Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee created by the presidential campaign team, is setting up volunteer opportunities for citizens interested in supporting President Obama’s health care propositions.

Michael Smith, project leader of OFA Athens Health Care campaign, said their efforts are spreading to cover areas represented by Senator Paul Broun (R-GA), due to controversial statements Broun has made at local town halls and at North Georgia Technical College on Aug. 11.

“Dr. Broun’s irresponsible comments – including the suggestion that senior family members will be drugged and left in bed to die slow, horrible deaths under President Obama’s health insurance reform plan – have spread anger, fear, distrust and confusion throughout the district,” Smith said in an e-mail sent to The Red & Black.

“His physical antics – including slamming down heavy notebooks to the floor while making hateful remarks about President Obama – incite the crowd to think like a mob of angry people, not thoughtful citizens,” he said.

“Representative Broun has always had a very interesting way of putting things,” said Matthew Ralston, public relations director for the University’s College Republicans. “He sometimes makes good points by a very eloquent fashion, and sometimes they are very blunt and put in a way that normal people can better understand.”

“But what Paul Broun said about rotten fish [in relation to the health care bill] being shoved down people’s throat, I would say that is accurate, because we’ve had several pieces of legislation shoved down American’s throats that President Obama has spearheaded along with Speaker Pelosi,” he said.

Russell Edwards, president of the University’s Georgia Law Democrats, said the campaign is meant to give voices to those he feels have been silenced by the debate.

“We’re all changing the tone of the debate into a more productive, positive exercise to reach out to the community who are currently under-served by the current insurance system and are desperate for real reform,” Edwards said.

OFA is hosting a call for volunteers at Ciné from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today.

The projects spearheaded by OFA include a film project, a door-to-door campaign and a house call campaign where volunteers would visit those who don’t have insurance and need help.

Edwards described the film project as an effort to “develop the community narrative of this region – showing the people who are desperate for health care reform and whose voices have been ignored”.

“The narrative that we’re focusing on are the people who are not served by the current health care debate,” said Edwards in response to the question of whether citizens opposed to health care reform in the community would be represented in the documentary.

Jane Kidd, chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, is collaborating with OFA’s efforts and said since the Georgia’s 10th district is represented by Republicans, “a lot of information about health care reform is being disseminated” with misinformation.

“[Rep.] Broun has used scare tactics and fear and plain lies about the current administration, and that is why people don’t trust their elected officials,” Kidd said.

“In terms of government mandated health care, when I look at what Rep. Broun has been saying, it’s really been in line with what most Americans have been saying,” said Greg Wilson, chairman of the College Republicans.

“All Americans want health care reform that doesn’t burden our generation and our children’s generation with health care that we can’t afford.”

Wilson said Americans looked at cost, maintaining health care quality, and increasing the number of people covered by savings.

“But how these savings are created is by denying care based on a person’s health, a person’s status and a person’s age,” Wilson said.

Also in collaboration with OFA efforts, the University’s Young Democrats is planning a week of events dedicated to the health care debate.

“Right when Congress comes back from recess, we’re going to have a week of events – what I call a reality check on health care,” said Bobby Andres, president of Young Democrats.

The events include a rally on Aug. 31, a panel on Sept. 1 and a showing of Michael Moore’s documentary “Sicko” on Sept. 3.

Wilson said College Republicans do not have any plans to respond to the Young Democrats events until they have time to gather facts about changes made to the health care bill.

“Every college student needs to be educated on health care and needs to look at their facts, not at their rhetoric,” he said.

“And I want to clarify that Republicans are not opposed to health care reform. We want to make sure it’s fair, it’s equitable and that it is cost effective,” Wilson said.

Airee Hong, owner of Agora, said she is participating in the health care campaign because she wants universal health care.

“As a small business owner, I can’t afford insurance,” Hong said. “There’s a lot of people in the store who don’t have insurance. I have to walk on eggshells every time I go in [Agora] so I don’t step on something or trip on something. I can’t sleep at night. I really can’t.”