On Sunday (August 16, 2009), Senator Arlen Specter again ignored recent polling data and echoed a claim that he made earlier in the week regarding opponents of “ObamaCare.”  Appearing on ABC’s “This Week” along with Senator Orrin Hatch (R - Utah), Specter stated, “I think we have to bear in mind that although those people need to be heard and have a right to be heard, that they’re not really representative of America in my opinion.  We have to be careful here, not to let those town meetings dominate the scene and influence what we do on health policy.” (see earlier post below).

• Watch the August 16 video here.

• Read about the exchange, “Specter: Town Hall Ire Not Public Opinion,” Associated Press (August 16, 2009).

Video: Sen. Specter (D - PA) Challenged at Town Hall Meeting

Senator Arlen Specter — the Senator from Pennsylvania who switched political parties from Republican to Democrat earlier this year — commented on his recent encounters with frustrated citizens at town hall meetings on CBS’s “The Early Show.”   Of the attendees, Specter stated, “I’m not going to complain about being organized. They have a right to speak.  But I think we have to explain, they’re not necessarily representative of America. I think they’re vocal. I don’t think they’re representative.”

Specter’s explanation contradicts the recent polling data on Healthcare.  Scott Rasmussen has found that 57% of voters now oppose a single payer health care system, and 53% now oppose the Democrats health care reform plan altogether.  Of course, Specter is used to misinterpreting “representation.”  He failed to represent the voters of Pennsylvania — the ones who elected him to the Senate five times — when he changed his political party affiliation.

Video: Specter town hall meeting in Lebanon - August 11, 2009