By Adam Allington, KWMU
Hillsboro, MO – Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill faced tough questions at a town hall meeting on healthcare in rural Jefferson County on Tuesday.
After two hours of Q&A several objections surfaced over and over -- people are concerned about potential funding for abortion, private insurance may go bankrupt if forced to compete with a public option, and the whole thing will just cost too much.
At times the St. Louis Democrat had to plea for restraint, when it was clearly apparent that most people in the crowd just did not believe what she was telling them.
Despite the chorus of boos and shouts, the forum went ahead and afterward many of those who disagreed with McCaskill, like Mary Lou Cawood of Chesterfield, gave the Senator credit for responding to questions.
"I think she's being fair. I think she really wants to do reform that is going to, in her mind, bring the costs down. I think she's actually working for good, but I think she's misguided," said Cawood.
McCaskill pointed of that neither the House nor Senate has passed a healthcare bill. She said she would not vote for any bill that uses federal money to fund abortions or requires people to give up their private health insurance plans.