House Democrats Talk to the Nation: Online Town Hall Meeting

[cal04]

Saturday, February 4th
11:30am-12:30pm EST
On Saturday, February 4th at 11:30am please join House Democratic Caucus Chairman Jim Clyburn and the House Democrats in their first group online town hall meeting.

Dear Friends,
Please join us on Saturday, February 4th at 11:30am for an online town hall meeting.

We hope to have a wide-ranging discussion about critical issues confronting our country and we welcome questions on any topic that interests you. Please ask us your questions about Social Security, Medicare, veteran issues and benefits, the debate over the renewal of the Patriot Act, homeland security, the war in Iraq, protecting American jobs, or anything else on your mind.

If you would like to ask a question in advance, please click here. I look forward to hearing from you and hope you will join us for the discussion on February 4th. A full transcript will be available on the website at the conclusion of the online meeting.

Thank you,
James E. Clyburn
Chair of the House Democratic Caucus

Click here to view the webcast
http://demcaucus.townhall.house.gov/index.asp?Type=B_LIST&SEC={7572C67B-8781-4D85-80C3-C8846757D3D0}#refresh-at-bottom

posted at Kos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/4/83054/55659

[KingFlorez]

1. Nice idea

Seems like some people in the party of coming up with good ideas.

[Totally Committed]

2. They must be sensing just how bad things are out here

amongst the "rabble". If I thought for even a split second that anything of any value would come of this, I'd be overjoyed. I'm not. But, I'll "wait and see" anyway.

TC

[cal04]

3. Chet Edwards talking about the troops

and vets. It's nice to have a webcast

[American liberal]

4. I'm watching right now. This is EXCELLENT use of new media!!! very cool!

[cal04]

5. this is excellent and they are answering the write in

questions. This should be done every week
Hastings talking about faulty and dangerous policy regarding wiretapping

[Kierkegaard]

6. This is a teriffic idea...

IF they actually learn something from our participation. If nothing else, at least we'll be able to hear what these people are thinking 'straight from the horses mouth.'

[cal04]

7. healthcare, clean elections (Palone)

scrapping the whole medicare prescription plan and starting over with a simpler plan than would be a guaranteed program.
covering every child, various things we can do for a more universal system


propose number of public financing bills
small donors matched with public funds

[cal04]

8. Bill Pascrell Jr.

Talking about how they don't practice democracy in congress much less bting it to the ME. He is saying the way republicans have operated congress is a crime. ...votes being left open, arm twisting, refusing to add amendments to bill from democrats.

He also spoke about the culture of corruption in the republican party which says it is okay for exxon to make record profits because the market allows them too when they have raised gas prices to an all time high.

[Wordie]

9. RECOMMEND THIS! It needs to get on the Greatest page RIGHT AWAY!!!

This is great! Thanks!

[American liberal]

10. I belong to several e-mail alerts. I did not receive notification

about this town hall meeting.

My other critique is that they should post a bar at the bottom of the screen identifying who is speaking. But as a concept, I think the online "town hall" arena is awesome! I hope libraries all across the nation are advertising such activities and offering big screen links to this. I also hope civics, poly sci, and social studies teachers are assigning this to students for homework.

I'm a technological "laggard," in marketing speak; I don't own a cell phone, iPod, or have cable TV. I've never caught a "podcast" (although one of my brothers has invited me to submit material to his), and I don't have my own blog (yet). So something like this, which may seem passe to you younger, more computer savvy DUers, is nothing short of a miracle to me. THIS, to me, even though the speaker right now is boring me to tears, is the best, most exciting use of new technology to communicate directly with our representatives. Check it out!

Peace,
AL

[Wordie]

11. "Republicans...are in a fiscal hole today and have to stop digging."

Great line!

[cal04]

12. Jim Mc Govern answering about not backing Murtha

do you have the courage to stop what's going on
no end to this war, the long war,
Murtha was right, I have a bill to end the war right now

[American liberal]

18. He says, "If Al Gore had been elected President,

we would not be in war with Iraq today."

Understatement of the decade... :bounce:

on edit: fixed smiley... oops

[American liberal]

13. good question from MI

Why can't you Dems unify with Murtha and get us out of Iraq? We're spending $3 billion a week...

[American liberal]

14. response

Murtha is right. I have a bill pending that would get us out right now.

[American liberal]

15. another interesting point...

I'm not familiar with any of these representatives. I think it's a good forum also to learn more about the low-profile House members who are working hard on our behalf.

[cal04]

17. If Gore was elected we would not have been at war today

elections do matter. We need to change course

[American liberal]

20. Cal, we are in sync, eh? :-)

Thanks for turning me on to this exciting concept!

Peace,
AL

[cal04]

25. American Liberal, we are

thanks for posting. It's hard keeping up with all this
Looking for the transcript after this is over
we need this every week. I don't know many of these people
:hi:

[American liberal]

27. at least once a month

I like that I'm getting to know more of our reps.

:hi: back atcha :headbang:

[Wordie]

16. kick

[Wordie]

19. " House Democrats were the most united on votes in 2005 since the 1950s"

Pelosi's doing a great job!

And this is a cool idea...just wish I had known about it sooner.

[Kierkegaard]

21. K & R

Let's get this on the greatest page so more of those who aren't aware will get the chance to tune in.

[American liberal]

22. we need two more votes to get this on Greatest Page

[American liberal]

23. Virgin Islands delegate now talking about Katrina

[Wordie]

24. All DUers should see this great effort by House Dems. Please K&R. nt

[jenmito]

31. K&R

[American liberal]

37. got 'em!

[Wordie]

26. cal, this needs to go in GD, too. n/t

[American liberal]

28. it is. Cal and I both posted it over there...sorry for the dup, cal

I was just so excited about this and glad that I tuned into DU at this time.

[Wordie]

32. Would one of you (cal and American Liberal) post a link to a GD thread

here? I'll be happy to K&R. Everyone should see this.

[cal04]

34. done

thanks wordie

[American liberal]

35. here's a link to my GD thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=321533&mesg_id=321533

OK?

[cal04]

30. I put it there it didn't show up only if you go directly to Gd

can I repost?

[Wordie]

39. Here's the link to your new one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=321898&mesg_id=321898

Everybody...help keep it kicked to get the attention of the GDers.

[cal04]

29. Hilda Solice? Oil

from a science teacher(question)
environmental policy to wean us off of oil and incentives
Pelosi unveiled new program, new research and incentives for us, other countries, students to invest in math and science

[American liberal]

33. When will Dems push for special counsel? Why didn't ALL Dems

filibuster Alito?

Answer: Dems were the first to call for independent commission in 9/11 and this? Repubs refused. Repubs were FORCED by public pressure to form 9/11 commission (the dead firefighters' wives! yay!).

We're in the minority. Repubs control HOuse and Senate

Then he talked about Haliburton's control. the will of the people are being thwarted. Repubs have refused to allow us to hold public hearings...

We have tried to hold our own informal hearings.

We are fighting for this...

[cal04]

36. for those who missed this on the site they have

some of the questions and answers up at the site

http://demcaucus.townhall.house.gov/index.asp?Type=B_LIST&SEC={7572C67B-8781-4D85-80C3-C8846757D3D0}#refresh-at-bottom

[American liberal]

38. you rock, cal! Thanks!

[American liberal]

40. now talking about the global warming "myth"

It's no myth.

[American liberal]

41. who is this speaking now?

[American liberal]

42. she's qouting Al Gore's MLK speech, which I also got to watch because

of DU

[American liberal]

43. and it's over. Noon CST

Very cool. I want to do this again.

Don't forget to write your reps to encourage them to hold more of these online town meetings. It helped me to feel like I am truly part of the process. This is grassroots at its finest!!!

Peace, and thanks so much, cal, for getting the ball rolling!

[cal04]

44. Jan Shakowsky

[American liberal]

46. OMG! I am soooooo embarrassed!!!

:blush: She's my very own wonderful representative. I correspond with her regularly...and I have no idea what she looks like!!! wow! That's an eye-opener. I will be sure to send her a personal thank-you note right away! No wonder I liked her so much! :loveya:

[cal04]

45. I'm going to email the website about having this again

and what a great idea this was. Thanks everybody for the thread. It was great

[American liberal]

47. Thank YOU for posting the link. I would do this again! Peace out.

[American liberal]

48. Here's my letter to Rep. Schakowsky:

To the Honorable Janice Schakowsky:

I had the privilege of watching your online Town Hall Meeting today and want to personally thank you for providing this forum that helps me feel like I am part of the democratic process.

Here's a link to the thread on Democratic Underground (a message board on which I am a member) that first alerted me about this important meeting: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2438452&mesg_id=2438452 My screen name is American liberal.

I was disappointed to learn that I did not receive an e-mail alert from your office telling me about the online meeting. My only other criticism is that it would have been nice to have a band across the bottom of the screen identifying who was speaking. I'm embarrassed to admit that, although I have written to you many times and have voted for you every time, I did not recognize your face in this particular venue.

Rep. Schakowsky, thank you so much for all your hard work on my behalf and on behalf of the millions of progressive, forward-thinking U.S. citizens who are becoming more and more disenchanted with our government. I am determined to do all I can to restore democracy to Washington during this mid-term election year, and am grateful to know that you, Sen. Durbin, and Sen. Obama, among many, many others, are on the front lines trying to wrest control from the formidable Republican machine. Please don't hesitate to call on me if there is anything I can do to help get out the vote this year. I want my country back.

I hope you will provide many more opportunities for online town hall meetings. As I mentioned in the DU thread, I think this is an important new medium that can be exploited for great good. Public libraries should be providing big screen links and secondary teachers and college professors all across the country should be assigning participating in the online town hall meetings as homework.

There are a lot of us out here who are dissatisfied (and that is an understatement) with the course of the current administration. As Gary Hart said this morning on NPR, we need the courage and conviction of people like you to lead us back to some semblance of sanity. I support you and President Gore and my other representatives. Please let me know what I can do to help restore democracy and open government.

********************

Please take a moment and e-mail your own representatives and encourage them to continue to provide these open forums to talk about the issues. We should demand open, transparent government. This online town meeting format is a positive step in that direction.