With anger bubbling over with Congress and White House across the political spectrum, the House Democratic leadership have found an answer: stop holding town hall meetings and unscripted events. As reported by the New York Times, Democratic members are avoiding encounters with constituents in such meetings and relying on invitation-only events.
By keeping constituents from simply walking into meetings, Democrats hope to avoid anger scenes on YouTube.
In the meantime, members are trying to avoid new big spending projects before the election as worldwide alarm grows over their runaway spending. It is a bit late with debt now scheduled to overcome Gross Domestic Product in 2012.
President Obama also appears to be losing core liberal support after his adoption of Bush policies on offshore drilling, faith-based initiatives, barring the investigation of the Bush torture program, asserting the right to order the killing of US citizens believed to be working with terrorists, killing privacy lawsuits against telecommunication companies and other controversies. The fact is that members are hearing hostility from people other than tea party members in these meetings. Congress is facing all-time lows in the polls with developing environmental and economic disasters.
It now appears that Democratic members are working on developing campaign without constituents — or at least one’s with unpredictable questions.
For the full story, click here.
Buckeye I don’t think she will win the general. After all it is California. Democrats would love it if she won the primary. I think the threats increased after the water downed healthcare bill passed. We don’t want any socialized medicine in America. I went to one of those meetings and someone ripped up my sign and the vibe was hostile. I left early.
SM
Re: Orly – the first two responsibilities of Ca. Secty. of State are Elections and Political Reform. What could go wrong there, if she’s elected?
Re: Stupak threat – BIL says no need to protect our representatives from their constituents. I guess Mr. Stupak thought differently – he resigned that same month. That’s one way to get out of town hall meetings.
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/father-and-son-arrested-for-threatening-to-kill-stupak-over-health-care.php?ref=fpb
I wonder if Arkansas’ Garland County Election Commission Chairman Charles Tapp is the right man for the job.
In order to save money, he has closed all but 2 of the 41 polling places there. One is in downtown Hot Springs, the other in a gated retirement village. Halter received 5,425 votes to Lincoln’s 4,951 in that county.
This could prove to be an interesting election day. Progressive Democrat Bill Halter is challenging Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas. The republican teabaggers are fielding candidates in most of the republican primaries. Carly Fiorina who has Palin’s endorsement is running against Tom Campbell in Ca. Campbell is actually a liberal republican. I think the success of Palin endorsed candidates will help determine her presidential prospects in 2012. Nevada is another interesting republican primary.
“President Obama also appears to be losing core liberal support after his adoption of Bush policies on offshore drilling, faith-based initiatives, barring the investigation of the Bush torture program, asserting the right to order the killing of US citizens believed to be working with terrorists, killing privacy lawsuits against telecommunication companies and other controversies.”
I agree with this assessement whole-heartedly, with one exception. I would delete the word “appears”.
How many campaign promises has he broken? Transparency? No more revolving doors with the lobbyists? Closing Gitmo? Nominating the unqualified cipher Kagan? Now the Gulf disaster is demonstrating that he lacks leadership qualities. I like the man personally, but …. that’s not really enough.
mespo727272
Jill:
I hope you are the same Jill who posted before on our blog ….
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Me too … it sounds like you … FFLEO misses you also
The above was about Orly Taitz. Apparently she has a chance of winning the republican primary. She is a non incumbent birther.
Yes, Tom, we should protect our representation from their constituents.
Read that with just as much sarcasm as you can muster.
This is supposed to be a representative democracy. If they don’t want to deal with constituents, they can always get another job. Oh, that’s right, they can’t, because to get elected in this country you have to be in some corporations back pocket and incapable of doing anything else, i.e. a graft swilling whore. That’s our Congresses sum total skill set as demonstrated over the last 12 years.
Worry less about the poor representatives and more about the fact that much of the displeasure they are seeing is also from legitimate displeasure at none of them doing the job they are paid a salary for: representing their citizen constituent interests above those of their corporate campaign contributors.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38212.html#ixzz0qChykkpS
It’s terrible that they would avoid situations where corporate funded/organized groups are whipping up poorly informed, borderline irrational people and sending them out to intentionally disrupt public events with hysterical blathering. That’s awful. Clearly the people avoiding these situations are bad citizens, and the corporate funded groups that are trying to disrupt discourse are not at all disingenuous nor are they being bad citizens. Clearly, we should blame the targets of the incoherent attacks, and not the attackers nor the organizers.
mespo,
When I’m the object of attack, I think I’ll be the one deciding if unpleasantness is called for or uncalled for. Self-defense, physical or verbal, is the ultimate priority of the individual.
That is all I have to say about that.
“mespo727272 1, June 7, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Jill:
I hope you are the same Jill who posted before on our blog and who left after some unneeded unpleasantness”
I was with you up and until … and who left after some unneeded unpleasantness.
Not to engage in a full discussion on this but I think someone being called over and over a male sexist pig and being called on it was not unneeded. However, if it was unpleasant the the author should be aware of the rebuttal.
There was also some other persons that were attacked for expressing opposing views.
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FYI, to the older newer person on the blog, Mike S has had some rather serious health issues and this is why you have not seen his cheery face on here.
Jill:
I hope you are the same Jill who posted before on our blog and who left after some unneeded unpleasantness.
This is a fine idea. Now congress won’t have to spend money outfitting their local rooms with air conditioning to avoid the stink that the common people bring with them. Lobbyists botox their sweat glands. Voting machines can do all the voting. So yes, a Capital plan!
vlf2112
“President Obama also appears to be losing core liberal support after his adoption of Bush policies on offshore drilling, faith-based initiatives, barring the investigation of the Bush torture program, asserting the right to order the killing of US citizens believed to be working with terrorists, killing privacy lawsuits against telecommunication companies and other controversies.”
Yup, that would include me. While I support the President on some issues, there are a few that I clearly do not, such as the aforementioned items listed by the Professor. As far as the Democrats are concerned, like the GOP, they are cowards. And Congress wonders why their approval ratings are in the toilet.
Toots:
Please. Give the psycho-babble a rest. It’s become quite tiresome. No, actually, it’s become VERY tiresome.
“For example, no one has a right to kill a viable human organism in the womb.”(Toots)
Says who, you? Well, since you have no affect on my life whatsoever, why should you be able to dictate what I can and cannot do? That’s right, you DON’T and CAN’T dictate what I can and cannot do … carry on.
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agree, Agree, Agree. and AGREE!!
“For example, no one has a right to kill a viable human organism in the womb.”
Says who, you? Well, since you have no affect on my life whatsoever, why should you be able to dictate what I can and cannot do? That’s right, you DON’T and CAN’T dictate what I can and cannot do … carry on.
DNC!
The ostrich strategy?
Really?
When your head is stuck in the ground, you do realize your ass is exposed, right?
You would, however, make an excellent poster child for retroactive abortions.
Tootie,
You’re still simple creature who insists on framing everything in terms of right or left.
Grow up.
Oh, that’s right. You can’t. Because you believe every bit of right wing propaganda you swallow and it’s stunted your growth.
You’d be better off smoking.