Tea-party activists are gathering on the Hill today. Chris Van Hollen offers “Tea Party Etiquette” to freshman and sophomore Democrats in the House; his memo includes:
Lawmakers and their staff should also understand that the tea partiers are reacting merely to a “caricature of the reform bill presented by right-wing media outlets” and aren’t intimately familiar with the legislation, the memo says.
“[D]on’t assume common myths about this bill have been debunked,” lawmakers are told. “Be prepared to explain that there are no death panels, that Medicare is in fact strengthened, and that reform is not a government take-over, but it is an attempt to crack down on the abusive practices of health insurance companies by providing oversight and increasing competition.”
In short: Speak slowly and often like the president does, and they might catch on.