Feingold gets an earful at Oshkosh mtg

OSHKOSH - Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold got an earful at his town hall meeting in Winnebago County on Thursday.

"The majority of senior people feel that they are getting screwed pardon my French," Pat Braasch of Oshkosh said during the one-and-a-half hour session.

While all topics were on the table, healthcare dominated the discussion. Some expressed concerns about cuts to Medicare. Others asked why a plan that's expected to extend coverage to more than 30 million of the uninsured, would be negotiated behind closed doors.

"If it is a good bill, bring it out, let the people see it," Braasch said.

C-SPAN has asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to cover the meetings.

"Well they're right, there's just no reason not to have those sessions out in the open," Feingold said. "It's a perfectly appropriate request."

Feingold says the bill isn't perfect, but he believes it will reduce the deficit, saving $132 billion over ten years.

"The only way this thing is going to be deficit neutral is to tax us more," a session attendee said. "Take money out of my paycheck and put it in somebody else's hand."

"It's important to have a system where everyone can get health insurance and where people aren't forced out if they get sick," Kevin McGee of Oshkosh said.

But, that wasn't the opinion of the majority at the session. Most voiced strong opposition to health care reform and peppered Feingold with questions.

"Would you agree the State of Wisconsin residents don't want this bill?" Rob Rathsack asked.

"Not based on the town meetings, I know the number," Feingold countered. "I was in every county, it was almost 50-50 in the state."

But, it wasn't in Oshkosh.

Among the key differences between the House and Senate plans is how to pay for them. The Senate bill would tax high-end insurance plans, while the House wants to raise taxes for higher income workers. Feingold says he does not support the insurance tax.