In a sign of the times, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has been caught avoiding a Town Hall meeting. Rubio said he would be away overseas for the meeting, but was caught and confronted.
Rubio made a statement via Twitter February 20 stating:
Senator @MarcoRubio is traveling overseas this week to attend multiple bilateral meetings in Germany and France: https://t.co/yIIQaghCEV pic.twitter.com/MmtRcAF6bf
— Senator Rubio Press (@SenRubioPress) February 20, 2017
The video confronting Rubio features Thomas Kennedy who asks him:
“Senator, I thought you were in Europe. Are you going to host a town hall? I’m glad you’re okay but are you going to host a town hall?”
It seems he is too much of a hurry to give a proper answer. He is obviously caught red-handed on home soil.
Politico covered the story and quoted Rubio as saying the reason he does not like Town Halls is because:
“…Activists heckle and scream at me in front of cameras.”
In an interview with Jim DeFede Rubio explains why he doesn’t go to Town Halls. He explains:
“They are not Town Halls anymore … What these groups really want is for me to schedule a public forum, they then organize three, four, five, six hundred liberal activists in the two counties or wherever I am in the state.”
He then goes on to explain that he was voted into office and that it would not be ‘productive’ to go to these meetings.
Wow!
How must his constituents feel about that answer? Even though Rubio makes the point that the liberal activists have every right to protest, it seems he does not think that his own voters deserve the right to ask him questions or hear him speak.
This rhetoric is echoed by a recent Trump tweet:
The so-called angry crowds in home districts of some Republicans are actually, in numerous cases, planned out by liberal activists. Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2017
Welcome to democracy. It should also be noted that President Donald Trump decided to stay home from the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, most likely for a similar reason to Rubio’s.
Fellow Republican Chris Christie, who has been to over 160 Town Hall meetings, responded to congressman and senators who are dodging Town Hall meetings.
In an interview on CNN he said:
Welcome to the real world of responsibility … You asked for the job go do it.
Sound advice.
He also said that the heat is now on Republicans. It certainly is.
The people are awake and want answers. As an elected Senator or Congressman, it is your duty to answer to show up and those questions.
Watch Sen. Marco Rubio running away from a Town Hall meeting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv2uVDC_WsU
Watch Rubio explain why he doesn’t go to meetings:
Featured image via YouTube.
