The ugly underbelly of knee-jerk, right wing hate reared it's ugly head yesterday. Voice of America reports:

Two African American congressmen, Andre Carson of Indiana and John Lewis from Georgia, were subjected to racial epithets from protesters as they left the Capitol after hearing President Barack Obama deliver a last-minute address promoting the health care bill.

Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, who is the highest-ranking African American official in Congress, told The Washington Post that he heard things from Saturday's demonstrators that he had not heard "since March 15, 1960" when he was - as he put it - "marching to get off the back of the bus."

Another black congressman, Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, said he was spat on by protesters.

Barney Frank, a congressman from Massachusetts who is openly homosexual, was badgered with anti-gay remarks from the demonstrators.

A spokesman for Cleaver said the congressman is "disappointed that in the 21st century (the) national discourse has devolved to the point of name-calling and spitting."

Beyond the hate, there is much misunderstanding out there about this health care bill and what it means for you. For example, according to the new Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, "only 15% of Americans, for instance, know that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said the legislation will decrease the federal budget deficit over the next 10 years. And 55% believe the CBO has said the legislation will increase the deficit over that period."

There's an urgent need in this country to reform the healthcare system. The existing system is costly and discriminatory. We can't wait. Get the facts and then, call your member of Congress (202-224-3121) to urge passage of healthcare reform.

Let's make history.