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 Just Look For The Union Label - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 8/7/09 — Friday, August 07, 2009 — Q And I also wanted to ask you quickly about the disruptions at some of the town halls on health care. Does the President believe that the Republican Party is behind those? And does he believe that in any way they reflect a genuine concern on behalf of people about the direction of the legislation? MR. GIBBS: As I've talked about before, I don't in any way doubt that there are people that have honest policy disagreements with the White House, or with -- of Democrats, whether Republicans or vice versa. I think you've seen specific groups brag about being able to coalesce and manufacture the anger. We talked about one of the guys in here who happens to hold the title of running a health care company and having it be fined the greatest amount -- $1.7 billion -- ever that the federal government has levied against a health care company. I'm not entirely sure what part of his role he wanted to brag about. I will tell you this: The President believes, and has always believed, that town hall meetings are a very useful place for the discussion of issues to talk about the decisions that are facing him and the American people. They ought to be able to be conducted without shouting and shoving and pushing and people getting hurt. I think we can have honest policy disagreements without being either disagreeable, or certainly without being violent. And I think anybody that has a strong opinion should come to a town hall meeting, but also respect that others may want to also take part in the town hall meeting, or you know, may just want to listen to the debate. And if somebody is yelling, or if somebody particularly is being violent, I'm not entirely sure that helps the entire process for anybody involved. [...] Q And just one follow up to Ben's question, just on the town hall meeting. This week there's just been an amplification in terms of the rhetoric. Some of the protestors against the President's position on health care reform have used Nazi imagery, a Democratic congressman said that the protestors were using Brown Shirt tactics; a Democratic senator called the protestors behavior un-American, although she retracted it; Rush Limbaugh went on a very long speech yesterday during his radio show in which he compared Democrats to Nazis and the President to Hitler. And I'm wondering if the President has seen any of this and has a take on it? Obviously the Nazi imagery has been condemned by Jewish groups, but I'm wondering if he feels anything about language being used this way? MR. GIBBS: Well, I think he's certainly seen news reports about this. I don't know whether it's written or cable. I'd make a couple of points. I'll build on what I said to Ben, which is regardless of where we are, regardless of the differences we have on even an issue as important as health care, I know the President believes strongly that we can discuss these issues without personally maligning the person that we're discussing this issue with, that we're doing so in a way that respects the dignity of each individual. I think -- I think any time you make references to what happened in Germany in the '30s and '40s, I think you're talking about an event that has no equivalent. And I think any time anyone ventures to compare anything to that, they're on thin ice and it's best not deployed. But I think the larger point -- Q I'm sorry -- that's not? MR. GIBBS: That's not deployed. But, again, I think the most important thing is we can have a discussion in our democracy about where we want to go and why or why not we want to take certain steps. The President strongly believes we can do so without yelling at each other, without pushing each other, without degrading each other and do so in a way I think that respects the difference in all of our opinions. Q The DNC put out a video earlier this week basically saying all of the protestors were birth-certificate-denying, angry mob hordes. I mean, it wasn't exactly a video that described the protestors in accordance with the respect and dignity you just spoke of. MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I think we've seen -- as you mentioned, we've seen some stuff that I think is -- I mentioned a week ago I think, or maybe it was earlier this week, it all sort of blurs together -- you know, that we've all seen imagery that really just shocks and surprises us. I think the best thing to do is to take that temperature down a bit. [...] Q On the town halls again, what advice does the White House have for Democrats who are going home and are confronting this kind of hostility at their town halls? Should they cancel the meetings? Should they marshal forces on their side? Is there a way they should deal with this? What advice does the White House have for them? MR. GIBBS: I think the personal advice I'd give somebody is to continue doing the town hall and ask those that participate to behave themselves, like your mom would probably tell you to do, and have a robust discussion of the issues. Q Are you aware of what Axelrod and Messina told members of Congress yesterday when they went up there -- MR. GIBBS: I was not there, so I -- Q But do you have any knowledge of what went on? MR. GIBBS: I've seen different reports that say they were up there talking about it, but I have no -- I have not talked to David or Jim about it. Q So you don't know what advice is being given to members of Congress -- Democrats when they go home? MR. GIBBS: No, I mean -- again, I don't think it's much different than what I said. I mean, I think it's important that people be civil. We can discuss these issues without being uncivilized. It's the same thing I tell my six year-old -- Q But if they're not civil? MR. GIBBS: -- with varying degrees of effectiveness. (Laughter.) Q But if they're not civil? But if they're not civil, should they stand up to them, fight back, shout them down? What do they do? MR. GIBBS: Well, look, I think that probably depends in some ways on the individual member. I think we can all conjure up images of how different people might handle these things differently. I think the best advice would be to finish your answer, make sure that -- I mean, look, I think a town hall meeting is always bigger than whatever one person asks a question, right? It's just like if you're asking a question, Chip, the answer is for the benefit of everybody. I think continuing to discuss the issues that are important -- ranging from health care to the economy to the war in Afghanistan -- I think those are things that are of great interest to the American people. I think asking a question of those that represent you in Washington is a fairly time-honored tradition that -- Q I'm not talking about asking questions. I'm talking about people who are getting booed and shouted down and chanted -- what do they do? Why hold it at all? MR. GIBBS: Because I think you've got to continue to talk to people about where we are on the issues. I mean, you know, you may not convince the person that asks or shouts or boos or hollers, but, again, that's why I say I think that town halls are not necessarily for the benefit of just one individual question or one individual questioner. Health Care | Obama Administration | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | Townhall Meetings | White House Press Corps Labels: Health Care, Obama Administration, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, Townhall Meetings, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 6:53:00 PM
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