By Rachel Lippmann
Town and Country, MO – An overwhelmingly Republican crowd filled an auditorium at Maryville University in St. Louis County Tuesday to hear why they should continue to oppose President Obama's health care and energy plans.
Congressman Todd Akin billed the "Freedom Conference" as an opportunity for his constituents in St. Louis County to get more information about President Obama's proposals to change the nation's health care and energy policies.
He said the overwhelmingly negative tone was "appropriate," calling the legislation some of the worst he has seen in nine years in Washington.
All four panelists were warmly received by the 450 in attendance as they attacked the plans, with Akin receiving the most enthusiastic applause as he joined in.
"Every day is like Halloween; it's scarier than the previous as we keep opening up these can of worms," Akin said, noting that town halls sponsored by several Democrats have been disrupted by protesters upset with what he called Obama's socialized medicine plan.
Akin did not take questions at the conference, but has held telephone town-hall meetings and said he would hold more traditional town halls if the logistics would work.
"It was more of a matter of educating because a lot of these bills, particularly cap and tax, had been brought up in the dark of night, people didn't know what was in it, what the implications would be," he said of the conference.