GOP Town Halls: Reps Forced To Screen Questions, Duck Out Of Meetings In Secret (HuffPo)

[highplainsdem]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/26/gop-town-halls-reps-duck-out_n_854157.html

Sam Stein
GOP Town Halls: Reps Forced To Screen Questions, Duck Out Of Meetings In Secret
Posted: 04/26/11 11:38 PM ET


WASHINGTON -- The wave of town hall protests targeting House Republicans, and aided by labor and progressive groups, is forcing lawmakers to put restrictions on the forum’s traditionally open structure.

On Tuesday night, Rep. Allen West’s office (R-Fl.) reportedly screened questioners during his town hall event by requiring individuals to fill out index cards which were then vetted by his staff. This was, the Boward County Sun Sentinel noted, different from “his usual practice at previous town hall meetings, where West took questions from people who lined up at microphones.”

Separately, House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), who has chosen to publicly broadcast his town hall locations rather than avoid the protests, was forced to leave Tuesday night’s forum in a different car and from a different exit out of security concerns. The Wisconsin Republican told a local reporter that the decision to leave hastily was precautionary but not something that should be “blown out of proportion.”

Nevertheless, those groups and individuals trumpeting (and assisting) the town hall disruptions found in Tuesday's latest stories another favorable narrative.

-snip-

[Tx4obama]

1. 'screened questioners...requiring individuals to fill out index cards...vetted by his staff'

That's what Palin always does.

[mrcheerful]

2. Actually it was the chimp Meister that started that practice or did you forget

the loyalty pledges, pre screened questions and other tactics chimp used for his town hall bs cheer leading sessions.

[jtrockville]

7. Pelosi does it too. I attended her book signing.

The index cards were taken out of sight. Then the "selected" ones reappeard. The audience member who "asked" the question was never identified. I couldn't help but suspect that the questions to be asked were already written down on index cards in the back room, and the ones submitted by the audience were tossed in the circular file.

Sure, it wasn't a town hall. Still, it seemed quite staged, and colored my opinion of her.

[pacalo]

3. Beat them at their own game by using their strategy to get elected: LIE on the index card

then pull a bait & switch if he calls on you.

[Scuba]

4. +1

[highplainsdem]

5. +1

[deacon]

6. But but but "it's what the Amercan people want! Yunno, mandate and all..." Nutjobs, all of them.n/t