House GOP Leader On Health Care Declines Dem’s Invite To Bipartisan Town Hall

My opinion has clarified: why even bother?

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/house-gop-leader-on-health-care-declines-dems-invite-to-bipartisan-town-hall/

House GOP Leader On Health Care Declines Dem’s Invite To Bipartisan Town Hall


Okay, this tale out of Minnesota offers a new twist on the town-hall wars.

Here’s what happened: A Democratic Congressman came up with a novel way of diffusing town hall tensions, inviting a Republican Congressman from his state who’s also a GOP leader on health care to hold a bipartisan town hall with him. But his invitation was rebuffed.

Dem Rep. Timothy Walz wrote a letter yesterday to GOP Rep. John Kline, inviting him to a joint town hall to “restore civility to the great American tradition of town hall meetings.” Kline’s the ranking Republican on a the education and labor committee, which is key to reform — so the meeting could have been a national media event.

“In return, I would be happy to join you at a town hall in your district next week or in September,” the Dem wrote. “Our constituents share a common bond. Our districts are next to each other and we each have a large number of constituents who work and are treated at the Mayo clinic, the state’s largest private employer who last year lost $840 million because of our broken system.”

GOP Rep. Kline didn’t see the idea’s appeal. He wrote back to Walz saying No Dice. The reason? He wants to spend all his time listening to his own constituents, not Walz’s.

“Because it is critical for me to hear from the men and women I represent, I will be focusing my time and attention over this district work period on hearing from my constituents and will be unable to attend your meeting,” Kline wrote.

The kicker: Dems point out that Kline, as of now, has no scheduled town hall events in his own district, either.

I don't think you could find two more polar opposites.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-HealthDebate_18bus.ART0.State.Edition2.4bb8f7d.html

I was writing about at the same time as you :-), I could not remember her name. Polar opposites, I agree, but the meeting seemed civil, at least the half hour or so that I listened to.

I heard this morning in the car (POTUS on satellite radio) a town hall meting that took place yesterday in Dallas I think, in any case in Texas held together by a dem congresswoman, a name I was unfamiliar with, and Pete Sessions (is he related to the lovely Jeff in the Senate?). I think that the meeting was hosted by some organization because there was a kind of host. Did not hear all of it, but it seemed pretty civilized (as long as you ignore some of the absurdities coming out of Sessions mouth).