Rep. Michele Bachmann says her "Super Bowl of Freedom" at the U.S. Capitol today can torpedo Democratic health care overhaul plans by enlisting "the voices of freedom."
At noon eastern time today, the lawn near the Capitol's West Front was crowded with thousands of protesters who chanted "kill the bill."
"Are they going to listen?" Bachmann asked the throng of cheering protesters, referring to House Democrats. "Oh, yeah, they're going to listen."
Bachmann stood at a podium that promoted the House GOP health care plan, declaring "Health Care Freedom."
GOP members of Congress stood on the Capitol steps behind her.
Bachmann was followed by actor Jon Voight, who called his listeners "brave, concerned patriotic American citizens."
Among the signs displayed at the flag-draped rally was one demanding "Waterboard Congress" and another that said, "Vote no to government-run health care."
The Democratic National Committee was quick to mock Bachmann. "If the Republican party wants to make Michele Bachmann the voice of the party, that's more than fine with us," said spokesman Hari Sevugan, accusing her of an "extreme right-wing, rigid ideological agenda."
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs also dismissed the rally during his daily briefing.
"I think anybody that watches is struck by the fact that there's a rally going on without a solution on their side," Gibbs told reporters. "They've rolled out a piece of legislation, and I use those -- I hesitate to even say that -- it's a series of old ideas" that wouldn't solve the nation's health care woes.
Bachmann, the two-term Sixth District Republican, hatched the plan for what she called "a spontaneous meetup" to protest against the Democratic overhaul bill that is scheduled to be voted on Saturday.
The bill, she said this morning, is overly complex and intrusive and has been rushed through by the Democratic leadership.
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