot dragging. But I think you all know better than that. President Obama inherited one of the worst government catastrophes in American history from these REPUBLICANS! And President Obama has done a brilliant job of turning things around, and working his heart out for all of us.
But Republicans think you are just a bunch of stupid, idiot, cash cows with short memories. Just like they did under the Bush administration when they helped Bush and Cheney rape America and the rest of the World.
But you don’t have to put up with that. And this is what you can do. The Republicans below will be up for reelection on November 2, 2010. Just a little over 13 months from now. And many of you will be able to vote early. So pick some names and tell their voters that their representatives (by name) are obstructing TRUE healthcare reform. And are sellouts to the insurance and medical lobbyist.
Ask them to contact their representatives and tell them that they are going to work to throw them out of office on November 2, 2010, if not before by impeachment, or recall elections. Doing this will give you something more to do to make things better in America. And it will make you feel better too.
There are many resources on the internet that can help you find people to call and contact. For example, many social networking sites can be searched by state, city, or University. Be inventive and creative. I can think of many ways to do this. But be nice. These are your neighbors. And most will want to help.
I know there are a few democrats that have been trying to obstruct TRUE healthcare reform too. But the main problem is the Bush Republicans. Removing them is the best thing tactically to do. On the other hand. If you can easily replace a democrat obstructionist with a supportive democrat, DO IT!
You have been AMAZING!!! my people. Don’t loose heart. You knew it wasn’t going to be easy saving the World.
God Bless You
jacksmith — Working Class
I REST MY CASE (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)
Republican Senators up for re-election in 2010.
* Richard Shelby of Alabama
* Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
* John McCain of Arizona
* Mel Martinez of Florida
* Johnny Isakson of Georgia
* Mike Crapo of Idaho
* Chuck Grassley of Iowa
* Sam Brownback of Kansas
* Jim Bunning of Kentucky
* David Vitter of Louisiana
* Kit Bond of Missouri
* Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
* Richard Burr of North Carolina
* George Voinovich of Ohio
* Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
* Jim DeMint of South Carolina
* John Thune of South Dakota
* Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas
* Bob Bennett of Utah
On August 7th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
37th Worst Healthcare? Do you have a source for this? Is this why people come from all over the world for treatment?
Yes, we have people dying from diseases that aren’t as common elsewhere. Like Diabetes and Heart Disease. But this is due to our prosperity, not our healthcare.
Please stop confusing insurance for healthcare.
Insurance is not a prerequisite for treatment.
You can go see your doctor and pay cash. You can work out a payment plan with the hospital.
We used to have this thing called “charity” that took care of people who couldn’t pay. If Government Spending wasn’t so out of control. we’d have it again.
We don’t want Government Mandates. We want choice in healthcare. Restoring the free market to healthcare is the only way to bring prices down and improve quality. Reward innovation, allow competition and we will have more affordable healthcare.
Today, we have price fixing by the government, and we are charged the highest price, not the lowest. The high cost of malpractice encourages wasteful defensive medicine. Mandated Insurance Coverages reduces choice and competition and raises premiums.
Unfortunately, ObamaCare addresses none of these issues and will raise the cost of healthcare even higher. Republicans are right to oppose this plan.
On August 8th, 2009 at 4:01 am
The rant about government running health care is amusing since many of those attending the disruptive rallies look like they receive Medicare, run successfully by the government since the 1960’s. Are Republicans attacking Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Health Services, government employees health care, congressional health care? They are examples of government run healthcare. No they only are against insurance for average middle class Americans who cannot afford private premiums. They are supporting insurance companies and big pharma.
On August 8th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
We are 50th in the world for life expectancy. Before people find a way to try to talk down that statistic, it is according to the CIA! You know, the CIA that republicans says never lies!
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html
To say that our health care issues are due to prosperity is laughable. Poverty rose under the bush administration by 26% from 2000 to 2005. That may be alright with you, but for the rest of us, depending on the kindness of others for charity is a joke — especially when we see the generous attitude of those people at the town hall meetings.
Now that the media is calling the right and private health insurance companies on their behavior and shown them for what they are, there is a tactic change — they want the deathers to APPEAR NON-THREATENING! APPEAR — what about be non-threatening? They have to pretend not to be inciting violence!
WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?
On August 9th, 2009 at 7:03 am
[...] Nalle at the blog of the Republican Liberty Caucus offers some friendly advice for people going to Congressional town hall meetings this month: 1. Go to expose the truth, not just to protest. There’s a lot more potential to advance our [...]
On August 11th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
We already have half of all Americans on public health plans (government run plans), including Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, Veterans Administration, state health plans and Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans. What’s the big deal? Why can’t middle class workers have a choice?
http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/public-health-plans-we-have-them-already
On August 13th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
http://www.goflagyourself.com/
CHECK OUT THE LINK – IT IS EASY TO FLAG YOURSELF:
They want you to turn in your neighbor for speaking out against health care reform. Forget that. Turn yourself in. Let’s flood the snitch inbox everytime we think, say or write a negative thought about the legislation.
Think of it as reporting yourself to the local PD for speeding. We’d all be emailing about 5 times per day.
Operation Go Flag Yourself is already getting a huge response from bloggers. Michelle Malkin has reported herself. Now, so have I. Here’s the e-mail I sent to flag@whitehouse.gov:
Dear White House Snitch Czar,
I wish to turn myself in. I have negative feelings and thoughts about the health care legislation and I obviously have no idea what’s good for me. I realize now that I should leave highly personal health care decisions to the federal government instead. While I’m at it, I should also admit that I was and still am against the stimulus. I admit now that the federal government will probably spend my money better than I ever could.
I’d also like to turn in my friends and relatives, from whom I have heard what you have called “disinformation,” directly contradicting what the administration has been telling us. They embarrass themselves with their blatant opposition to President Obama and the Democratic Party. They flaunt their First Amendment rights as though they are entitled to them.
While I’m at it, I should mention that my doctor was saying negative things about the health care legislation. I also heard two ladies discussing it on the bus the other day with obvious reservations. I didn’t get their names, but it was the 156 Lasalle that left Union Station around 9 a.m. My dentist, florist and even a few co-workers have all been saying how they think the legislation is a bad idea. It’s all been in casual conversations, but I think that counts.
I wish to thank you for what you’re doing. People who have no idea what’s good for them may never admit it, so turning them in is really the only option. According to recent polls, there are 52% of such people out there, so you’ve got a lot of work to do.
Good luck.