News Leader

I lightheartedly (HA) call this blog a Newz Liter, but my question(s) to Congressman Tom Latham about co-ops highlighted the press's coverage.

Radio Iowa reporter O. Kay Henderson captured the audio of Latham's Indianola town meeting and her online story features his answer(s) to my question(s).

I first asked Latham, 43 minutes into the meeting, what his thoughts were on the new buzzword "co-ops".

Latham's answer was, "I don't think anybody knows what it is yet."

While true, I didn't find his answer complete, so I rephrased my question.

He pretty much provided the same answer.

Still feeling like he was doing a political dance around it, I said that I was sorry I wasn't being clear and that I wanted to know how he felt about the federal government providing the seed money for co-ops.

WHO DT's Dave Price had the answer as, "at first blush" he would oppose the idea, unless the cooperatives would repay any federal money the government allocated to them to set them up.

The crowd, that others estimated at 150, was overwhelmingly made up of those who oppose the Dummycrats desire for health care reform.

I've been wondering for a while, and to Chris' chagrin she's been my sounding board, are we really talking about health CARE reform or health INSURANCE reform?

As I recall yesterday's meeting, there were no real problems people had with the quality of the care they receive, with one woman relating her son's cancer treatments had cost her $200,000 but she'd gladly pay that and more because he survived and has thrived.

The town meeting was polite, for the most part, but did get a bit cantankerous, especially at the end.

WHO DT's video captured a smattering of that.

As an aside, I mentioned to my friend Cal, Freedom's pal, that the meetings setting was a former elementary school auditorium.

Congressman Lathram stood on stage and was separated from the audience by what must have been a band pit at one time.

I told Cal, if they filled that pit with water, alligators and piranhas it feels how Washington is insulated from its constituents--via a moat and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Radio Iowa's picture, which I borrowed, shows Cal and I in the front row right next to the flag.

I took a camera, but can't get my computer to open the memory card.