After a series of unsuccessful requests to arrange a town hall over the August recess with Democratic Congresswoman Betsy Markey (CO-4), grassroots organizers opted instead to host their own health care town hall in the congresswoman’s absence – complete with an empty chair and placard for the reticent Markey.
The Northern Colorado Townhall Committee, who say their objective is to “provide a forum” for the voters of Northern Colorado, announced today they would hold a health care town hall on August 25th, and extended an open invitation to Representative Markey to moderate the event.
“With the August recess nearly half way over, we can’t wait any longer,” said the group’s founder, Kelly Trosper. “When other Reps across the nation are adding extra meetings, we still don’t have a schedule from her. This is a forum to discuss urgent topics, to include Health Care reform. We’re having to set one up ourselves, because our Rep isn’t making herself available.”
But this afternoon, following the public outcry and impressive political theater, Markey’s staff announced a town hall blitz, featuring 11 public forums on health care reform.
Greg Merton, a spokesman for the townhall committee, remains skeptical of Markey’s new-found interest in dialogue, and points to a local news report where Markey’s staff obfuscated on the matter last night, saying no details on the Congresswoman’s events would be made public for at least another week.
Confronted with the prospect of engaging in a dialogue with unhappy constituents, Democratic members of Congress have begun employing questionable tactics to limit access to town hall, some staffing the forums with supporters, while others still requiring photo identification to verify residency. While Congressional Democrats routinely demagogue the latter practice as it relates to voting, arguing it disenfranchises poor and minority voters, they seemingly have no problem disenfranchising low- and middle-income families concerned with the future of health care in the United States.
Concerned Markey may chart a similar course of action, Merton says his group intends to keep the August 25th event on-the-books until they “find out the ‘rules of engagement’” for the Congresswoman’s other events.
“We appreciate the small victory for democracy,” Merton says, adding, “but we’ll be keeping the date so we can be sure to be heard.”
Markey’s staff did not return an immediate request for comment.
Markey
dhorowitz3 Thursday, August 13th at 7:54PM EDT (link)Does anyone know if there is a viable Republican challenging her? This is a district that is rated R+6 by Charlie Cook’s PVI. There is no reason why she shouldn’t get knocked off in 2010, particularly with a negative climate for Dems. We’ll show them climate change!
Yes, Cory Gardner may challenger Markey
James Richardson Thursday, August 13th at 8:05PM EDT (link)As Brian Faughnan notes, one of the GOP’s top recruits for CO-4, Cory Gardner, is already holding health care town halls in the district…
http://www.skepticians.com
There are two announced primary candidates
NightTwister Thursday, August 13th at 8:40PM EDT (link)and one draft campaign.
Cory Gardner
Tom Lucero
Diggs Brown
Get Connected in Colorado.
CO GOP has a press release on Markey's staff press release.
NightTwister Thursday, August 13th at 8:37PM EDT (link)FOR RELEASE:
CONTACT: Dick Wadhams
Thursday, August 13, 2009
303-758-3333
MARKEY BLOWS OFF FOURTEEN
EASTERN COLORADO COUNTIES
Plans No Town Meetings in Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Crowley, Otero, Bent, Prowers and Baca Counties
DENVER – Congresswoman Betsy Markey will hold no town meetings in fourteen Eastern Plains counties in the Fourth Congressional District during the August congressional recess according to a schedule she released today.
“Betsy Markey must not be aware that the Fourth Congressional District includes nearly every county on Colorado’s Eastern Plains or perhaps she just doesn’t think the opinions of fourteen counties in her district matter,” said Colorado Republican State Chairman Dick Wadhams. “Even in the four counties where she will be holding meetings this month, she will be restricting public access to her on important issues such as the failed Obama health care proposal.”
According to a release by Markey today, she will be having meetings in Boulder, Larimer, Weld and Morgan counties she calls “Congress in your corner,” where only 20 people at a time will have direct access to her.
Her release lists no meetings in Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Crowley, Otero, Bent, Prowers, or Baca Counties on the Eastern Plains.
“Betsy Markey is clearly terrified to truly make herself available to any and all constituents throughout her district,” Wadhams said. “But it is reprehensible she would totally blow off the citizens of fourteen counties in her district on such a critical issue like health care reform.”
“Betsy Markey has no discernable position on whether she supports a ‘public option’ that would destroy private health insurance or if she supports a tax increase on small businesses and families or if she supports driving up the federal debt or if she supports cutting Medicare to finance the failed Obama health care proposal.”
###
Get Connected in Colorado.
This is not a surprise.
NightTwister Thursday, August 13th at 8:44PM EDT (link)It took Markey almost 3 months after she went to Washington to open a local office, and at that there was only one in Larimer County (Fort Collins) at first. She still doesn’t have an office out in the eastern plains, but then she’s well aware there aren’t any votes for her to get out there.
She’s done a terrible job at making herself available, though I will admit she’s better at responding to inquiries than some others in Colorado. I’ve always gotten an answer when I called the office, and received either a letter or email reply to my input.
Get Connected in Colorado.
Translation: She'll Be a One-Termer
IJB Friday, August 14th at 1:26AM EDT (link)This is exactly the kind of thing that pretty much guarantees she won’t be back.
If you can’t even manage constituent service in a district that leans to the other party, you’re bankable toast.
Leave Betsy Alone!!!
Adjoran Friday, August 14th at 4:23AM EDT (link)It is SOOOO unfair for you to be calling out Betsy Markey for not wanting to appear in contentious public fora.
The poor woman can scarcely put two sentences together with writers and weeks to rehearse, and you expect her to respond to questions which might, you know, require some nodding acquaintance with the subject matter to answer without sounding like a moron.
This merely confirms for many the lack of compassion on the right. It’s as if we were pushing kids in wheelchairs down staircases!
Leave this poor woman alone or, better yet, send her a gift - preferably something shiny or sparkly.
to funny
billp Friday, August 14th at 11:35AM EDT (link)send her a oneway bus ticket to oblivion in a silver frame. now thats something shiny
to funny
billp Friday, August 14th at 11:35AM EDT (link)send her a oneway bus ticket to oblivion in a silver frame. now thats something shiny