By Ranjan Bhaduri
Mar 22, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Sunday saw the GOP and Tea Party protesters going overboard to stop the debated healthcare bill from getting passed in the House. They failed to do so and later a section of the Republicans tried to distance themselves from the racial slurs used by the demonstrators. The Ohio republican John Boehner, who lashed out at the Democrats himself, later said that the words and actions of some of the protesters were not acceptable. However, he tried to downplay the incidents of the protesters using homophobic slangs and racial comments as isolated incidents. His view was echoed by Tea Party Express coordinator Amy Kremer.

The spectacle at the Capitol was quite extraordinary as both the detractors and supporters of the bill gathered near the entrance. The opponents of the bill threw slangs meant for the gay members of Congress and racial abuses. Barney Frank, a democrat who is open about his homosexuality, also got anti-gay slurs from some irate protesters. Nancy Pelosi also bore the brunt of the protesters who wanted her to be fired from her position. Steny Hoyer, the House Majority Leader criticized the incidents. He walked in the Capitol with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and some others while holding hands together.

Barney Frank said that it was quite shameful to see the Republicans applauding a guy who was disrupting the proceeding. The Republicans tried to retaliate by saying that people went into frenzy as the Democrats tried to pass the bill forcefully. The Republicans are also trying to come up with ideas to stall the bill in the Senate, now that the House has cleared it.