Protesters march on President Obama health care forum in Portsmouth New Hampshire

[dockerduk]

Who is manning all the shortwave radios in their basements?

[lou4less]

American can't read can't hear and will not tolerate listening to anyone they don't like .what part of" keep the policy you have " do they think cost the most ?? Is this protest being paid for with Health Insurance dollars??? I wonder because nothing else makes sense .

[tomestubbs]

A bunch of really stupid people voting against their best interests. Most of them were old enough for Medicare, Gee that would make them hypocrites! It is interesting dealing w these stupid fucks on a daily basis.

[ghisfrederic]

They all look OLG and BORED. But to see them carrying these boards is just funny.

[patswickedpissah]

I was there, inside. I'm a critic of the plan particularly its financials. as to the crowd outside, the pro plan people were well funded and had professionally manufactured signs, stickers and paraphanelia while those opposed were a rag tag bunch of citizens there of their own volution. So who is 'astroturfing'?

[dhills123]

obama won, he's our president. Dont like it? MOVE AWAY

[shigatsuningen]

does this sound familiar to you?

"There can be no place for freedom of speech, press, and so on for the foes of socialism."

Andrei Vyshinsky (1883-1954), Stalin's chief prosecutor The Law of the Soviet State (1948)

[tonylee1973]

come and make us

[russetsshadow]

Good grief dhills..move away? Hell no, the elections are just around the corner hun ...2010...and I plan on voting . =) History tells us how short the Dems time will be, just look back to Jimmy Carter and his crew...or Bill Clinton and his Congress.They always try to change to much and tell us whats best for us, then they lose.

[tomestubbs]

And then we'll have a good old fashioned Theocratic fascist state like we did w/ W. Republicans R just so repulsive and ignorant. The only reason why they take over is because of the emmense amount of power and $ they have to manipulate reterded people like yourself.

[russetsshadow]

#1 I am NOT a Republican, I did not vote for "W", nor am I Christian Obama isn't any better than Bush. They both feel government should hold way more power than the Constitution gives them. I've read the Constitution , the Federalist Papers, and many other history books . This is another power grab by the Executive branch, and I have a problem with it! All that $ we have comes from yard sale fundraisers and my pocketbook. And, PS learn to spell and others might actually take you seriously.

[vironydc]

Just because he won doesn't mean we should roll over and blindly accept his proposals. What makes America so great is that we have the RIGHT to protest our elected officials. And to all the people who thinks this is fake, you better take a closer look. These are people who live in NH as opposed to the MA union people bused in who are paid. I know quite a few of my friends that took time off from work to protest. If I didn't have a job interview, I'd be there as well.

[tomestubbs]

Thats right but the point here is that you do not know what U r talking about! People have to become informed not authoritarian followers of the privatized health care industry. Damn it is embarrassing 2 C these people protest against their own interests. Look @ the facts please!

[vironydc]

@tomestubbs: I'm sorry, but the one that needs to look at facts is you. I'm a minority that has not been paid to do or say anything by the insurance companies. I'm an Independent Conservative Constitutionalist that takes what both sides say, research them, then come to my own conclusions. Don't allow yourself to be spoon fed by the Obama Administration or the media. I've looked at the bills in the House and Senate and the only one I like is the one proposed by the Republicans.

[tomestubbs]

I'm not sorry, because I am informed and U r telling me that you read all three bills of which have not been made available yet and have to be amalgamated into a complete bill. So you looked at 1000 plus pages of arcane legalese does not mean that you understood what you saw. Perhaps reading it instead or not taking talking points from a privatized Health care PR agent(s) or their paid for servants. Where are your sources? prove it!

[vironydc]

Now you're insulting my intelligence? If you were as informed as you say, then how come you said three bills when there are 8 in the House and Senate and 3 more that have not been proposed yet. Also, this information is available under the Freedom of Information Act. By trying to win your argument through insults, you have lost my respect and by your use of poor grammar, you don't deserve any. Go and google "health reform proposals" and one of the sites listed is the Kaiser Family Foundation.

[tomestubbs]

So I got U to look at it rather than just saying U looked at it. That's a start. I would not trust what Kaiser, United, cigna or any other private profit Health care proposal as anything more than to benefit the CEO's and maintaining the status quo! As for insulting your intelligence, if ad hominem remarks R tossed @ me then U should expect the same. My personal opinion is that it Medicare should be expanded and we get rid of privatized Health care. Lobbyists corrupt everything.

[vironydc]

My main problem with many of the health proposals is that health care coverage is mandatory or you face financial penalties when you file your taxes. Massachusetts mandatory coverage is one of the reasons I left the state. And shockingly enough, some of these bills do have tax increases on the employer and/or employee. I agree with you in that lobbyist do corrupt. And you didn't get me to look. I've been looking at this issue even before the August Congressional Recess.

[tomestubbs]

That's the part I do not like. Really it should be expanded Medicare, or HR676 proposed by Kucinich. $ should diverted away from the vast military budget that sucks us dry. My apologies for making assumptions about your research. Single payer should be like the Canadian model not a sell out to the privatized Health care industrial complex.

[vironydc]

I have to apologize to you as well for making assumptions about you. What I like about HR676 is that it rolls up Medicare and Medicaid into one program and tries to transform for-profit insurers into not-for-profit. But the additional taxes is what concerns me. I'm okay with the top 5% bracket being taxed higher and the Medicare and Medicaid funds being moved over to the USNHC Fund, but increased progressive payroll and stock and bond trading taxes, to me, will hurt the economy.

[tomestubbs]

vironydc. Would it hurt the economy more than the burden created by the privatized system? We pay 3 times as much for health care than the other first world countries, yet do not get the care they do. The many who R not protected at all usually wind up in emergency for something that could have been dealt with early on and our taxes will pay for it. What about all of the bankruptcies caused by crappy coverage, and the loss of homes? Cost would be reduced by getting rid of adds, lobbying & CEO$.

[vironydc]

I think decreasing the private insurance industry's CEOs' pay is better than increasing the burden on other business sectors. Many small business would be either hurt or have to close shop if taxes go up for them. Investors won't trade as much if the taxes on transactions goes up too much. I've heard of people coming to the US because we have the best health care. But there are areas we need to streamline to bring the costs down. Innovation is often times driven by profit, necessity, or both.

[tomestubbs]

And the Privatized health care (HC) industry spends about $3 million a day on advertisements, promotions and bureaucracy. I think that profit motive can be a real conflict of interest if they consider dropping someones HC or deny them HC just to increase the bottom line! We have the best health care for those who can afford it at this point.

[vironydc]

If the government gets more involved with running health care, the bureaucracy will only get worse, not better. Our government is horrible with doing things efficiently. I'm for health care reform, but not at the urgency that our leaders are going at. They need to slow down and really put together a plan that preserves patients' rights, streamlines the health care industry, is not mandatory, and will not increase our deficit. Right now, most of these plans will increase the deficit.

[tomestubbs]

Medicare and other so-called socialized government business works on about half the cost and bureaucracy as privatized businesses who by the way are usually "publicly subsidized private profit corporations" as Chomsky put it. As for the latter part I agree with you in part. We need a plan that is not compromised by lobbyists, pork-barreling etc.

[slicbro]

A bunch of lobby paid un-educated citizens masquerading as a grass roots opposition. Thank god the media is calling them out for what they truly are. Fake. Just like the tea party protesters.

[biukucanoe]

The fake people were the paid union organizers who were bused in with identical printed signs. Who are the liars in this when those accusing of astroturfing are doing the astroturfing?

[slicbro]

Their not the one's masquerading as some sort of grass roots organization. They are a special interest group who are merelly interested in a public health care program to keep their companies from going broke. It is one thing to call yourself a special interest like the unions, and another to mask yourself into something your not like these nitwits.

[Silvermagick]

My god I wish I was paid to do that. But I wasn't what a shame, perhaps next time I'll go to Obama's side and get payed. Perhaps I'll even get a sign being handed out, payed for by your taxes!

[tomestubbs]

Good point! These elderly welfare people were paid to serve the vested interests of the rich. They will not be around 20 or so years from now, so where does that leave our children?

[Silvermagick]

Ha man I was in front thanks for thinking I was well dressed. :p

[billymbutler]

Live free and die!!! Nothing European LOLOL!!! Not like most Americans are from Europe.

[madzion50]

lets see.. black president , NOT one single minority of any kind in that group that pass. i guess that sums up all you need to know.

[Silvermagick]

It doesn't matter what color I am, I will fight for what I believe is right.

[tomestubbs]

As stupid and uninformed you R U have that right. I'm tired of dealing w the United States of Amnesia. U R all so stupid!

[Silvermagick]

Figure out English, please, then get back to me.

[Silvermagick]

Violent? Man, I am vegetarian. haha Ignorance baby!

[tomestubbs]

I never actually hit people, the thought of damaging another person repels me. I was a bit extreme in venting my anger. Sorry about that. I was in a weird place last night. You R a vegetarian, what does that have to do with anything?

[Silvermagick]

You were saying how we were violent people. I am about as calm as people not on drugs get, plus I'm vegetarian. If that's the epitome of violent then I need a new dictionary. Mr. Webster lied to me.

[tomestubbs]

My apologies for such a sweeping generalization. I should kno0w better than to make prejudicial statements. It was out of line and against my better judgement.

[russetsshadow]

These are people who live here, in Mass and Maine. Not a big minority population living here.Does that mean we have less of an opinion?Here's a clue,1/2 my family is black. I have no problem with Obama's color, I do have a problem with the Federal government taking powers that are NOT theirs to take. No place in the Constitution's enumerated powers does it give them the right to do this and if the power is NOT given to the Federal government then it falls under the purview of the 10th amendment

[DigiLusionist]

Wow. That was a lot of pissed off Americans. Good. We the People need to do more of this.

[hdrakegibson]

These people are definately part of an astro turf rally, fake protesters, radical mobs paid to march,etc..etc.. I mean look how well dressed they are...

[imbubba56]

These don't sound like the people he let inside the town hall meeting.

[CourtneysAuntSara]

well gosh this looks like an angry mop to me.