Eye Spy Melissa Bean's Health Care Townhall

Red Tail has been a bit busy this week getting ready for Labor Day festivities, but we wanted to report on the Melissa Bean's Chamber of Commerce Townhall in Kildeer, which we attended.

It was preceded by a lot of media attention. Michelle Malkin's blog noted the event. (Malkin predictably focused on the Lake Zurich Chamber's standard $25 door fee.) About 50 pro and anti health care reform activists were on hand. If you were delayed in the resulting traffic jam -- US 12 & Quentin Rd -- thank Michelle Malkin. Her e-mail address is writemalkin@gmail.com.

The Daily Herald was on hand, providing excellent coverage. And a bonus video of the event.

The event began at 7:30am. Unsurprisingly absent at that early hour were the bussed in agitators seen at other recent local health care forums. LakeCountyEye can report the turnout was comparatively meager.

While the crowd outside may have been lacking in numbers they made up for it with enthusiasm and commitment. Here is the audio of an exchange between two activists at the protest, on opposite sides of the debate, one of whom has lost his health insurance coverage due to a pre-existing condition:

Inside, Lake Zurich Chamber members politely listened to Congresswoman Bean speak on many issues before Congress, including ten minutes on health care reform. While she refused to call health insurance a "right," she seemed surprisingly open to what Congress might come up with (out of the five or so bills now circulating) in terms of making it available to all -- whether you lose your job or not.

In fact, it is hard for us to understand here at Lake County Eye how people can yell about keeping government out of health insurance when most of them are only a "you're fired" away from not being covered at all. In fact, who among us knows when we might come down with a serious disease that our insurance company will then, uncerimoniously, decide was a pre-existing condition. Then, goodbye, house. Goodbye, credit rating. Hello, bankruptcy.

Congresswoman Bean promises to read in full any bill on health insurance accessibility that comes before her, which is what she has done with most bills, she says. Personally, Lake County Eye wishes she would have had a town hall, too, simply for the potential high comedy factor. This thing in Lake Zurich was way too polite for the Eye's taste in slap-stick.