GOP boards up the 'town hall' (no sale on Soc Sec priv accts is bad PR)

[papau]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-03-16-gop-townhalls_x.htm

GOP boards up the 'town hall'
By Andrea Stone, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — <snip>House Republican leadership is urging members to keep their Social Security "town hall" events over the recess lower key to avoid the protests they encountered during the last break. LINK

"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."

"Republican leaders are urging their party's lawmakers to take the spotlight off themselves by convening panels of experts from the Social Security Administration, conservative think tanks, local colleges and like-minded interest groups to answer questions about the federal retirement program."

"The shift in venues and formats, Santorum says, is aimed at producing 'more of an erudite discussion' about Social Security's problems and possible solutions."
<snip>

Republicans "like staging events in front of strictly partisan audiences," says Tom Matzzie, MoveOn's Washington director. "They're trying to create political theater in the place of political discussion and debate."

[CottonBear]

1. They can run but they can't hide from angry citizens...

especially the really pissed off old folks!

I wonder if this means Bu$he's 60 meetings in 60 days is cancelled?

[havocmom]

2. They only allow vetted audiences and then call DEMS 'elitists'

:eyes:

One more thing we need to hammer them on.

I want a tee shirt that says:
When the going gets tough, Bush goes AWOL again.

And maybe one that says:
When the going gets tough, the GOP goes behind closed doors.

[Selatius]

3. This is nothing but sad joke at open discussion, a propaganda ploy