Even Hollywood showed up to the Capitol to protest President Obama’s health-care bill.
Actor Jon Voight rallied with the thousands of activists Saturday who crammed themselves onto the Capitol lawn on Washington’s first hot day of the year, firing up the crowd in a speech where he said Obama is trying to turn the country into “a socialist America.”
WATCH JON VOIGHT CALL OBAMA ‘BULLYING,’ ‘ARROGANT’
“It is evident he will a one term president,” Voight said to thunderous applause of the 25,000 people estimated by organizers to have descended upon the grounds of the Capitol this morning. “He will be a one term president, but the track he lays will be devastating for our country for years to come. You must stop him now.”
Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is trying to whip the needed 216 yeas for passage behind the scenes, is expected to call a vote on the president’s health-care legislation this weekend.
Voight called the legislation a “dangerous and destructive health-care bill.”
“I’m calling to your inner soul and conscience to realize that president Obama has a compulsion he cannot control. It is a runaway train for him, and he has no way to put on the brakes. It is very clear that he will turn this country into a socialist America,” said Voight, who was introduced by Rep. Michele Bachmann.
In an interview with The Daily Caller, the actor known for flicks like Mission Impossible, Deliverance and National Treasure and also for being the father of actress Angelina Jolie, said he’s “so proud to be with these people. I am really proud.”
“Everybody here made a decision to come here, no one’s being paid to be here,” Voight said. “These guys are here because they know what the stakes are, they’re educated and they want to make their voices heard. This is America here.”
“Not a whole lot of Hollywood here?” The Daily Caller reporter responded. “Well, I’m here,” Voight said with a laugh.
A number of well-known opponents of the legislation and Republican members of Congress rallied the activists, including Mike Pence of Indiana, Tom Price of Georgia, Trent Franks of Arizona and Joe Wilson of South Carolina. An activist introducing Wilson praised the South Carolina representative for not being afraid to call someone a liar, but he did not appear amused by the compliment, showing no emotion and neglecting to laugh or even acknowledge the reference to his infamous burst during Obama’s State of the Union address.
Counter protestors were far and few between. Several young people wearing pro-Obama clothing ventured into the crowd of Tea Partiers to get into a yelling match with sign waving conservative activists. Two men standing on a Capitol balcony off the House chamber also riled up a number of protestors walking to the rally by giving them a thumbs down. Outside the Cannon House office building, a lone man shouted sarcastic quips at activists like “kill the poor, save the insurance companies,” in response to Tea Partiers yelling “kill the bill.”