I trekked over to the Broad Street Ministry (Broad/Spruce) for Rep. Joe Sestak‘s (D-PA07) town hall meeting on healthcare, right in Rep. Bob Brady‘s (D-PA01) district. Why? Well, Sestak’s running for Sen. Arlen Specter‘s (D-PA) senate seat and this issue is at the forefront of politics today. With room for 500 in the main chapel and another 150 or so in spillover seating in an auditorium downstairs plus stifling humidity in the old church, the scene was set for sparks to fly, but Sestak’s cool demeanor, earnest answers and decorated military service seemed to keep the room calm.
Before the event started, hundreds of people were lined up down Broad St, east on Pine and up Juniper St awaiting entry. Many had signs, almost all had stickers, supporting some sort of healthcare reform. There were those against including the persistent LaRouche crowd armed with Obama-with-Hitler-stache printouts.
But even with the long wait and light drizzle, spirits were fairly high on the heels of the nasty town halls being held around the country with Specter’s Philadelphia and Lebanon town halls especially fresh in people’s minds. A predominantly supportive crowd with a surprisingly small smattering of opposition definitely helped.
Sestak made his way along the line of several hundred people as it came close to showtime. He shook hands and caught up with supporters who had made the trek from Delaware County (his district) and hecklers had the chance to hound him with each pump of a fist.
Apologizing for the lack of seating, Sestak hurried around the corner and through the back entrance to greet the overflow crowd face to face as you can see in the top most photo of this post.
After a few brief words by Rev. Bill Golderer of the church, Sestak took the mic and stayed up through the end. The event was to run from 6.30p to 7.30p, but Sestak was still going strong, with a loosened tie and rolled up sleeves, at 8.30p when I left. The room was still 2/3 full with 4 lines of questioners ready at the mic.
The evening had its share of rambling statements with no question to be seen in any direction of 3 minutes at the mic, like the first questioner at the mic pictured above, but there were definitely people with thoughtful questions for the Congressman.
A fellow seaman asked the retired Rear Admiral if he would be willing to give up his cushy coverage he’s eligible for as a vet and member of Congress and take on the plan which he’s advocating the rest of America take on. The Inky has the back and forth:
“I’ll see how it is, and I’ll make my choice,” said Sestak.
The questioner was unsatisfied with that answer, so Sestak elaborated.
The decision, he said, will depend on whether he can still have access to the pediatric oncologist who treated his daughter Alex, who was 4 1/2 when she was diagnosed with a frequently fatal strain of cancer.
“As long as that doctor takes care of my daughter,” said Sestak, “I don’t have a problem being in” the public plan.
The questioner didn’t seem to be fully happy with the response, but took that as a potential “Yes” understanding Sestak’s familial situation.
The most heated exchange came when Chris, a man Sestak knew from his rounds in a biker VFW post, took to the center aisle and started screaming at Sestak. He paced the aisle and started walking, while still yelling, towards the rear entrance when Sestak called off the police marshalls and church aides. Sestak assured the security detail and the members of the audience that Chris was a stand up guy who had served in the Navy at the same time and area as Sestak. Sestak calmed Chris down and gave him the next question. The back and forth reported by the Daily News:
When [Chris] Hill got a floor microphone, he told Sestak that he’d read the House version of the health-care bill and didn’t see how it would keep his employer from dumping the private insurance he has now to save money.
“How can you tell me the private option will stay in place,” Hill shouted, “when my employer with 29,000 employees can just turn around tomorrow and say ‘We’re writing that off the bottom line; you guys are all going to the public option?’ “
Sestak said that the bill “mandates that the employer has to keep the health-care plan he has with you.”
An aide later explained that the bill actually requires large employers either to provide health coverage or pay a tax, which congressional analysts have concluded will result in most employers’ maintaining their plans.
Hill seemed to be happy with the response as he did not take to the floor again.
This was the first time I had seen Sestak up close. His reputation as a Blue Dog Democrat preceded him and affected my opinion of him. But his announcement to run against Specter, against the pleading of Democratic leaders in Congress and Gov. Rendell, made me start to like him a bunch. I’m quite against clearing the field as it happened in 2006 during the Pennacchio-Casey contest (I put in hundreds of hours on the Pennacchio campaign so it’s a particularly sore subject). He’s got a calm air about him and he explains wonkish details slowly for all to follow.
His staff of 19, of which it seemed about half a dozen were present, seemed incredibly organized and well-versed on the issues at hand. He boasted how his staff keeps his office open 7 days a week with military efficiency. Sestak pointed out that members of the military are often portrayed as mindless, opinionless drones, but his staff, lead by a retired military man, and Chris Hill demonstrate how people from the military do care and have wildly varying opinions on the issues.
The Nation is holding a live streaming debate tomorrow morning at 11a between Sestak and Specter – details – as part of the Netroots Nation convention (held this year in Pittsburgh!). Should be interesting.
More and bigger photos in this flickr set.
PS as an added bonus, I got to see and chat, if only for a few seconds, with my friend Jeff Fusco, the best photojournalist this city has.
