Yesterday, Bush urged members of Congress to go back to their communities and “talk to their constituents not only about the problem, but about solutions. I urge members to start talking about how we’re going to permanently fix Social Security.”
To be sure, it was an odd thing for this president to say. After all, Bush isn’t willing to talk to his constituents about Social Security unless they’re pre-screened Republican supporters of privatization who are willing to be prepped on what to say by a White House advance team. Lawmakers should have discussions with voters but the president shouldn’t?
As it turns out, lawmakers are taking the president’s advice, but will abandon the traditional model of representatives hearing from constituents to embrace the Bush “Bubble Boy” model of politics.
Republicans in Congress have a game plan to avoid “March madness” when they go home this weekend to talk to constituents about Social Security during a two-week holiday recess.
Shaken by raucous protests at open “town hall”-style meetings last month, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce of Ohio and other GOP leaders are urging lawmakers to hold lower-profile events this time.
Brilliant. When voters reject Republicans’ privatization pitch, the answer is for Republicans to start hiding from voters.
This month, Republican leaders say they are chucking the open town-hall format. They plan to visit newspaper editorial boards and talk to constituents at Rotary Club lunches, senior citizen centers, chambers of commerce meetings and local businesses. In those settings, “there isn’t an opportunity for it to disintegrate into something that’s less desirable,” says Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.
Less desirable for whom, Rick?