Health care advocates arrested at Lieberman's office

Nine members of a group advocating for single-payer, universal health care briefly occupied Sen. Joe Lieberman's Capitol Hill office on Thursday morning.

The protesters, members of Mobilization for Health Care for All, shouted "Everyone in and no one out, universal healthcare now!" as police hauled them away one by one. In all, the protest lasted about 40 minutes, according to Bryon Wolf of ABC News.

"Look at Lieberman arresting his constituents instead of meeting with them," one protester exclaimed.

Lieberman (I-CT) has been the focus of health care reform advocates' ire since he suggested last week he would join a Republican filibuster of the Senate health care bill if the bill includes a public option. On Sunday, Lieberman told CBS's Bob Schieffer that he would prefer to do "nothing" than to pass a public health care option, which he says would raise the budget deficit and increase health care costs.

Lieberman's vote is crucial because Democrats would need him on side to get the 60 votes they need to break a GOP filibuster.

Lieberman has also announced he would campaign for some Republicans in the 2010 mid-term election cycle. Although he caucuses with Senate Democrats and ran with Al Gore on the 2000 Democratic presidential ticket, Lieberman has been an independent since 2006 and campaigned for Sen. John McCain in 2008.

"Eight people are sitting-in the office of Sen. Joseph Lieberman demanding that he stop taking money from the insurance industry," MHCA declared on its Web site Thursday morning. "The massive campaign donations and lobbying spending of the insurance industry is blocking real reform that would provide everyone in America with access to health care."

The following video was broadcast by NECN Nov. 5, 2009.