An article in Seattle’s weekly alternative paper, The Stranger, outlines the many thwarted efforts of Dave Reichart’s constituents to secure some kind of face to face meeting with him during the upcoming congressional recess.
Also included in the article is this doozy of an excerpt from a local tv station interview Mr Reichart gave on Jan. 30th:
My staff took over 700 phone calls yesterday—a staff of four people—and our voicemail box is full. And I understand that the mission here is to disrupt our constituent services. Then letters to the editor are written to say that Congressman Reichert isn’t responsive to his constituents. My concern is they can say whatever they want about me—we’re not able to help the people who need help. Those people that aren’t getting their social security check. Those veterans that aren’t getting their VA care—their disability or their retirement money—those are people we need to help. Our seniors and our veterans. Other people who aren't getting the correct Medicare or Medicaid reimbursements. That’s our job, and we’re not able to do it because a certain segment of our society believes that their voice is more important than the voices of those people who are crying out for those to help them.
The complete dismissal of those 700 callers as “service disrupters” is a real cold hearted slap in the face. These people were calling (and leaving specific messages) regarding affordable health insurance, sensible immigration policies, civil rights and who is qualified to run critical agencies in our federal government.
It is obvious the republican strategy is to Diminish, Insult, Lie and Hide until those nasty liberals leave them alone.
So let's keep calling.
(Thanks to all for the recs!)