The rally was billed by organizers as Stop Obama Care. But as far as many in the crowd today were concerned, they could have taken away the “Care” part.
Three Georgia Republican congressmen headlined the rally against health care reform that attracted about 500 people to Jessye Norman Amphitheater, where many pointed to other policies of President Obama they didn't like, some currently proposed or others just feared as the beginning of something worse.
“Are any of you angry?” U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal asked, and the crowd roared back. Noting that many are probably also afraid of the reforms as well, Mr. Deal said those two emotions are what sparked the American Revolution.
“There is a new birth of freedom that is sweeping across our land and you are a part of it by being here tonight,” he said, to loud applause.
Many of the speakers - which included local physicians - played to a patriotic theme as a reason to oppose what is being debated in Washington.
“I think it's about liberty,” surgeon Randy Cooper said. “It's you having the right to choose who you go to, what hospital you want to go to, and the right of your doctor to choose what kind of care that you're going to get based on evidence-based medicine. I just don't see that.”
And for many in the crowd, it goes beyond health care. Holding a sign that read in part “Obamacare Forceing (sic) Americans into submission, Wake up people,” Anthony Olick, 55, said he fears that the Obama administration may even take advantage of the looming novel influenza A H1N1 pandemic to intrude even further on rights and possibly enter people's homes.
“Probably go in there and disarm people, you know it,” he said.
With a solid majority in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, however, Democrats are in a position to pass whatever they like, which is why U.S. Rep Paul Broun urged the crowd to start putting pressure on conservative Democrats to oppose the current reforms.
“That's what will kill Obamacare,” he said. “Republicans can't do it.”
Ian Dalbert, 44, of Augusta, was one of the few visible supporters of the reform effort who showed up at the rally. He noted that the bills haven't even come up for a vote before the full House or Senate or in some cases are still being finished.
“We believe the health care bill first of all deserves a chance” to go through the process, he said. Many in the crowd, Mr. Dalbert said are opposed “to any platform Obama stands on.”
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Thomas Jefferson may have said it best: "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
Health care reform? Reform I can deal with, not goverment taking over 20% of the GDP. I don't expect the ignorant sheeple to understand, they can't read a simple pie chart.
grasshopper ! you are sure on target ! this is pure "socialism" or a closer word "communism" at it's worst !
Love your country; fear your government.
"The Democrats seem to be basically nicer people, but they have demonstrated time and time again that they have the management skills of celery. They're the kind of people who'd stop to help you change a flat, but would somehow manage to set your car on fire. I would be reluctant to entrust them with a Cuisinart, let alone the economy. The Republicans, on the other hand, would know how to fix your tire, but they wouldn't bother to stop because they'd want to be on time for Ugly Pants Night at the country club." --Dave Barry
Some currently proposed or others just FEARED as the beginning of something worse. Fearmongering, so many people started living in fear Nov 08 and Jan 09.
Protest socialism in general, then ill show up to your "two minute hate." Seems like an Obama bash, which isn't as constructive as actually fixing this country.
Did in Democrats speak tonite? or was it all one sided? 500 people they could have held this event in Columbia County.
RJV Fascism, Marxism, socialism, and communism, I know one thing it is not freedom.
Uhhh....it was a SOC rally???? Half-timers Jack?
What's interesting, is these people complain about what they don't understand.. What's interesting also is that you here none of them offer up any of their own ideas.. If you are going to be a critic, then offer up your solution.. Those socks will probably not even make it on to white house property.. I mean, be for real people.. You really think he's going to read them? LOL!!
We weren't hired to come up with an idea that works for everyone; Obama was. We understand what little has been told to us by Obama and it doesn't fix health care. He is only trying to sell his health care plan by putting down those that demonstrate against it. He offers very little insight into every part of his plan. He has also said he hasn't read the whole bill. What the F#$%? You're the President of The United States and you're trying to bring a big health care change to the nation and you haven't read it all? MOSOVICH How can he understand something he hasn't even read all the way through?
If you really think that this administration and President Obama are doing anything positive for Americans, then watch this 2 minute video clip from CNN (not Fox news) but CNN: http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/17260182/1610997888/name/ftc-vi26.wmv
I was there. It was such a terrific turnout for the blueshirts!!! I approximated 500 also. I have to give kudos to the article writer for being honest about the size of the crowd. I figured the zealots at the AC would exaggerate like they did for the first tea-bagger rally. There were I think about ten to fifteen blacks there for your Republican diversity project. Only trouble was they were all carrying Obama signs. Sorry, Repubs. Shoulda called Michael Steele. Lots of white Columbia County folks. Also some real scary lookin' long-haired tattooed biker-type dudes, like the one in the article with the influenza conspiracy theory. The rally consisted of theatrics by Broun, holding up the health bill and showing what he thought of it by throwing to the ground and kicking it. Oily John Linder followed with his Howdy-Doody countenance, ended up talking about the fair tax. In fact, it was all ideology. Not one speaker had a suggestion about the issue. This is the crowd whose representatives are lagging in the rear behind the Dems, at a whopping 21% approval rate. This looked and sounded like a Sarah Palin rally. It was hysterical! 500 people out of 200K in the area. What a movement!
Fine, rzombie125, then what is the GOP's answer to the health care crisis? Sure go to the Riverwalk and "you'll be shocked and horrified at what the medical professionals in this community have to say about Obamacare". They are the ones who are shocked and horrified at the thought of losing all the money they steal from you through current health care ripoffs! They won't be able to live like they have been living, courtesy of YOUR money!
Before we make everything done in Washington as "Obama's doing", remember there are other folks there pulling the strings. Congress! Remember them? Do you think what ever Obama says goes? Not hardly. For years and years Senators and Congresspeople have been on the take from big business. You know, lobbyists! Greed is part of the fabric of some of our leaders. C'mon! Do you really believe they would let go of the pursestrings that help fill their coffers? And I am not just pointing a finger at one party or another. The wall street giants own the health care industry and some folks in Congress. C'mon wake up and smell the corruption. They have been making money on our backs for years!
Who is our advocate? Certainly not these doctors like Broun who are in cahoots with the insurance and drug companies! That is who we need to protest against! Wake up America!
Fearmongers! Spreading FEAR. I saw a lady on TV at a Town Meeting in Maryland saying she wanted the government out of her health insurance She was asked what type she had? Her answer, Medicare. She was told MediCare is administered by the federal government. She wanted to argue that MediiCare wasn't operated by the government.
hmmmm...Under Obama the public has more options and that's called less freedom. hahahahaha....funny but dumb.
the fear that the supposedly inefficient government will suddenly become efficient and outperform the private sector and force them out of business...lol gotta love the convoluted logic of these clueless angry Americans. They have know idea what they're mad about. "Get your government hands off my medicare". So Funny...yet so sad.
Thanks John QPublic. At least we have a few intelligent people in the CSRA.
I don’t know the entire story about health care reform but something needs to be done. My wife has made two trips to the doctor (not a stay in the hospital or even an outpatient treatment) and the two bills have totaled over $7,000. Now tell me, how many people at these rallies can afford a bill like that. My wife and I are blessed to have great insurance and we have six figure incomes. But we are not concerned about ourselves; we are concerned about people who have not been blessed like we have. Within the next couple years, we will be one of the household that will see the effect of taxes going up on people who make over $250k a year but we are not complaining. We just pray that our money really goes to help some family who really needs it. More than likely, it will be some of you people at these rallies. If the lady on the video clip can’t afford new dentures, she can give us a call. And I really mean that. How many of you guys would do that for her?But hey, you guys are the real “Christians”.
Have any of you nObraino kool aid drinkers actually looked at ANY of the provisions of the healthcare plan? Any at all? Did you catch the part where those administering the plan will decide the level of coverage you get (ie, what medical care you're allowed to get) and you won't have any say, nor will your physician? How about the part that says your disabled child will only get limited coverage at all, or the part where the plan adminstrators will be able at their own discretion to tap directly into your bank account and remove from it whatever they want without your being able to do a damn thing about it? Is any of this familiar to you, ROZZIE of the high IQ, or LOBO(tomy)SOLO, or JOHNQIDIOT? I would be happy to supply the page and section numbers if you don't believe these actually are features of this proposed plan. And if you do believe it and you're still fine with all that, then you don't deserve to be American citizens and I distain you as beneath contempt. (Of course, I already pretty much do that anyway.)
JohnQ, the Republicans have offered various options but franklyh I don't think either party has done near enough homework on this matter to start making changes at this moment. If they want to make a positive change that will not cost the tax payers any money and will lower medical billing and unnecessary testing to the estimate of $100Billion, the lets start with tort reform but the Obama Administration who took more that 75% of the funds from trial lawyers through donations wouldn't even consider it or put it on the table. NO PLAN that will put this country further in debt or raise taxes or use tax dollars is acceptable, especially during a recession - this should not be the TOP priority for our president at this time but he is now trying to save face since he couldn't get it passed without anyone reviewing it like he wanted to happen before the session ended in August. Want to learn more about the Repubilcans options? I am sure google works on your computer.
Georgia voted republican but a democrat won the office. Being loud minority doesn't change the fact that they got out voted in November. I think that the public voted for health care reform back in November and that people that didn't want it didn't win the election. To the victor goes the spoils. I am a republican by the way!!
jackfruit, I wonder how many people were like me and my husband. We had planned to go, but I was very tired getting home from work today (extra problems at work) and just didn't want to make the trip.
Gee, Kathysue, maybe you wouldn't be so tired if you'd keep your reactionary self off of the computer at three am. Oh, and all the people that WERE there were like you and your husband (well, I can't speak about him, but they were all definitely like you). I'm surprised such a lock-step as you didn't show up to support that wee, wee, crowd. How many of the rest of you (right)wing-nuts show up? I was trying to figure out if any of you might be there, you know, tried to match the face with the AC zealot. You should have seen the guy they talked about in the article that was the influenza/2nd amendment conspiracy loon. I figured that was probably convertedsoutherner. I always pictured him as looking like that. KSL, you would have loved the greasy 'do on Linder. Very slick. When the moronic Nathan Deal got up (he's the one who thinks you guys have the numbers to start a new American Revolution) he stated that America would do better with having " 50 of the wives in this audience looking after the books up thar in Washington". Some exuberant ditto mom hollered out "SARAH PALIN"!!! Priceless and poignant, wouldn't you say, KathieSoo? I thought that might have been you!
500 people. That says it all. Even after getting plug after plug in this rag, only 500 bitter old white people turned out (lots of people who look like me, actually, though I'm bitter for very different reasons). 500 people! Beautiful.
500 people. You guys are a hoot. The amphitheater was covered top to bottom. There were several thousand there and no matter how hard you guys try to down play it you saw and understood what was going on. Several democrats including John Barrow were invited but opted not to come. the pathetic little group of Obama supporters (about 10) even had small children carrying signs they couldn't even read.....you guys looked so funny sitting with your heads down on the bench at the hot dog stand. So Sad and frustrated.
Yawn...
Just another group of racists. Regardless of what they claim they are protesting, the real deal is , they are protesting the fact that a black man is giving the orders to the country! Do and say what you want, but he still have three years and some months, left in his term. You people feel so stupid, that you let GB, ruin this country, and a black man is going to show you people, how to do things.So keep on with your rally's if it makes you feel better.Just look at the picture above, old pale face racists!!