We're Not Paid 'GOP Hacks'

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," August 6, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: OK, we caught one. You are safe! We caught a member of that sinister group, that "angry mob." Or at least that's what the DNC is calling our next guest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The extremist Republican base is back. They lost the election. They lost on the recovery act, the budget and children's health care. They've lost the confidence of the American people after eight years of failed policies that ruined our economy and cost millions of jobs. Now desperate Republicans and their well-funded allies are organizing angry mobs, just like they did during the election. Their goal, destroy President Obama and stop the change Americans voted for overwhelmingly in November.

SEN. JIM DEMINT, R - S.C.: It will break him.

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I hope he fails!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This mob activity is straight from the playbook of high-level Republican political operatives. They have no plan for moving our country forward, so they've called out the mob.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I want to know why are people ignoring this (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Call the Republican Party. Tell them you've had enough of the mob. The Democratic National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN SUSTEREN: "The mob." Is that true? Joining us live is Dana Loesch. She's a radio host and works with the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition. Dana went to a health care town hall held by Senator Claire McCaskill's office.

Good evening, Dana. You're part of the angry mob, apparently. Your reaction to being called that?

DANA LOESCH, RADIO HOST 97.1 FM TALK: I want to know who this "they" is. Who is this they? Republicans? Because I'm not a Republican and not every single person associated with the tea party movement is a Republican, just like everyone who went out to protest Bush was a Democrat or anything else. It's -- it's just -- you know, and I'm tired of all these accusations that are just being leveled at us, like, oh, well, we're paid GOP hacks. Honestly, if I were in this for the money, I would have gone and worked with ACORN because, I mean, even though they paid their people late, still, at least they paid their people.

But these are just -- you know, these are moms, these are dads, grandparents, senior citizens, kids, college kids. All of these people are coming out just to voice their concerns. And it kind of makes me sad that we live in an era where the president of the United States and his political party would try to sort of, like, wash off people by saying that their valid concerns are just echoes of an angry mob. It doesn't maybe make any sense and it's really sad.

VAN SUSTEREN: Are you part of any group, or did you go to this meeting, this town hall meeting yourself? I mean, are you part of any club, or were you -- like, did someone just summons you, like, some organization, I mean, or did you just show up?

LOESCH: I just showed up. I don't have a satin jacket. I don't have a laminated club card, I just showed up like everyone else. And I went to Congressman Russ Carnahan's health care town hall forum just this evening and just, you know, with a bunch of other people. We just showed up. No one told us to show up. No one told us what questions to ask or even to ask any questions at all.

They just -- they have concerns about this health care legislation. And are our elected officials so out of touch with their own districts that they don't even recognize the people in their districts and they can't understand why they would have any kind of questions?

VAN SUSTEREN: What's the reaction? Does it seem that this whole sort of -- I'll use the term "grass roots movement" because that's what a lot of people are describing it as -- is it growing? (INAUDIBLE) on your own radio show. Do you think that people, after what happened in St. Louis -- is it growing, or is it staying the same or getting smaller?

LOESCH: Oh, no, it is -- it's definitely growing. It's definitely growing. We have these people who have -- for years, they've just sort of, like, sat on their sofas and yelled at the television and yelled at the newspaper. Now they are so motivated, they are getting up. They are sending e-mails to their elected officials. They're calling their elected officials. And they're showing up at these town hall forums to wait in line, take their turn and politely ask their questions or just hold up a homemade sign just to voice their concern about health care legislation and everything else.

VAN SUSTEREN: I would just add that I read a tweet from Senator McCaskill yesterday that was given to me. She is -- she's not insulting you guys. She's not -- she's not calling it some -- I forgot the term. But she has respect, at least it appeared, for the difference of opinion. Do you agree with that?

LOESCH: Yes, I do. She -- I saw that. She had tweeted and said that. She doesn't think that all of these people that are showing up -- she doesn't think that we're manufactured. And she's, like, you know, these are -- these are real people with strong opinions, and that's true. I hope that she can give some of her other colleagues a call and let them know that, like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and these other people that are coming out saying that we're just GOP -- it's kind of insulting, I mean, if you really think about it. It is absolutely insulting to all of these, like, average Jane and Joes that are going out there and that want their congressman's ear.

VAN SUSTEREN: Dana, thank you. We'll be -- of course, we're watching all of these. Thank you, Dana.

LOESCH: Thanks, Greta.

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