• By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jan 13, 2010 - Page: 1B

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At the start of a town hall-style meeting featuring U.S. Sen. David Vitter on Tuesday night, Bob Reid with the Tea Party of Louisiana ran through the ground rules for the audience.

No cursing, Reid said, and no questions about a recall petition for U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.

Vitter, R-La., immediately defied the rules.

“I have a question about that, which is where do I sign?” Vitter said.

The quip resonated well with the crowd of several hundred at Boudreaux’s on Government Street.

Vitter’s conservative views melded with tea party members’ opposition to the health-care legislation embraced by Landrieu and other Democrats.

“Conservatives are in a position to make big gains,” he said, generating applause.

Vitter’s pledge to back a constitutional challenge to the national health-care bill also proved popular. The crowd clapped loudly at that promise as well as at Vitter’s vow to help repeal any health-care bill that is signed into law.

The U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are in the midst of tussling over a final health-care package.

The biggest issue is the level of government involvement in reducing the number of people who lack health insurance. The House wants to allow the federal government to compete with the private insurance industry — an arrangement that is called “public option.” The Senate wants to create a menu of plans called exchanges for the uninsured from a pool of private insurers.

Also in contention is abortion coverage.

President Barack Obama wants to overhaul the system in order to make health insurance more affordable, among other goals.

Landrieu voted in favor of the legislation. Vitter voted against it.