Protesters target Sen. Feinstein for not holding town halls

[alp227]

Source: SF Chronicle

Republican members of Congress aren’t alone in feeling the heat from constituents at town hall meetings this week. California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein will be the target at two Bay Area events over the next three days — and she won’t even be at one of them.

Demonstrators are expected to be outside Feinstein’s appearance at the Public Policy Institute of California Friday in San Francisco. And at 10 a.m. Sunday in east Oakland, several hundred anti-Trump activists will hold an “empty chair” town hall because Feinstein declined their invitation to attend in person.

It’s part of their running complaint that Feinstein, the former San Francisco mayor who was elected to the Senate in 1992, isn’t accessible enough.

Feinstein, who has not debated her Republican opponent in her last two U.S. Senate campaigns — state Sen. Dick Mountjoy in 2006 and Republican Elizabeth Emken in 2012 — has no plans for any town halls during Congress’ current recess.

Read more: http://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Protesters-target-Sen-Feinstein-for-not-holding-10955584.php

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. Good!

[dbackjon]

2. Good!!!

[The Polack MSgt]

3. Her feet should be held to the fire, just like all elected representatives

"Good enough for you but beneath me" is the Republican motto FFS.

Meet with your constituents.

[Dopers_Greed]

4. She needs to be primaried

[homegirl]

5. Should have

been primaried in 2006!

[harun]

7. Right, long over due.

[Hortensis]

9. You want to take out one of the most powerful

Democrats in the nation? Perhaps, as you're wishing you could do the Republicans this very big favor, you might just give a passing thought to the wishes of her very progressive and liberal constituents. They've been reelecting her by substantial margins over all competitors for a very long time now.

BTW, do you guys know what "primaried" is? That's when dark-money plutocrats decide to replace someone who's not producing for them with someone who promises to do better. Very silly imagining Feinstein could be primaried.

Her extreme wealth is actually what I've disliked most about her--people that wealthy should not have political power--not her popularity with those she represents. Of course no one should be that wealthy period. It's all diverted from the pockets of others.

As for these conservatives trying to turn the tables on what's happening across the nation, my guess is she'll hold some town halls. She should.

[nolabels]

15. A rock called the Half Dome in Yosemite is the most powerful rock on the surface of California

This is if you understand gravity and how it holds something in place. That alone does not make it something to be concerned with as far as changing anything, though. This is because just like Sen. Feinstein that rock hasn't moved a millimeter in like forever.

[Hortensis]

17. Consistency of principle and purpose are usually considered

good things. Senator Feinstein's constituents aren't betrayed by the kind of corrupt, opportunistic swings on issues so common among Republican politicians. Consistency of purpose and principle actually pretty much characterize liberal Democrats in general.

This graph illustrates the ideology over time of the Senate's Democratic and Republican caucuses. Btw, Feinstein was mayor of San Francisco, famously the most liberal city in the nation, for a decade before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992.



This one illustrates the ideological positions our House caucuses. Note that in both the Senate and House, that imaginary surge of Democratic Party conservatism never happened. Quite the contrary--both moved a bit farther left.



And, of course, over the past few decades, the southern conservative Democrat faction, which previously caused so much trouble for the liberal Democrat majority whose ideology defined the party, has mostly moved to the Republican Party to cause trouble over there.

Just thought I'd toss this in. San Francisco's at the bottom.

[nolabels]

19. My point exactly, for 24 years she has kept a seat warm and not much else

Of of the top of my head, I cannot think of any major piece of legislation that has her name as an originator. What was it now the Feinstein's ___________ Bill to _______________?

She is a follower of power and money with some experience as a manager. Pretty sure that is not people are looking for in a leader.

[Hortensis]

21. The Democratic Party supports the liberal principles

and government structure that our liberal founding fathers established under the name the Democratic-Republican Party over 225 years ago. With the exception of a dark era over 150 years ago when southern and uneducated rural conservatives flooded into the party, it always has.

The Republicans who are determined to destroy this nation's liberal heritage and replace it with a business-oriented authoritarian fascism first have to destroy the Democratic Party. Because we are the anti-fascists.

People who are too confused and/or too deluded to understand that very simple reality and thus attack the protectors of our liberal heritage by mistake are actually a huge part of our problem and a great asset to the fascist forces.

At this particular point in history, there is no practical difference between those who seek to weaken and purge the Democratic Party from farther left and those who seek to destroy it from the right. And both factions are soaking up anti-Democrat lies fed them by inimical forces like the Koch alliance and right-wing media. Some will choose the right's authoritarian extremism over a mainstream Democratic alliance of cooperating factions that they're in the habit of despising. We know that from history. People just like us have all been here before.

[coco22]

24. She always goes along with RepubliCONS..

[MurrayDelph]

22. Agreed

When I lived in California, I once e-mailed her about the Alito confirmation. The answer I got back was a condescending screed that can be summed up in "Back off, sonny! I'm a Senator! I know more than you do!"

Now, I live in Oregon, where I have personally spoken one-on-one to both Senators. And I didn't have to carry a small rectangular piece of paper with the phrase "Pay to the Order Of" to do it.

[iluvtennis]

6. I like it...all of them (Repugs and Dems) should meet with their constituents...they work for us nt

[global1]

8. The Dems In General Need To Put The Pressure On Feinstein To Hold Town Halls And Show Up.....

we can't give the Repugs a talking point that a Dem Senator is ducking her constituents.

[Blue Idaho]

10. Agreed!

I don't care if a congress member is an R or a D, town halls are the best way for them to know how the people they supposedly represent feel about the issues. Unless there is a legit personal reason there is no excuse for turning your back on your constiuants.

[Sunlei]

11. Republicans start to attack her early. She doesn't want to get rid of obamacare or deport millions.

[Sunlei]

12. perhaps the news story missed this? "At noon PST I'll take questions from the public at a town hall

Sen Dianne FeinsteinVerified account
‏@SenFeinstein


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At noon PST I'll take questions from the public at a town hall at the Public Policy Institute of Calif. Watch here: http://www.ppic.org/main/event.asp?i=2226 …




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[alp227]

13. Not the same as a traditional town hall

Because it requires free tickets.

[Sunlei]

14. ok sure.

[Bayard]

16. She doesn't hold a candle to Barbara Boxer

My personal experience when I lived in Calif. was not good with her. I was going thru an incredibly nasty divorce, bankruptcy, and illegal foreclosure on my farm. I contacted both of my senators, and got nothing back from Feinstein's office but a form letter wishing me luck. Boxer's office jumped right in, at both the local office, and in Sacramento. They had a number of conversations over several months with Wells Fargo (hateful people), and finally escalated it on up the food chain to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in D.C. I ultimately lost my place anyway (the law was changed soon after that saying a bank can't be refinancing your mortgage and foreclosing on you at the same time). But I was so impressed and grateful to Senator Boxer.

Very glad to be back in Kentucky (truly), where my senators are McConnell and Paul.......

[Rex]

18. This is not a partisan issue.

Politicians are acting really stupid by doubling down as in everything is normal and it is back to business as usual.

Nope.

Not.

Won't

Can't

Too many desperate and angry people that have realized what is sitting in office. I am tickled PINK the GOP is playing the bullshit game and hiding. Our reps OTOH need to get out in front of this and show what leaders they are and why we need more of them!

[Retrograde]

20. She does have something like 40 million constituents

a few more than most states, which makes the logistics a bit more difficult. My representative doesn't hold in-person meetings either (and we've had email exchanges about that). Although they voted the way I told them to, neither Feinstein nor Harris responded to emails.

[coco22]

23. Oh Happy Day!