The Messenger-Post's Saturday editorial supports Massa's remarks at Netroots nation, saying:
Should Massa listen to his constituents on the subject of health care? Yes, and he has — most visibly through town hall meetings that have attracted hundreds at a time. Should he pander to popular opinion — or any opinion, for that matter — when it comes time to the vote? No.
In the end, Massa should be trusted to draw on his research on the health-care issue and make an informed decision. That’s what he, and other politicians, were elected for. And informed decisions sometimes run counter to public opinion.
The YouTube of Massa's remarks has provoked an avalanche of negative posts in out-of-district right-wing blogs. In the district, however, one of the most conservative papers (the Leader) and one of the most liberal (the Messenger-Post) have a completely different take.
The D&C has a long story about Rochester-area town hall meetings. The story concentrates on Massa's meetings, since Maffei, Lee and Slaughter are having nothingburger phone-in meetings.