HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Margery Kay Behrens, left, holds up a sign in favor of health insurance reform during Senator Harry Reid's visit. She organized a group in favor of HR Bill supporting single-payer health care. RELATED STORY Reid briefed on wash, fairgrounds Advertisement

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., made several stops in Pahrump on Monday, addressing local, county and national issues (see story above).

His small entourage visited the town office, where he met with town board Chairman Nicole Shupp and Vice Chairman Bill Dolan, Town Manager Bill Kohbarger, County Manager Rick Osborne and Assistant County Manager Pam Webster. County Commissioners Lorinda Wichman and Joni Eastley as well as town Economic Development Director Al Balloqui were also present.

Reid next held a press conference, followed by a meeting at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building where he spoke with VFW and American Legion members.

It was a long day for Reid, who had traveled from Searchlight and no doubt had more stops to make on what was his first swing through Pahrump on the way to the 2010 elections.

The trip came none too soon for Reid.

A statewide poll of 400 registered voters taken last week by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., an independent polling firm, puts Reid behind at least two challengers. He is 11 percent behind former University of Nevada-Las Vegas basketball player Danny Tarkanian, now a Las Vegas businessman and the son of retired basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, best known as Tark the Shark, who led his UNLV team to a national title.

In the same poll, State GOP Chairman Sue Louden also leads Reid by 5 percentage points, although she has not officially declared her candidacy.

However, Monday was all about Reid, and as his vehicle turned into the entrance of the town office, he was greeting by Pahrump residents holding signs both for and against various issues. There were also protesters carrying homemade "Bury Harry" and "Goodbye Dirty Harry" signs. One man made a sign portraying President Barack Obama as a clown.

Reid didn't actually encounter any protesters as he was guided into a cleared town office for the meeting. But it was a long, hot morning for those waiting outside.

A group favoring House Bill HR 676 staked its claim along Highway 160.

HR 676, is the National Health Insurance Act, introduced by Congressman John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., who represents Detroit. Conyers' Web site states the bill's purpose is "to ensure that every American, regardless of income, employment status, or race, has access to quality, affordable health care services."

According to organizer Margery Kay Behrens, who has lived in Pahrump for 15 years, "Organizing for America has requested our presence to greet Harry Reid and the tea baggers with signs, banners and 'tea'-shirts in support of HR 676, single-payer health care."

Disabled Vietnam veteran Oscar Guajareo was with Behrens, holding a professionally printed sign supporting Latinos for Obama. "Medicare, Medicaid and the VA are all run by the government," he said. "So the concept that the government can't run anything is not true. I don't know what I would be able to do without my VA and Medicare."

Guajareo moved to Pahrump about 10 years ago and has a daughter attending Floyd Elementary School. "When I was in the military," he said, "they were very good to me."

Sara Mendez said she is transplanted Canadian. "I have a sister with skin grafts and she didn't have to pay a penny because she pays about $36 a month for health care." Mendez also mentioned a brother in Canada who had an aorta replaced without paying anything.

Her husband, Bill Mendez, said Spain is rated seventh for their health care by the World Health Organization. He quoted a Spanish doctor as saying, "There is no such thing as being socialist in medicine -- we are humanistic." The Mendez' have lived in Pahrump for two years.

A few steps away, a trio of protesters with home made signs had other thoughts, centering on self-reliance and states' rights.

Katreen Romanoff said, "Society is swerving away from respect and consideration of the individual and it comes from the top down. Harry Reid doesn't want to face a town hall meeting because of those few on television."

Romanoff also mentioned she was against a global government and was afraid with the tremendous debt the administration is foisting upon the country that the whole monetary system could collapse.

Sandy Darby said her husband, Mike, a member of the town board, was invited to join Reid's meeting in the town office, but declined.

About HR 676, she said, "It's nice those people over there want everyone to have health care, but can we afford to pay for it? Health care should be left to the individual and to state law, not to the federal government.

"What's going to motivate people to work? What's going to be left? We know what's best for our state. Harry Reid went in the back door so he wouldn't have to listen to us."

Sal Ledesma didn't mince words. "We should remove Reid as a senator. He doesn't represent the state of Nevada. He represents Washington, D.C. He is not a resident of Nevada any longer."

Long-time resident Harley Kulkin was standing with Ted Holmes and others in the parking lot of the town office. They did not carry signs.

For the most part, the 30 or so people waiting outside the town office stayed in their own groups. However, a shouting match erupted when Shirley Matson, holding an anti-Reid and anti-Obama sign left her group near the side entrance to the office and walked up to the highway to check out the supporters favoring single payer health care.

"She started it. She called me dumb; that crossed the line," said a man supporting the health care plan as he and others in his group herded Matson back toward her own group. "Your evil tactics are going to kill this country," he shouted at her.

Matson, who has lived in Pahrump for two years, was angry but regained her cool quickly. "We're just individuals -- moms and grandpas -- who don't agree with Obamacare. A few of us old broads got together and made our own signs.

"I am 60 years old. What if I need a hip replacement? Will I get it or will I just be told to take Tylenol?"