The Obama Health Care Backlash

Obama's first big healthcare event since protests began...

The president is trying to grab back the initiative on his $1 trillion-plus healthcare plan from critics who have helped stoke public anger against his top domestic priority.

The increasingly bitter debate has dragged down Obama's once-lofty approval ratings.

The White House hopes the behavior at Obama's meeting will be less raucous and more civil than public forums held by some Democratic members of Congress, where some people in the crowd screamed and shouted to drown out the speakers.

DANGER

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 30% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-seven percent (37%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -7 (see trends). Forty-five percent (45%) give the President good or excellent marks for leadership.

'No He Can't!' Anti-Obama Trinkets Explode in Sales...

The Cafepress.com store, a cultural barometer of sorts for political and social expression, offers about 3 million Obama products, she said, but now is up to about 1 million that are "anti-Obama-oriented," reflecting a "significant shift in the last couple of months than what was the trend a year ago."

Pro-Obama gear is still selling well, she said, "but now we're seeing a much larger swing toward the critical designs. It will be lighthearted as commentary on his gaffes as in 'Acted Stupidly,' " a play on his remarks about the Cambridge, Mass., police officer who arrested Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., "or with folks reacting to headlines or what is going on with the economy."

The political change in memorabilia mirrors the public-opinion divide on Mr. Obama as he moves to reform health care and attempts to revive the economy.

Obamacare, page 838: 'Home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children'...

Dirty secret No. 1 in Obamacare is about the government's coming into homes and usurping parental rights over child care and development.

It's outlined in sections 440 and 1904 of the House bill (Page 838), under the heading "home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting
children." The programs (provided via grants to states) would educate parents on child behavior and parenting skills.

The bill says that the government agents, "well-trained and competent staff," would "provide parents with knowledge of age-appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor domains ... modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting practices," and "skills to interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development."

VIDEO: Sen. Specter Shouted Down Over Health Care...

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) was shouted down at a health care town hall meeting. The man accused Specter of having his pockets stuffed with money from lobbyists.

"One day God is going to stand before you and he's going to judge you and the rest of your damn cronies up on the Hill and then you will get your just deserts," the man said.

ANGER: FATHER OF HANDICAPPED SON SHOUTS DOWN CONGRESSMAN...VIDEO...

As Dingell opened the forum, Mike Sola of Milan interrupted the congressman as he pushed his son, Scott, in a wheelchair, to the podium. He said proposed changes wouldn’t help Scott and called Dingell a fraud.

DAD CLAIMS THREATS AFTER TOWNHALL...



Lawmakers try to tone down health care town halls...

Angry crowds have put many lawmakers on the defensive as they try to talk about health care with their constituents, leading some to replace public forums with teleconferences or step up security to keep protesters at bay.

The disturbances come at a critical time as lawmakers—mostly Democrats—return home for the August recess and host the meetings to boost support to overhaul the nation's costly health care system.

I don't know, maybe they should listen to the people, and stop trying to force their socialist medical program down our throats. This is supposed to be a representative democracy, and the people have clearly spoken. To all the cowards in Washington, we say NO to Obamacare.