Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is defending his decision to hold invitation-only meetings on health care. 

But that didn’t sit well with some people who showed up to a Durbin event Monday afternoon. Durbin’s health care meeting included a panel of experts, patient testimonials, and a Q-and-A session with the audience.

It did not include Linda Lake.

LAKE: We’ve been told that there will be no opportunity to even ask a question of him or anything. So, yes, it’s greatly distressing.

Lake and three friends say they drove over an hour to Durbin’s meeting, only to be turned away because it wasn’t open to the public.

Durbin has held about ten invite-only health care meetings across the state, according to spokeswoman Christina Angarola.

The Senator says he is open to criticism of the plan, but…

DURBIN: I’ve seen a lot of these town meetings on television, and seen them reported. And it really good conversation or good dialogue, it’s just theater.

Durbin is scheduled to hold a town hall-style meeting Tuesday night on television.