Healthcare debate turns obnoxious as birthers ambush rally

The Baton Rouge advocate reported today on the Organizing For America healthcare rally at the Baton Rouge Courthouse. The paper tells us that tea party protesters showed up about fifteen minutes into the press conference to crash the pro-reform party with a series of smears and unfounded accusations. Those against the healthcare plan proposed by the President soon realized that they didn't have a leg to stand on when it came to the issues, so they reacted in a way that reveals their underlying racism and neo-conservatism. What followed was a torrent of ridiculous conspiracy theories accusing President Obama of not being an American citizen. These wingnuts seem to be absolutely impervious to facts and evidence, which is understandable from their point of view given that recognizing the facts would mean recognizing their own stupidity and racism, recognizing that conservatism is dying out, and their kind are dwindling in numbers.

The bright side of this whole scene is that these birthers continue to play right into the President's hand when it comes to the healthcare debate. By focusing on Obama, the far right is losing more and more ground every day in the discussion on reform. President Obama said himself Wednesday night that this is not about him, and he's absolutely right. It's about real people who are struggling to make health insurance payments, seeing the cost of their premiums grow at three times the rate of wages while insurance companies pocket record profits even in the deepest parts of the recession. The story here should be about people like my friend who is 24 and is excluded from health insurance because of a preexisting condition, not about right wing wackos and their idiotic conspiracy theories, which have been roundly debunked at every turn.

On a side note: The Advocate again failed in my opinion to point out the baselessness of the birther claims, even going as far as to provide an out for any of these ridiculous claims in their article.