Angry Man Tells Specter: God Will Judge You

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: In The News

Sen. Arlen Specter held a town hall meeting this morning in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and the proceedings were relatively civil – with one notable exception.

Angry that he had not been among the roughly thirty people who had been given the opportunity to ask the senator a question, one man began yelling – at which point he was pushed by another attendee and it appeared a fight might break out.

Specter intervened in an effort to calm everyone down. The man, waving a piece of paper, then turned to Specter and complained that he could not influence the senator because he is "not a lobbyist with all kind of money to stuff in your pocket." He also referred to Specter as "crooked."

"One day, God's gonna stand before you," the worked-up man said as the senator looked at him without expressing emotion. "And he's gonna judge you and the rest of your damn cronies up on the Hill -- and then you will get your just desserts."

Specter, who called the outburst "a demonstration of democracy," faced some other hostile questions at the town hall, with many speakers complaining about Democratic health care reform efforts. Most of the questioners were polite, however – even one woman who wore a "member of the mob" t-shirt, a reference to complaints from Democrats that Republican operatives had dispatched "angry mobs" to disrupt town hall events.

"This is about the systematic dismantling of this country…you have awakened a sleeping giant," a woman named Katy Abram said to Specter, reading from a prepared statement. She later appeared on Fox News, which covered the Specter event along with the other cable networks.

The senator, who switched from the Republican to Democratic Party this year, remained calm throughout the meeting, telling attendees that he would not support the health care bill if it would add to the deficit. Crowds of people who did not get into the meeting gathered outside, some clutching signs warning of socialism.

Members of Congress typically hold town hall meetings during their August recess. This year many of those meetings have turned into spectacles as angry constituents have chanted and yelled during the proceedings. President Obama will hold a town hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire this afternoon.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

77 Comments +

Add a Comment

See all 77 Comments


by deprogram August 26, 2009 7:21 PM EDT: That man is an idiot are so are the rest of the folks disrupting town meetings throughout the country. Even if he's right about god judging Senator Spector it has nothing to do with the subject at hand, the health care bill. If this is "democracy in action" then we as a country need to do better, and I'm not sure we can with the insurance industry inventing these flat out lies: death panels, aid for illegals, etc.... Yep, these guys are the ones employing Nazi tactics.; Reply to this comment


by apennsylvanian August 12, 2009 11:07 PM EDT: THIS is what TRANSFORMED Katy Abram and the rest of the anti crowd:

As posted on the Berks County Reading Eagle newspaper site:
CALL TO ARMS....CALL TO ARMS.....JULY 4TH....INDEPENDENCE HALL- PHILADELPHIA..READ ON ALL PATRIOTS. NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET IN OBAMA'S FACE. SIGN UP NOW $30.00 PER PERSON. --------------BERKS TEA PARTY. ORG HEAR YE, HEAR YE: Let me give you a quick update on what?s been happening. I am sorry that I haven?t communicated with you before. We have been busy getting everything prepared. We have joined with the Philadelphia area tea party groups as well as statewide and national groups. We have organized a bus trip to Philadelphia for a protest on July 4th at Independence Hall. I understand that Obama will be there so we need a good turnout. We will have our website up and running soon. It will be www.berksteaparty.org. For the time being you can contact us through berksteaparty@hotmail.com------------THE TIME TO STAND IS NOW! THE FACT THAT THIS ABORTION OF A PRESIDENT WILL BE AT INDEPENDENCE HALL STANDING ON OUR HALLOWED GROUND IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ONE SICK. MAKE YOUR SIGNS. MAKE THEM BIG. GET ON THE BUS. GO TO PHILLY. BOO THE CRAP OUT OF THIS ILLEGAL PRESIDENT. Posted on the Reading Eagle newspaper 6/23/2009 1:04:07 PM

NOTE: Nothing about taxes. Nothing about Health Reform. Nothing about 'DISCOURSE.'

Check out the interview with Katy Abram (the cute gal "I want my country back!" doing the talk circuit on msnbc's hardball where she DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY when asked: Will you tell your parents NOT to ACCEPT Social Security and Medicare because they are Socialist Programs?
She refused to say 'yes'! LOL! (She didn't KNOW!)

Priceless!!

PS to Katy: Russia REFORMED THEIR Health Care System to a CAPITIALIST system in 2007 with the assistance of the United States Of America.

Doncha think Katy would make a terrorific mate to Sarah Palin? They both know so much about Russia!; Reply to this comment


by iam4honesty August 12, 2009 10:24 AM EDT: Here's the deal.

Back in 1960 an evil organization conspired to mate an educated black man with a white woman... no, wait, wait, it started some time in the fifties. An evil organization conspired to educate a black man from Kenya and then mate that black man with a white American woman to give birth to a child that would be nurtured and groomed to become the evil leader of the free world. An evil organization, that does much good, called ACORN took sponsorship of this future leader and did many things that would ensure his assencion to power. It is well known that this terrorist, muslim, socialist, communist, fascist was actually born in Africa, (which makes him an alien) but the evil organization has halted any attempts to bring proof of his birthplace before the people.

Now that this man has been ordained 'evil leader of the free world' he has set about his tasks of destroying the world. First, he began by having conversations with other leaders who do not agree with him... then he started trying to open dialog between the different religions on Earth. The evil leader has done such vile things as sign legislation that offers health care for the children of the poor... GOD DOES NOT WANT THAT!! Now the evil leader is attempting to make health care available to EVERYONE! AND... he wants to kill your grandma!!!!

THIS MAN IS EVIL!!!; Reply to this comment


by iam4honesty August 12, 2009 9:42 AM EDT: These people are so stupid! How do they get that dumb?; Reply to this comment


by pasmalltown August 11, 2009 8:12 PM EDT: Although I find it difficult to defend the statements of the "God's gonna stand before you" man, I do understand his frustration. Having some dealings with Spector in the past, Arlen is a true politician - promises you everything, delivers little. Maybe it was just his staffers, but the bottom line was clear - "I can't be bothered with individuals, I've got more important fish to fry...." Although disappointed, I moved on and hopefully will be one of many PA voters that will convince Mr Spector that it's the "indivduals" that make up the masses which will unseat him in the upcoming election. Doesn't matter to me if he's a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent - he will not have my vote.; Reply to this comment


by hungry1968-16 August 11, 2009 5:53 PM EDT: Good news for Specter: there is no god to worry about.

It's AMAZING though that this man thinks he can use "god" like an attack dog, and turn him loose on a politician that he disagrees with.

Especially since Jesus himself would denounce the current health care system, and praise the changes being proposed - IF he really existed.; Reply to this comment


by dahizzle August 11, 2009 4:53 PM EDT: These protesters are all shills for the HMO's, whether under their own accord or unwittingly duped. The majority of people disrupting these TH meetings have been duped, are being hauled around on buses with the promise of a free B&E breakfast. From what I've heard, many of them aren't getting the free breakfast, they're just being dropped back off at the senior center.; Reply to this comment


by dahizzle August 11, 2009 4:41 PM EDT: We're still feeling the residuals of the previous, fascist regime with Fox as their news sentinel. Fox should be re-classified as op-ed with a slant toward sensationalism.

It certainly isn't news.; Reply to this comment


by anticristvs August 11, 2009 4:16 PM EDT: I went to a town hall meeting and a Square Dance broke out.; Reply to this comment


by rdepontb August 11, 2009 4:13 PM EDT: Sen Specter has a fair amount of pent-up disappointment and frustration from his defection from the Republican party, and behaviors that led up to that defection. It is unfortunate that the defection and health care reform are getting mixed together, but probably inevitable.; Reply to this comment