Danger Lurking in Divisive America?

Experts who track hate groups across the U.S. are growing increasingly concerned over violent rhetoric targeted at President Obama, especially as the debate over health care intensifies and a pattern of threats emerges.

The Secret Service is investigating a Maryland man who held a sign reading "Death to Obama" and "Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids" outside a town hall meeting this week. And in New Hampshire, another man stood across the street from a Presidential town hall with his gun on full display.

Los Angeles police officers apprehended a man Thursday after a standoff with him inside a red Volkswagen Bug car in Westwood, CA – the latest disturbing case even though officials said the man had mental problems.

"I don't think these are simply people who are mentally ill or off their rocker," Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told ABC News of those behind the threats. "In a very real sense they represent a genuine reaction, a genuine backlash against Obama."

Experts say a sharp growth in so-called militia groups that helped spawn a wave of domestic terrorism in the 1990s – and are now using YouTube, rock music and the Internet to recruit members and spread hate and fear - shouldn't be ignored.

"It's certainly a scary time," said former FBI agent Brad Garrett, now an ABC News consultant. Garrett said the Secret Service "cannot afford to pass on anyone," and he believes "they really do fear that something could happen to [Obama]." - ABC News Story

This has been a concern of mine for the past 8 or so years. I have wrote about it repeatedly and have gotten the raised eyebrow look from many.

As America becomes more and more divisive, and people feeling like they are losing control of the direction of their own Country they get frustrated and angry.

Lately this has been ratcheted up quite intently with one side able to just bully through legislation and ideas without having to answer to the other side. People are very angry and have no outlet.

With leaders like Pelosi and her team out there calling people on the other side crazy and radical, Obama willing to push things through regardless of what people think, and countless other members of the left willing to verbally attack, it has created a very unhealthy atmosphere in America.

I think the Town Halls are a real glimpse into the frustration and anger that exists in America. The problem is that the Left doesn't want to see it for what it truly is. They want to call it an orchestrated attack. It is an attack, but it is not orchestrated other than anger.

Union Uses Vilence and Racial Slur to Back up Health Care Reform?

One day after denouncing "extreme radicals" and calling for a more civil discourse regarding President Obama's plan to overhaul the nation's health care system, members of the Service Employees International Union utilized those same aggressive tactics to spread their own message, critics of the union say.

SEIU Healthcare Chairman Dennis Rivera has blamed radicals and "corporate front groups" for the recent confrontations at town hall events, including one last week in Missouri where an SEIU staffer was among six people arrested for misdemeanor assault and other crimes.

"At the same time that America's families are seeking relief from fast-rising and unaffordable health care costs, extreme radicals and corporate front groups are trying to derail health insurance reform by disrupting public meetings," Rivera said in a statement last Thursday.

"While SEIU and allies across the country are staging more than 400 events to promote a real discussion on the country's need for healthcare reform, these 'Astroturf' organizations are spreading ludicrous, discredited myths designed to scare people away from much-needed reform."

Rivera challenged anyone attending the public meetings to sign a pledge to "learn and contribute" to the public discourse without being disruptive or disrespectful.

But later that day, a St. Louis man was attacked, allegedly by an SEIU staffer and another man, outside of a town hall event with Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo.

Kenneth Gladney, 38, was handing out "Don't Tread on Me" flags for the Tea Party movement, when he says he was called a racial slur and struck. Gladney, who is black, suffered injuries to his knee, back and shoulder. - FOX News Story

Polls Show Majority of Americans Scared of Obama Health Care Reform

After weeks of congressional debate and significant media coverage of the recent town hall meetings being held around the country, more Americans continue to oppose health care reform.

A FOX News poll released Thursday shows that by a 15 percentage-point margin the public opposes the plans under consideration (34 percent favor and 49 percent oppose). In late July the difference in views was a bit narrower, although even at that time more were opposed by an 11-point spread.

For the most part, the public doesn't see the upside of reform. Views are mixed on how the plans will affect the country, with a slightly higher number saying "most Americans" will be worse off (36 percent) under the plans as think they will be better off (34 percent). Some 20 percent say the reforms would not make a difference.

And when asked about how the plans would affect their own family, by a much wider 15-point margin more Americans think they will be worse off than better off, while just over a third (37 percent) say the reforms would not make a difference to their family.

Moreover, nearly half of Americans feel "frightened" (31 percent) or "angry" (17 percent) about the government being more involved in their health care, while about one in four feels "indifferent" (27 percent). Less than one in five Americans feels "reassured" (19 percent).

Americans say the noisy protesters at town hall meetings are expressing authentic outrage. Some 52 percent think it is real outrage by concerned citizens -- significantly more than the 29 percent who think the protesters are fake mobs planned by lobbyists and other opposition groups. More than a third of Democrats (34 percent), most Republicans (74 percent) and nearly half of independents (49 percent) think the meetings are an expression of real anger.

And what about the Obama administration's request for people to send emails with information they see about health reform that seems fishy? A 57-percent majority disapproves of the White House asking people to do this.

Fifty-three percent think the horror stories they hear about what happens in government-run health care systems in other countries could happen here under the proposed plans, and if they were seriously ill an overwhelming 88-percent majority says they would rather receive medical care in the United States than in Canada. That includes large majorities of Democrats (86 percent), Republicans (92 percent) and independents (88 percent). - FOX News Story

Town Hallers are Being Heard

Key senators are excluding a provision on end-of-life care from health overhaul legislation after language in a House bill caused a furor.

Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement Thursday that the provision had been dropped from consideration because it could be misinterpreted or implemented incorrectly.

A health care bill passed by three House committees allows Medicare to reimburse doctors for voluntary counseling sessions about end-of-life decisions. But critics have claimed the provision could lead to death panels and euthanasia for seniors.

The Senate Finance Committee is still working to complete a bill. - CBS News

Republican Chairman Laughs at Sen. Specter Claim

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele burst out laughing Wednesday after watching a clip of Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) insisting that the town hall protesters are “not necessarily representative of America.”

Asked to respond to the clip during an interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto, Steele had to gather himself just to answer the question.

“I’m sorry, I’m laughing, I’m sorry,” Steele said as he tried to respond to Specter.

“Not representative of America? Well, then who are they representative of?” Steele asked. “This is part of the craziness that we’re hearing from the left on this issue. They’re trying to obfuscate the fact that the American people ticked off, as one of the participants said yesterday, and they’re very concerned.”

Steele then turned his fire on President Barack Obama and the White House, whom he accused of stacking a town hall audience in New Hampshire Tuesday with supporters.

“You’ve got the president, who has a town hall meeting, and we applaud him for that, and then [White House press secretary Robert] Gibbs comes out and talks about how peaceful and respectful it was,” Steele said. “Yes, it’s great when you stack the room. I mean, it’s not the hardest, it’s like you have this line that you have to get into to get in.”

As the RNC chairman was accusing the White House of stacking its audience, he also dismissed charges from some Democratic lawmakers that the GOP is guilty of the same.

“Anyone out there who says that the Republican Party or state parties or Republican activists are out there doing that are flat-out lying. They’re wrong,” he said. “We are not bussing in folks like the Democrats are with SEIU members. We’re not coordinating the messaging and trying to disrupt these processes.” - Politico Story

The Back-up Plan on Health Care Reform

The town hall brawls over health care reform are already driving down public support for the effort – but that’s not the worst of the danger to the White House.

They could also give cover to some big business players, who’ve shied away from challenging the White House, to turn their guns on the reform agenda and kill it — just like they did more than a decade ago.

And if you read between the lines of the industry’s messages, it’s pretty clear they are keeping that option on the table despite a public alliance with President Barack Obama.

Some drug and insurance companies, along with business groups, are working furiously behind the scenes to shape reform in their image – but failing that, they’re preparing a Plan B that includes going negative.

Already there are signs of strain.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday launched a multimillion-dollar ad buy criticizing Democratic reform plans for raising taxes and expanding government control over health care. But the Chamber stopped short of outright opposition – instead urging viewers to tell lawmakers to slow down and do health reform right. - Politico Story

Pharmaceutical Industry Funding Fight for Reform?

A new coalition on Thursday is launching $12 million in television ads to support President Barack Obama’s health-reform plan, in the opening wave of a planned tens of millions of dollars this fall.

The new group, funded largely by the pharmaceutical industry, is called Americans for Stable Quality Care. It includes some odd bedfellows: the American Medical Association, FamiliesUSA, the Federation of American Hospitals, PhRMA and SEIU, the service employees’ union.

The ads start airing at about 11 a.m. ET Thursday.

The group is likely to be the biggest spender in support of health reform. The campaign will serve as a counterweight to the critics at town meetings, which are getting saturation news coverage while Congress is out of town.

In a reversal from former President Bill Clinton’s 1993-94 health-care debacle, the group’s campaign is likely to mean that White House supporters keep the upper hand on the airwaves.

PhRMA’s participation is key, because the group has promised to kick in as much as $150 million for advertising and grassroots activity to help pass the president’s plan. - Politico Story

It makes you wonder what the hell is going on? Obama and the Democrats are out their bashing the Insurance Companies, the Pharmaceutical Companies, and claiming that they are evil and the problem. Yet, some of them are backing his plan?

You have to wonder what the backroom deal was? This can't be good for America.

Party Switching Specter - Not Even Democrats Like Him

Uncomfortable town hall meetings are just the tip of the iceberg for Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter. He now trails Republican Pat Toomey by double digits in his bid for reelection next year and is viewed unfavorably by a majority of the state’s voters.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Pennsylvania voters shows 48% would vote for Toomey if the election were held today. Just 36% would vote for Specter while four percent (4%) prefer a third option, and 12% are not sure.

These figures reflect a dramatic reversal since June. At that time, before the public health care debate began, Specter led Toomey by eleven. - Rasmussen Reports Poll

Obama Favorability Rating Below 50% and Falling

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 29% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-seven percent (37%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -8 (see trends).

Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is feeling the heat of the health care debate. He now trails Republican Pat Toomey by double digits in an early look at the potential 2010 race. Two months ago, Specter led by double digits. Most Pennsylvania voters oppose the Congressional health care reform effort. Also, Specter’s lead is shrinking in his Democratic Primary match-up with Congressman Joe Sestak.

The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve. It is updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). Updates also available on Twitter.

Overall, 47% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That’s the lowest level of total approval yet recorded. The President’s ratings first fell below 50% just a few weeks ago on July 25. Fifty-two percent (52%) now disapprove. - Rasmussen Reports Poll

Obama - Open Mouth, Insert Foot - Ooops!!!

It’s hard to know why President Obama said what he said at Tuesday’s health-care town hall in New Hampshire. He actually stated, “If you think about it, UPS and FedEx are doing just fine. It’s the Post Office that’s always having problems.”

Oops. Freudian slip? Subliminally speaking, was the president inferring that private health insurers are doing just fine?

Government insurance is what’s in trouble today. Medicare is in the hole by about $40 trillion on a discounted present-value basis over the next 40 or 50 years. And if we’re going to equate government care to government mail, according to Steve Hayes of the Weekly Standard, the U.S. Postal Service is going bankrupt with a $7 billion net loss this year. With 633,000 career employees, the Post Office won’t be able to make $5.4 billion in retiree health-benefit payments. How many of these federal employees will populate the new government-backed insurance plan if it passes?

So it’s something of a mystery why the president went down the FedEx/UPS/Post Office turnpike. Perhaps the inner Obama is a free-enterprise guy. Maybe in the heat of battle his private-sector FedEx/UPS endorsement kind of, well, slipped out unconsciously.

Some will be skeptical of this reasoning. But having once had dinner with the man, along with other conservative pundits, and knowing how carefully he parses his words, it’s hard to understand how he let this free-market blessing slip out. Perhaps he’s secretly competing with Joe Biden to win the hoof-in-mouth-disease contest.

Obama’s health-care gaffes are mounting. At a press conference a few weeks back, the president let fly with an attack on doctors who remove tonsils instead of handing out allergy pills. Since doctors are very popular in America, and with many Obamacare protesters opposed to putting government central planners between doctors and patients, this was a big mistake. Worth noting, at that same presser, Obama also put his foot in it by attacking the Cambridge police officer at the center of the Henry Louis Gates affair. More hoof-in-mouth. - Rasmussen Reports