In a  New York Times article on Friday the writer, Jeff Zeleny, paints a very narrow and sometimes inaccurate picture of OFA's and the progressive grass roots' efforts with regard to health care reform. Selectively skewed reporting has been the case throughout the process. For example, I'm certain most folks don't know that on June 25th that there were about 10,000 pro health care reform demonstrators and advocates in Washington promoting their cause. Why? Because that was the day that Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died.

The media has focused almost exclusively on the outlandish behavior by the right at a number of town hall meetings but has covered virtually none of the great number of constructive meetings. They have given credibility to behavior that in years gone by would have been described as extremist. By doing this and by bringing that point of view into their papers and on to their programs in a number disproportionate to the more moderate points of view, they've done us a disservice by distorting the conversation. But as the President says, the media loves a ruckus. 

In his article Zeleny uses only Iowa as the basis for his analysis. He also inaccurately described OFA as conducting "town hall meetings" about health care. OFA hasn't organized around the concept of its own town hall meetings in any formal sense. Its events are, by design, organizing and informational events constructed to get people actively involved on an ongoing basis; although it's certainly not unusual for discussions to break during them. More accurately,  OFA is currently organizing people to attend congressional town hall meetings to show support for the cause in a reasonable and constructive manner.  In events I've attended and helped organize in New Jersey we've had anywhere from 20 to 60 people at a time at organizing meetings and events for health care reform. That's different than the picture painted in Iowa, where they may be at another stage in their organizing efforts.

This national discussion is really just getting rolling. It looks like we may be moving out of the shouting phase (over amplified by the 24 hr MSM anyway), and into the listening and discussing phase. Remember it's the summer too, typically a time for less political focus except by the very involved. As we move into the fall (the anticipated time of final passage of the legislation all along), like in political campaigns, people will focus in, and many more will become actively involved.  Let's hope that the media reports on this accurately; and if they don't let's hold them accountable.