WISCONSINREPORT.COM (08/06/2009) - U.S. Congressional Representative Tom Petri (R-WI) might find himself the victim of health insurance industry financed Teabagger protests after video of him supporting a public option for health care reform, and rejecting the argument of so-called Birthers was released by One Wisconsin Now. Petri answered questions at a town hall meeting in Darby, Wisconsin. One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scott Ross gives Petri credit for taking on what Ross calls the right-wing fringe some people are calling the Birther movement.

"We applaud Representative Tom Petri for standing up against the health care industry-financed mobs and the right-wing fringe that makes up the 'birther' movement," said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director.

"We need health care reform with a public option to break the monopoly of the health insurance machine and reduce health care costs for Americans," Ross said.

Representative Petri answered video questions before a town hall meeting hosted August 5th in Darboy, Wisconsin. Footage of the exhange is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt7ELLD1ZKo.

In the video, Petri is asked whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Unlike the argument of "birthers," Petri responds "I think the evidence is that he was."

On the question of a public option and the efforts to reform health care, Petri said, "I do support a public option on a state basis" and cites an amendment by single-payer advocate Democratic Congressional Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio as a positive development.

"In the face of tens of millions of dollars of corporate-funded smear ads, lobbying and goon squads polluting the health care discussion, Representative Petri's stance is honorable," said Ross.

"We need to reduce health care costs and improve access to care -- the only way to do this is to free America from the clutches of the health care denial industry," Ross said.

Those wishing to send their U.S. Senators and member of Congress a message calling for a public option for health care insurance reform can go to http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/s/publicoption and sign One Wisconsin Now's petition.