Rep. Kirk Stocks Town Hall With Supporters, Claims Only 7 Million Uninsured Americans

Source: huffington post

Representative Mark Kirk's (R-IL) August 24 health care town hall in Arlington Heights, Illinois may have been a little different than the gatherings most of us have been hearing about. There were no swastikas; no guns that anyone saw or reported. There was no shouting about death panels and no violence except for a man standing next to me who seemed determined to push me down the step I was standing on so he could brandish his anti-reform sign for news cameras.

Why so calm?

Kirk had sent an email to his supporters instructing them to come hours before the event and reserve seats in the small meeting room. Health Care reformers and undecided constituents who did not know to come hours early were largely left out. To appear to open up the event to all, Kirk added a second meeting just after the initial one, but that event required a ticket, and tickets were handed out mostly to supporters. So, for both sessions, the room was heavily stacked in Kirk's favor. In fact, many questioners were on a first name basis with the aid who was holding the microphone for the question and answer session. ....

At one point a man from Wheeling, IL, a town in Kirk's district, took the mic. He was one of the few pro-reform attendees who got to ask a question and he was passionate about the need for the public option. The man told Congressman Kirk that he had been a small business owner, but he lost his business in the economic downturn. As he was an independent business owner, he was not eligible for COBRA benefits and he was in no pool. He told Kirk that he was not looking for a handout, just a chance to purchase insurance from a pool like the public option at the same rate corporate employees pay. The man became so emotional it seemed that he was almost begging the Congressman to reconsider the public option. Without addressing the issue, Kirk turned back to his podium and continued with his presentation.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/28/rep-kirk-excludes-health_n_271343.html

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This turned into a total disappointment. Are we sure this guy is a Democrat?

He has hopes in 2010 for the Senate seat occupied at present by Mr. Burris.

:blush:

In the last campaign, his commercials nowhere uttered or showed the word 'Republican'....

As righties go, Kirk is certainly not the worst, but IL is NOT going to have a Republican senator for quite some time. The roster of quality Democrats is way too deep.

The number, btw is 52 million plus by 2010.

Peer Reviewed journal source: Health Affairs: http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2009/06/02/52-million-uninsured-americans-by-2010/