There's bound to be some mumbling and grumbling, but there's a good dose of laughter and applause, too.

And it's all part of a growing forum at the La Quinta Senior Center that dozens of residents are flocking to to rant, rave and revel.

Former Washington, D.C., lobbyist Robert Pyle is leading his fifth year of “Issues of the Day,” an open discussion group that meets at the center every Thursday.

Forty-three people from all over the Coachella Valley attended the first session of the new season Oct. 29 — a staggering number for a program that began with eight people.

“I think people are very dissatisfied with the present state of affairs, and they have a lot of questions,” La Quinta resident Lauran Findley said.

The first-time attendee called it a “think tank” that she believes has grown in popularity because of the current issues facing Americans, which range from health care to the war and economy.

“We feel the country is going the wrong way, and we need to discuss a way of dealing with this,” she said.

George Gallagher of Palm Desert has attended Pyle's sessions for four years now and called it a “very safe environment” for discussion, which he added has “gotten better” each year.

Pyle said for nearly two years now, the hot topics have remained the economy and unemployment rate and health care.

And when President Barack Obama came into office, the change in administration brought a new surge into the discussion.

During the first session, the group discussed the United States' presence in Afghanistan, this year's election and several other topics from the day's news.

“I'm just so excited about this many citizens really educating themselves about some huge national and international policies and issues,” said Palm Desert resident Pamela M. Ruehrdanz, another first-time attendee.

Each session consists of a mix of retirees and employed seniors, all who want to “keep mentally stimulated,” said Patricia Pyle, Robert Pyle's wife and a loyal attendee.

“They want to share their ideas,” she said. “They want to ask questions and be asked questions. That's why they come.”

Gallagher added, however, that among the main attractions of the group is Pyle himself.

“Bob Pyle's background attracts a high quality of intellectual participation,” Gallagher said.

Pyle is an Army veteran, a former journalist of “Stars and Stripes,” the U.S. military's independent news publication, and a former lobbyist who worked aside Washington, D.C., politicos for 52 years.

During those years, Pyle said he's met every American president since Harry S. Truman with the exception of Obama.

“I'm here because these people in this room are experts in government, foreign issues, and we discuss things that are current,” Findley said.

“It's not just hearsay; these are people who have participated for a long period of time in politics and in business and are just well-rounded.”