Politico – by KYLE CHENEYCENTREVILLE, Va. — A race to define Obamacare to the masses began today between the stacks at the Centreville Library. Over pizza in Decatur, Texas. And with a glass of wine in Naples, Fla.
Dozens of communities around the country hosted pro-Obamacare events, convened by the president’s foot soldiers at Organizing for Action. The series is the first salvo in what is fixing to be a month of high-stakes health care spin. When Congress returns from its summer recess in early September, there will be less than a month until Obamacare’s most sweeping coverage programs start signing up customers in new health insurance exchanges.
In the meantime, pro- and anti-Obamacare advocates are plotting to fill the silence any way they can.
That means gatherings like today’s in Centreville — although the slow start here is probably not what OFA organizers had in mind. After a scheduling snafu over the start time, a few people showed up and left before it actually started. Just one volunteer stayed to help work the phone bank for the health law, and the event’s organizer bolted after 20 minutes — although he was bound for another Obamacare event, a house party.
The poor turnout here in Centreville wasn’t necessarily indicative of what’s happening across the country at other OFA events Sunday afternoon and evening, which coincide with President Barack Obama’s birthday. OFA sent out pictures of bigger and more enthusiastic turnout elsewhere, including some events in places like Ohio, Florida and Missouri where volunteer enthusiasm will be needed to overcome state government resistance to implementation. Most of the events were intentionally small-scale — house parties, leafleting near a beach or a farmer’s market, not big rallies.
But in some ways, this suburban community 20 miles from Washington, D.C., captures the national ambivalence about the health law. Centreville is perched on the edge of two congressional districts, a red one represented by Rep. Frank Wolf — an ardent Republican opponent of Obamacare — and a blue one by Rep. Gerry Connolly, one of the health law’s Democratic champions.
The Centreville event’s lone attendee, Lynn Duvall of Fairfax, Va., told POLITICO that it was her family’s own medical burdens that fueled her passion for Obamacare. Duvall’s son Logan has Crohn’s disease and under the law’s provisions can stay on her health plan until he turns 26, next January. Then he’ll be able to get coverage in the health exchange, despite his pre-existing condition.
Without Obamacare, she said, her son’s illness could have devastated their family finances.
“If the Affordable Care Act weren’t there, we would just have to deal with it. If it means we lose all of the assets we’ve saved over our lifetime, that’s what it would be,” said Duvall, who added that she left full-time work to care for her ailing son and aging mother, who she said was on Medicare and Medicaid before passing away at 103. “I would be really panicked if it weren’t for [Obamacare]. I don’t know what he would do.”
The OFA event’s organizer, 23-year-old Toora Arsala, a Northern Virginia Community College student, said the law is important to him because he has a variety of ailments and has relied on Medicaid for coverage.
Backers of Obamacare are hoping to generate enough of their own events this summer to counteract any repeat of August 2009, when tea party activists swarmed town hall meetings to try to stop what was then still a health reform bill with a shaky future in Congress.
The tea party did come close to stopping it that summer — and it and its allies in Congress are planning its own high-profile August messaging campaign, promising street rallies, protests, and a reinvigorated call to dismantle Obamacare. It’s a last-ditch push for it as enrollment starts in October, and conservatives are eyeing this fall’s federal-funding battles as their best hope for putting on the brakes.
“The American people don’t want this law,” Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, told reporters last week. Martin said her organization would fan out to congressional town halls in August, host a series of street demonstrations and take aim at any lawmaker who won’t support repealing or defunding the law.
Asked whether the full-throttle posture of both sides bodes for an intense August, Martin said she expects “heated debate.”
“Heated debate is what the First Amendment is about, and I think that as Americans we all want peaceable debate and discussion in America — both parties, both sides.” she said. “I have every reason to expect it.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/obamacare-event-attendance-virginia-95172.html#ixzz2b8HSDGTL
Interesting how most people who are for obamacare are people who will get free healthcare.
““Heated debate is what the First Amendment is about, and I think that as Americans we all want peaceable debate and discussion in America — both parties, both sides.” she said. “I have every reason to expect it.””
There you go playing the two-party bullshit again. There are NO SIDES. Stop the “There are only two parties” crap. There are more people independent than there are Republicans and Democrats these days. We should have 100’s of political parties and people talking everywhere. Not just two groups. F**K THEM!
““If the Affordable Care Act weren’t there, we would just have to deal with it. If it means we lose all of the assets we’ve saved over our lifetime, that’s what it would be,” said Duvall, who added that she left full-time work to care for her ailing son and aging mother, who she said was on Medicare and Medicaid before passing away at 103. “I would be really panicked if it weren’t for [Obamacare]. I don’t know what he would do.””
As always there is always ONE stupid sheeple who has to give their “Cry me a river” story to justify the need to approve and enforce something that basically 80-90% of the American people OPPOSE with a passion!!! That’s not even a Democracy, let alone a Constitutional Republic form of government.
Yea, let’s all leave our full-time jobs and have the government pay for our medical bills and watch over us as we go bankrupt. At least then we can see our family members get Obamacare which will allow doctors to pull the plug on our family members whenever they feel the need to. Have you lost your FRIGGIN MIND???
Here’s an idea Mrs. Duvall. Go tell Obama to stop sending jobs overseas, stop giving all our jobs to illegal immigrants and foreigners and start allowing us to start our own businesses here in the U.S. without regulations and other Communist bullshit, since that is the REAL reason why you have no money, no healthcare and no help.
Maybe if WE THE PEOPLE had a Constitutional government that cared about its people and allowed us (without all of the Communist regulations) to have a decent job with a decent wage, we could afford medical care with our own money or even have enough savings to take off for a month in order to watch over our family members as they attempt to recover.
So, don’t pass your problems onto me because Obama ruined it for you. Go take it up with the narcissistic bastard, yourself. Leave me and WE THE PEOPLE the hell out of it!
As always there is always ONE stupid sheeple who has to give their “Cry me a river” story to justify the need to approve and enforce something that basically 80-90% of the American people OPPOSE with a passion!!!
Its always the one they exploit on the media. The one victim who makes the masses of sheep to follow. Bastardized low informed assholes make it work for these crooks. Just follow the leader. The media always so quick to report the individual to make it sound like the nation is backing and relating to her story.
They should all be confined to an island and call it obamaland. A land where guns are outlawed, can huff chemtrials all day, watch drones fly through their skies, and have police violate the innocent daily.
Duvall has No Idea that she’s being scammed by this ‘obummer-scare’ fiasco – that in the end obummer will Not make good on his propaganda and Duvall will end up paying megabucks for Nothing, just as we all will. He has lied about Everything else, why should this be any different?
‘obummer-scare’ is merely a tool to do away with alternative health options (none of which will be covered by his mess, as well as a give-away to BigPharma, BigMed, BigInsurance.
You nailed it. That is exactly what it is about. This has nothing to do with providing hellthcare to “pooooooooooor” unfortunates, and everything to do with control, guaranteeing a monopoly (actually oligopoly) to the sociopaths at Big Pharma, and the Big Insurance companies get to rape the rate payers. Anyone who doesn’t get that has not been paying attention, and has the analytical acumen of one Homer S.
We have two parties , the stalin lite party and mugabe party in the USA.
Both sides want you mesmerized , compromised or euthanized. Bleat louder sheepo’s maybe the lawdy jeebus will bring you reliefs . )
How come Obama will not get Obamacare, Diane Swinestein gets to keep her guns, and Monsanto does not allow GMO foods in their cafeteria?
And the truth shall set us free!!
And the Republican court rubber stamped this with a dubious argument because deep down, Republicans are just as eager to haver the power to force citizens to buy products from corporations.
Justice Roberts stated that it is not his duty to protect the voters from the results of the election. This man needs to be impeached from the courts. It is his damn job to protect voters from illegal legislation! Is he too ignorant to understand what a republic is? Does he really think keeping this issue alive is going to scare me into voting for republicans who won’t prosecute known violations of the law?
I am writing a letter to representatives in both parties stating that I will vote for whichever party starts investigating the scandals of the other party first. No other issue matters to me at this point. No one should be above the law. If they wont enforce the laws of our constitution, no other issue matters to me.
Had to see my Doc today (He’s actually pretty cool) anyway I was asking him if or how his practice was going to change after bocare went into effect.
He said he is not looking forward to it and isn’t going to sign up for it either.
He said it will hurt the older people on medicare first and worst, and a lot of Drs. are going to quit practicing/or quit taking medicare…..Most Drs. are going to go to a cash system of payment. We talked about that and how far behind the gov. is in paying Drs. already for medicare services ect., he is Not happy about bocare!
Yep RT, A freind of mine said that the VA said that obama care makes them not want to practice medicine. I have some others that are VA people that are sayin that they are going to get cut off of their beniffits because of obama care and the Dr.s know that it is wrong. DID OBAMA DO TOO MUCH COKE OR SOMETHING OR WHAT. I hate to say that but he is not thinking right. Maybe I am wrong but I know a few people that hink the same and they are profesional type people. Obama is one sick puppy.
Yep Digger,
I heard that about the benefits for the Vets too……….
0 is a Sick, Evil, Nasty…lower than a roach, entity…..Well no, actually worse
“Obama is one sick puppy.”
Understatement of the year, Digs. lol
“Only 1 Person Showed up for Pro-Obamacare Event in Virginia.”
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
It wasn’t me.
Me either #1. LOL 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 he is laughable isn`t he or is he a she. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 I`ll stop LOL
LOL! 🙂
Ms Duvall is in for a rude awakening. Her son will be one of the first thrown under the bus.
DSM-5 (a false science) + Obamacare + NCIC database + NSA spying + IRS = no guns, no constitutional rights, and no privacy
The Free Shit Army vs the Rule of Law.