Obama : 9/17/2009
Obama is the the best president we've ever had. Health care is a birth right. Rich, middle and the poor deserve better.

health care taken away : 9/5/2009
"How many of your neighbors think they'll lose their coverage, " HA! Most of my neighbors work for the town, they already have government sponsored --oops, TAXPAYER sponsored-- healthcare.

: 9/5/2009
"I don't want goverment touching anything, becouse most of what they touch is broken. What's the matter with the free market system anyway, I feel and know that it works" The free market system works? What employer paid or taxpayer paid plan are you covered by? Cuz I KNOW you aren't a sole provider or independent contractor by that statement.

reply to "She said she likes disruptors" : 9/5/2009
Alrighty. . . this person says all the people AGAINST health care reform are really FOR health care reform and are trying to make Republicans looks silly. . . . Get out the tin foil hats!

: 8/26/2009
I don't know what to believe sometimes. First the aministration said that they would reduce medicare reimbursement the AARP somehow gets reeled in and now it's not. going to be rationed. Sounds like double talk to me Then they demonized the pharmaceutical companies and now they say they won't make them lower their costs if they fund advertisng for them. Too mnay back room deals and Chicag style arm twisting going on here for me to trust most of it. The fact is they are losing people's trust by nit defining what thhe message is. . I don't trust anything we are being told because the media is promoting all of it and even when there's a lie it's never challenged. To never challenge the government is not good. I am glad we have FOX News to counter what is being fed to us.It can't all be that great.

health care : 8/19/2009
The latest outright lie, propounded on the Hannity TV program by Frank Luntz, who is doing so much harm to the country, is this whopper: "Obama's plan will cut your Medicare benefits." AARP and other groups have shown that to be a total falsehood! Nevertheless,count how many times we'll hear that dastardly lie repeated in the coming weeks. Let's see how many of the "loyal American" low information types and crazies start beating the drums with that. Virtually all of them, I'll wager. Shows two things; (1) how desperate opponents have become, and (2) how gullible the Fox News watchers, Limbaugh listeners and the rest really are. Pathetic! Let's wait for the psychiatric analyzers, indignant dupes, and planted letter writers to voice their opinions on this latest despicable slimy tactic. It'll be denounced as somehow a "Left" ploy, no doubt. I'm tired of blinded boobs who see the world solely in terms of "Left" and "Right," and allow themselves to be manipulated so easily, telling themselves it isn't happening. Mow-rons! Clear enough? Hopefully, Robert Reich's call for a massive march on Washington will be heeded, and the American people who want to seize this chance for meaningful health care reform will turn out in numbers high enough to convince the president to draw the line and do what he was elected to do. It's time for a total repudiation of obstructionist Republicans, who, it should be crystal clear by now, will never vote for anything Obama proposes, and whose real purpose it simply to bring down the Democratic administration, completely ignoring the needs of the people. The Chuck Grassleys and Mitch McConnells of the world should get the hook and be yanked off the stage. Our democracy needs to wake up!

she said she likes disruptors : 8/17/2009
That famous line from the 1976 movie "Network" sums up the sentiment of many Americans as the health care debate continued to roar. More town hall meetings featured citizens angry over proposed government expansion, leaving many congressmen not knowing quite how to handle the reaction. It's clear that many Americans have simply had enough. FAIL: ObamaCare supporters pretend to be opponents That doesn't mean that Democrats were convinced to abandon their nefarious scheme. Instead, when their own constituents dared to question the infinite wisdom of the carriers of Potomac Fever, Democrat regulars put into practice the words of Obama administration lackey Jim Messina: "If we get hit, we will punch back twice as hard." In other words, don't worry about winning the debate; just try to discredit the opposition. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her left-hand man, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer , started with an op-ed in USA Today declaring, "These town hall meeting disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views -- but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades." This type of "thinking" -- the transfer of one's own emotions or practices onto others -- is called projection. The Left has long since perfected the art of "drowning out" both opposing views and the facts, while blaming Republicans for doing the same thing. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) put out a call to action: "Opponents of reform are organizing counter-demonstrators to speak at ... several congressional town halls on the issue to defend the status quo. It is critical that our members with real, personal stories about the need for access to quality, affordable care come out in strong numbers to drown out their voices." The SEIU has since removed the words "drown out," but the message is clear -- silence the opposition. Last week, the administration encouraged Americans who support "reform" to rat on those who are spreading "fishy misinformation," while Sen. Dick Durbin denounced the administration's opponents as shills of the insurance companies. This week, the Left is painting town hall protestors as racists. "I think 45 to 65 percent of the people who appear at these groups are people who will never be comfortable with the idea of a black president," said Cynthia Tucker, editorial page editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. MSNBC's Carlos Watson worried that "the word socialist ... is becoming the new N-word." And Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein called them "political terrorists" who are "poisoning the political well" and "willing to say or do anything to prevent" ObamaCare. Rep. John Dingell added, "[T]he last time I had to confront something like this was when I voted for the civil rights bill and my opponent voted against it. At that time, we had a lot of Ku Klux Klan folks and white supremacists and folks in white sheets and other things running around causing trouble." How convenient, then, that one of his supporters showed up at a meeting with an Obama-as-Hitler sign to "illustrate" the opposition's "hate." Similar signs were made by LaRouche PAC, an organization run by long-time Socialist Workers Party member and seven-time Democrat presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche. Rep. David Scott had a swastika painted on his office sign after a heated exchange at a meeting. Talk about "fishy." What are the odds that the swastika wasn't painted by an opponent? Pretty good, given the Left's history of perpetrating similar hoaxes. Not that comparisons with the National Socialists of Germany aren't appropriate -- we made one last week -- and the Left certainly has done its best to invite the unflattering comparison. After all, it was Pelosi herself who first introduced the word "swastika" to the debate. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is so confident in the health care bill that he will conduct town hall meetings only by phone. And Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee had such esteem for her constituents that she talked to someone else on her cell phone while questions were being asked by meeting participants. In the end, while Sen. Benedict Arlen Specter dismisses protestors as not "representative of America," here in our humble groups, we suspect that this horde of hysterical hypocrites is in fact not representative of America.

: 8/16/2009
I got involved with this originally when all this spending started by attending my first Tea Party April 15. When I found a place where my voice was can be heard and I wasn't alone I was relieved to see how many of us were out there. From there is how I met these wonderful Americans who are no more than working class taxpaying citizens who know we are going to be the ones on the hook for all this spending. People who don't think that when this bill comes due it won't affect them? They are either in denial or have no idea how economics work. It's a shame they are touting anything this government does all in the name of hating Republicans. I can assure you it is never a good idea to give a government that much power as they can take it as fast as they give it. We are a free people and I hope to stay that way. There are solutions other than government takeover of yet another part of our economy. It can very easily unravel and become corrupt . How are we going to eat when we can't get a loaf of bread from the government?

Misdirected Anger : 8/16/2009
It's too bad that the folks who think these are false issues manufactured by the Rush Limbaughs, the Bill O'Reilly's, the Michael Savages, the Ann Coulters, the extreme Repubican right or 'racists' in general don't direct their anger towards a government that is broken and out-of-control with spending. The fact is libertarians have been talking about many of these issues since 1971. We also point out the bias on the right when the folks named above get something wrong too. Libertarians don't play any favorites. If you're anti- civil liberties, we will call you out, whether you're a Republican or Democrat. And no, my pointing out that I"m black was not to garner 'instant credibility'. It was just meant to show you that not all black people take their intellectual marching orders from the far-left. We don't all agree with everything Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson says. The liberal elites don't speak for or own the entire black community in America or other parts of the world. People need to be reminded that black conservatives still exist, even though we're ignored by the Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow types.

Evil mob, or naive dupes? : 8/16/2009
An Evil Mob or Naive Dupes? The author didn’t know it, but those words are the same used by the British to describe the founders. Even so, the author’s knowledge of history seems to exceed his knowledge of socialized medicine. He could, however, remedy that. Given the length of his rant, he has a lot of time on his hands.

: 8/16/2009
To the comment regarding what candidates or town officials attended--they were Americans just like you.

Reform vs takeover : 8/16/2009
No one that I know of is against reform, but most are against the takeover of our Health Care system by radical progressives like Ezekiel Emanuel who has crafted his own form of Eugenics to create a decision table of who deserves treatment based on the life expectancy of the care receiver. He would throw a senior citizen under the bus who has led a productive life, bought a home, raised his family and lived the American dream through hard work and self reliance because they have already lived most of their life span, where as the young street thug who like his parents,dropped of high school and will be a life long burden on society would be rated as a more worthy recipient of health care dollars and service than the senior citizen. Its also interesting to note that much of the bill speaks to reforming Medicare but not life time government employee health care plans or out of control Medicaid programs such as the one that Senator Schumer's minions run in New York State. Congressman Bishop enjoys his wife's public employee health care plan but forgets to mention that the public pays for her plan. I will happily join the new health care plan directly after Congressman Bishop and Senator Schumer cast off their current plans in favor of the plan that they wish on us.

Evil doers??? : 8/16/2009
Evil doers?? Exercising your Right to free speech and assembly is not evil in any way, shape or form. What are you so afraid of? Goodness grief, you are falling right into the government's hands. Stop your looney name calling of your fellow citizens and read the bill first--please. If you put half as much effort into reading the bill as you did your lengthy comment, you would understand what the grave concerns are of the American people. HR 3200 will be a financial and political nightmare, not to mention unconstitutional. Does the 10th Amendment mean anything to you? As for the protesters, they are Americans first--and thankfully they don't care what you think.

Health care : 8/15/2009
I don't want goverment touching anything, becouse most of what they touch is broken. What's the matter with the free market system anyway, I feel and know that it works people die to come to this country for the ability to work hard and get rewarded for it. The people have spoken and no one is lessioning what does that tell you we don't matter anymore, and I say let the cheeps fall were they may. God bess you and God bless america.

Evil mob, or naive dupes? : 8/14/2009
With our economic problems, frustrations are running high. It's obvious many if not most of the folks (seeming predominantly white, middle class, and middle aged or older) at these protests are loyal, concerned Americans. But, what are the concerns they are voicing over health care? "Granny killers," "government takeover," "forced to drop your favored health insurance," "cutting your Medicare,"etc. etc. Lies, in fact. Lies! Where do these fears come from? The anti-reform lobbyists and politicians trying to bring Obama down at all costs are taking advantage of good people's unease, and spreading a whole host of patent falsehoods. Scare tactics. Unfortunately,they're working! Too many of the demonstrators parrot all these lies as though true. Many of them have been going to "town halls" with a stated purpose of disrupting them. They are the "evil mobs" we see daily. Who ya gonna believe, these folks who protest innocence, or your lyin' eyes? These scary mobs are not figments of media imagination and bias. Open your eyes ,and look and think for yourselves. When Estelle Edwards delibrately spouts the egregious lies about end of life counseling and uses the word "euthanasia" she should be called out on that , as should the rest of the slimey politicians who stoop to such tactics. More outrageous than such local fringe party yammering, high ranking Republicans like Chuck Grassley are still trumpeting the same lie, and many other falsehoods. Worse, they know they're lying, but persist. The poor frustrated people who are fooled by the people behind this movement, and blindly follow morons like Glen Beck (Glen Beck!) should wake up. It's time. The New York Times recently reported on the origins of the euthanasia myth. Similar ideas have been injected into what really isn't a "debate" by evil (yes, EVIL) partisans who are out to destroy not only health care reform, but in many cases our president himself. Wonder where the "birther" claims, now the "deather" claims, and all the fol de rol come from? From the people who can't stand the fact that Obama is president, and the lobbyists who distribute big money to the politicians to further their interests, not the interests of the American people. Next time you attend a town hall, try to go in with an open mind, not half-cocked. You might learn something other than the bushwah that the Glen Becks, Rush Limbaughs, Bill O'Reillys and Sean Hannitys feed you. They seem to live in some kind of mirror reality that is truly astonishing. All those poseurs who boast they've read the all the bills, and are "horrified" about what they claim to see, would be much better off doing a little more reading, e.g.,research into Glen Beck, Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Works, and other sponsors of the anti-reform movement. Sometimes those manipulators hide in the background, sometimes they don't. Ever see the bus with the red hand "Hands off my healthcare" sign plastered on the side? Check out who the fake "grass roots" "patients' rights" phonies are behind that. It's sad and irritating to see so many citizens allow their emotions to be channeled by these cynical organizations who present themselves as concerned citizens' grass roots groups, but in fact are fooling some of the people all of the time to achieve their hidden goals. The timid press seems to be waking up. So what do the Repugs do? Act as if the evil liberal press is condemning loyal Americans simply for attempting to make their views known. Some of that notion is expressed by indignant folks here. Wake up, folks! Watch any town hall meeting where the shouters disrupt and destroy any reasonable debate. Do the commenters here really wish to associate themselves with them? I hope not! Vigilance! Vigilance! Vigilance!

health care : 8/13/2009
These are not fringe groups. Many of them have actually read the House version of the bill, as I have, and it is scary. However, this will never pass, was never intended to pass. It's like asking for a $10 raise when you want a $5 raise. Both Senate versions are much "milder" than the House version, but still have the unstated goal of single-payer healthcare within 6-8 years. If 85% of folks are happy with their current plan, why not do a "dry run" on the 15% who aren't? Just insure the uninsured, and include a portability clause for those that change jobs. In 2-3 years the kinks would be worked out, and the US would spend only about $30B instead of the $1.3T that the CBO projects. By the way, MA has seen a jump to nearly 96% of its residents being insured....but they are having "financial challenges". So much so, for example, they have deemed prostate cancer screening necessary only every 5 years, and only for men over the age of 55.

Health care protest : 8/12/2009
"evil mob"? "un-American"? Are we no longer allowed to voice an opinion contrary to Obama ? When it was George W. Bush it was patriotic and now it's "evil"? The president SAID it was a moral dilemma whether or not his terminal grandmother(who raised him!) should of gotten a hip replacement, because the chronically ill and those at the end of life incur the largest costs on our healthcare sysytem. That indifference sounds closer to evil than a group of people who are opposed to a healthcare system that will change our present system for the worse and contribute to the systematic bankrupting of this country. If you want socialized medicine, vote with your feet, move to Canada.

Start Locally : 8/11/2009
Many of the comments below are well written and offer many valid points. The tide is turning such that US citizens are getting fed up with government waste and corrupt politicians. However, if we as taxpayers who are funding all of this nonsense and behind the scenes wrangling really do want to make a difference we need to start government reform locally. It is unrealistic to think that change is going to happen at the Federal level. Our political system, how it stands is set up to reward certain incrowds and groups with blatant disregard for the masses. I am hard pressed to think of any politican on any level aside from perhaps former Riverhead Councilman George Bartuneuk and Town Clerk Barbara Grattan. Forgive me I know that others exist out there as well, that I am unawarre of. However they are an anomoly, not the norm. Generally speaking, politicans do not run to serve, they run to get and make deals. Since this is a local paper, let us talk about local reform here. As Riverhead Town residents, we should make our local government accountable to the people, because from dealings I can tell you that it is "A Good Old Boy Network" running at the Riverhead Town Hall where rules are broken, deals are made, and favoritism runs high! The idea of Wooten as Supervisor is a laughable joke. What is his training and background. Oh yeah, I forgot....he is a retired cop, who already operates outside of normal accountability and we are already paying a yearly pension to. Great idea Riverhead Town residents giving him a second salary as Councilperson. Don't even get me started on Dunleavy. Clearly, elected because of his connections not his acumen. You want change and reform??? Start the next election in Riverhead. Clear the house---VOTE THEM ALL OUT!!!! Don't stop voting people out until we find people who genuinely want to serve not be served.

Don't Trust The Govt : 8/7/2009
Why would anyone trust the government. They say on thing and do another. Republican or democrat it makes no difference they are all liars. Obama just happens to be in office now. Meet the new boss same as the old boss! You can tell when Obama is lying just watch his lips move. Obama Pledge: 1. I will not raise taxes - cap and trade anyone? 2. I will not have lobbiest in my cabinet. His cabinet is full of them. 3. I will not have any wall street people in my cabinet. LOL. Need I say more. The president is clearly a socialist with no regard for our constitutions. Google Ron Paul

Why I am Up Set with Govt : 8/7/2009
Why would anyone think that the government can run anything well. There track record says quite the opposite. They constantly lie to us. They don't read the bills that they sign into law. These are the people that represent us. The constantly use fear and The world will end if we don't do this now to shut down debate. If a lawyer did this representing you he would be disbarred. And yet they look for the govt to fix the problems that the government created. Einstein once said that the person that created a problem should not be looked too to solve it. Lets have a real change and follow the constitution for once. If you haven't read the constitution you need to, it is a easy read and list the powers that the Federal Government has I can't find one single thing that says that the Federal Government should act as a health insurance company or own a car company yet they do. Don't you find it troubling that congress hasn't declared war since ww2 and yet we have dropped bombs on other countries indiscriminately I mean when is this madness going to stop, we are bombing Pakistan now. Our government has spent about 10% of the so called stimulus bill and has already started testing the waters on weather or not they will be able to get a second one passed. Did you notice that returning the money that was not spent wasn't even on the table as an option. I wonder why, who profits from our borrowing? It is not us because congress loaned that right of congress to the Federal Reserve, a cartel of banks and as Federal as Federal Express. Our income taxes pay for the interest on our national debt. No Debt No Income taxes what a wonderful world that would be. The book Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse, by Thomas E. Woods Jr, is a great source of information on this subject as well as The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve - by G. Edward Griffin The commonalities between Bush and Obama Staffers is Sickening they all come from the same organizations and both Bush and Obama have centralized power from congress (the States) to the Presidential office. If you look how Government was run and what they did prior to 1913 to how it is done now you would be shocked. The states have been stripped of nearly all sovereignty. If they don't comply with unconstitutional Federal mandates then Tax dollars that they paid to the Federal Govt to begin with are threatened to be or are withheld. Question is that extortion or something else that is illegal? Just seams pretty dirty to me. The people in California tell what the people in Florida what to do and how to live and vice verse. We all get taxed then have to have our representatives fight to get that money back and we call it a good job. Except now that money have had to be collected, inventoried, allocated and distributed that cost about a 1/3 of the cash so you put 3 in and you get 2 out. If you didn't think that was bad enough that money has to be spent on certain types of projects. Projects that many not even be needed in that state. This is a non-partisan Issue and both democrats and republicans are voicing them selves. Just because I'm a democrat doesn't mean that I think Acorn should receive Federal Tax Dollars. It also doesn't mean that I want the UN to have any Authority over my life. The Same can be said of republicans. Its really funny how 85% of the people you speak to on the street all agree that Immigration needs to be slowed down or controlled much more. Yet the Federal Gov't does nothing to change that. People are Pissed off and they are gonna "raise hell" I'm an ex hippie And I find out that they want to make it illegal for me to grown my own food and sell it to my neighbor because it may spread a ecoli or some other bacteria. That is such bull and such a scare tactic. All that they want from you is your total dependence, your individuality is what makes people great and inventive, free market capitalism works hand in hand with that, not this so called free market capitalism that we have now. Using interest rates to control the economy is anything but a free market. Did you know that the same green people in suffolk county that hold our offices made it illegal for you and your neighbors to build a wind turbine and share the electricity because they don't want you making your own grid. So if me and a neighbor want to share our power we can't . They don't care about the environment they care about there pockets and use the word Green and Progressive to sell it to you. The less power we give them the safer you are and the more money you have in your pocket. I mean really who is going to spend your money more wisely you or some one else? If you read this and agree with it Join a 9-12 group or Campaign for liberty, I joined both and the people you meet there are just normal people who want the Govt to run the way it is spelled out in the constitution. Not with what number are we up too now 32 Zars! or more. The people are waking up and the establishment is scared the internet was the best thing to happen for this reason. You don't give a heroin addict more heroin to cure them. You don't fix a problem caused by to much debt by more debt. You don't fix poorly run Gov't programs with bigger Gov't. Every time we are told this time its gonna be different and it never really is. This is why people are protesting and this is why even though they don't want to admit it, it is a Bi - Partisan protest. If the constitution is a living document to interpreted why not just have a blank piece of paper. Join "Campaign for Liberty" and help make a real difference.

"Re the last lengthy comment : 8/7/2009
Actually, I did list my name. If you were awake, you'd realize there are no names on any of these posts, including yours. So, you're black, but you didn't vote for Obama and weren't happy with Bush either? Is that aimed to somehow imbue your views with instant credibility? Doesn't quite work. Just a little too pat for belief. Better luck next time. Are these points (taken directly from your post) what you actually believe? "The fact is extremism and government interference - whether it comes from the left or the right - no matter how good the intentions, is a threat to everybody's liberty. Let the free market work. We're not terrorists. The real terrorists are in power. You just don't realize it because you're believing everything they tell you and giving them your unquestioned consent.": "Extremism and government interference,free market, threats to liberty, we're not terrorists, terrorists are in power." Wow! Did some party propagandist feed you these phrases? Did it come from the "How to disrupt a meeting" scripts they're handing out? ( Some protesters are showing up with these in hand!) Boy! Does yours sound like a planted letter or what? Are you participating in the phone bank flooding our Congressman with fake "concerned voter" calls, scurrying around with the rest of the dupes to disrupt rallies, and the rest of the Anti-American, ant-democracy tactics we now see daily? Sure sounds like it. What's the most scary about all this is that there doesn't seem to be much of a backlash developing among decent people. Rather, too many good Americans are falling for propaganda, lies and distortions by the manipulators who are playing on their fears. The press, finally unable to ignore the blatant threats to democracy these escalating evil tactics represent, are beginning to question who the ringleaders are, as well as their goals. This conspiracy, and its success in fooling so many frustrated Americans, should be the chief topic in the major media. Let's hope we see the press rebound soon. Maybe all our good citizens, black, white, yellow and red, who are unwittingly doing the bidding of these cynical manipulators will finally realize they're being had.

Re: The Last Lenghty Comment : 8/7/2009
Why don't you post your name? It's a free country. You are way off base. I suppose the modern American citizen has been so conditioned to trust government especially when it promises 'peace of mind' and some kind of security. The majority of the protestors on the health care issue are not rich and are not being funded by anyone. People like you want to turn this into strictly a left vs. right, Democrat vs. Republican, black vs. white, a rich vs. poor , conservative vs. liberal, or FOX vs. CNN conflict, and ad nauseum. The fact is everyone has been turning over too much control to government in regards to every facet of our lives. And everyone should know by now that there are few things that the government does efficiently or effectively. Congress allowed Bush to drag us into Iraq under false pretenses. No matter who is up there, the intrusiveness of government is getting worse. So is the spending, and more civil liberties go down the drain. Listen, I didn't vote for Obama and I'm black. I didn't like Bush either. The fact is extremism and government interference - whether it comes from the left or the right - no matter how good the intentions, is a threat to everybody's liberty. Let the free market work. We're not terrorists. The real terrorists are in power. You just don't realise it because you're believing everything they tell you and giving them your unquestioned consent. Both parties have sold us down the river along with this country's sovereignty. Politicians are running scared because they have been so used to getting a free pass from most of the citizens. A lot of this is OUR fault for being asleep at the wheel.

What Part Don't You Understand? : 8/7/2009
Government Says One Thing and Does Another! That isn't a partisan thing, how many Democrats thought George Bush was an honest man? For Tim Bishop to say it will do this and it won't do that is pointless, the bill they pass now is the least of our problems, it's what they do over the next 25 years that really hurts the country. And it isn't partisan, lots of people who voted for Obama are at these things. Only the most far left element of this country appreciates the Out of Control spending in Washington. Of course, more people who are conservative are out there, but Libertarians are pretty unlikely to go to something because the GOP said so. Campaign For Liberty opposes the wars, opposes the Patriot Act, and lots of other policies of the previous administration, but they are out there in force. The debate is not a complicated one, whatever business you are in, just ask yourself how long you would be in business if a company that could legislate in their own favor, tax, print money, and work without making a profit opened up shop across the street from you. Unless you are a government yourself, chances are, not very long.

Which Riverhead pols attended? : 8/6/2009
You story mentioned "a number of candidates in Riverhead's municipal election attended. " So, who were they? The same Republican dupes who stood with the teabaggers (backed by the same evil elements as this "non partisan" traffic circle demonstration) and the American Family Association censorship crazies? Why was this crucial information left out of the story? Let us know where our politicians stand. This was a public demonstration. If pandering politicians attend, the voters who couldn't be there should know who they are. I'd like see photos of them. Were they holding signs like "Obamacare is a socialist scam?" Do they agree with any of this vicious propaganda? Did they attend this demonstration to avoid being seen in a disrupter operation? That would be nice to know. You know, the old "who, what, where, why and how." Are you guys asleep or what? Let me guess. Non partisan Republicans, Libertarians, and Conservatives.

Non Partisan? No way! : 8/6/2009
So, the plants, dupes and idiots who were protesting health care reform at the traffic circle claim to be "non partisan?" What transparent hogwash! Were they the same despicable characters shouting down Congressman Tim Bishop at a recent town meeting? Call that “non partisan?” There is an obvious, widespread, very effective national smear campaign underway, using all media including Facebook,Flickr, etc. to stop health care reform The actors are called “disrupters.” They're “astroturf” (as in “fake grass”) groups, presenting themselves as genuine organizations of concerned citizens, not partisan advocates, often unawares, of their often concealed sponsors' agendas. Like the discredited "Tea Party" movement, the anti-labor push to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act, the "Hot Air Tour" to discredit the notion of global warming, and anti smoking legislation, these fake "concerned citizens" groups are in large part funded by nefarious far right organizations and industry lobbyists who often not only organize, but bankroll them. They are playing the media and gullible public like violins, right in front of our eyes. They're getting their vicious claims, lies, distortions and outrages presented just as they'd want, by reporters and editors who seem to be asleep at the switch, although some are waking up as the story becomes too obvious to ignore. The media seemingly have abrogated their role as watchdogs, and are allowing themselves to be manipulated by such groups, often simply providing a megaphone for their phony charges, showing photographs of their outrageous posters and signs, and quoting verbatim people who appear to be local citizens,but often are shills trotted out to parrot the propaganda line, duly transcribed by the press. That's what these groups are all about. Two of the most nefarious background lurkers are "Americans for Prosperity" and Dick Armey's "Freedom Works." Look up their websites. Then,look up their wikipedia listings and see who's bankrolling them. Some progressive commentators and unions are (too late!) proposing to confront these evil mobs at town meetings and other such events. Unfortunately,that plays right into their hands. So far, media coverage has been mostly about the conflicts, avoiding discussion of the issues. If police arrest any of these vicious mob members whose stated purpose is to disrupt discussion, doubtless the media story we'd see would be cries of distress that the jackbooted thugs are "taking away the Constitutional right of free speech," and claims that the politician running the meeting is responsible. It's a no win situation for the truth. While your story does better than most, let's look at what's presented. " socialized government health care" and "ObamaCare equals euthanasia for seniors” appears in print. the poster making the ridiculous and unchallenged claim “Obama care is a Socialist health scam” is prominently displayed at the top of the story. Allegations of “government takeover of health care” also appear in print. Bob Meyer's patently false, outrageous statement,”Countries like Canada and England, which have national health care, also have much worse coverage.” is part of the story. Estelle Edwards repetition of the canard "This health care reform is going to actually take away more choices from people, and might drive the regular insurance companies out of business," and “This end of life counseling' -- that smacks of state-mandated euthanasia.It reminds me of those sci-fi classics …where no one is allowed to live past the age of 30," gets repeated. Don't you think the Libertarian Party chairwoman who makes this insinuation knows it is false? Shame on her! While your story does much better than most in explaining realities and Rep. Bishop's replies, the sad fact is these evildoers got their statements into the paper, further distorting debate. They got free reproduction (in living color) of their insultingly false poster, and generally got what is at least in some part favorable exposure simply by the repetition of their claims. How many words of the story are explanatory, and how many repeat the phrases these groups successfully insert simply by stating them for stenography by dutiful reporters, or simply scribbling outrages on posters to get airplay? (TV coverage is even more of a joke.) Great photo! But, what is the visual message conveyed there? Not only are these groups bamboozling the press, they organize telephone campaigns to overload representatives' offices with these smears. I can hardly wait for one of them to ring the doorbell. Think this effort is not effective? Think again. How many of your neighbors think they'll lose their coverage, that a “government takeover” of health care is planned, that their health care will be rationed by “bureaucrats like those in the DMV,” and that once they reach 65 they'll be “forced into end of life counseling” and denied care? Just ask them. Where do they get such notions? From vicious distortions, smears and innuendos planted by these organized groups, duping naïve patriotic citizens into doing their dirty work. Who are these people? The traffic circle group claims ties with Glenn Beck's 9-12 movement. That Glenn Beck? The one who calls President Obama a racist? The one who cries we are hurtling down the road to “socialism?” Their Suffolk County 9-12 “meetup” website has many private, “members only” sections. Is that to conceal the locations of their next planned disruptions? Did Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Works, the Republican Party, the Libertarian Party, the Conservative Party provide funds for this fake “non partisan” mob? Those questions should be asked by an alert press. What connection does Bob Meyer have with which political parties and other fringe groups? It's scary to see this campaign going on. It's more scary to see how successful it is in cowing politicians, changing public opinon, and effecting legislation, all through ingenious manipulation and utilization of not only the mass media, but the “social networking” media like Face book. We all need to communicate with our elected representatives and tell them to fight back against this garbage intended to subvert the democratic process. In retrospect, it's sad to recall how the Riverhead Town Republican leaders stood with the tea baggers and Donald Wildon's extremist “American Family Association” folks at the Riverhead Tea Party. Are they dupes, cynical manipulators, or just silly idiots? In any case, if they associate with people like these, they all should be voted out of office. It's also very sad, and equally disturbing, to see how many patriotic, seemingly intelligent Americans have fallen sway in their frustrations to the false claims, distortions, and brainwashing these nefarious efforts are putting over on so many. There might go the Republic!