Joe Biden Comes to Leisure World

Following is an account from Leisure World resident Paul M. Bessel.


Today (Wed, Sep 23, 2009) at Leisure World VP Joe Biden came to a town meeting to talk about the Obama-Biden administration’s health care reform efforts. Also there were HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the White House director of the health care reform effort. In the audience there were Senator Mikulski, Senator Cardin, Congressman Van Hollen, about a dozen Maryland State Senators and Delegates including all those who represent LW: Mike Lenett, Hank Heller, Ben Kramer, and Roger Manno, County Executive Leggett, State’s Attorney McCarthy, and Councilmembers Navarro and Ervin.

VP Biden spoke for about an hour and a half and also answered questions about the administration’s work to reform health care insurance, emphasizing over and over that he and the Democrats in Congress have worked for decades to create and improve Medicare and there is nothing in the current effort by them that would in any way harm Medicare and its coverage for seniors. He urged seniors to strongly show their support for the administration’s health care reform efforts.

There were a few funny moments, such as when VP Biden climbed over the security partition to sit in an empty chair in the audience between two ladies. HHS Secretary Sebelius pointed out that Joe looked like he belonged in the LW audience.

This event was sponsored by the Leisure World Community Corporation and Marian Altman, the Chair of LWCC, arranged and organized this town hall meeting.