Iowa Representative Leonard Boswell, a Democrat from Des Moines, said Tuesday he is not avoiding angry Iowans with his decision to hold his next town hall meeting by telephone instead of in an open room with constituents.

Boswell plans a telephone town hall meeting Wednesday. But he said, "No. It's a way for more people to get information. There will be several thousand that can listen in."

Boswell said to ease any suspicion Iowans may have that he is trying to avoid potentially angry, face-to-face encounters, he added that he wants them to know he plans an open forum in Des Moines later this month. Boswell said he is not convinced a public option for health care reform is "dead". He said he remains open to the idea, as well as an idea to establish non-profit cooperatives for health care insurance.

Representative Tom Latham, a Republican from Ames, said he remains opposed to a public option for reform. He said he is open to the idea of non-profit cooperatives, but "at first blush" he would oppose the idea, unless the cooperatives would repay any federal money the government allocated to them to set them up.