• Posted on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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Specter jeered by angry crowd at Penn State health forum

With a police escort, U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), right, is greeted by protesters as he leaves his town hall meeting on health care reform. See more photos in the gallery (Tom Gralish / Philadelphia Inquirer / MCT)

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UNIVERSITY PARK — In the middle of his second week in the health care reform wars, Sen. Arlen Specter waded into another sea of anger Wednesday, this one made up largely of central Pennsylvanians who converged at Penn State.

But he had to withstand catcalls, boos, screaming or other disagreeable reaction from most of the 400 people in the audience over that issue as well as his political party switch and other matters.

“Turncoat!” someone shouted at him as he tried to explain his decisions to both vote for the Obama administration's economic stimulus program and then change from a Republican to a Democrat.

About 2,000 people lined up for the town hall forum scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m., some arriving before dawn. However, the room set aside for the event only had room for 400.

There was some grumbling, but no problems or disruptions when State College police informed the 1,600 people still waiting in line that they would not be able to enter the forum.

Read the full story at centredaily.com.

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