Pat Dollard

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Politico:

Angry protesters shouted down Democrats at public events from Texas to Pennsylvania over the weekend, leaving the party only one real hope for getting its message out over recess: a backlash.

In Austin, Texas, Rep. Lloyd Doggett was drowned out by a group of noisy, sign-waving demonstrators who shouted, “Just say no” as he tried to talk about health care reform.

In an e-mail to POLITICO Monday, Doggett called the group a “mob, sent by the local Republican and Libertarian parties” that “came not just to be heard but to deny others the right to be heard.”

In Morrisville, Pa., Rep. Patrick Murphy was forced to scrap plans for a one-on-one meet-the-congressman session when people in the crowd started shouting. Murphy switched to a town hall format mid-event and even then had to ask the audience at times to “be respectful.”

And at a health care event in Philadelphia, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius were repeatedly interrupted by booing and heckling. “We can shout at one another, or we can leave the stage,” Sebelius said at one point. “It’s up to you.”

For Democrats, that’s precisely the problem: Their ability to make their case on health care at public events during the August recess is mostly in the hands of the people who turn out for the events. And if those people want to be disruptive — especially en masse — there’s not much the Democrats can do about it.

“Town halls have become town hells,” said Mark McKinnon, a former adviser to President George W. Bush. “Special interests and opponents have figured out how easy it is to disrupt town halls and get their own message out. The days of the truly free-form town halls may be over.”

Democratic leaders aren’t quite ready to say that yet. Doug Thornell, a spokesman for Assistant to the Speaker Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), said House leaders are urging their members to continue holding public sessions, even if it means they’ll be shouted down and have it all replayed on YouTube.

“We have encouraged our members to use everything in their arsenal to communicate with their constituents,” said Thornell. “They know what works best in their districts. More than anything, they have to stay on the offense and not get distracted by stupid Republican gimmicks.”

The Republicans aren’t exactly apologetic.

“As some members of Speaker Pelosi’s party are already learning, it’s hard to heed her orders to ‘go on offense’ when you’re busy defending such unpopular policies,” said Paul Lindsay, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Lindsay said the NRCC would begin circulating a regular e-mail to reporters highlighting the protests at Democrats’ town halls. The title: “Recess Roastings — Washington Democrats Feel the Heat at Home.”

Democrats are trying to push back, casting the town hall disrupters as right-wing extremists affiliated with anti-tax “tea parties.”

“The last place Republicans ought to be moving their party is even more to the fringe of the political spectrum,” said Eric Schultz, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Added a senior Democratic strategist: “It may be out of necessity, but for Republicans, relying on the fringe elements of the party to be the face of opposition on health care is a dangerous game. The birthers and the tea party folks aren’t controllable, come off as angry and out of control and couldn’t care less about the issue at hand.”

But communications experts say it would be a mistake to demonize the protesters.

“The more intelligent alternative is to take the extensive network the Obama campaign developed and send all of those people to town halls,” said University of Pennsylvania political scientist Kathleen Hall Jamieson. “If this comes down to vocal individuals, the Obama campaign ought to be able to always outnumber their opponent. And if they’re not, then that’s a problem.”

Democrats aren’t the only ones taking town hall heat. Republican Rep. Mike Castle was smacked down by the crowd at a town hall in Delaware last month when he wouldn’t agree with an angry inquisitor who insisted that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya.

McKinnon suggested that lawmakers handle noisy crowds by asking “the rabble to provide a spokesperson, and give them the microphone for one question and comment.”

“Just give them a platform to have their say and let the air out of the balloon,” he advised. “If they continue to harass, then they really look like partisan hacks.”

One thing on which everyone agrees: The protests are likely to continue.

The insurance lobby has urged the public to turn out for town halls, as have members of the tea party movement and the group Conservatives for Patients’ Rights, which is providing a list of upcoming public events on its website — together with videos of events that have already been disrupted.

“I think that it’s going to happen at a lot of the town halls,” said Rick Scott, chairman of Conservatives for Patients’ Rights. “What you’re seeing is a change.”

Specter, who was booed in Philadelphia over the weekend, told The Associated Press that it’s “highly likely” other senators will soon meet the same fate.