Comments on: Bursting the DC Bubble with Public Meetings Back Home http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/ Firedoglake weblog Sat, 18 Feb 2012 03:32:41 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: friggetyfiona http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909495 friggetyfiona Sun, 31 May 2009 02:40:02 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909495 <p>This was really well written and Bersin did a fantastic job on all this transcription work! Thanks for picking this story up. It’s important for everyone to see a Senator who is willing to answer unscripted questions. McCaskill does a good job of addressing each question thoroughly. I also appreciate that she always provides background information so that her listeners (or readers in this case!) understand what is being referred to.</p> <p>For those who commented that they never see their Senators doing events like these, call them and demand it!</p> This was really well written and Bersin did a fantastic job on all this transcription work! Thanks for picking this story up. It’s important for everyone to see a Senator who is willing to answer unscripted questions. McCaskill does a good job of addressing each question thoroughly. I also appreciate that she always provides background information so that her listeners (or readers in this case!) understand what is being referred to.

For those who commented that they never see their Senators doing events like these, call them and demand it!

]]> By: Peterr http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909493 Peterr Sun, 31 May 2009 01:23:29 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909493 <p>Updated the post — thanks!</p> Updated the post — thanks!

]]> By: gmoke http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909490 gmoke Sun, 31 May 2009 00:03:48 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909490 <p>Senator Tom Carper (D-Del) held a hearing on nuclear waste issues at MIT on May 18. Before the event, he worked the room, introducing himself and shaking hands. When he came to me, I took his hand and placed my other hand over it to make him stop for a moment. I asked him if he’d have the moral and political courage to follow the torture investigations wherever they might lead. He laughed a little, nervously I thought, “That’s a good question,” he said. “I’ll support the President.”</p> <p>“And your oath to the Constitution?”</p> <p>“I’ll do my best,” he replied and continued on.</p> <p>On Thursday, May 28, Representative Michael Capuano, my rep, appeared at a MoveOn Power Up event in Roxbury. He spoke for a bit and then took questions. I asked him to help promote the idea of a weatherization barnraising on the White House with the full participation of “This Old House,” “Extreme Home Makeover,” and the Home and Garden channel. </p> <p>I’ve also had contact with the wives of a couple of other Senators at public and private events. Again, I tried to raise issues that were important to me. We should do it at every opportunity.</p> Senator Tom Carper (D-Del) held a hearing on nuclear waste issues at MIT on May 18. Before the event, he worked the room, introducing himself and shaking hands. When he came to me, I took his hand and placed my other hand over it to make him stop for a moment. I asked him if he’d have the moral and political courage to follow the torture investigations wherever they might lead. He laughed a little, nervously I thought, “That’s a good question,” he said. “I’ll support the President.”

“And your oath to the Constitution?”

“I’ll do my best,” he replied and continued on.

On Thursday, May 28, Representative Michael Capuano, my rep, appeared at a MoveOn Power Up event in Roxbury. He spoke for a bit and then took questions. I asked him to help promote the idea of a weatherization barnraising on the White House with the full participation of “This Old House,” “Extreme Home Makeover,” and the Home and Garden channel.

I’ve also had contact with the wives of a couple of other Senators at public and private events. Again, I tried to raise issues that were important to me. We should do it at every opportunity.

]]> By: paradocs http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909350 paradocs Sat, 30 May 2009 18:52:59 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909350 <p>The final portion of the transcript is now up at <a href="http://blog.showmeprogress.com/diary/2968/senator-claire-mccaskill-in-sedalia-may-27-2009-part-4" rel="nofollow">Show Me Progress</a>.</p> The final portion of the transcript is now up at Show Me Progress.

]]> By: timr http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909311 timr Sat, 30 May 2009 18:06:04 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909311 <p>My congressman-Ciro Rodrigeuz-holds meeting with the voters during every break. He uses robocalls to notify everyone when and where. OTOH, I have been in TX since 2003 and never heard from either senator. Ever.Not even during cornyn reelection last year. When I worked for the FedGov I kept my voting registration in Mi. Always heard from my Sen. Levin. When a rethug got the other senate position we never heard from him, which could very well be the reason he lost when attempting reelection. Something that I have noticed over the last 40 years, while living in several states, is that the dems always meet with the people while the rethugs treat their seat as a right rather than a privilege. Example. In Mi rep was Stupek-a dem, then redistricted into a rethug district and never once heard from him, could not even remember name. Mi rethugs always attempted to get Stupek out, but have never been able to do so. One election they-rethug-ran a young woman whose family was very big in one county. The rs sent the big guns, newt-speaker, and other biggies. District always voted rethug, except for Stupek. Come election day, young untried woman could not even win the county that her family was so big in. Ciro won reelection in a very large district that had always voted thug. He did it by meeting and talking to everyone all over the Dist. which goes from San Antonio all the way to El Paso, mostly ranchers and mostly very conservative. Interesting that.</p> My congressman-Ciro Rodrigeuz-holds meeting with the voters during every break. He uses robocalls to notify everyone when and where. OTOH, I have been in TX since 2003 and never heard from either senator. Ever.Not even during cornyn reelection last year. When I worked for the FedGov I kept my voting registration in Mi. Always heard from my Sen. Levin. When a rethug got the other senate position we never heard from him, which could very well be the reason he lost when attempting reelection. Something that I have noticed over the last 40 years, while living in several states, is that the dems always meet with the people while the rethugs treat their seat as a right rather than a privilege. Example. In Mi rep was Stupek-a dem, then redistricted into a rethug district and never once heard from him, could not even remember name. Mi rethugs always attempted to get Stupek out, but have never been able to do so. One election they-rethug-ran a young woman whose family was very big in one county. The rs sent the big guns, newt-speaker, and other biggies. District always voted rethug, except for Stupek. Come election day, young untried woman could not even win the county that her family was so big in. Ciro won reelection in a very large district that had always voted thug. He did it by meeting and talking to everyone all over the Dist. which goes from San Antonio all the way to El Paso, mostly ranchers and mostly very conservative. Interesting that.

]]> By: otchmoson http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909305 otchmoson Sat, 30 May 2009 17:50:50 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909305 <p>Blue Dog Allen Boyd is my Congressman . . . like your experience, the “meeting” is scripted, at least to the extent that serious questions are pushed aside with an explanatory, “That’s a complicated issue . . . too complicated to delve into here.” (Unfortunately, it is rarely ‘delved into’ later.</p> Blue Dog Allen Boyd is my Congressman . . . like your experience, the “meeting” is scripted, at least to the extent that serious questions are pushed aside with an explanatory, “That’s a complicated issue . . . too complicated to delve into here.” (Unfortunately, it is rarely ‘delved into’ later.

]]> By: DeanOR http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909303 DeanOR Sat, 30 May 2009 17:28:11 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909303 <p>In a district like mine, where elections come down to “Which liberal are you going to vote for?”, these contacts are especially important. The candidate who wins the Dem primary will win the election, and it’s all too easy for them to coast from there on out, issuing occasional statements for the Congressional Record that sound nice but don’t go anywhere. I can happily report that our Congress people know that when they face us in person, which they do, they will be grilled. On the State level, I haven’t shown up for Sen. Ron Wyden’s appearances yet, but when I do I’m going to tell him that I like it that he is such a nice guy, but we’re not sending you to D.C. to be a nice guy, we want you to raise hell.</p> In a district like mine, where elections come down to “Which liberal are you going to vote for?”, these contacts are especially important. The candidate who wins the Dem primary will win the election, and it’s all too easy for them to coast from there on out, issuing occasional statements for the Congressional Record that sound nice but don’t go anywhere. I can happily report that our Congress people know that when they face us in person, which they do, they will be grilled. On the State level, I haven’t shown up for Sen. Ron Wyden’s appearances yet, but when I do I’m going to tell him that I like it that he is such a nice guy, but we’re not sending you to D.C. to be a nice guy, we want you to raise hell.

]]> By: NelsonAlgren http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909302 NelsonAlgren Sat, 30 May 2009 17:05:28 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909302 <p>I haven’t heard any meetings from Snarlin’ Arlen. We’ll see if they increase soon.</p> I haven’t heard any meetings from Snarlin’ Arlen. We’ll see if they increase soon.

]]> By: marymccurnin http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909301 marymccurnin Sat, 30 May 2009 16:48:24 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909301 <p>Dan Lungren is my representative. He has town hall meetings where he controls the message. He takes questions from the “people” but they are written on index cards and he gets to pick the ones he answers. Too bad Durston didn’t beat him. If that third party spoiler hadn’t run we would have real representation in D.C.</p> Dan Lungren is my representative. He has town hall meetings where he controls the message. He takes questions from the “people” but they are written on index cards and he gets to pick the ones he answers. Too bad Durston didn’t beat him. If that third party spoiler hadn’t run we would have real representation in D.C.

]]> By: NorskeFlamethrower http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909300 NorskeFlamethrower Sat, 30 May 2009 16:47:32 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/bursting-the-dc-bubble-with-public-meetings-back-home/#comment-1909300 <p>Citizen mack:</p> <p>Durbin remains a class act in spite of some of his constituents…</p> Citizen mack:

Durbin remains a class act in spite of some of his constituents…

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