Politics Can Be A Good Thing

[bagwa-john]

Health care rallies are getting testy..
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-finger-bitten-rally,0,7135717.story

THOUSAND OAKS -- A 65-year-old man had his finger bitten off Wednesday evening at a health care rally in Thousand Oaks, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff's investigators were called to Hillcrest and Lynn Road at 7:26 p.m.

About 100 protesters sponsored by MoveOn.org were having a rally supporting health care reform. A group of anti-health care reform protesters formed across the street.

A witness from the scene says a man was walking through the anti-reform group to get to the pro-reform side when he got into an altercation with the 65-year-old, who opposes health care reform.

The 65-year-old was apparently aggressive and hit the other man, who then retaliated by biting off his attacker's pinky, according to Karoli from DrumsnWhistles, who attended the rally.

The man took his finger and walked to Los Robles hospital for treatment. Doctors reattached the finger, which was said to have been severed in half. He has since been released, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Neither man has been identified.

Ventura County Sheriff's Capt. Frank O'Hanlon says the man had Medicare.

Sheriff's officials are investigating the incident.