ME Congressional Delegation August Town Hall Meetings: Where Are They?

It's time to call their offices and let the staff know that we want to have some Town Hall Meetings with them.

Here are the links to their various telephone numbers:
1. Senator Snowe: Here

2. Senator Collins: Here

3. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree: Here

4. Congressman Mike Michaud: Here

OK folks, it's time to light up those phone lines and let our elected officials know that we want to meet with them during the August recess.

I called bothe Snowe and Collins offices and all I got was the run around. Snowes office said she was looking at it and Collins office said to check her web site for times and places if any are forthcoming. They are stone walling us and we should be calling them alot and protesting their arrogant and condecending manner. Give 'em Heck!

Scott:

Is it your intention to foment disruption at these Town Hall meetings, or do you really trying to find out so that you can ask serious questions?

That the Swift Boaters/Teabaggers are out with a plan that has nothing to do with discussing the topic of health insurance reform is well known. Is this the sort of discourse you want to enable, or are you willing to come out and say that it has no place?

Will you condemn the actions of those that simply want to deny their fellow citizens the right to talk to their elected representatives in Congress, Members who will be making themselves available for just that reason?

Gerald considers it his personal mission to make sure than no liberal ever has to answer a critical question. His use of the term "teabaggers" shows that he is more interested in attacking the messenger than addressing the message.

What is not serious about asking a Congresscrawler if he has read a bill? What is frivolous about expressing the opinion that our federal government is incompetent to run health insurance/care?

Stop that IAC, I can see Gerald is right about you guys.

You're just Swift-boating tea-baggers.

Gerald's membership in Code Pink has lapsed, and now suddenly he is opposed to community organizing and shouting down public officials at meetings.

Hypocrites.

I personally question Gerald's value to the forum in general, he adds nothing that I can't get from the MSM and the left's daily talking points. AMG readers are used to a higher standard that what his posting indicates. I use AMG for reading cometary and ideas that I can't get elsewhere. Gerald offers nothing but platitudes and talking points. It was me he would be gone unless he can articulate an actual position in his own words.

On the topic of this thread, lets call and let them know there are many of us that think we are on the wrong pathway.

I disagree. I like reading Gerald's posts.

Bureaucratic clowns are an integral part of the fabric of life. I am pro-Gerald, as well.

Thanks Tom C and Dist.

In fact, I would encourage those that know little about or oppose H.R. 3200 or H.R. 676 to attend any Town Hall meetings to find out more information or to express their concerns or opposition to health insurance reform (you're all welcome to do that at my blog too). Such debate is healthy.

But that isn't what I'm talking about. There is a coordinated effort to simply disrupt these meetings to be held across tha country, to not allow those that wish to speak to their elected Members of Congress (whether pro or con), nor allow the Members to respond. HERE is one such example from Saturday.

So if you are an opponent or proponent or maybe unsure about H.R. 3200 or H.R. 676 and wanted to ask Sens. Snowe or Collins a question at a Town Hall meeting, should they hold one, but were unable to do so because a coordinated group wouldn't allow anyone to talk, how would that make you feel?

Kind of the same way I have been feeling for the last 8 years.

I learned long ago in Maine that calling and asking is a waste of time...go to their office and confront.

Sounds a lot to me like a strawman attempt to divert the issue from a lack of meetings and Congress hiding, to a 'well known' (to the fringe left) effort to influence those same worthless politicians.

I know this may be a shock, but the current demand that congress pay some small bit of attention to the public is in no way different than the lefts bus loads of rent a mob for any issue they desire to influence. How often have you been to a town council meeting packed with government employees or educators (all pre-organized) out to demand more goodies from a scared public.

how would that make you feel?

Like the welcoming committees on campuses of enlightened, liberal thought that gave the warm and fuzzies to David Horowitz?

Shoe on other foot... feels good.

"Will you condemn the actions of those that simply want to deny their fellow citizens the right to talk to their elected representatives in Congress, Members who will be making themselves available for just that reason?"

Will you, Gerald? And will you also condemn the actions of all who would prevent others from speaking?

This isn't a trick question. I'm just curious.

Is the purpose of a town hall meeting simply an opportunity for the congressman to give a speech and answer carefully preselected friendly questions, or is it a very rare opportunity for the actual, unscripted public to hold a congressman accountable for BS answers and bad votes?

"those that simply want to deny their fellow citizens the right to talk to their elected representatives in Congress, Members who will be making themselves available for just that reason"

Sounds as if you might be among their number, Gerald.

Is it inconceivable to you that a great many people are opposed to what's going on in Washington? That they are fed up with being blown off, at best, or ignored?

The YouTubes I've seen of these events, nobody was shouting down any opposition, unless you're willing to acknowledge that our senators and reps are increasingly perceived as the opposition.

Elections in arguably have consequences, but perception is the reality that has to be dealt with. Non-responsive answers, condescending answers and platitudes are not acceptable. I once had a salary and benefits to compare with a member of congress and, if I had answered a question from the people who put me in my job the way Arlen Specter and the others did, I'd have been on the street within hours.

Any one who has tried to "organize" the conservative/libertarian crowd would be AMAZED that someone was able to get 75-150 of them in one place at the same time for ANYTHING.

Mark, thank you for the contact numbers. I spoke with a staffer from Collin's office in Washington and Pingree in Portland. I was told by both that the August schedules were being drafted and they could not confirm or deny that any town hall meetings were planned. CALL THOSE NUMBERS!

Any one who has tried to "organize" the conservative/libertarian crowd would be AMAZED that someone was able to get 75-150 of them in one place at the same time for ANYTHING.

Tom, that is because we are independent and self-reliant, unlike our liberal community organizing friends.

It is time that we work collectively as a team before we lose our individual freedoms.

In the movie BeetleJuice, a newly dead person receives a copy of the Handbook for the Recently Deceased. In Congress, they receive a copy of the Handbook for the Recently Anointed which asserts on page one

Thy sh*t no longer stinks.

We voters who put them there are beneath their contempt and are fit only to kiss their .. um .. rings. To get their attention, we must occasionally resort to the proverbial two-by-four, also known as free speech. If they can't stand the heat, they should resign their Constitutional posts and go back to the kitchen.

Gerald -

#1 - The opening letter on this thread is not mine. It is posted as a courtesy to an emailer. That is a longstanding AMG tradition.

#2 - ObamaCare, Obama's Stimulus Package, Cap-and-Trade -- these are disruptive to Mainers lives in the extreme. I think Maine's public servants should expect to mix with their constituents face-to-face on these and other issues.

skf

skf -

You didn't answer Gerald's question, as follows -

"Is it your intention to foment disruption at these Town Hall meetings, or do you really trying to find out so that you can ask serious questions?"

By the way, have you quit drinking and stopped beating your wife?

patronizing the opposition is a tried and true democrat trick. labeling people as right wing radicals, tea baggers and as Gibbs refered to the opposition "astro turf" only works when it makes reasonable people with questions back down, sit down, and shut up.

Do not allow this to happen.

We have had more than 75 phone calls from people in the last 7 days, each asking when various representatives are going to be holding town meetings.

For us, that is a pretty big number of phone calls on this one issue. I didn't think to ask any of these people if there were Swiftboaters or teabaggers.

But that's neither here nor there. The upshot is that I called our representatives to find out when such meetings are scheduled. Here are the results:

I called Susan Collins' office (945.0417), and her intern had this to say:

When I asked him for his name, there was a huge, long pause. I explained that it was a simpler question than the one he had just answered, and he finally gave me his name. I won't post it here, because it seems he is afraid of it.

So I called Senator Snowe's office (945.0432) routed me to the press office (202.224.5344), which was busy from 3:00 until 4:48. I finally got through to a paid staffer, who told me,

When pressed about what "appearances" means, she seemed not to understand the question. I rephrased the question, asking whether those appearances were town hall meetings, dinners, or ribbon-cutting ceremonies, she said:

At Rep. Mike Michaud's office (942.6935), his aide said that there is a phone town hall in the works.

When I clarified that I was asking about information about a 'real life" town hall meeting where the ability to shunt difficult questions off to "hold" wouldn't hinder the dialogue, the assistant said that "I don't have a schedule for those yet."
When I asked if he meant that yes, there would be some but he just hadn't gotten word of when or where, he hemmed and hawed. I continued to press, and he finally said that no, Rep. Michaud was not planning such a thing at this point.

What of a bunch of wussies! Afraid to meet with the people who elected them. 2010 may be a very intertesting year.

Al

Pelosi passed out talking point cards to the dems...basically saying to blame big insurance....that sort of leaves Mike Michaud out swinging in the wind considering he is backed by big insurance, so I am sure he doesnt want to face the music with no one to blame. I have read several left leaning blogs that are gunning for the blue dogs....Mike Michaud included... and now Move On is targeting them as well with an ad campaign. He will be getting it from both sides.

As I said, I encourage everyone to try to make any of these Town Hall meetings, to learn more about H.R. 3200 or H.R. 676, and/or to express your opposition or support for these bills. I have not heard of any to be hosted by Reps. Michaud or Pingree, but when and if I do, I will post the info. I don't often hear from Sens. Snowe and Collins, but again, when I do hear of any meetings, I'll post on them.

So Mike - I am opposed to stifling free speech, which is exactly what those that want to try to disrupt these Town Hall meetings intend. And as I've pointed out - they would deny EVERYONE the right to speak, even some of you hear that would want to put forth your POV. For example, I've never called for a ban on the birthers, even though their claims have been so thoroughly debunked that any continuation of them is comical. Let them write about it.

Scott:

You did not have to post the email sent to you - the person could have done it themselves. You could have put a disclaimer on it stating that this was a legitimate inquiry, not part of the coordinated campaign from Conservatives for Patients [sic] Rights.

You still can. You can state unequivocally that you will not condone the use of your site to coordinate actions intended to disrupt these Town Halls, in much the same way you have banned other subjects.

Your call.