When I arrived at the healthcare event in Hartford, Connecticut, yesterday, these Dump Dodd nuts were out there screeching about communism and socialism. Never mind that they were essentially calling Medicare, the VA and the military's Tricare Communist and Socialist:
"How come we don't just give Chris Dodd painkillers? Like a handful of them at a time! He can wash it down with Ted Kennedy's whiskey...!"
PLUS: Below the fold I have an exclusive interview with Senator Dodd from a Health care forum in Hartford yesterday.
They are now advocating FOR Sen. Dodd to commit suicide.
Yeah. They are crazy. Sorry. I couldn't wait around long enough for them to spout the communist stuff again. But many were there for this healthcare event and heard these fringe nuts and can corroborate that fact.
CTNewsjunkie has a great write up on the healthcare event and some more on the Dump Dodd crazies, and My Left Nutmeg does a great job figuring out who these Dump Dodd nuts are.
Anyways, while there I got an exclusive interview with Senator Dodd on healthcare, single payer, the public option and a bit about Senator Jeff Merkley's recent statements. Sorry if it is just a wee bit shaky... I am just an amateur. Thanks to the Connecticut State Democratic Party for sneaking me into this event
I still have a bit over an hour of video from the meeting in Hartford that I wrote about earlier to edit and process. And Yes. The first few seconds of the video is pretty darn emblematic of my skills as an interviewer... BLACKOUT!
Sadly, and though she had said she would give me few moments, I missed out on putting some questions to Rep. Rosa DeLauro because she had to go while I was interviewing Dodd.
I think you'll find the questions I put to him pretty good. The kind of of questions he probably does not typically get from others out there.
Final notes: I was even asked for a statement from a Tea Party representative there. I'll see if I can find the message on the net (might be at the Dump Dodd site?) since after making the statement in conversation he asked me to record it for him. Not sure if he agreed OR not... But he said he would put it out there unedited. We'll see.
As well, a FOX news correspondent, Shelly Sindland, took some information from me after my interview with Senator Dodd. She said she would try to send me some pics that she had. (Note: She was very kind and sent me the pics, you can view one over at here site)
What I am trying to tell you in this diary is that the crazies are out there trying to harass the politicians. We all need to get off of our asses and do something out there in the real world ourselves.
No one else is going to do it for you.
We need to overwhelm the politicians with support for reform - and I don't care whether you show up with a public option OR a single payer message - the important thing has, and always will be, that you show up and stand side by side with those trying to reform this fucked up American deathcare system.