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Foul, loud, dirty socialists and aging hippies backed by unions and progressive groups crowded around the Ritz-Carlton in Washington D.C., where the insurance industry met for their annual conference (America's Health Insurance Plans) in Washington D.C., trying their damndest to get arrested. Health Care for America Now (HCAN), a well-organized tool used by Barack Obama, organized the event, hoping to draw attention to Evil Insurance Companies, and hoping that their presence and tantrums lends to getting BHO's socialist end-run around the Constitution passed through Congress.

Oh, and Howard Dean, the screamer, driving the crowd like a towel-snapping shower thug.

But, this event was more show and carnival than a serious protest. There were no arrests.

Protesters rushed the Ritz Carlton, calling for the heads of health-care executives. “The criminals are inside!” yelled the agitated crowd, waving “wanted” posters bearing images of the CEOs. They covered the front of the building in crime scene tape as Metro police stood shoulder-to-shoulder warily eying those chanting, “Hey-Hey, Ho-Ho, insurance companies have got to go!”

“This is like the good old days,” said one attendee who lamented that two previous protests this year were small, ineffective affairs. “This is great.”

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka rallied the crowd, as did SEIU’s Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. They asked people to raise their right hands, and “deputized” them, urging them to rush the Ritz Carlton and conduct “citizens arrests” on the CEOs inside.

The police escorted off several protesters who repeatedly tried to cross their barricade, but in the end admitted that no one was arrested and the entire thing was pre-arranged.

Even AHIP and Dean agree that we do need reform; but not this ObamaCare debacle. At this point, BHO's massive and unworkable ObamaCare legislation is more a target than a rallying point.

Still, in a sign of the continued fractures in the Democratic Party over the shape of health care reform, Dean said he did not approve of the mandate that would force individuals to buy health insurance. That mandate is included in the plan being pushed by Obama.

“It is a political time bomb,” Dean said.

As Obama makes his final push for health care reform, he, too, has ratcheted up his attacks on the health care insurance companies. And insurers are fighting back.

AHIP is launching a $1 million advertising campaign that will emphasize the need for health care legislation to address increasing medical costs.

AHIP spokesman Robert Zirkelbach criticized the campaign by the administration and activist groups, including those behind Tuesday’s protests, of blaming insurance companies for problems in the health care system.

“There has been an effort to vilify the hard working men and women of our industry,” he said.

Turning their backs on that what got 'em here, these union thugs.


Dirty Socialists.

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