Outbursts at health care reform debate in Victor

Senator Ted Kennedy dedicated his life to health care reform. An issue now being fiercely debated in Washington and communities across the country.

Wednesday night, Congressman Eric Massa hosted a town hall meeting on health care reform in at Victor High School.

More than a thousand people packed the auditorium and overflowed into the gymnasium.

It didn't take long for the Congressman's meeting to get contentious.

"Why isn't Congress, why isn't the senate, why don't they take this *$# d@!* bill and shove it?" screamed a Vietnam Veteran in the audience.

People there stood on both sides of the issue.

"You don't have to scream and yell," said a young man. "And the government's not trying to come into your house. They're not!"

But a majority of the people at the meeting seemed to be against government-run health care.

"It's mandatory charity," said one man. "It's not better than the Ponzi scheme that Bernie Madoff was arrested for and went to jail for!"

The organized town hall meeting wasn't immune to angry outbursts.

"Sir, thank you very much for shouting out," Massa said after an outburst. "I'll stick around and you can yell at me as long as you want."

At one point, someone took it too far for the Congressman and yelled about nuclear bombs.

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"I would never ever stand before the American people and joke about dropping nuclear weapons," said Massa. "I'm sorry!"

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Back to the issues, some say they can't wait for health care reform.

"I have friends who could not get the chemotherapy, radiation, surgery that I had because they couldn't get to a doctor soon enough because they couldn't afford it," said one woman.

A man on the other side of the issue said, "If I was delayed as in Canada or England or any of those places, I would be dead!"

The Congressman listened to their question and concerns, but in the end he said, "I know today as we stand here the votes to pass this bill don't exist, and I'm one of them."

The health care debate will now go on without the senate's "liberal lion."

But democrats are saying respect for Ted Kennedy could change minds now.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi went as far to say Kennedy's dream of quality health care for all Americans will become a reality this year.

But again, Congressman Massa says there's not enough votes to pass the current bill on the table.