Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal
Three dozen people demonstrated outside Sen. Harry Reid's Carson City office Friday afternoon, protesting the health care initiative and the Democratic senator's "indifference" to his constituents.
"We want to send a message to this nation that America cannot tolerate indifference. He speaks one story and does another," said Larry Judd of Winnemucca, who took the day off from work and drove three hours to attend the demonstration. Judd said his ultimate goal is to unseat Reid.
"As Nevadans, if we want to help the nation, we need to get Harry Reid out," he said.
Trudy Stanford said she was taking part in the demonstration - similar to Tea Party demonstrations that have sprung up across the nation this year - to convey her disappointment with Reid's representation.
"He's not having town hall meetings, and when I wrote to him, he sent me back a letter that basically said, thanks for the comments and I'll do what I think is best," she said. "But that's not good enough. The majority don't want what he is peddling."
Janice Baldwin, president of the Carson City Republican Women's Club, said the group decided to gather outside Reid's office after they heard he was scheduled for a meeting there Friday. Then, said Baldwin, they learned he'd canceled the meeting, but decided to continue with the demonstration.
"He is the No. 1 person pushing people to support the health care initiatives. I think it's very unconstitutional. The government should not be running a health care program. I'm a very strong constitutionalist that believes in limited federal government and minimal state government," she said. "We are a group of people willing to take time out of our day to bring awareness to what Harry Reid is doing. We are going to do the best we can to preserve America."
As motorists on Highway 50 East at Roop Street passed, several honked their horns in support of the signs held by demonstrators, some of which read:
• "Tax cuts. The real stimulus."
• "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention."
• "Repeal the pork or your bacon is cooked."
• "Harry you evil old man 'retire.'"
Jon Summers, spokesman for the Senate majority leader, said that although Reid was in Northern Nevada on Friday, he did not plan a visit to his Carson City office and did not cancel a scheduled meeting.
Summers said Reid is holding a tele-town hall meeting Aug. 29 in which constituents will be called and invited to participate in a question and answer session.
Sometime next week a program should be in place where visitors to Reid's Web site, reid.senate.gov can register their phone numbers for inclusion in the meeting.
"(Sen. Reid) has been talking to constituents about health care for a long time now. In July he spoke with more than 30,000 Nevadans on the issue," said Summers. "This tele-town hall will allow us to talk to tens of thousands of Nevadans all over the state, all at one time."