Health care debate heating up across the nation

(NECN/ABC) – President Obama is not backing down on one of his administration’s top priorities: health care form. Hoping to calm fears and clarify details about what is, and what won’t be, part of his heath care agenda, Obama is spending his afternoon in Portsmouth, NH, answering questions offered up at a town hall meeting. Hundreds of activists on all sides of the health care debate have descended on Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire. “I’d like a public option and I’m not afraid of it,” said Heidi Fox. “I just came out here to express my opposition. This is not the reform that i support. It would harm our system and not help,” said NH Republican Rep. Shaun Doherty. President Obama arrived at the school and is leading a town hall meeting on what has become the hottest of hot button issues. sot potus “For all the chatter, yelling…you need to know: if you don’t have health insurance you will finally have affordable options,” said President Obama at the event. At a Lebanon, Pennsylvania town hall meeting about health care this morning, Senator Arlen Specter ran into a buzz saw. “You’re taking our kid’s future and driving it right down the toilet,” said one attendee. “When are you going to get this country back to what the constitution is all about?” asked another angry attendee. Kansas Democrat Dennis Moore actually canceled some health care town halls because of death threats. “If people are going to be civil and respectful, I’m all for having those conversations, but public safety has to be a concern.” After a rambunctious health care forum in Dallas, the AARP has canceled its series of town hall meetings across north Texas dealing with health care reform. TJ Winick of ABC News Reports.