Posted on 06/07/2010 5:15:44 AM PDT by Zakeet
BEL AIR, Md. — The reception that Representative Frank Kratovil Jr., a Democrat, received here one night last week as he faced a small group of constituents was far more pleasant than his encounters during a Congressional recess last summer.
Then, he was hanged in effigy by protesters. This time, a round of applause was followed by a glass of chilled wine, a plate of crackers and crudités as he mingled with an invitation-only audience at the Point Breeze Credit Union, a vastly different scene than last year’s wide-open televised free-for-alls.
The sentiment that fueled the rage during those Congressional forums is still alive in the electorate. But the opportunities for voters to openly express their displeasure, or angrily vent as video cameras roll, have been harder to come by in this election year.
If the time-honored tradition of the political meeting is not quite dead, it seems to be teetering closer to extinction. Of the 255 Democrats who make up the majority in the House, only a handful held town-hall-style forums as legislators spent last week at home in their districts.
It was no scheduling accident.
With images of overheated, finger-waving crowds still seared into their minds from the discontent of last August, many Democrats heeded the advice of party leaders and tried to avoid unscripted question-and-answer sessions. The recommendations were clear: hold events in controlled settings — a bank or credit union, for example — or tour local businesses or participate in community service projects.
And to reach thousands of constituents at a time, without the worry of being snared in an angry confrontation with voters, more lawmakers are also taking part in a fast-growing trend: the telephone town meeting, where chances are remote that a testy exchange will wind up on YouTube.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
How dare the peasants upset the Lords and Ladies!
Well, it took 200 years, but we have reverted right back to what we fought to escape.
Was Steny Hoyer there. he hasnt been seen in an open meeting since his last disaster where he trucked in SEIU from all over.
The people of Southern Maryland were not impressed, nor were they frighened by his thugs.
Photo of scu&bagum americanum.
A genus characterized by hubris, arrogance,
self-satisfaction, feelings of superiority and disdain for the rest of humanity.
Tend to collect in postions of power that allow them to manipulate the lower, inferior strains of human cattle.
Soon to be re-elected so that the cattle may be lead to paradise on earth.
IMHO
What a heifer.
The disconnect similar to the royalty in Versallies and the rabble in Paris.How’d that workout?
TAKE THE MEETINGS TO THEIR OFFICES AND IF THAT DOESN’T WORK TAKE IT TO THEIR HOMES LIKE THE UNIONS DO.....
Maybe they don’t like the smell of tar and feathers?
The easiest way for them to avoid their bosses in not to run again. I doubt they will take that option.
Perhaps they could perch atop a high tower made of ivory?
They’re just getting caught up in the general environment of “the ruling class”.
Hopefully, a good election day purge will also purge most of this attitude out of Congress.
If not, there are other ways purges can happen.
Sounds like a great idea!
I was walking our dog and some guy called in to KLBJ today and said lord dog nuts had a teleconference with voters, BUT only prescreened questions were allowed.
The dim said last year that he would vote for obozocare, and I don’t care what you want. I hope he gets his ass kicked out this next election.
Sounds like country club liberalism. That will really work well.
Sounds like a great opportunity for our Republican representatives to me. They should start scheduling loads of them.
At Sheila Jackson Lee 's Townhall, she rudely talked on her cell phone instead of listening to her constituents.
"Make that three double pepperoni pizzas, four gallons of Pepsi,
and three loaves of garlic bread. And deliver it in 10 minutes, after
I get rid of these annoying constituents. I'm starved. "
Mmmmmm......I bet she clobbered the one who took that shot of her fat behind.
Anyone expected different after the ObamaCare townhalls....and people are more pissed NOW than they were during those? lulz....
In what other bizzaro world would you see elected officials treat those whom they supposedly represent with such disdain and arrogance, as if they didn't exist, and if they did, their opinions wouldn't matter anyway?
In “normal” times, this would be cause for outrage unseen on both a local and national scale, but except for the Tea Party people, it is seemingly nonexistent. Very few incumbent “Republicans” voice their displeasure at such shenanigans.
No, there are other forces at work here.
Personally, I think the Dems, working in complete concert with any number of RINOs in power, are going to partake of the final coup after the election, but before January. In other words, their place in power has been assured by forces unseen behind the scenes.
Whether real or manufactured, unrest will undoubtedly surface late in the summer, or early fall. Although not particularly widespread, this unrest will be deemed “newsworthy”, and great focus will be applied to “threats” to may elected officials (most notably Democratic ones).
This may prove to be the pretext to confiscate privately owned firearms, and make their ownership a felony.
Inspired by this, Tea Party/Conservatives/Republicans sweep to a huge victory in November.
However, as the situation deteriorates across the country, Obama declares the elections null and void, citing “massive voting irregularities” and “civil unrest”, reiterates gun confiscation as a most important dynamic in restoring civil peace, and suspends the Constitution until such time as order has been restored.
He also declares those who were seated in the last Congress will remain so, until a later date when “more honest” elections can be held.
Of course, nobody turns in their guns - not even Liberals! - and the military badly fractures between heavily politicized officers and enlistments.
The result will be predictable.
As others have stated on this board, the intellectual heirs and disciples of Saul Alinsky and Antonio Gramsci believe we are in the end game for final control of this nation. The upshot is, we are, but the outcome won't be much to that crowd’s liking.
God, I pray for the soul of this Nation, every single day.
CA....
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