CONGRESSWOMAN LYNN WOOLSEY’S MONDAY NIGHT TOWN HALL MEETING – PETALUMA VETERANS MEMORIAL HALL

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Well, the knuckledraggers were out in force at tonight’s town hall meeting conducted by Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey at the Petaluma Veterans Memorial Hall.

But not to worry, there were more of us, the progressive single payer/public option types.  Still, all in all, the right-wing nutter-butters were vocal to be sure but only on cue and for the obvious boogieman  reasons:  “out-of-control government spending.”  It appeared to this observer that there were two recognizable blocks of folks of the demented variety – one up front near the stage and a sizeable contingent just in the first/lower section of the risers where I positioned myself.

As I said, however, the sizeable majority was “our side” – the progressive public option voice.

It was a jampacked meeting, standing room only for many folks both inside the main auditorium and out in the lobby and in an overflow room.  Lynn is unabashedly for the public option but allowed the other side their time at the microphone to ask their question or go off on a two-minute rant/tangent about the evils of government dictates and socialism.

The meeting started at 6:00 p.m. but the auditorium was already full by 5:40 p.m.  I left around 7:30 p.m. as I had heard enough “government is the enemy” nonsense spouted by these loons interspersed as they were between the knowledgeable and heartfelt real life comments by those individuals touting the merits of true health care with a public option.

I think it is safe to say that we are witnessing the death of a major political party that is in the throes of virtual emasculation.  It will endure but only as an empty storefront structure with really nothing of substance or value inside.

Health care is the catalyst issue for the Democratic Party to catapult itself into a commanding majority party status for at least two generations just as the enactment of Social Security in 1935 propelled the Democratic Party to political dominance until  the ascendancy of Ronald Reagan in 1980.