Austinites protest health care reform

AUSTIN (KXAN) - As House members return to their districts for August break, they're meeting anxious and sometimes angry crowds at various health care reform meetings.

Congressman Lloyd Doggett , D-Texas, was greeted with posters depicting him with devil horns at one rally in South Austin.

"Most of the people were there with their photographs of my name on a marble tombstone, in order to not have a dialogue but to drown out any voice but theirs," said Doggett.

One protestor took video where you can see the posters and hear the crowd chanting "just say no!" The rally was held at a Randall's in Southwest Austin. The rally started out as a "neighborhood office hours" for Doggett at a Randall's in Southwest Austin, but quickly grew into a massive protest when about 200 people showed up.

"This is part of a tactic," said Doggett. "This is not a grassroots effort. About half the people who came there were not from the area and some as far as an hour and a half away."

KXAN requested copies of the list of people who showed up with their zip codes, but Doggett's office said they were incomplete. However, in response to the request they wrote "They were mostly from SW Austin and as far as Halletsville."

The Travis County Republican Party denied organizing the protest, though some of its leaders are seen in video posted on youtube. Also, on TCRP Chair Rosemary Edwards' blog , she encourages people to "Get the word out to all your Patriot friends to SHOW UP, STAND UP and SPEAK UP!" The posting was made the day before the protest.

"There were Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and Independents there," said Edwards. "He's just getting his first real opposition he's had here in years."

Town hall meetings are scheduled across the country this month, as Republicans look to spur on opposition to a government run health care plan and Democrats work to garner support.

There are even meet-up groups organizing "NO to Health Care Reform" protests.

The House Energy and Commerce committee has already approved a bill for health care reform. The House is expected to take up the debate after Labor Day.

Doggett said the protests didn't change his stance on health care reform. However, he is considering holding a teleconference this month, so people can voice their opinion on the issue.