The retired coal miner queuing in the midday sun has come to the town hall meeting with heavy political baggage. “I’ll keep my money and guns — you keep the change,” warns the badge pinned to Carl Anderson’s chest. In his hand is a banner that states simply: “Revolution is Brewing.”
He is here to protest against health reform. Mr Anderson, 70, has travelled 65 miles with seven of his friends and family to add his booming voice to the pensioners’ revolt that has shaken America in the past two weeks.
Convinced that President Obama wants to turn the country into a socialist state, starting with a nationalised health service, he hopes to hijack the political agenda.
Arlen Specter, the local Democratic Senator, is about to get an ear-bashing; his fourth in four days. Mr Anderson obliges: “I have no problem with my healthcare,” he says. “We have the best healthcare in the world. If there is anything I need, I get it.”Mr Obama’s $1 trillion (£600 billion) health reform Bill would end that, he fears. There will be rationing of treatment, and the old will bear the brunt. “They are going to start evaluating people at the age of 55,” Mr Anderson says.
Most of the roughly 1,000 people outside the community hall of Kittanning, a mining town in the Appalachian hills 50 miles north of Pittsburgh, seem to share Mr Anderson’s views, to judge by their banners. “Nobama,” says one, adorned with the skull and crossbones. “Obama lies, grandma dies,” proclaims another.
As has become the custom in the past two weeks, most do not get to air their views. The hall has 180 chairs. Inexplicably, the adjacent ice rink, which could accommodate 2,000, has been ruled out as an alternative.
By the time Mr Specter enters the hall, eight hours after the queue began to form, tempers are fraying. More than 20 police cars have swarmed to this town of 5,000 souls in case pensioners stranded outside get violent. There have been scuffles at such venues across America in recent days.
Mr Specter, a 79-year old former Republican who defected to the Democrats this year, struggles to speak above the boos and shouts of “liar”. He begins by trying to rebut rumours, circulated by libertarian groups via chain e-mails, blogs and talk-show hosts, that the reformed Medicare health insurance scheme would subsidise abortions.
He tells the audience that the cost of treatment is soaring and at this rate soon even a country as rich as the US will have to make hard choices. A health plan that cost $5,500 ten years ago will now cost $12,000 a year.
Asked what will happen if the system is not reformed, Mr Specter says bluntly: “The alternative is absolute disaster.” Several protesters storm out in disgust, shouting insults.Mr Specter acknowledges that Mr Obama may be going too far, too fast. “Change is awesome. Change brings uncertainty. I think a lot of people are afraid,” he says.
Mr Obama has not flinched so far. Last night he was holding his own town hall meeting at Bozeman, Montana, offering a passionate defence of his crammed agenda.
Mr Specter’s visit passes off without physical violence this time, but, with mid-term elections looming, he is left in no doubt about the mood of the country. “I shall be reporting to Washington what the temperature is,” he tells his tormentors as he winds up the debate. “About 235 fahrenheit” — well above boiling point already.
Source:The times
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