Batman and Robin take on anti-health care reform activists

Batman and Robin take on anti-health care reform activists in Highlands Ranch.
(Cross posted on Square State)

It takes a lot of nerve to crash a private campaign house party, but that didn't stop dozens of anti-health care reform activists from Colorado Springs and other areas of the state, one of whom claimed to drive 75 miles, to the home of David and Joni Canter in Highlands Ranch on Saturday. A feisty group of anti-reformers arrived early, took the best seats, and chastised Senator Michael Bennet for not having more public town halls -- even though just in the last two weeks he's held town halls in Telluride, Ouray, Durango, Edwards, Frisco, and Pueblo, to name a few -- attempting to ambush him with questions about "Obama-care" and "illegals." Gracious almost to a fault, David and Joni Canter gave them permission to enter their home thirty minutes before the Senator's arrival.

Admittedly, like many Square State progressives, I was once a Bennet skeptic, incensed Governor Ritter appointed an apparent union-neutral moderate over favored former Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff. I first warmed to Bennet when I hoped he might be the right person to take on CU's own conservative corporatist Bruce Benson in the area of education, at some point in the future. Since then, I have attended numerous Bennet campaign events. Never have I seen Senator Bennet in stronger form than Saturday. The usually mild-mannered, soft-spoken diplomat showed his true grit, and I couldn't have been more impressed.

Senator Bennet thanked the hosts, welcomed everyone to the event, and politely addressed the uninvited guests first. He told them he was happy to answer any questions they had, "except crazy ones." When one of them said, "Crazy on both sides, right?" he replied, "Everyone here knows what I mean".

The freshman Senator from CO pushed up his sleeves and asked for tough questions from people who were skeptical about health care reform. He requested all attendees ask "sincere" questions, try to be non-partisan, and promised to do the same. During each question, he walked up as close to the person asking the question as he could, and looked them in the eye with an attentive and engaged posture. When anti-reformers interrupted each other by talking out of turn, he reminded them who had the floor and asked everyone in the room to be more respectful so he could respond to the question. Clearly, Michael Bennet's experience as Denver Public School's Superintendent paid off in his ability to "manage the classroom."

Several of the anti-reformers mentioned having read "the bill". Senator Bennet looked incredulous, and said cheerfully, yet without personal attack, something to the effect of, "Let's be honest here. No one's read every page of 'the bill' in its entirety. Anyone who said they did is lying. There are four bills under consideration, and one is not even entirely on paper yet". The questioner could not argue the point after having been "called out" on his little "fib".

One by one, Senator Bennet educated the room, correcting misinformation about health care insurance reform. He emphasized the reform efforts were an attempt to fix the economy, reduce debt we pass on to the next generation, and make the entire system more economical and efficient. He also pointed out the VA, Medicaid and Medicare are all government programs (since many audience members were of retirement age, it's a good bet they're already receiving that dreaded "government-run" health care!).

Standing between the doorway of the great room and the foyer where the spillover crowd strained to listen, I was more fortunate than most. As Senator Bennet took aim at misinformation, exposed inaccurate assumptions and presented facts in one room, 6th Congressional Candidate Lt. Col. (Ret.) John Flerlage was doing the same in the foyer. At one point, a friend whispered to me, "You need to go help John in the dining room. 'They' are piled on him three-to-one." As I approached, it was clear to me John Flerlage was doing just fine on his own. The former fighter pilot, like the former School Superintendent, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying each challenge and responding with assertiveness and authority.

To a political junkie, watching a statesman at his craft is as good as it gets. Watching two at once is having the best seat at the political Super Bowl.

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