Obama: Those Listening and Asking Qs Reflect America More than Town Hall Ruckuses on TV

OBAMA FOR USA. "Earlier this week, I held a town hall in New Hampshire," President Obama said at a town hall meeting in Belgrade, Montana this afternoon. "A few thousand people showed up. Some were big supporters of health insurance reform. Some had concerns and questions. Some were downright skeptical, didn't believe it could be done."

However, the president said, "I was glad to see that people were there not to shout, they were there to listen and to ask questions. That reflects America a lot more than what we've seen covered on television for the last few days. And I want to thank you for coming here today in that spirit."

Noting that this is an "emotional" debate, the president said he recognizes that “there's been a lot of attention paid to some of the town hall meetings that are going on around the country, especially when tempers flare.”

“TV loves a ruckus,” he continued. “What you haven't seen on TV and what makes me proud are the many constructive meetings going on all over the country. Everywhere -- everywhere across the country you're seeing people who are coming together and having a civil, honest, often difficult conversation about how we can improve the system. That's how democracy's supposed to work.”

-Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller

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