Town Hall meeting with Pete Visclosky in Chesterton, 8/3/2009

[rambone]

Come tell Pete Visclosky how you feel!!!


Event: Town Hall meeting with Pete Visclosky (open to public)
Date: Monday, August 3, 2009
Time: 6:00 PM CST

Place:
Westchester Library Service Center
100 W. Indiana Ave.
Chesterton, IN 46304


He's coming to Chesterton, IN and we will be asking him questions about Cap & Trade and Obamacare. Join the Nortwest Indiana Patriots (NWIP) to stay up on the latest upcoming events.

NWIP's going to town hall meeting to ask Pete Visclosky questions - Northwest Indiana Patriots (Valparaiso, IN) - Meetup.com

We will be in the town hall meeting asking Pete questions, as well as outside with our rally signs. Come join us and let your representative know how you feel about him selling out Indiana.

 

[rambone]

Nobody wants to talk to your representation?

 

[rambone]

Tomorrow guys... ok see you there lol

 

[IUGradStudent]

I have subscribed to this thread.

NWI People GO GO GO and talk with Vic! Seriously. Think about how much trouble he's caused you and go show up and politely inform him of your views

 

[rambone]

We need you guys to show up to counter the "Daily Kos" drones who will be there in FAVOR of this CR@P!!

They've posted an alert calling out people to tell Pete we actually want these bills! ARGH!!!

 

[Phil502]

I was there, it was way stacked against Obamacare. I was not early enough to get in though, just outside with the rabblerousers. It was funny to see Visclosky hoofing it to his car a half block away after the meeting. What kind of security is that?

 

[turnandshoot4]

Please, tell us more about the meeting.

 

[rambone]

It was so awesome. The meeting room roughly fit 100 people, of which some of my friends made it inside. I stayed outside. But a few of the highlights of the meeting was that Pete's cronies called us "teabaggers" at least 5 times in the introductory statements to the crowd, as Pete sat there smirking. How diplomatic of him.

Also Pete admittedly said he didn't plan on reading the entire health care bill that he was planning on voting for.

Meanwhile, outside the building, roughly 200 patriots rallied for NO Obamacare and about 15 socialists whined about wanting "free" care for everyone. It literally was 10:1 ratio of conservatives:socialists.

We easily drowned out their whining with chants such as "NO TO OBAMACARE" and "VOTE HIM OUT." We then swarmed to the windows into the meeting chanting loud enough to interrupt Pete's speech. The flags were waving, the signs were held high. It was inspiring.

At one point about 6 Obama drones started walking in a tiny circle waving their signs. They were laughed at so hard they stopped within 15 seconds. No kidding. The conservatives demanded to be heard.

As Pete Visclosky left the building, the chants were overwhelming. "VOTE HIM OUT, VOTE HIM OUT!" We followed him to his vehicle and the let him know how unhappy we were with him.

I hope more of you guys join us because a lot of heads were turning at the nearby businesses and people are hearing the rally cry of WE THE PEOPLE. We are influencing the voters and scaring the socialists. What the heck could be more fun than that?

 

[Phil502]

I don't have a whole lot to tell, I was outside and I would say there was 15 people outside for the bill and for a while there at least 100 against it.

Then there was the chanting "no to Obamacare" from one side and "yes to Obamacare at the same time from the other side.

The there was the "no to socialism" from our side and nothing from the socialist camp lol, guess they don't want to admit it.

The left wing side had some classic people, a guy with a "Annual Hemp Day" shirt and sandals on, a loud mouthed girl in a black dress, a few other good ones.

The best part was when the meeting was over and Visclosky came out the door moving at a decent clip a half block to his car with people following him chanting "Vote Him Out" he had some security with him but I was surprised they parked that far away and people got a chance to follow him and all. Looked like he got into a SUV gas guzzler, lol, wheres his Chevy Volt?

It was on the Lakeshore news but it seemed to me that on the outside interviews they showed, more of the "for" camp and less of the "against" camp even though there was more of us "against" people outside.

 

[Phil502]

It was so awesome. The meeting room roughly fit 100 people, of which some of my friends made it inside. I stayed outside. But a few of the highlights of the meeting was that Pete's cronies called us "teabaggers" at least 5 times in the introductory statements to the crowd, as Pete sat there smirking. How diplomatic of him.

Also Pete admittedly said he didn't plan on reading the entire health care bill that he was planning on voting for.

Meanwhile, outside the building, roughly 200 patriots rallied for NO Obamacare and about 15 socialists whined about wanting "free" care for everyone. It literally was 10:1 ratio of conservatives:socialists.

We easily drowned out their whining with chants such as "NO TO OBAMACARE" and "VOTE HIM OUT." We then swarmed to the windows into the meeting chanting loud enough to interrupt Pete's speech. The flags were waving, the signs were held high. It was inspiring.

At one point about 6 Obama drones started walking in a tiny circle waving their signs. They were laughed at so hard they stopped within 15 seconds. No kidding. The conservatives demanded to be heard.

As Pete Visclosky left the building, the chants were overwhelming. "VOTE HIM OUT, VOTE HIM OUT!" We followed him to his vehicle and the let him know how unhappy we were with him.

I hope more of you guys join us because a lot of heads were turning at the nearby businesses and people are hearing the rally cry of WE THE PEOPLE. We are influencing the voters and scaring the socialists. What the heck could be more fun than that?

After they stopped the circle deal I head someone yell "Do some more tricks". It was funny.

 

[NWIeng]

A big +1 to the region rats here that attended tonight

 

[rambone]

After they stopped the circle deal I head someone yell "Do some more tricks". It was funny.

THAT WAS ME!!!!!!!! I swear!! ROFL!!! HAHAHA

 

[rambone]

I also yelled "LETS HAVE SOCIALIZED INTERVIEWS" when the radio guy kept interviewing their side only. I would rep myself if I could LOL

 

[mike8170]

If you said that to the Lib media, I will give you a Rep!!!

 

[melensdad]

The Visclosky Town Hall meeting from the point of view of the local who introduced him:



Tea Baggers FAIL to disrupt Health Care meeting, lessons shared.

by Don Briggs Mon Aug 03, 2009 at 10:50:13 PM PDT Source

The Democratic Alliance of Northwest Indiana (DANI ) hosted a meeting with Rep. Pete Visclosky (D, IN-01), on Monday, Aug. 3, 6:30 PM. We invited the public and their written questions. It seems good to share with the Daily Kos readership some lessons we learned.
Bottom line:
• We had an orderly and productive meeting.
• No one stood up, shouted out and sat down.
• At no point was our Congressman or audience rattled.
• DANI accomplished its objective. We provided the public an opportunity to question our Congressman about Health Care and Clean Energy.
• Tea Baggers came out in force, but they failed to disrupt the meeting.
• Local reporters attended.
Lessons learned follow below the fold.

• Don Briggs's diary :: ::

1. We sent out Public Service Announcements to the local media a week in advance, and then followed up with phone calls to each outlet the Thursday before the weekend. The event got good exposure.

1. The topic of Health Care Reform draws the Tea Baggers, no problem. But oddly, it proved somewhat difficult to rouse enough Progressives to attend. We recommend a strong, multifaceted approach. We posted the event with MoveOn and Organizing for America. But, we also blasted e-mail to lists scoured from the 2006 election. In this effort, we succeeded, but barely. The attendance inside was split roughly evenly between Progressives and Tea Baggers. The meeting room filled to its capacity of 110 well before our start time. About 40 Tea Baggers and 20 Progressives remained outside. Both sides had their signs.

1. Physical separation proved very important. We were lucky to have a foyer between the meeting room and the Tea Baggers outside. The Tea Baggers chanted for the duration, but only occasionally did their noise perturb the meeting. Rep. Visclosky was able to address the audience without resort to a microphone, and only a few times did he find it necessary to raise his voice. Without the foyer, the meeting might have been far less successful.

1. Don't call them Tea Baggers to their faces in a public setting. Yes, we all know—they self-identified as Tea Baggers early on. But, in a public meeting, it gives them a pretext to take umbrage. Don't go there.

1. People entered single file, signed in, and filled out a name tag. This simple measure helped set an orderly tone to the meeting.

1. The local police were present inside and out, in force. The Congressman didn't call them, nor did DANI. Our meeting was at a library. The Library staff got wind of the Tea Baggers and called the police well in advance. DANI officers were loath to go heavy. But, the police presence proved crucial to success. DANI just got lucky. Don't leave this element to chance.

1. DANI members and friends gained early entrance and sat in front. Make sure your Progressives know to get to your event early.

1. The DANI executive board consulted closely with Visclosky's office to draft the Public Service Announcement and to set up ground rules for the meeting. So, we opened the meeting by laying down the ground rules.

1. Written questions went directly to Visclosky's staffer, not to DANI members or officers. Do not stand between the people and their representative.

1. And then in opening remarks, I blew the Tea Baggers' cover. Roughly, it went like this:

Meetings like this one continue a democratic tradition more than 2500 years old, that of the ancient Greek "Ecclesia." The term means "those called out"—called out to discuss and decide civic matters, and to defend their ancient Greek city-states, to defend their democracy. And you all were called out by notices in the local papers, radio stations, by e-mail and internet, to discuss Health Care Reform and Clean Energy with our Representative tonight.
So know this: efforts to disrupt and thwart public discourse on civic matters are profoundly anti-democratic. But, that's an obstacle we face tonight. It's public knowledge that groups known as Tea Baggers intend to disrupt and thwart the public discourse on Health Care Reform in meetings like this during this month's Congressional Recess. They want Democracy to fail. So, let's face this obstacle together.
The Tea Baggers' instructions are also public knowledge. If some people stand up, shout out and sit down; if some try to rattle us and the Congressman; if some pretend numeric superiority; if some try to stifle intelligent debate; then we can compare that behavior to the Tea Baggers' instructions and draw our own conclusions.
​

That was my "appeal to first principles" of Democracy. Karen Kroczek followed by laying down the law: unruly behavior would not be permitted. Period. Violators would be escorted out of the meeting. End of story. The police presence inside lent credibility.

1. As it turned out, Rep. Visclosky took one look at the stack of about 100 index cards with questions, and decided to make some opening remarks, and then simply invite verbal questions from the floor, one-at-a-time. His approach worked very well.

1. At one point, Rep. Visclosky said he agreed that government has a natural role and responsibility in health care. The Tea Baggers booed him roundly. It was the only serious breach of decorum. One Tea Bagger even challenged the constitutionality of a governmental role in health care. So, at these meetings, we should raise the point that the Preamble to the Constitution includes the phrase "promote the general welfare" as one of its key organizing principles.

1. Rep. Visclosky responded that MediCare is 44 years old and has not been challenged on constitutional grounds. He went on to note that MediCare was enacted in 1965, just after the last time Indiana turned Blue, in the 1964 election. He drew a round of applause from the Progressives. It was a delicious moment, and I think it was ad lib.

1. As a side effect of this meeting's success, DANI will grow stronger. Many of the local Progressives attending did not know about DANI before this meeting, but now intend to join up. And the Tea Baggers will shrivel.

 

[melensdad]

And here is a version from the local newspaper:
Visclosky calls health care reform a serious issue

Visclosky calls health care reform a serious issue
HUNDREDS TURN OUT TO QUESTION, PROTEST PROPOSALS

Heather Augustyn - Times Correspondent | Posted: Tuesday, August 4, 2009 12:00 am

CHESTERTON | Inside the Westchester Library Service Center it was standing-room only as more than 100 people packed in to hear U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky's public forum on health care reform. But outside, hundreds more expressed their opinion with chants and signs, requiring a police presence.

At times, Visclosky's own words were difficult for participants to hear due to shouts from those outside the building. Still, Visclosky said the attendance was promising and the energy refreshing.

"I'm pleased with the turnout. Too often people don't turn out for public debate, whether we're all going to agree or not," Visclosky said. "It's great to see such interest, and the apathy I saw five years ago is gone."

Speaking to those in support and in opposition to President Barack Obama's health care plan, Visclosky discussed his thoughts on the legislation.

"The first observation I would make is that we can all agree there is a serious problem with health care and access to that health care," he said.

"I'm also very concerned with the financial implications of our health system. In Indiana, half of all bankruptcies are because a person in the family became very sick. No one should be losing their home because someone got sick."

He also discussed sharing the burden of paying for a health care overhaul.

"It it is worth doing, it is worth paying for. And based upon ability to pay, people should pay something," Visclosky said.

After his comments, Visclosky took about half an hour to respond to questions asked by members of the audience, some clad in shirts of health care reform support, others declaring themselves "patriots."

"Why should everyone have to pay for the 25 million people who don't have health care?" asked Richard Smith, of Munster.

Visclosky responded, "The public option is to provide an alternative to those who don't have health care insurance."

Others questioned tort reform, the portability of the plan, choice, cost, privacy issues and bureaucracy.

"Some people think if the government is involved, therefore it is bad, and on that we will have a sharp difference of opinion," said Visclosky, pointing out that other government programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, also were once thought too big to pursue.​

 

[Phil502]

The Tea Baggers will shrivel? He's nuts.
I think he made a joke there.

 

[rambone]

1. The topic of Health Care Reform draws the Tea Baggers, no problem. But oddly, it proved somewhat difficult to rouse enough Progressives to attend. We recommend a strong, multifaceted approach. We posted the event with MoveOn and Organizing for America. But, we also blasted e-mail to lists scoured from the 2006 election. In this effort, we succeeded, but barely. The attendance inside was split roughly evenly between Progressives and Tea Baggers. The meeting room filled to its capacity of 110 well before our start time. About 40 Tea Baggers and 20 Progressives remained outside. Both sides had their signs.

This is so funny. His numbers are so exaggerated it's hilarious. My count was no more than 15 socialists, compared to 150-200 conservatives outside the building. No joke. It was laughable. I can't believe they actually proclaim success. You couldn't even hear what the socialists were saying because our side roared over them.

The ratio was similar on the inside as well... not an "even split." What a tool.

1. Physical separation proved very important. We were lucky to have a foyer between the meeting room and the Tea Baggers outside. The Tea Baggers chanted for the duration, but only occasionally did their noise perturb the meeting. Rep. Visclosky was able to address the audience without resort to a microphone, and only a few times did he find it necessary to raise his voice. Without the foyer, the meeting might have been far less successful.

The noise wasn't an issue... only when we weren't chanting!! It was thunderous. People walking down the street looked with disbelief! And my friends inside said that Pete definitely was taking notice, and had to stop during our loudest moments.

1. Don't call them Tea Baggers to their faces in a public setting. Yes, we all know—they self-identified as Tea Baggers early on. But, in a public meeting, it gives them a pretext to take umbrage. Don't go there.

This guy says "Tea Bagger" ever other sentence. The truth is it is a pathetic attempt to humor the ignoramuses that read his blog. If I were a congressman, even a socialist democrat like Pete Visclosky, I would be embarrassed if some jerk from "DANI" took the microphone to introduce me and insulted my constituents by calling them immature names. For those of you who don't know, "teabagging" is the name of a crude sexual maneuver, used to taunt the people at TEA Parties.

1. People entered single file, signed in, and filled out a name tag. This simple measure helped set an orderly tone to the meeting.

As people walked in, they asked your affiliation and glanced at your question - written on an index card. They then wrote your name in black (on the nametag sticker) if it was something they wanted Pete to ask, and red if it was not. Then Pete could easily avoid the tough questions. Lessons learned.

That was my "appeal to first principles" of Democracy. Karen Kroczek followed by laying down the law: unruly behavior would not be permitted. Period. Violators would be escorted out of the meeting. End of story. The police presence inside lent credibility.

All the unruliness was outside. One person did get ejected from the meeting because she opened up the blinds after they were shut. The reason they were shut was because we were crowding around the windows and pumping our arms in the air, waving flags, holding signs, etc. So somebody reopened the blinds and got kicked out of the meeting.

1. As a side effect of this meeting's success, DANI will grow stronger. Many of the local Progressives attending did not know about DANI before this meeting, but now intend to join up. And the Tea Baggers will shrivel.

There was nothing shriveled about our crowd. The socialist "progressives" were the one's who were freaked out by our numbers. It was pathetic. You guys gotta come check these things out. Its definitely good for a few laughs.

 

[jedi]

So the battle goes on. The "physcial fighting" is over an now we have the propoganda machines out en force. Any youtube videos we can upload? Let the other side tell their side of the story and lie if they want. Upload videos and send our version of the report to everyone you know. Let the prapagando machine roll! This battle won't be won by numbers and physcial attendane alone. It's all about mind set and physcological warefare.

 

[rambone]

Northwest Indiana Patriots Blog:

NWIP's blog detailing the events. Some pictures, and more of Pete's responses...

NWI Patriots Blog

200 Come To Hear Rep. Visclosky

Over 200 people gathered at Chesterton, IN’s, Westchester Library Service Center at 6:30 p.m. Monday, August 3, 2009 to hear Representative Peter Visclosky speak on clean energy and health care reform and participate in an open question and answer session. It was sponsored by the Democratic Alliance of Northwest Indiana. Approximately 15 members of MoveOn.org were present and involved in running the event. About half of those present were allowed in because of space constraints.

​

Prior to the event, we were told that people could submit questions on index cards, and some would be chosen for Rep. Visclosky to answer. That did not occur. Rep. Visclosky chose to answer questions by calling on members of the audience by raised hands.

Remarkably, the meeting began with the co-chairman of the Alliance, Don Briggs, referring repeatedly to the peaceful and respectful group of 90 people in the room as “tea baggers,” a sexually pejorative term coined by media for people who choose to question and protest the rapid expansion of federal government and its fiscal irresponsibility. Mr. Briggs relayed the rules of the meeting regarding disruptions by holding up a poster entitled “Astroturf” that contained a list of actions that have been taken in the past by groups of ringers bussed in to disrupt meetings.

​

If Mr. Briggs had taken the trouble to ask, he would have known that the people from Northwest Indiana Patriots and many others who attended are long-time residents of northwest Indiana. The author of this post has lived in Porter County for 30 years.

After this offensive and dismissive start, Rep. Visclosky spoke for about 30 minutes. Then he took questions from the audience. Among the questions asked:

How would HR 3200 impact health care insurance choices? He said there has been much misinterpretation of the language in the bill, the bill’s not complete, and it just got out of committee. He did assure the audience that he will read the “pertinent” parts of the bill–he did not inform us how he would determine which those are. He also assured us that he would be informed on the provisions of the bill.

​

One person asked about Tenth Amendment issues connected to the federal mandate that individuals must purchase health care insurance. His response was that we’ve had Medicare since the Lyndon Johnson presidency, and no one has challenged that.

He was asked if Congressmen would have to have the same insurance as the rest of us, along with the same conditions of treatment. His reply was that, as a Federal employee, he already has to pay for health insurance.

When asked about confidentiality issues connected with the massive database that will be part of the system if this law is passed, the Representative assured us he would never vote for any bill that would compromise peoples’ privacy.

He received boos when he said that he believed health care insurance is a right and a government responsibility.

His answer to a question about the necessity of disrupting the current insurance status of people who are content with what they have for the sake of the government trying to cover everyone, was punctuated by shouts of “Vote him out” by protesters outside the building.

After about 30 minutes of questions, Rep. Visclosky left the building. He was followed to his car by a group of protesters shouting “Vote him out.” Read a report about what occurred outside during the meeting.

Local media was there. Lakeshore Public TV led its 9 p.m. news with a report of the meeting. The Post-Tribune piece is Health-care reform talk draws plan protesters. NWI article is Visclosky calls health care reform a serious issue.

The meeting received a mention on the WLS morning talk show, Don Wade and Roma. They read an email describing the event on the air.
NWIPatriots thanks everyone for coming out and letting your views be known to Representative Visclosky.