As I mentioned, the Union hall at which democratic Congressman Alan Grayson chose to hold tonight’s town hall on health care (with a full 24 hours advance notice!), was walking distance from my husband’s office. We raced home after he got off work to trade our scooters for the car, and to grab a camera, then headed back to his office. We were the fourth and fifth people to arrive, sometime just before 5p.

The union people were crotchety and would not allow anyone to stand on their private property. Really? Are you not hosting this little shindig? Didn’t you anticipate people might want to attend? OPD were on hand to ask us to please stay on the sidewalk and off the pebbles that compose their yard. No problem. The police were very nice.

View from the front of the line. They held this at a ridiculously tiny venue with insufficient parking.

The line went down the side street, turned the corner, and up about a block and a half (when last I checked). Of this huge line, 31 of us got in.

Campaign workers set up a table right around 7p with laptop and asked everyone to provide ID. Their goal was to make sure only people in District 8 got in. You know, unless you know someone on the campaign. Six people were denied the red entrance ticket for not being in our district only to be escorted in by a campaign worker calling them family. Yes, the crowd did get irate at that move. As they should.

Former news reporter, current press secretary for Grayson, Todd Jurkowski, came out to set some rules.

The reporter from FOX wanted to interview me, but I declined. I’m just not a talker. She said, “but you’ve been talking to me just fine.” Yeah, but once you turn that camera on, I’ll lose my thought. Especially when there are so many more eloquent speakers in the crowd to interview.

After 745p (the time the meeting was scheduled to begin), they finally let in the first 20 people with a red ticket. I was number 7, because I had been waiting since before 5p. But we got inside and discovered the 125-capacity room was already full.

After we were seated, they let in 11 more people from the line. Thirty-one people, Alan, shame on you for stacking the deck in your favor.

But of course, I am a political stalker, and since Mr. Grayson greeted me just inside the door, I asked him if he’d be in a picture with me for my website.

Don’t be too harsh on me smiling; it’s engrained in me to smile in pictures, even if I’m no fan of the democrat with his arm around me. Grayson then, helpfully, suggested one of his staff people take a picture with me and sherlock and him.

Let’s analyze the other 94 in the crowd, shall we?

The three children are Grayson’s oldest: Sky, Star, and Sage. They’re not of voting age, and as far as I’m concerned, were just taking up 3 seats that could have been filled by voters who were waiting outside in line for two hours.

The first three rows: democrats who were already inside. People who had been passing out pro-Obamacare signs to us (I took several and pocketed them just to suppress their propaganda), people wearing Obama buttons. In other words: friendlies. Plants. Then, there were the aforementioned 31 scattered seats for those of us who waited in line, proved we were District 8, and got lucky enough to get in. The rest: more democrats. We were surrounded by people who were obviously coached on how to be cheerleaders. Seriously, it was painfully obvious that we were in tainted waters.

Oh look! There’s our congressman greeting felon senator Gary Siplin!

What’s that saying about being careful who you’re photographed with lest you are assumed to be like-minded?

On the way in, we were given the opportunity to fill out a note card with our name and a general topic for a question, if we wanted to ask a question. The card was then placed in a “For” “Against” or “Undecided” box. Sherlock and I both placed our cards in the undecided box. Wouldn’t you know it? My card was picked as the second or third question!

Let me be totally honest here: I have no head for politics. My wonderful husband came up with my question, and I mentally rehearsed it the entire time I stood in line, so that if I got to ask my question, I wouldn’t trip up too much.

My question: The NYT and Washington Post recently reported that Social Security will be insolvent by 2037, and Medicare by 2016. Then there’s the complete mess the post office is in right now. How does the government plan to pay for healthcare for the entire country If the government is running out of money for the programs they already have in effect?

A little while later, sherlock’s name was drawn.

They tried to be fair by taking a question from each box. For the most part, the crowd inside was polite and respectful. Mostly. But, Grayson said moronic things that seemed to be completely irrelevant, like “the cost of the health care plan is less than the cost of the war in Iraq.” That sent his drones into a standing ovation. But, really, what does one have to do with the other?

Meanwhile, it got very loud outside with people chanting “read the bill” which made Todd Jurkowski grab a huge stack of paper and announce “this is his copy.” One questioner referred to a specific page and paragraph, and I was amused to see Grayson thumbing through the stack to find it. Alas, he didn’t really answer the guy’s question.

All in all, I felt it was a sham. It was a hand-picked, friendly-to-Grayson crowd. But, I’m glad I went. Grayson was very well-spoken and slick, but I left unsatisfied. And he pulled the plug at 930p. It didn’t begin until around 815, a full thirty minutes after it was supposed to start, and then it only went just over an hour. Many people were angry at not being heard. I can understand.

UPDATED: My husband now has his review posted. Sadly, he couldn’t get the pictures to d/l at his office, so no new pictures at this time.

I also wanted to add, when that guy referenced a specific paragraph, Grayson said something to the effect of, “I’m a lawyer, educated at Harvard, so I understand this bill.” Which I found highly insulting. Apparently because I only have a degree in English from Rollins, I’m too stupid to understand legalese. I guess my years as a paralegal, while in college, don’t help me at all. I hate being a stupid cracker!

UPDATED AGAIN: I can pick myself out in the WESH video.

And in this FOX video:

I also see myself in the WFTV piece, but so far, no one has me asking my question. It should be noted, some of the WFTV sound bytes were filmed in the pre-meeting Democrat-only meeting. Fair and Balanced much?

UPDATED AGAIN: Welcome Michelle Malkin readers!

ONE MORE UPDATE: sherlock posted the rest of the pictures.

UPDATED AT 744p: well, that’s a relief! I was afraid I’d have to divorce my husband over jealousy from his Instalanche. Thanks for linking me and saving our marriage, Glenn!

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