That they work for us, not the other way around. From Marc Ambinder:
"This Is My Town Hall For You"
That's what Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN), the policy leader of the conservative/moderate Blue Dog coalition, explained to a journalism student at a town-hall meeting Wednesday night who asked why she wasn't allowed to videotape the event for a school project.
"This is my town hall meeting, and I set the rules, and I've had these rules," Hill responded, in an authoritative tone. "Let me repeat that one more time. This is my town hall meeting for you. And you're not going to tell me how to run my congressional office. Now, the reason why I don't allow filming is that usually the films that are done end up on YouTube in a compromising position."
Well, we can see how that worked out:
Throw ‘em out! Every one of them, Republican or Democrat, who has the arrogance to believe that it’s HIS/HER congressional office. The arrogance of power smells, no matter which side of the aisle. Get involved—I don’t care which Party (although I DO believe that one is more ripe for influence than the other). And make those who think they’ve been elected to be our masters pay.
LLE
"usually the films that are done end up on YouTube in a compromising position."
Gosh, you mean sound bytes can be used against politicians?!? Say it ain't so!
Well, if we do get midterm elections, hopefully this kind of crap will result in some small-government types getting elected. I only hope there are a few honest men left and districts willing to vote them in.
Posted by: Brutus | 09/04/2009 at 01:21 PM
I love irony.
I wonder what type of stealth camera set up captured this? I want one!
Posted by: Angela | 09/04/2009 at 02:14 PM
Probably a phone camera. The arrogance is mind-boggling. They want to control things but can't figure out how right now.
Posted by: Eric Larson | 09/04/2009 at 07:28 PM
Your information is outdated. Elected officials USED to work for the people who elected them. No longer. The fix is in, and there is a permanent majority in the electorate that will vote democrat no matter what the democrats do. You've seen their arrogance increase since the last election. That's not an accident.
The elected officials will raise your taxes to buy votes. They will do that by handing out money hand over fist, even though the money is borrowed from China. The voters they buy will exercise their franchise as they vote themselves ever larger shares of the public treasury.
The top 1% of wage earners now pay more taxes than the bottom 1/2. Yet the former cast -- duh -- 1% of the vote, and the latter 50%. Nearly 40% of voters pay no taxes whatsoever, yet they consume an ever-increasing share of taxes through entitlement programs.
Someone once said "nobody ever got a job from a poor man". Maybe not, but the ruling democrat elite have gotten secure positions from the "poor", and they are very secure in their lifetime positions.
And yes, they are in charge.
And yes, you work for them.
Posted by: Jim | 09/04/2009 at 08:25 PM