Local workers hand out chicken soup at health care demonstration aimed at U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-17

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.republicanherald.com/news/local-workers-hand-out-chicken-soup-at-health-care-demonstration-1.504069

BY DUSTIN PANGONIS (STAFF WRITER [e-mail])
Published: December 22, 2009

Flanked by a woman in a chicken costume and armed with cans of soup, a dozen local workers and labor leaders gathered in Pottsville Monday to urge U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-17, to rethink his vote against the House health care reform bill.

"They always say chicken soup is the homeopathic cure for illness," Liz Bettinger, a legislative representative for United Steelworkers, said at the demonstration. "We just wanted to make sure Congressman Holden knew that chicken soup is not the answer for health care reform."

http://www.republicanherald.com/polopoly_fs/1.504070.1261457086!/image/2278925770.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_240/2278925770.jpg

The event was held in conjunction with the national AFL-CIO, Bettinger said, and demonstrators passed cans of chicken soup out to passers-by outside Holden's city office at 101 N. Centre St. Demonstrators also held signs with phrases such as "guaranteed quality health care" and "health insurance reform '09: we want it!"

Although Holden supports health care reform, he was unhappy with the bill that passed through the House in early November and voted against it, a decision Bettinger said disappointed labor leaders.

Bettinger said she hoped the protest would encourage Holden to vote for the health care reform bill once it comes out of the Senate, should the unions throw their support behind it.

"He has another bite at the apple," he said.

FULL story at link.