Watch a live Web cast of the Centennial Park health care protest

Many thanks to readers for shouldering some of the load this weekend on the issue of health care reform:

— Bravesfan1979, whoever he or she may be, has sent this link that will let you watch a live Web cast of the rally at Atlanta’s Centennial Park protesting the Democratic health care proposal. It starts in about 45 minutes.

— The keynote speaker at the event will be Dick Armey, the former House majority leader.

Sid Cottingham, an attorney and blogger down in south Georgia, sends this link to a New York Times story today that explains why Armey’s activism against health care reform caused him and his Washington law firm, DLA Piper, to part ways on Friday:

To review the facts of this case: the drug companies who helped defeat the Clinton administration health care effort 15 years ago have now turned on Mr. Armey, who then was one of their most important Congressional allies.

Now, having cut a deal with this administration to limit their share of the costs, the drug companies are on the other side. Foreseeing new profits from the expansion of health coverage, they are spending as much as $150 million on advertisements to support the president’s plan.

To their embarrassment, however, Mr. Armey has continued to oppose the plan as the chairman of the independent conservative group FreedomWorks. The group has helped turn out rowdy demonstrators at town-hall-style meetings with lawmakers around the country. And some liberal Web sites began connecting Mr. Armey’s fight against the health care legislation to his other work for DLA Piper’s drug company clients.

One of DLA Piper’s biggest clients is Medicines Company, which paid DLA Piper $240,000 in lobbying fees in the second quarter. Another drug maker, Sinofi Pasteur, paid the firm $30,000 during the same period, according to its latest disclosure forms.

FreedomWorks did not respond to requests for comment.

— Also today, the LaGrange Daily News quotes U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, a conservative Republican from Coweta County, as thowing some cold water on the “end-of-life” fracas that has paralyzed many of his GOP colleagues:

Westmoreland, one of President Obama’s most vocal critics, said he does not believe the health-care bill being debated in Congress includes provisions for a “death panel,” where a group would decide whether the elderly and infirm are worth the cost of medical expenses.

The second-term Republican congressman from Grantville said he is opposed to the plan, but doesn’t believe the nation’s elderly would be in danger.

“The bill is written in such broad, general terms that there’s room for interpretation,” he said Thursday during a visit to LaGrange. “There is room for fear.”

Residents around the country have expressed fear over the bill after some interpretations of the plan called for the creation of such a panel and promotion of euthanasia. In actuality, a proposal included in the bill would allow for the federal government to pay for counseling when or if a person of any age is ready to discuss living wills and end-of-life care.

Instead of being afraid of the health-care bill, Westmoreland said people should be concerned about the speed in which the measure is being pushed through Congress and the amount of money being spent on it and other programs in the Democratic administration.

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