Protesters gathered at the Oceanside Pier Amphitheater on Thursday to rally against health care proposals being debated in Congress that opponents say would create socialized medicine.

The North County-based anti-tax group Stop Taxing Us organized the protest, which drew a standing-room-only crowd at the nearly 3,000-person capacity amphitheater.

Many of the protesters carried signs in opposition to President Barack Obama, such as "Stop Obama's Socialism" and "Corrupt, Chicago, Thug."

The event included speeches from U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R- Vista, anti-illegal immigration activist Ted Hilton, and Stop Taxing Us co-founder Gary Gonsalves.

It was moderated by AM radio talk show host Rick Roberts.

Some of those who attended repeated claims that Obama has called "phony," including that the proposed overhaul would cover illegal immigrants, use taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions, institute government "death panels" and take over health care.

"All Obama wants to do is take control, and health care is the quickest way," said Keith Hubbs of Carlsbad. "If you control that, it's easier to control everything else."

Obama will deliver a major prime-time health care address to Congress on Wednesday, opening an effort to gain control of the debate that has been slipping from his grasp under withering attacks from opponents.

In recent speeches, the president has begun countering his opponents.

"This is an issue of vital concern to every American, and I'm glad that so many are engaged," Obama said in a recent radio and Internet address. "But it also should be an honest debate, not one dominated by willful misrepresentations and outright distortions, spread by the very folks who would benefit the most by keeping things exactly as they are."

At Thursday's rally, protesters said they were unconvinced.

"I don't like paying for anyone who is not in this country legally," said Mike Salatino, a La Mesa resident, who carried a sign with a picture of Obama that read "Criminal, Psycho, Traitor."

Issa, who spoke about his own plan to give Americans access to the health care plans available to federal government employees, said Obama would probably announce next week that he would drop the so-called public option, a government-run program that would provide health insurance to the uninsured.

Obama angered his liberal base in recent weeks after seeming to suggest he would be OK with a plan that didn't have a government-run health insurance option.

"There are two possibilities," Issa told the crowd. "One is that he doesn't mean it. The second is that because of your hard work, he's decided to jettison the far left in favor of sensible reforms that would simply bring down the costs of your health care, while making sure that it continues to be your health care."

The congressman hosted his own town hall meeting Wednesday night in Vista, also moderated by Roberts, that drew a crowd of about 3,000 people, most of whom were also opposed to a government-run public health care option.

Call staff writer Edward Sifuentes at 760-740-3511.