As President Obama prepares for his landmark speech tonight on healthcare reform, the debate on the issue has at times turned tense with shouting, fighting and people even bringing guns to town forums. Critics accuse right wing pundits of fueling the flames of anger with accusations that President Obama has a socialist, even fascist agenda regarding healthcare.
Much of the resistance to health reform seems to come from conservative Evangelical Christians, the group that has dominated Republican politics for at least a generation. And it may be hard for some to understand the reasons for all the animosity over healthcare reform.
Frank Schaeffer is a filmmaker, writer and publisher. He's author of numerous books including Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back, and he contributes to The Huffington Post.
Jerome spoke with Frank last year to discuss some of the incendiary rhetoric heard at McCain/Palin rallies as the Presidential campaign drew to a close.