Angry Thmomasville Citizens to Crash Healthcare Event Today

Opponents of the Democrats’ proposals for health care reform are in no mood to party.

Angry citizens are set to gather at Rep. Sanford Bishop’s office at 4:45 p.m. today. They intend to crash a celebration of Saturday’s passing of HR 3962, the “Affordable Health Care for America Act.”

Bishop is reportedly scheduled to attend rallies at each of the offices in his district today. His Thomasville office is at 137 E. Jackson St.

An e-mail circulated by the Lowndes County Democratic Party on Wednesday says, “Please contact friends, supporters, organize caravans — bring balloons, cards, signs and people to celebrate health care and the public option!”
A woman who answered the phone at the Lowndes County Democratic Party office on Thursday denied knowledge of the Thomasville party.

Martina Morgan, a member of Bishop’s Washington office, did not return a phone call by press time on Thursday. She maintains the congressman’s schedule.

Freedom Line organizer Kim Weckwert plans to be there regardless of whether Bishop shows or not. Her group posted about 30 protesters in front of his Thomasville office each day from Nov. 2-6. The Freedom Line also protested several times in July and August, drawing more than 200 people a couple of times.

“What the congressman is doing is the equivalent of celebrating winning a high school football game when he’s three points ahead in the first quarter,” Weckwert said. “The Democrats are acting like they’ve won the game, but there are still three quarters to go. The process has not been completed.

On Saturday after a 250-115 vote, Bishop said in a news release, “After months of studying the various proposals, listening to feedback from my constituents on both sides of the issue in town hall meetings, informal discussions, letters, e-mails and faxes, and after prayerful reflection, I concluded that I must support the health care reform legislation. I believe it would improve the lives of my constituents by ensuring that they have access to quality, affordable health care. HR 3962, while not perfect, makes substantial progress in this regard.”