Local clash mirrored by national protests, fights over health care
by bill lambrecht blambrecht@post-dispatch.com 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.
snip//
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?OpenDocumentOh, and then there's this...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8571742Claire McCaskill Tweets That The Mobs Are Not Manufactured