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McCaskill Continues Town Hall Series, Faces Tough Crowd In Jefferson City

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-857489.mp3

Jefferson City, MO – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill continued her series of health care town hall meetings Tuesday in Jefferson City.

The Missouri Democrat once again faced a crowd that was for the most part less than friendly.

Nearly 400 people crowded into Lewis and Clark Middle School to hear and sometimes jeer McCaskill.

She told the audience that doing nothing to America's current health care system is not an option.

"Should it be constitutional for us to deny health care to people?" McCaskill asked.

Audience members shouted back, "Yeah!"

McCaskill then responded, "I'll tell you what else is not in the constitution: the Medicare program is not in the constitution, Social Security is not in the constitution."

At one point, McCaskill told the audience that they may go down as the most impolite one she's faced.

But she also drew cheers when she said she opposed a single-payer option, as part of Congress' health care overhaul.

Marshall Griffin is the Statehouse reporter for St. Louis Public Radio.
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