Transcript: Arlen Spector Town Hall

**I apologize this took so long to post, but I wanted to make sure I got it as right as possible and it is a very long document (about an hour's airtime)

Also - sorry for spelling errors, Blogger's spellcheck wasn't working quite right for some reason - did some but not all of the post.

I was watching the recording I made of Glenn Beck this morning (yesterday's program ... hubby is reading his book but can't stand to hear the guy talk ... so I have to watch it while he's at work - have to love the DVR), and when I switched back to FoxNews they were live with a town hall meeting ... so here is what little bit of the transcript I've got:

[opens with man being asked to leave after becoming very disruptive ... and I have to say that most of the questions I've seen have an angry tone to them, btw]

Arlen Spector {AS}: You want to leave ...

UKN man: [garbled]

AS: ... then leave

UKN: ... because your people told me I could! I called your office and I was told I could have the mic to speak. And then I was lied to because I came prepared to speak [man waves folded pages] and instead you wouldn't let anybody speak ... you handed out, what, 30 cards ? I got news for you! You and your cronies in the government to this kind of stuff all the time ...Well I don't care [crowd erupts into applause] how damned crooked you are ... I'm not a lobbyist with all kinds of money to stuff in your pocket so you can cheat the citizens of this country [man begins to gasp or air & thoughts] so I'll leave to you can do whatever the hell you please to do! One day God is going to stand before you [editorial: can I roll my eyes now?] and He's going to judge you and the rest of your damn clonies [sic] on the Hill! [audience breaks into applause again] ... and then you will get your just desserts [some members of audience began shouting 'bye bye' at the man] I'm leavin'!

AS: Okay - okay, we've just had a demonstration of democracy [editorial: nice save!] When the gentleman says he is dissatisfied with the procedure we have to figure out some way to figure out how to have an orderly procedure. An hour and a half is a fair amount of time ... and we had a lot of notice that there would be a lot of people here ... and we had his comment and I made a decision that though he did not have a card to let him speak his piece, but if he wanted to leave he has the right to leave, but when he says I'm trampling on constitutional rights I have to disagree with him. I'm encouraging constitutional rights ... I'm encouraging constitutional rights by coming to Lebanon to talk to my constituents. I could be somewhere else, I don't get any extra pay, I don't have any requirement to be here...but for somebody [crowd begins to shout and interject] ... Okay, ... well I am reporting to you ... okay .... number 4 ... young lady you have the floor.

#4: I do not want to pay on a health care plan that includes the right for a woman to kill her unborn baby ... [audience begins to applaud] ... is it true that this plan is in the Health Care Bill?

AS: The question is "will there be payments for abortions in the healthcare bill?" [asker nods her head, so she agrees with his summery] well first of all, we don't have a bill in the senate as I said ... [crowd mumbles] ... and what we are looking toward is to have both options where if you want to have a healthcare plan that doesn't have payment for abortions you can have that one where you will not be charged for somebody who has an abortion - now if you want a different healthcare plan where you can have payment for an abortion and you pay for it, because it will be a little bigger premium ... you have the choice [editorial: again rolling eyes, like they are going to have a choice for ever controversial thing - there will be one plan and you know it, don't lie] of one plan or the other so nobody, nobody, has to be in a plan that has to pay for somebody else's abortion. Who has number 5? Yes sir

#5: President Obama has stated more than once that his goal is to have a single payer system ... [editorial: nice voice!] Are you for a single-payer system and will you vote for a bill that would make a single payer system either thru the bill or in the future?

AS: I'm prepared to keep single payer on the table as a matter of consideration and flexibility [mixed reaction of light clapping and boos from crowd] I believe that when we are in the formative stage of figuring out what to do that we ought to consider every option and we ought to hear the people out ... I know the public opinion polls are high in favor of single payer [editorial: where is he getting that from? I guess it depends on where they are getting their polls taken] I know that [crowd answers with very loud boo-ing] Okay [crowd starts yelling opposing reaction to Spector] .. okay ... I guess you can get a poll about any way you want it, but my idea is to keep the public option on the table, to keep single-payer on the table, to get a sense in America as we are going to be debating this all month in meetings like these and figure out what the American people would like to have. So I'm flexible ... who has number 6?

#6: I love you buddy, but that's okay. Senator thanks for being here today - I appreciate that ... I reviewed 3200 best I could [editorial: that sounds like a House bill number to me] to me it is obviously written with the assumption that government has the right to control our lives from pre-birth to death, for that reason it is not worth considering, it not worth modifying, it not worth amending, it needs to be dumped totally ... [audience applauds & cheers] ... I believe the polls show that most people are happy with their health care ... [Spector has crossed his arms at this point] ... but there's a few problems, the illegals shouldn't even be here ... [cheers from the audience, covering what some of the question was] ... I would ask Congress to do something to send them home so we don't have to deal with that, there are people who don't want to pay for coverage then let them pay for the service when they get the service, we shouldn't have to provide for that [audience claps] ... there are some people who are both evidently they would like to have care but they are unable, President Bush used to say "help those who can't help themselves" Lets focus on those minor problems, focus on tort reform, lets focus on helping people [crowd erupts in cheers and clapping] carry their coverage over to a new job, but leave us alone, that's all we would ask, leave us alone [crowd cheers]. I would like to ask you today if you would commit to working on those problems rather than throwing everything into turmoil?

AS: Well, I, would I commit to working on those problems and not throwing everything into turmoil ... that's a pretty generalized statement that I can agree with ...

#6: [unintelligible & off screen]

AS: ... stay in touch? I'll be back next year, but if I'm re-elected I'll be back the year after that [crowd boos and rumbles]. Who has number 7?

#7: Thank you for coming Arlen Spector ...

AS: well let me answer more fully [#7 sits back down] I don't want to see turmoil, you don't want to see turmoil, we want to have a sensible answer. We have a series of problems, and we want to take them out one-by-one and we want to figure out what the problem is and what is the way that, uh, we should deal with them in a democracy. [audience makes comments that are inaudible] not familiar with 3400, let me move on to #7 ...

#7: okay, [sigh], I am a republican, but first and foremost I'm a conservative, I don't believe that this is just about health care, its not about TARP, its not about 'left' and 'right', this is about the systematic dismantling of this country ... [editorial: she's getting mad, her face is getting a bit red and she's getting animated arm movements!] ... I'm only 35 yrs old, I never have been interested in politics, you have awakened the sleeping giant! we are tired of this, this is why everybody in this room is so ticked off ... [points around room] ... I don't want this country turning into Russia, turning into a socialized country ... [editorial: Russia isn't socialist, its communist ... WW2 Germany was socialist] ... my question for you is ... [crowd roars with applause] ... what are you going to do to restore this country back to what our Forefather's created according to the Constitution? {man with mic walks away but she continues with her comments and crowd cheers wildly, getting to its feet} ... [random man in audience yelled 'take that to Washington!"]

AS: Well, [he walks away from #7 turning his back on her] ... there are a few people who didn't stand up and applaud but not too many, I get a fairly firm message from the support you have young lady ... [editorial: he always calls the girls 'young lady' and the guys 'sir' ... why is that? it reminds me of when dad used to bawl me out ... 'listen here, young lady' ... why isn't he addressing them as 'ma'am' with equal respect?] ... when you ask me to defend the constitution, that's what I've been, uh, doin' ... [crowd boos loudly]

#7: ... what? the congress should be [AS walked away from her so mic could not pick up rest of her words] ... right now ...

AS: We've had warrantless wiretaps that I have objected to ... we've had signing statements that have undercut what the legislature has passed ... we've had supreme court nominees who I have insisted follow the constitution and not make law ... but in our, in our, but in our social compact [editorial: left that in because he sounds so much like Foghorn Leghorn there] ...we have a provision to see to it that, uh, we take care of people who need some help ...

#7: but the good hearts of people will do that. God the Father .... [editorial: rolling my eyes again - like anyone's God cares a rat's butt about politics!] ...

AS: ... we have many people who are in need of assistance on health care, I have a number of people with me today who have very tragic stories to tell about their own situation, but we want to maintain constitutional law and I'm committed to do that. Next number? is number 8? [looks at watch ... editorial: is it getting too hot for you Senator? oh look he's SnagglePuss now, 'exit stage right"] ...

#8 is skipped and they go on to #9

#9: [mic man refused to give up mic to speaker, hmmm, harder to turn off that way I guess] ... thank you for coming Senator, we appreciate you coming to visit, showing the courage, the people who had sent you to Washington - the Republicans - I'd like to ask you a question [crowd breaks into laughter and applause] ... could I, could I see a show of hands in the room please, that sharing our views with our elected officials is unAmerican? I just want to see a show of hands of of people ...

mic-man: question please ...

#9: yes I do, yeah ...

AS: give him the mic, just let him ... yeah [editorial: I like that - it showed balls!] [mic man walked away with the mic so Spector gave the guy his OWN mic == applaud, applaud]

#9: ... thank you Senator ... can I see a show of hands of people who believe we have the right to share our views with our elected officials? [everyone in audience and even Spector raise their hand] .. all right, take that to Nancy Pelosi! I would like to state that I am in opposition of this health care, the government hasn't done anything right ... one of our Pennsylvanians last week asked you the question that with the results of Social Security, bankrupt - Medicare, bankrupt - Medicaid, bankrupt - your taking our kids future [interjection from crowd] ... post office ... you're taking our kids future and driving it right into the toilet. We can not afford this - period. Keep the government out of it, we are doing just fine. thank you, sir [cheers and applause]

[editorial: I hate to say it, but as nice as it is that you are doing fine, there are plenty of people who are not doing well at all]

AS: well I have made a commitment here today, earlier that I will not vote for a plan that adds to the deficient. Next question, #10.

mic-man: sorry guys, sorry, wait ...

#10: I want to tell you Senator that I have spent two weeks on my own trying to read that bill and trying to understand it [editorial: I assume he is speaking of the 3200 bill from earlier ... I have a feeling this is going to come up a lot during this thing] ... its like a Russian novel ... and yet in the bill itself it says many times that requirement for 'plain language' and I can cite you the pages and line numbers cause I've had it up on the computer, its very difficult to understand ... [editorial: which is why congressmen/woman don't read it themselves they pay people to read it and summarize it all for them ... it is written so that lawyers can understand it and find loop-holes] ... very difficult this is the most important bill in my lifetime and my grand-daughter will pay for this bill in its present form, whatever form that is in terms of H.R. 3200, I have three very important concerns which I think for sure. One is, Obama talks about $600 Billion, the Congressional Budget Office talks about $1.1TRILLION, I have spent 40 yrs in government and I have never seen a program come in at the right price and stay at that price [editorial: he got very animated] . Secondly, although that bill says nothing about abortion or reproductive rights, I have read that very carefully, there are 9 amendments in the senate and the house that have attempted to prevent taxpayer funding in that bill rejected - Senator Colburn, Senator Hack, Senator Mugosky, and Representatives Pitts and Gingred -- they've all been rejected ... you know what the bill does say? and I can cite you the page and number, there will be no health care until you are born - while the baby is in the mother, sppft, we don't count that as a person, I can cite the page and the number, Medicaid and CHIP will only cover "at the time of birth" [some lady start yelling from other side of room, can't tell what she said though] ...

AS: ... go, go, go ahead...

#10: by the way, these are not talking points - these are my own - and I just have one other thing ... I have spent 35 yrs in Information Technology [editorial: computers for those who don't know] I've read this bill very closely, you about to concentrate more information about more Pennsylvanians and Americans in this bill in one place, in the computers of Washington [DC], than has ever occurred - in fact the CBO, Congressional Budget Office, says it gives you the right to enter using the Internal Revenue Service [IRS], page 58 talks about us entering our own accounts, because financial responsibility has to be ascertained, my final comment is that Massachusetts has tried something like this... Tennessee has tried something like this ... why don't we take a look at what has worked and what has failed there, and maybe start it in a blue state, give it all we got in one state, but don't concentrate all this power in the bureaucrats and their computers in Washington. You'll be gone, by God the bureaucrats will still be there - we don't know their names, we don't know their faces, but they will be making our decisions for us and for my children. {standing ovation}

AS: when you raise a question as to cost, I can only repeat the commitment not to add to the deficit; when you talk about abortion, the law in Ameri... the law in the United States, its the Hyde amendment, says that public monies can not be used for abortions ...

[inaudible comment from audience]

AS: ... let me respond to your points. The senate bill has not yet been written, I do not believe there will be any change in the Hyde amendment, this little lady asked a question about whether people would have to pay in a health plan for somebody else's abortion, the answer is no for the reasons I gave her; when you talk about Massachusetts, we're studying their plan very closely; with respect to privacy, we will do everything we can to stop people from breaking into the files.
Number 11? [boos and jeers from crowd]

#11: Good morning Senator ...

AS: 'Morning

#11: My name is Joe and I'm a public school teacher. I am looking at the Sunday Patriot News, Sunday August 2, front page, "reading the bills requires expertise" ... one of my roles as a teacher and educator is to teach my children how to think, how to read, and how to understand, and over a hundred years ago we had a gentleman who was a Republican at Gettysburg say "We will provide the understanding government OF the people, BY the people, FOR the people shall not parish from the Earth" [crowd applauds]. The Harrisburg Patriot says, and they cite this HR3200, which in my opinion is a complete hocus-pocus mumble-jumble, here's an article ... "section 1834a, section 7aiii, the social security act..." and it goes on. Senator - since this Laurel & Hardy team has been in Washington there hasn't been a thing written in the House, in the Senate, that we as average Pennsylvanians, average Americans, can read and understand without having a team of ten, like you claim you have, to read and understand and interrupt what has done. The last bill, Cap and Trade, was , had pencil marks editing. Senator, if you wish to be remembered in the Congress, by the American people, when you get back there sponsor legislation that requires every House and Senate bill be written in a Junior High School level - that's what we need in America today. [crowd claps]

AS: I'll try. [editorial: which I could post the smirk on his face, you know that won't fly - they don't want the average person to know what they are doing and passing until its too late] Number 12 ... [Spector starts to play with what looks like an ear piece - is he getting piped in answers?]

#12: Morning and welcome to Lebanon, PA .... I have a simple Yes or No question for you today - will you ever vote for a bill that gives non-US citizens access to a taxpayer-paid free Health Insurance or care service?

AS: [Spector hands his mic to Mic-man and fumbles with the 'ear piece' and takes mic back] i will not support a bill which gives health coverage to illegal immigrants. [crowd claps. editorial: naw, they will just change the definition of 'illegal' immigrant] Number 13? [micman helps Spector put the clip-on mic on his lapel] who has 13?

#13: Good morning ... President Obama and you have constantly stated that we'll be allowed to keep our current plans - but how can we keep them if they don't exist, more specifically - HR3200 ... [editorial: poor Spector he is getting brow beaten with this and its not even a Senate bill ... its a House bill ... but I suppose if he doesn't know what the people don't like he can't help shape the Senate bill] ... why does this bill impose a payroll tax on employers who won't use the public option? more specifically, how many Americans work for these employers with payrolls that excede $251,000 and what will happen to them when the employers drop their current coverage because they can't afford a 2 - 8% payroll penalty tax?

AS: the tax is going to be directed only to the companies which do not have health coverage ... not going to add to companies which already have health care [editorial: no Senator read it again - if the company's health plan doesn't meet or exceed the standards set by the government, they will be penalized even if they have coverage already] So that as represented, if you like your current plan you can maintain it,

(inaudible followup from #13}

AS: Let me say to ya' that I will not support a Senate bill which has that kind of a requirement. Who's got the next question? Number 14?

micman: 14? 15! 14's right there

[Spector starts fiddling with clip mic again, he can't get the dang thing on]

#14: Hi, my name is Marilyn Bogarde and I am from Lebanon and thank you so much for coming ... I appreciate it, I also have been working in healthcare for the last 30 years, uh, nurse, went to school in Philedelphia, my husband works in health care as well, um, when I graduated from nursing school I remember dealing a lot with the same issues that we are dealing with ... um ... our country does not have wonderful preventative health care measures, and those therefore lead to chronic diseases and utilization of monies in the wrong way, so I'm here to just say that I'm happy that you are dealing with healthcare reform. I think its something that our country needs, I realize that a lot of people here don't feel that way but there are also a lot of us who do feel that way [light amount of clapping] .... and I think ....

AS: we're struggling with a microphone here, I feel like I'm [micman talking] all wired up. Thank you for your positive comments ... i knew if I looked hard enough, far enough in this large group I would find someone who liked the health care plan. Thank you.

#14: Good luck, thank you {shakes hands with Spector}

AS: ok, who's got the next number?

#15: Good morning Senator, I would just like to tell you that i am here on my own accord no one paid me - okay, I'm not part of the Astroturf group ...

AS: thank you

#15: ... okay its called grassroots ... my question for you today is I agree with the woman over here [I believe he is indicating number 14] that has indicated that there has to be some work done to our health care. Unfortunately, it is not this bill, it is not this bill. This bill ....

AS: what would you like to see done?

#15: ... some of the things I would like to see done, ok, are [audience yells out: Tort reform] Tort reform, thank you very much I lost my chain of thought - some of the things that are in the bill that I don't necessarily like and you have addressed already ... one of them was non-US citizen health care, you have indicated that you will not vote for a bill that has non-US health provisions in it [editorial: well, its not the same thing but we know what he means] ok? but I do recommend that we do what the state of New York does for the homeless - is we can take the non-US citizens and give them an airplane ticket and ship them back [editorial: I think that is a horrid idea ... it is bad policy, it would be like saying put them on on Alcatraz or the island of Manhattan and blow the bridges] ... [yes the crowd got very cheery on that one] ... in addition to the bill there's also, you indicated that there's always a way we will always be able to go back to our original healthcare - my health care is not too much different than yours Senator as it stands today, I can hire/fire my doctor if I so please, I can go and find another doctor if I want to. Okay? unfortunately, there is page after page of this bill that appears to go back to a single payer system ... okay, okay? ... there is the 'If' factor, and we're not scared here Senator, we aren't what we want is trust and apparently in Washington DC there is no trust - American people do not like what's going on. Senator, in your Twilight of Career, okay? You're in your twilight ....


AS: Absolutely not - go ahead {crowd chuckles}


#15: ... but, but one of the things that you could do that would make it extremely memorable for yourself is to go back and propose a bill for term limits [editorial: so what does that have to do with all the chatter about the health bill? umm, there is already a term limits clause - its call vote the suckers out!] [crowd gives standing ovation]


AS: Listen the people of, uh, the people of Pennsylvania, the people of Pennsylvania can impose term limits on me anytime they want to - that's democracy [editorial: I believe he is speaking of voting him out of office - you know I will do a seperate post on my views of this at another time]. Who's got the next number? Next number is -- 16, you're up.


#16: I have a question on page 58 & 59 of this bill ... which gives government access to private individual bank accounts at their free will ... now we are at retirement age and we worked long and hard for what we have and sir if I'm going to 'spread my wealth around' it will be to my children, grandchildren, to my communitee and to my church of my choosing I do not think the government has the right to do that, I would think - I have to brush up on my Constitution - but I would think that that is unConstitutional but I know definately it is unAmerican. So you look at that when you go back and sir I think you really need to vote like an American - I think you need to vote NO on this bill. [editorial: HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER - I did not know this, did you??? That would fall under the 'search & ceasure' part of the constitution, and yes it would be unlawful!].


AS: I will not support a bill which gives the government the right to access your bank account information of a private citizen ... the lady has cited a house bill, to repeat we haven't gotten a senate bill, but I'm telling you I will not support any bill that gives the government any right to find out what any citizen has in his or her bank account [editorial: the IRS can do that now, and does btw] Who has the next number?


#17: Good Morning Senator Spector


AS: Morning


#17: I was a Republican committee member in my locality when you were elected, we supported you but now you defected ... and I can't understand why you didn't come to the people before you switched over to the Democrats, but that's my problem. The lady here was asking about the government's right to go into a bank account, "right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and setures shall not be violated and no warrants issued" and etc, there's so many problems with this Obama government ... I-I-I-I ... when I was elected to public office I agreed to support and defend the Constitution and I've always tried to do that, I'm an American - my family came over here 300 yrs ago [editorial: that would put his family here in the 1600's, first settlers] they came for Liberty and Freedom, and now our liberties and freedoms are erroding constantly and I'm just wondering what you can do about that - I have so many questions .... I don't know about the, ah, automobile take-over and TARP and all that, I mean just on and on, but what about this Guantanamo closure I don't want this people, these criminals, to come over here into our area and then escape and then we find that a bunch of innocent people have been murdered - and that's what's gonna happen, did you ever read the Koran senator?


AS: the Koran [corrected the man's mispronounciation of the word] ... no


#17: I have read the Koran ....


AS: you have the right to read it if you want to


#17: ... and the Koran says that all unbelievers shall be executed, killed ... that's why I can not support Islam [editorial: I have got to find an eye roller gif for these times!] ... I believe in the Jewish, Hebrew, Christian philosophy [ditto above, please] so I support that, I don't support any other direction because .... if somebody wants to read the Koran you'll find it ... I mean I can tell you where it is and I can show it to you,


AS: well the gentleman raises a question about the what the Koran says about destroying the Christian-Judic world, and there's no doubt that there is a big problem with terrorism of a threat which we saw carried out on 9-11. Well on the issue of Guantanimo, the Congress has spoken that Guantanimo be kept open until there is a plan, now there are some in Guantanimo who have to be tried in Federal Courts, and if you have to be tried in a Federal Court that's in the United States but there are ways of maximum security and to see to it that there will not be risks, but Guantanamo is still open and it will be open until there's a plan to be carried out to protect American citizens. What the next number? #18, all the way to 30?

Yes sir -


#18: Morning Senator Spector, thank you for coming here today sir. House resolution 3200, section 401, subsection 59B.a proposes a 2 1/2% tax on persons with out "acceptable healthcare coverage" ... first of all, define 'acceptable' and secondly, wouldn't you agree that every American has the right to chose their own health care insurance based on cost and coverage - and would you vote for a senate bill that has this same provision?


AS: the provisions cited proposes a 2 1/2% tax on people who do not have acceptable healthcare insurance - that is too vague to have my support. Too vague to have my support. Who has the next number? 19? 19? Yes sir!


#19: I want to know why the government feels it has to buy a car company that makes cars that nobody wants?


AS: that's the most succint question of the day ... I want to give an award. Question is why does the government want to help a car company that makes cars that nobody wants ... [editorial: if it was so clear what the question was - why is he repeating it?] .... there's no sensible answer to that as framed, but let me take a whack at it ... we are trying to get all the people who are employed by the manufacturer to keep a job, we are trying to keep all the people who make supplies for General Motors & Crystler in Pennsylvania - and there are a lot of people - and try to keep them at work, and we are trying to keep a lot of dealers open again a lot of jobs, and we're trying to do that by directing General Motors to stop making cars that nobody wants to buy. And we are trying to restructure what they are doing = listen, its a tough balance when you have the automobile manufacturers in this country going down ... Ford has been able to make it, but GM and Crystler have not. so - well let them fail - they have gone thru bankruptcy .... in a form .... but the calculation is they can be saved and we are trying to do that. Who's got the next number? #20. There you are, go ahead.


#20: I'd like a sausage and the saurkraut please ... [hands card to Spector] ... this is my question, you can feel the tension in this room, you can understand that these people are upset, why don't you do this -- why don't you let us know who's writing these bills seeing as how you don't have time to read them, and don't take that the wrong way please, why don't you let us know what their political affiliations are, why don't you let us know who's feet they sat at and learned politics, why don't you make that public, and why don't you do this, please, if you guys think that we want health care reform so bad - do this - let's have a referendum in 2010 and we will tell you if we like your plan or not, hows that work?

[editorial: you think you will get a fair count?? Hello - FRANKEN????? now imagine that mess with the health care issue]


AS: well that's a fascinating idea to have a referendum, we don't have any mechanism for it on the federal government, they have them in CA ...


#20:... make it happen, you can start it ....


AS: well that's one of the ideas I'm going to take back to Washington {suck up} a referendum ... who's got number 21? Yes ma'am


#21: [started talking before she got mic, audience yelled they couldn't hear her) ... I'm here for my children, my daughter is 16 my son will be 20, he is going back for his sophmore year in college he's a pre-med student you say President Obama will not allow the health care plan to add any deficit, and yet the initial cost is over a trillion dollars for a downpayment, who is going to pay for this bill and how to you expect my son, who is working his way through college, and my daughter who will be going to college, any you're not going to tax the middle class people - that would be my husband and myself who is out working for our health care today - my children and my grandchildren are going to pay for this bill ... and how am I to tell them that that is acceptable?


AS: the plan to keep it deficit nuetral is based on specific savings - for example, medical research at the national institure of health, which I have sponsored, has cut down the mortality on breast cancer and on stroke ... I was the beneficiary, having Hodgekins, of chemotherapy developed by the National Institutes of Health which have saved lives and saved money. There are requirements for physical examinations on an annual basis, and if you had a physical exam you would have early detection on things like heart disease or ovarian cancer or many lines of problems, if people have early detection they do not develope chronic illnesses which are very expensive ... [editorial: au contrar ~ early detection does not prevent things from going chronic, it just lessens the chance] ... one of my ideas, based on being District Attorney of Philedelphia is to insist on jail sentences for people who engage in fraud, Medicare & Medicaid, you see consistantly people being convicted where they get fines, which is just another liscense to do business and these are provisions which are built in which will provide a very very substantial savings which are now covering the people who are now uninsured and off-set the cost of having part D for seniors ... who's got number 21 [editorial: yes he rushed right off to 21, so fast I'm surprised he didn't get whiplash .... basically what he is saying is - we put up the money, and then they will 'save' money to pay for it. Isn't that kind of like saying if you go out and buy a thousand shirts today, you will save money in the long run because you won't have to wash them so often? You still need the money to buy the shirts!]


AS: you have a part B to the question? You don't have a part B, you want to have a dialogue, okay go ahead.


#21: when the money runs out in this program like it did in the "Cash for Clunkers" in 4 days, where's this money gonna come from? where is it going to come from?


AS: well I've ... [#21 continues off mic) ... there will not be rationing [audience boos] and I have given ya' as much details as I can on the savings. what number we up to?


micman: right here.


#22: Senator Spector, section 12.33 of the proposed health care plan, I thought what could I possibly ask you to make you read this plan, what it says is as a 74 yr old man if you develope cancer we're pretty much going to write you off because you are no longer a working citizen who will be paying taxes .... what are you going to be doing about it? You're here because of the plan we have now.


AS: well you're just not right [he got really grumpy in his answer] ... nobody who is 74 is going to be written off because they have cancer, that's a vicious, malicious, untrue rumor! who's got .... who's got .... who's got the next number? [audience was hissing back]


#23: thank you Senator, just for the record I'm opposed to the health care but I'm not gonna ask you a question on that, these people are doing a fine job of taking care of it, but there are a couple of other issues - card check legislation, I want to thank you for opposing the card check legislation it would have denied people a secret ballot - that's why you opposed it, I appreciate that vote ... its coming around again, this time the secret ballot will be in but you're not going to give employees time to gather information and make an honest judgement as to if they want to join a union or not, if they put a 5 or 10 day provision in there before the vote that's high-pressure salesmenship and for me, if someone starts putting pressure on me, my answer is NO. High-pressure salesmanship, which is what all these bills, all these bills that are being pushed thru Washington right now, that's what the Union wants to do to employees - not give them time to think about it, give them time to study the issues, and make an honest vote. [editorial: Dems are funded and highly supported by the Unions - you think they are going to honestly make an effort to rein them in? c'mon! Spector looks like he is going to cry over that one - he is not comfortable at all] ... Second issue - Cap & Trade: this is the largest single tax on the people that we have ever, ever seen ... Cap & Trade will increase our bills by 40 - 50% ... [editorial: higher if you live in a coldere climate, btw] .... it could potentially double our gasoline and diesel fuel taxes, this will desimate what is left of our industrial sector. Major manufacturers will have no choice but to leave this nation wholesale. We will have unemployment, not at 10%, we will have unemployment at 20 - 30% ... there will be a mass exodus of our manufacturing in this nation ... they keep going to India or China, and have lower wages and have lower costs . What's going to keep them here?

AS: Okay - you have raise two very important questions. On Cap & Trade, the House of Representatives has passed a bill which I agree with you has a lot of problems ... but we haven't gotten a bill in the Senate and we understand the kind of concerns you've raised and we are going to take them up and see it that we do not have the kind of concequences of exporting jobs for imposing a great tax. You've raised a question about Employees Choice, that bill is in the process of being negotiated - there will not be a timeline that will be so fast that people will not have the opportunity to understand what the issue is; you comment about the secret ballot, I think we have to maintain the secret ballot, which you agree with, we're trying to work thru the other facet of it arbitration for Last Best Offer, but we're bearing in mind the concerns and worries that you have raised. number 24?

micman: number 24

AS: 24? who has 24? Yes sir ...

#24: In 1997 I was diagnosed with a thiroid condition that put me in the hospital in a coma, so I need to thank all the tax payers for paying for 4 yrs of hospitalization for me because I didn't have a plan I could afford at that point. I spent a lot of time in the library studying computer systems and telecommunication systems and got a job in an insurance company where I saw a lot of corruption in the purchasing of the equipment [clears throat] ... when I reported that to my bosses I was summarily fired. What I'd like to know is, would you support provisions that will [clears throat again] that will end that kind of corruption in insurance companies to bring our rates down and stop making policy holders and investors pay for that kind of activity?

AS: what are you referring to specifically that the insurance company did/does that you don't like?

#24: I was in charge of writing up proposals, requests for proposals, my superiors wanted me to 'steer' those proposals toward expensive companies that they could get kick-backs from, when I discovered that and reported it they made life very difficult for me and I got fired [editorial: sounds like he got fired for not proforming his tasks adequately ... hey Fox - do some research on this one!]

AS: well I'm glad to hear about the early part, where you needed a lot of care when you needed it and you appear to have recovered, if there is any provision which allows kick-backs - that's bribery - and I would oppose that totally. Who has #25?

#25: (inaudible -- hey mic man? where are you?)

AS: will I support legislation opening up accountabliity for the companies? absolutely, that's what we're moving towards. number 26? yes sir?

#26: first of all Senator, thank you for being here. My question comes from my own personal experience, as a working professional I worked for 2 yrs each in Canada, and prior to that for 2 yrs in London - now the health care systems in those two countries are eerily simular in my opinon to the proposed bill that is going thru now ... as a for instance, in Canada my tax rate was 60% for my 'free health care' so ... so I'm broadly opposed to the whole idea. I have private health care, I'm very happy with it. My question relates to page 425 of the bill, which according to my interritation, requires seniors - folks like us Senator - to have mandatory conseling every 5 yrs for dying with dignity ... that's kind of scary. I'm still a very heathful, active, working marketing professional and teacher, I'm not in my Twilight and I think you would agree with that, so I am offended by this required conseling. I'd like to hear your views on that issue.

AS: I'm opposed to mandatory consoling. You and I and others can get consoling if we want it, and we can think thru our own issues, and we have families to discuss matters with, and nobody ought to order anyone who's compitent to get manditory conseling. Its a personal decision. Number 26, please, 26 - on the way to thirty. Yes sir -
(this should be 27, but I'll go with his numbering system here)

#26: Thank you for coming sir ... as a disabled vet I'm going to speak a little bit for the vets, I want to take your hand - you've done some for us, you've done some against us but I respect you for being who you are - most of my questions have been answered so I'm going to go off on a different tangent. This is only the beginning of what's happening to America, and people better wake up, we have a bunch of beauacrats who are robbing us blind, they've been stealing from us for years and there's nobody with the cahonas to stand up and represent us, I would like you to go back to Washington and tell everyone there that you are an American first and you are going there to represent us - I don't care what party you are, it doesn't matter to me ....

AS: I'm glad to hear that ...

#26: ... well the bottomline is, we're Americans first, where you came from is inmaterial but I personally am sick and tired of the Rendells of Harrisburg, I'm sick and tired of our young men and women being used as pawns around the world when all we hear is how corrupt Russia is, how corrupt North Korea is, where do you see an honest man in politics from here to Washington? So my question to you is, would you go back to Washington and represent us first as an American and tell Mr. Obama he is an American and if not there are other countries.

AS: I think .... I think .... I think President Obama knows he's an American and when you ask me to make a commitment to represent America first I will say absolutely yes. Who's got number 27?
**BROADCAST INTERRUPTED BECAUSE A SWATZSTIKA WAS PAINTED ON A CONGRESSMANS OFFICE (it was a GA senator, the one who started bawling out an audience member at some gathering for not calling his office to have a meeting on healthcare)**