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YouTube Clip Talks Hare, Constitution -- VIDEO AVAILABLE HERE
FIRST REPORTED 3:00pm 4/2/10 Apparently the calm discussion about health care reform Congressman Phil Hare had when he was in Galesburg Thursday didn't carry over to other stops he made that day -- one of which has made its way to YouTube.

CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO CLIP

The Rock Island Democrat, in the video, is seen following a town hall meeting in Quincy answering the question of a suspected blogger "What About the Constitution?" The headline on the blogger's website, www.sharpelbows.net, reads "ILL Congressman Phil Hare Doesn't Care About the Constitution."

But Hare spokesperson Tim Schlittner tells WGIL not only doesn't the headline tell all of what Hare said, it was taken out of context.

"When it comes to this health care bill, (Hare)'s not worried whether it will be ruled unconstitutional," Schlittner said. "He does not believe it is. Some of the nation's most prominent lawyers have said it will be upheld by the Constitution."

Hare's opponent in the fall election, Republican Quad Cities businessman Bobby Schilling, tells WGIL there wasn't anything to be taken out of context.

"I think after he said what he said, you know, basically saying that 'hey, the Constitution...I don't worry about the Constitution.' And then he realized what he had just said, and I mean you could see that in the video."

Schlittner says his boss was "railroaded." WGIL asked Schilling if he thought that was the case. "I don't believe he was," Schilling said. "I think what happened was he got upset and he spoke his mind, you know, is what happened. In watching that tape...I don't know if it was a man, a kid, or it sounded like a younger person...just kept hitting him and hitting him."

Schlittner tells WGIL the whole incident masked what the meeting was all about.

"The disappointing thing is, there were honest, hard-working senior there that had legitimate questions," Schlittner said. "But, the meeting turned into a political exercise. In the end, (the bloggers) were people that, no matter what Congressman Hare said, it wasn't good enough for them."

Schilling says he does think the health care bill will be ruled unconstitutional, and says there are too many people like Hare that are willing to walk all over the Constitution.

Schlittner says Hare was also called a Nazi at that same meeting, something Schilling says he'd never condone.




(Congressman Phil Hare speaks to senior citizens Thursday in Galesburg. WGIL News Story and Photo by Will Stevenson.)
04 02 10 by Newsroom
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