These Kooks Aren't Fooling Anyone

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin urged supporters to show restraint at town hall meetings, arguing that disruptive protests were giving Democrats ammunition. “There are many disturbing details in the current bill that Washington is trying to rush through Congress,” she said on Facebook yesterday, but we must “not get sidetracked by tactics that can be accused of leading to intimidation or harassment.” More»

Public health insurance option still splitting party after hectic summer break

(NEWSER) - House Democrats returned to work yesterday in the same position they were in before they spent their summer break getting an earful from the public, the Washington Post reports. House lawmakers are still expected to move first on the health care bill. But while broad support remains for some kind of health care overhaul, the split between moderates and liberals is as wide as ever on issues like the public health insurance option. More»

...but their vehement residents want it least

(NEWSER) - With some of the highest percentages of uninsured citizens, rural states like Wyoming and Iowa stand to benefit the most from health care reform—but they’re also home to its most vocal detractors, the Los Angeles Times reports. Such states tend to have lower personal incomes, more small businesses that don't offer insurance to employees, fewer private insurance options, and stricter Medicaid cutoffs, so it’s no wonder their senators are aggressively brokering a reform compromise. More»

Health care reform advocates look to Obama '08 playbook

(NEWSER) - Obama supporters will try to recapture the energy of his presidential campaign with a two-week health care reform push featuring a bus tour, rallies, and more than 2,000 house parties. Organizing for America, the network of Obama supporters now run by the Democratic National Committee, aims to show lawmakers that the raucous town halls of previous weeks don't represent the majority of Americans who, want to see health care expanded. More»

Republicans jump on Democrats' reluctance to host ugly meetings

(NEWSER) - Republican candidates across the country are staging their own health care town halls in a bid to upstage Democratic incumbents, Politico reports. With many Democrats declining to host the rowdy events, GOP challengers have seized on town halls as easy tickets to voter connection and press coverage. “By the time this is said and done, my campaign will have provided close to 1,500 people the opportunity to speak out on health care,” one Illinois candidate says. More»