Local Teabagger Bites Man Story

Here in Cincy, Democratic Rep. Steve Driehaus got ambushed by the teabaggers at his town hall meeting yesterday in West Price Hill.

Hundreds of supporters and critics of a proposed health-care reform plan swarmed an Avondale church Monday evening, nearly drowning out a discussion of the issue led by U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus.

Driehaus, the Democrat from West Price Hill, was heckled on several occasions by those opposed to the reform plans proposed by Democrats and President Barack Obama. Organizers at one point refused to let more people into First Unitarian Church on Linton Street for the forum organized by the Women’s City Club of Greater Cincinnati.

They eventually moved the event to a bigger room and opened an overflow area with a “one out, one in” policy to manage the crowd.

One member of the Woman’s City Club said she had been fielding calls all week about the event but still didn’t expect such a large turnout.

That still left several dozen people outside and short tempers inside.

“Tell the truth!” one onlooker shouted as Driehaus explained the various bills before Congress. “Oh, give me a break!” another one shouted.

“I know some people would like a single-payer system and some would like no change at all,” Driehaus said. “I get that.”

Driehaus said he was glad that the House adjourned this week without passing a bill, but said Congress would take up reform again upon returning to Washington this fall.

“We have the most expensive health-care system in the world,” he said. “We’ve got the best medical system in the world, if you can afford to pay for it.”

Fielding calls all week about the event...I wonder from who? Somebody was certainly prepared to lay into Driehaus yesterday, and made sure they were able to strike. Driehaus won pretty comfortably here in OH-1 last year (the district includes the western three-fourths of Cincy out to the Indiana state line) but West Price Hill is pretty much the reddest part of Cincy proper, working class Catholic, white, and very conservative. Still, all indications are this was pretty well organized and the GOP had no trouble recruiting folks to harass Driehaus.

As I said earlier, Team Obama isn't getting boots on the ground right now, or if they do, they're getting shouted down or worked by the Village refs.

So, if you want health care reform, it's time for YOU to make a difference. Find out when your Representative is having a town hall meeting on the issues. Go out there and make some noise...especially in Republican districts. Here in KY-4 I may just have to drop by Geoff Davis's office and see what he's planning...