Today, Organizing for America got a first-hand taste of the Astroturf being laid in this country about healthcare as well as the hate speech being propagated from Ultra-right-wing talk radio hosts.

OFA organized their march from downtown Akron on Main Street up to Betty Sutton’s office at 39 E Market Street to declare their support for the healthcare bill being thrust upon the American people by their elected members of Congress.  As the group marched 2 by 2 through the streets, they first avoided confrontation by walking between the buildings near Betty’s office, avoiding the group of protestors waiting for their arrival.  As they made their way around the buildings to the doors of Sutton’s office, some broke off and gushed sorrowful discourses of how people cannot get healthcare in this country and how America has the 41st best healthcare system behind other socialist, I mean enlightened, countries.  When the OFA members where confronted with facts that debunked DNC issued talking points, they simply shook their heads and quietly walked away.  And I mean who could blame them.  The ‘angry’ mob was clearly "uninformed, and not able to comprehend their highly enlightened progressive logic."

As the protesters of OFA wept and lamented about America’s Healthcare system to Sutton’s aides, the aides in a fit of compassion not seen before in the history of humanity listened with a feeling of consolation and assured the protesters that Betty was in total support of their cause.  In fact, this staged event had even enlisted a reporter from the Akron based Rubber City Radio Group’s WQMX to be on hand to witness the event. After the OFA left, the opposing protest group entered Sutton’s office and were told they could not stay because they did not have a scheduled meeting with her.  The group was permitted to leave a CD containing videos of disenfranchised constituents who wanted to be on the record opposing the National Healthcare bill, along with an “In or Out” pledge sheet.   This statement asked Sutton to agree to 5 legislative stances for the duration of  her term, including stopping all spending bills, freezing taxes, American energy independence from the Middle East, closing the borders and not apologizing for our nations past actions on the international stage.

The use of a radio station to cover the event came as no surprise to many of the protesters, most of whom had attended the recent Akron Tea Party with over 7000 people.  The highly successful Akron Tea Party hosted by Matt Patrick and aired on AM 640 WHLO, voiced their opposition to the very legislation AFO had sent 30 people today to endorse.  Sutton had completely stonewalled Patrick’s highly successful morning political commentary show while he has hosted all other local members of congress in its listening area including; Congressman Tim Ryan (D) and John Boccieri (D).  While Sutton has taken to ignoring Patrick’s interview requests, her staff is listening, and has regularly corrected Partick’s on air statements.

Summit912.org members notified Patrick of their intention to protest at Sutton’s office, and this was mentioned during the opening minutes of his show.  Within minutes before the protest was to be held, emails from Sutton chief of Staff were sent to all Summit912.org committee members requesting to schedule a formal meeting with the Congresswoman.  The email claimed to be in response to a request, records show had been received by Sutton’s office nearly three weeks ago.  “We had received responses from almost all other Congressional offices we reached out to within days of receipt” stated the Summit912.org Marketing Committee chair, “I don’t want to assign any alterior motive to receiving a response today, as suspicious as it looks.  We are just happy that Mrs. Sutton will allow us to have a dialog that represents the thousands of voters in Summit & Medina County that have supported our recent efforts”.  The question still remains; was the oddly timed response from Sutton’s Chief of Staff done as a cover to allow Sutton’s aids to turn away anyone other then the AFO members, claiming an appointment was required?