A few fellow Patriots, along with myself, attended by invitation, an Organizing for America, Montgomery AL listening tour. There were about 70-80 attendees, with about half in opposition to Government intervention into our health care and decision making with our physicians. Which translates in Democratic language as rich, greedy and uncaring people that do not like to share. Sad, sad, sad. The Organizer was a nice young lady and she had an RN assisting her.
The RN told us the nurses association was for health care reform, but the best I could glean from her conversation is that nurses should be used as physicians. Which actually backs up what my Doctor and I discussed about his worries, he is a Democrat and is concerned about the current bill, that he would have to increase his daily volume of patients to the point where if I am lucky if I will be able to see him, much less have a conversation or continue a pretty good Doctor/patient relationship as far as we are both concerned. But the most likely scenario would be that I would see a nurse or nurse practitioner. Deteriorating a working relationship.
That is about all I gleaned from the nurses talking points. Someone else may have gotten something I missed.
The mission of the OFA is to advance the principles of Obama's agenda's concerning health care and other things. These can be found on the website, www.barackobama.com. The three principles of health care are reducing costs, insurance costs and access to quality health care.

I made a comment and asked a question. My comment was, A good salesperson knows and understands the product, how can I sell someone something if I don't understand what I am talking about? I thought this was a good question, pretty neutral and something every one would want to know. A lady replied something like this: The people don't need to know/understand the issue, they just need to know they can get insurance and be covered. Something about walking in someone else' shoes before you make judgements, you can be more compassionate, or some other platitude. I thought a legitimate question before you try talking to someone so you don't make an idiot out of yourself or lose credibility was common sense. I have walked in shoes of which she knows nothing and I am compassionate, but I believe charity begins at home, in the church and the community. Charity at the point of coercion from guilt, taxation or a gun is not charity, it is theft. I did not voice that aloud.

Some of the dissenters were going back to talking about what is in the bill, the organizer asked how many people have read the bill and seemed surprised to see a pretty good show of hands, mostly, probably all were the opposition.

She did keep insisting we were not there to discuss the issues, but to discuss how to organize in our communities to gain public support of the issue. She would not discuss the issues other to say the talking points are on the website.

One lady stood up and told us about having to take her children out of All Kids plan and use Medicaid forcing her to use Doctors on the West side that are not as good as the East side Doctors. I guess she and the rest missed the irony that we'll all be facing her "West Side Doctors", but worse than that, she insulted the system that most likely gave her "West side" Doctors race based preference and leaving out some one that could have been better suited and more qualified. I think most people missed that as well.
One l
ady suggested making weekend voter registration drives in heavily populated areas.

We were broken into groups to discuss how to get people out to support Obama's agenda. I kid you not, Obama's agenda. I have been cautioning people not to use his name as we don't need negative press and to try to prove that Congress should be putting the reins on the President. Something they have not done in years.

I am proud to say our group gave the best suggestion and that was to get out to see Bobby Bright tomorrow. We heard he would be at The Barber Shop on Carter Hill Rd. at 2:00 PM. I hope we got that right, I really hate to pass on incorrect information. Of course, we are telling everyone else about being there to greet Congressman Bright. We will find out if at all possible if this information is correct and we'll pass it along as soon as possible.

One thing the organizer and others in support of Obama's agenda's kept going to is "they (the opposition) are spreading fear and misinformation about the health care plan. If you hear of someone or read something you think is against Obama's plans email the organizer and she will pass it along.

The local Democratic Headquarters are taking talking points and marching orders from Washington DC.
The paper I brought home clearly states in a box on the bottom: Paid for by Organizing for America, a Project of the Democratic National Committee-430 South Capitol St. SE, Washington DC, 2003?. This Communication is not Authorized by any Candidate or Candidate's Committee. Printed in house. It has the Obama Logo on the Top of the page, so I do not see how it could have been printed in 2003, that must be a typo. You go to the website for the talking points.

The Solution

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Reform the health care system:

We will take steps to reform our system by expanding coverage, improving quality, lowering costs, honoring patient choice and holding insurance companies accountable.
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Promote scientific and technological advancements:

We are committed to putting responsible science and technological innovation ahead of ideology when it comes to medical research. We believe in the enormous capacity of American ingenuity to find cures for diseases that continue to extinguish too many lives and cause too much suffering every year.
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Improve preventative care:

In order to keep our people healthy and provide more efficient treatment we need to promote smart preventative care, like cancer screenings and better nutrition, and make critical investments in electronic health records, technology that can reduce errors while ensuring privacy and saving lives.

I have found no talking points that sell the issue to the people, just what you see above. The work of the citizens to get the agenda through, but no clear idea of what the agenda is or how we'll pay for it. Just know this, your rights will come from Government and not God and Nature's Law.

Local media via CBS covered the event and I missed watching it while writing this, but I'm sure I'll get a chance to see it again.

My final thoughts on the event. We are clearly divided by those who care about the issues and those that want something for nothing no matter what the cost to Americans.
I like knowing both sides of an issue before I make a decision. They keep preaching education, but there is no clear plan or effort for true education at least as far as I can see. Where are the facts? This group clearly could not give educated answers as to why the proposed Obama plan is better than open markets, small business with pooling with other small business to provide better and less expensive insurance. Did not know what interstate policy purchasing was. Did not seem to think aids reading the bills instead of those that will actually vote was a big deal. Could not offer one convincing point to me that we should get anyone to support the Obama agenda. Rather, I thought that Government education and entitlements will continue to close open and honest dialogue and there is not much hope of either side of the issue agreeing on whether reform is needed and what type of reform will be in the best interest of the taxpayer, patients, doctors and individual liberties.
The nurses and hospital associations will be sure to gain as the nurses will be used in roles they did not have to pay to be educated and hospitals will not bear the brunt of treating the uninsured. One could argue that insurance costs may be lowered due to hospitals not bearing that brunt, but no one has a plan other than borrowing more money to implement a medical system based on Canadian and European models of which the citizens of those countries are not fond.

I hope to see you at The Barber Shop on Carter Hill Road at 2:00, Friday, August 07.
Donna