Lloyd Doggett announces healthcare events: Please attend

[dave29]

http://www.statesman.com/services/content/news/stories/local/2009/08/06/0806healthbox.html?cxtype=ynews_rss

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, invites the public to talk to him about health care plans being debated in Congress at:

2 p.m. today at the Montopolis Veterans Outreach Clinic, 2901 Montopolis Drive.

11:15 a.m. Saturday at the Rundberg Health Center, 825 E. Rundberg Lane.

Doggett also plans health discussions with Austin teachers and school staff at the Holiday Inn Town Lake, 20 N. Interstate 35, at 12:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.

[sonias]

1. Kicking it for Congressman Doggett

:kick:

I noticed that Congressman Doggett is the only central Texas Congressman hosting town halls with his constituents. Smith, Carter and and McCaul couldn't find their spines to listen to their constituents.

Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, John Carter, R-Round Rock, and Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, don't have immediate Austin-area events scheduled, their offices said.

Sonia

[sonias]

3. John Cornyn is attending Saturday event at CommUnity Care

AAS 8/6/09
Cornyn intending Austin stop Saturday at event Doggett also is attending

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters today he plans to join an Austin event focused on delivering health care to children that U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, earlier said he was attending. It’s happening starting at 11:15 a.m. Saturday at CommUnity Care, 825 Rundberg Lane.

So is Bad John joining the teabaggers on this or is he really going to take questions? :shrug:

Sonia

[sonias]

2. Nice diary on DailyKos about the Bastrop townhall

Daily Kos Diary by loblolly 8/5/09

Teabaggers and Repbulicans Prevented from Hijacking Lloyd Doggett's Town Hall in Bastrop, Texas

Representative Lloyd Doggett was the target of disruptions by screamers organized by Republicans, Teabaggers. and Americans for Prosperity, both at his office Friday, and at his appearance Saturday at a grocery store in South Austin. A Town Hall was scheduled for later Saturday afternoon in nearby Bastrop, and his staff was worried that there would be a repeat of the angry mob scene. Shouting, sign-carrying protesters did show up in Bastrop, and one later boasted that "Doggett did not get the reception he expected", which ironically is true since instead of an angry mob scene, Reresentative Doggett got two standing ovations. Bastrop's Town Hall demonstrates why it is so important for us to show up at these events, and how the screamers were prevented from hijacking the event, while freedom of speech was preserved.

:kick:

Sonia

[yellowdogintexas]

9. how did the supporters keep the screamers from hijacking? We have one

coming up here in 10 days or so.

[sonias]

10. Go early and fill up the room

If it's outdoors like today's event in Austin - you just have to get more of the local Dems there.

There were some good signs on our side that said things like "Can we have an adult discussion without all the screaming?"

Don't try to get into a screaming match with them, they win that way.

Good luck!

Sonia

[sonias]

4. Doggett about to make health care announcement; teabaggers learn who to Photoshop

AAS 8/8/09
Doggett about to make health care announcement; critics circulate a satirical photo

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, who has said he was mobbed outside a South Austin grocery store Saturday by people coached to do so by the Republican Party and Ron Paul Libertarians, is set to make a health care-related announcement about improving care for veterans this afternoon at an Austin event to to which the public is welcome.

It’s scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Montopolis Veterans Outreach Clinic, 2901 Montopolis.

(snip)

... Dean Wright of Austin, a self-described Doggett constituent and Austin “tea-party” activist who has a business designing and building circuit boards for computers....

Wright, who hopes to attend today’s event, said he doesn’t expect a confrontation quite like the shouting scene that ensued Saturday, though he said Doggett will be asked hard questions and people could react strongly to answers they don’t consider truthful.

Really Dean? Tell us are you a birther? If you are you wouldn't accept the truth no matter what. And if you're a betting man, I'll bet you tea baggers will be trying to shout down the debate. That's all you got. You have no solutions, no ideas, no respect and no shame. You bring nothing to the table except your negativity.

All you are is the "Party of 'No'"

Sonia

[sonias]

5. Another story on the Montopolis event yesterday

AAS 8/9/09
Doggett takes questions on health care overhaul
Q&A session Thursday differs from 'mob' scene Saturday, U.S. representative says.

When U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett visited the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Southeast Austin on Thursday to announce details about a new clinic, a crowd of constituents showed up to weigh in on a related but different topic: national health reform.

The scene — Doggett taking questions from attendees for an hour after his news conference — differed from what the congressman called "a mob" scene Saturday at a Southwest Austin grocery.

"Night and day," Doggett said of Thursday's event and Saturday's scene, videos of which have circulated this week on YouTube.

(snip)

After the announcement, in a standing-room-only crowd of about 100, some constituents asked Doggett how the federal proposal might affect their small businesses, and others told him they were concerned about its price tag. Many of them had a sense of urgency when asking their questions, some noting that what's at stake is nothing less than their family's health, their financial stability and the fate of their businesses. A few toted copies of the legislation, HR 3200.

:kick:

Sonia

[Timshel]

6. RE: Lloyd Doggett - please attend

I have two going on Saturday (me + 1) - hope others can join us!!

[sonias]

7. Get there early

I would not be surprised that by 9:30 the place is full.


Sonia

[sonias]

8. I just got back from the event

It was hot, hot, hot. We were outside. We were roasting. :evilfrown:

Anyway we had way more people on our side of health care reform than the crazies. When they yelled "Just say no" We yelled "Health Care Now!" and I think it sounded like the whole crowd was yelling "Health Care Now!".

Cornyn went into the clinic and sped right out. He didn't take any questions or address the crowd at all. He was there for the photo opportunity inside the clinic.

Lloyd did not get shouted down or drowned out by the crazies. He even tipped his hat to Ron Paul and said when it comes to civil liberties he and Ron Paul actually agree a lot. He took questions and comments from both sides. The crazies don't listen to even their own people. They tried to boo everyone.

Lets see how the local news covers it. They love controversy of course.

Sonia

[sonias]

11. Doggett Bests the "Teabaggers"

Texas Observer blog 8/10/09
Doggett Bests the "Teabaggers"

Lloyd Doggett held another "townhall"meeting this Saturday, this time outside CommUnityCare, a non-profit health care clinic that serves a low-income, largely minority clientiele.

In a sign that Democrats and universal health care advocates are perhaps figuring out how to counter right-wing tactics, the event was spirited but civil and the reformers took control of the event. It looked little like the mob scene at the Randall’s last Saturday.

(snip)
"After what happened last Saturday, I figured Lloyd needed some help," said Kent Johnson, who carried a sign reading "Insurance Costs Doubled Under Bush/The Right Did Nothing." Of the protesters trying a repeat of the supermarket uprising, he said, "They tried but they were outnumbered." Doggett supporters fanned out in front of the speaker’s podium, loudly cheering the congressman and others speaking in favor of health care reform. When the antis tried to drown Doggett out with cries of "Socialism!" or "Just Say No!," self-appointed enforcers would push back with forceful “shushes.” One man carried a sign that simply said: "You Can Disagree Without Being Rude or Disruptive."

More at link above with nice pictures too!

:kick:

Sonia