Claire McCaskill's town hall canceled, but she is forging on...

[babylonsister]

Local clash mirrored by national protests, fights over health care
by bill lambrecht [email protected] 202-298-6880

08/08/2009

WASHINGTON — The escalating protests greeting members of Congress as they come home from Washington are leaving enduring images of anger about health care reform, causing some to avoid or cancel town hall events.

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On Friday, the University City School District announced that it was canceling a "listening session" on health care scheduled Tuesday at University City High School featuring Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., out of concern for the safety of students and faculty.

"We chose to cancel after reviewing the escalating violence and disruption that we've seen across the country and locally in St. Louis. Unfortunately, some people are choosing diatribe and disruption and over dialogue and discourse," said Jim Jennings, school district spokesman.

But McCaskill insisted she had no intention of altering an aggressive public schedule that called for as many as 15 town halls and public forums before Congress reconvenes after Labor Day. An aide said the senator would add an hour to another forum later Tuesday in Jefferson County.

"I'm sure not going to let their shouting and name-calling affect us. We're going to forge ahead and hope that everybody has good Midwestern manners," McCaskill said. "Rude and obnoxious is not persuasive. If people want to be rude and obnoxious, I think it hurts their cause."

more...

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/politics/story/75887E4CB5819D6B8625760C0001739A?OpenDocument


Oh, and then there's this...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8571742

Claire McCaskill Tweets That The Mobs Are Not Manufactured

[NightWatcher]

1. and the bullies win again

[HughMoran]

2. Nah, they really look like mother-fucking ass holes

I think they're losing big-time.

[Lex]

10. I agree.

I think they are making a lot of enemies with the shouting of bullshit and being rude jerks.

[babylonsister]

3. No one won, not even Claire. nt

[Cha]

4. Wow, I'm getting mixed signals all over

the place from McCaskill! First she cancels a Listening Meet on Tuesday due to concerns for students and faculty's safety..and then in the next breath she promises.. "15 town halls and public forums before Congress reconvenes after Labor Day."

THe other day it was the "mob mentality is not manufactured" .. The cancellations are depressing because they look like giving up.

[babylonsister]

5. I hear you. But she didn't cancel the meeting, someone else did

due to 'concerns'. So maybe she's 'getting it' now.

I hope.

[Cha]

6. Oh, thanks..I missed that

very important part..and who knows what that person's agenda was? Could be real concern or might be easily intimidated?

Now she has that experience of having one Listen cancelled..so you learn.

My Rep in the 24th District of NY today had a Telephone Town Hall Meet..pretty clever. No mob scenes and he was able to explain away, to 4300 other peeps on the phone, that the myths out there were lies distorted by the media and rw. Even though he kept repeating what a "Blue Dog" he is ..he had some good points and I know this District is the kind to suck up the lies real easily.

[smoochpooch]

7. What's wrong with cancelling them? I say cancel all of them.

Issue a press release saying, "Due to safety concerns stemming from recent violence by corporate and Republican attendees, all scheduled town halls have been cancelled. To learn about the importance of health care reform, please visit www.---"

News flash: not a single person at any of these events is going to be swayed by anything that anyone says so why give the rioters a platform to scream from?

[still_one]

8. It is very simple do it through a moderated forum like we have here /nt

[babylonsister]

9. BUT! That's what they want the Dems to do, and have historically...

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/mission-accomplished-by-digby-now-were.html

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I hate to beat a dead horse, but this is the real purpose of these protests. They want Democrats to be scared and cancel their events. They did it in 1994. They did it in 2000. It works.