ABC Investigates, Reports Truth on Town Halls

Meredith Jessup | August 06, 2009 11:53 AM

As we've been reporting, heated health care town hall meetings have been somewhat unwelcoming for Members of Congress returning home for the August recess. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has complained they are full of

Nazi symbolism; and Senator Barbara Boxer is worried about how many "well-dressed" people are showing up. The White House and the Democratic National Committee are characterizing American citizens attending town hall meetings as angry "mobs." True to form, most of the mainstream media didn't hesitate to run these rumors and false accusations as headlines.

However, ABC has attempted to try something different--actually investigating the story! ABC's Steven Portnoy attended a local town hall meeting in eastern Maryland to try and root out the clandestine operatives sent by evil insurance companies, and the supposed organized groups of Republicans who--as the DNC claims--are apparently just bitter about losing the 2008 election. Unfortunately, undoubtedly much to the chagrin of the liberal left, Portnoy came up empty-handed. In fact, he reports:

There were no lobbyist-funded buses in the parking lot of Mardela Middle and High School on Tuesday evening, and the hundreds of Eastern Maryland residents who packed the school’s auditorium loudly refuted the notion that their anger over the Democrats’ health care reform plans is “manufactured.”
“I went to school in this school,” a man named Bob told me. “I don't see anyone in this room that isn't from Mardela Springs right now.”
“We’ve been quiet too long,” said a woman named Joan.