Iowa congressman walks out of a TV interview and into an angry town hall meeting
Source: Washington Post
DUBUQUE, Iowa An Iowa congressman walked out of a television interview on Monday, declining to explain why his staff is prescreening constituents who plan to attend his town hall meetings this week.
A few hours later, Rep. Rod Blum (R-Iowa) showed up at his town hall meeting where most of the prescreened audience screamed at him.
It was a rough start to a recess week for Blum, a second-term lawmaker representing a swing district that voted narrowly for President Trump last year after supporting Barack Obama in 2012. Blum is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus who initially declined to support the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act but ultimately voted last week for the American Health Care Act.
The way Blum struggled Monday night to explain his vote through the loud boos of rowdy, impolite and infuriated constituents is just a narrow sampling of the the growing concern and confusion caused by Republican plans to revamp the nations health-care system. But it indicates the difficult balancing act many Republican lawmakers from swing districts will need to strike as the complex debate continues in Washington.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/05/08/iowa-congressman-walks-out-of-a-tv-interview-and-into-an-angry-town-hall-meeting/
Couldn't happen to a better guy.
Their latest talking point is to stop calling their crap "Trumpcare" and start calling it "Obamacare 2.0". Oh HELL no. They need to keep Obama's name out of their Trumpkill bull.
Edit to add: The "interview" that he walked out of was while he was surrounded by black children I'm guessing at some school. I hope those children learn the lesson to NOT vote for an idiot like that when they are old enough - if they will even be allowed to vote at all.
Javaman
(62,534 posts)but that's not going to make them any less pissed.
in fact, it probably make them more pissed off.
another snowflake repuke.
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)the "pre-screened" people attacked him.
That whole teabagger group got into office thanks to Obama hate. Obama is no longer in office but apparently the only ones who keep pointing to and blaming Obama for their own failed policies, are these dumbasses and their dear leader.
NJCher
(35,764 posts)from article:
It was a rough start to a recess week for Blum, a second-term lawmaker representing a swing district that voted narrowly for President Trump last year after supporting Barack Obama in 2012.
These aren't teabaggers; they are constituents who went for Trump after having voted for Obama.
If they were pre-screened, it was probably to make sure (at least this time around) that they were constituents and not people from out of his district.
Cher
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)yes those were his constituents and I expect outside of the Democrats that were there, there were probably some former teabaggers there as well with some buyer's remorse - generally voting based on other issues but realizing that they had been had at least on this one.
I know here in PA (and I know you are in Jersey), we have GOP districts with moderates where people continually elect them based on "local issues" versus "national" ones. But what has happened is that there are more and more impactful national issues that are coming through and those folks are getting a new look based on how they vote at that higher level.
Bengus81
(6,936 posts)progressoid
(50,000 posts)I'm not kidding.
NoMoreRepugs
(9,481 posts)correctly address this as Trumpcare. Echoed by every Democratic party person that is breathing.
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)They are already trying to "re-brand" their massive FAIL of legislation as "Obamacare".
not fooled
(5,803 posts)When their first round of lies didn't fly, they switched to "we are improving Obamacare by making premiums and deductibles more affordable". Of course, they fail to add "for junk insurance that won't cover anything significant."
They will say anything to try to con the American public into accepting this monstrosity best described as dumpcare or pukecare. They need to be exposed and called out for their lies.
JudyM
(29,294 posts)MyOwnPeace
(16,940 posts)better yet would be "Trump don't care":
don't care if you die,
don't care if you can't afford it,
don't care if you're not covered."
kristopher
(29,798 posts)calimary
(81,527 posts)Either one works.
cstanleytech
(26,334 posts)hedda_foil
(16,375 posts)moda253
(615 posts)That is how I refer to it.
notdarkyet
(2,226 posts)Bigredhunk
(1,351 posts)Blum sucks. He's a prominent conservative from Dubuque. Years ago he had a column in the Telegraph Herald newspaper every Sunday. They had both a liberal and a conservative write about the same subject. The liberal was a great guy. You'd see him out and about all the time when Dems came to town (I saw him at Kucinich rallies, for example). The conservative sucked.
Blum was the conservative for a long time. From what I remember he inherited a business (software, I think) and lots of $$ from his dad. He'd always write the typical "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" drivel. I remember one column in particular. He wrote how a husband and wife both working full-time and making $8/hr (working at Mall-Wart probably) could live a very good life...breaking down how they could live on that $$. You know how conservatives love to tell poor people how to spend their $$/live their lives. It's always good times to hear a rich person tell a poor person how to live. They do it all the time when telling people how to spend their WIC $$ (while whining that the food stamp person buys stuff like steak -- "I could never afford steak myself" .
Blum won his seat after Bruce Braley resigned the seat to run for senator (losing to Joni Ernst). Braley was an excellent congressman. He did a lot for veterans, even though he never got recognition for it (losing to Joni and her "stellar" work for veterans - after all, she was in the National Guard one day). Anyway, Blum ran against Braley and lost. Once Braley ran for senate, Blum was elected. He's going to be hard to get rid of for sure. Prior to Braley winning the seat in 2006 we'd had repug Jim Nussle. Nussle sucked. We only got rid of him when he ran for governor that year. We could just never get him out of there. I fear Blum will be the same. He's very wealthy, and can loan his campaign six figures of his own $$ whenever he wants (whenever ALEC & the Cock brothers don't step up).
NewJeffCT
(56,829 posts)guys are born into wealth.
NJCher
(35,764 posts)Figures.
I have the same situation. I am in a gerrymandered district that has the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee representing it. This district is very blue and when we found out they gerrymandered it and we had this empty suit representing us we were supremely disgusted. True to form, he has resisted meeting with his Dem constituents about the healthcare changes but after a very long time, he agreed to do so.
He voted no the first time around, but this time voted for it.
Oh, and btw, he's Rodney P. Frelinghuysen. Know what the "P" stands for? Proctor, as in Proctor and Gamble.
And if you're around here, you'd recognize "Frelinghuysen." There's a long boulevard in Newark named after that family.
Imagine being given all that as a head start in life and voting no on this. It boggles my mind.
Cher
slumcamper
(1,606 posts)According to KCRG, the children present at the interview were there as a condition of the Blum organization's demands. They wanted a good photo-op.
So far as the interview goes, check it out on KCRG's website. The Blum organization had imposed a series of obstacles to people (requiring tickets, RSVP, photo ID), ostensibly in an attempt to limit attendance strictly to Iowa First District residents, i.e., block outside protest groups from attending, e.g., Iowa City progressives, etc.
During the brief interview he essentially ignored the interviewer's premise that his decisions affect all Iowans and, hence, the question of whether they deserved a voice at the table. He asserted he represents only Iowa's First District voters. Then, when asked if he'd take political contributions from Republicans in Iowa City (outside his district), he lost it, became petulant, and walked out claiming he was being "badgered."
crazylikafox
(2,762 posts)Not his own constituents.
We need to put a target on this guy's back.
not fooled
(5,803 posts)they've lived in a bubble, surrounded by like-minded baggers, hosting town halls probably attended largely by same, and listening to faux spews.
Now they are finding out that, in fact, their districts contain a LOT of people who don't buy their nonsense. And who are knowledgeable and can debate them on issues of national policy by citing non-alt facts.
Poor widdle babies can't handle it.
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)and I am glad his arrogance and petulance (ironically in front of a group of children who acted more mature than he did) was captured on video. I expect the teacher hustling the children out was embarrassed by such childish behavior from a purported "adult" too.
Thanks for the additional info!
Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)rurallib
(62,465 posts)less than a minute into the interview
calimary
(81,527 posts)Hey kids, see that? Man turns himself into chicken!
NJCher
(35,764 posts)he behaved so immaturely.
I think this guy honestly thinks he's above all that. "This is ridiculous."
Cher
HenryWallace
(332 posts)How in the Hell do you get a "a second-term," "Freedom Caucus" congressman from a Congressional district where Democrats out number Republicans?
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)I would think there needs to be some work done in there from the Dem party but it would obviously require expending a lot of resources (notably $$$$) to dislodge guys like him.
HenryWallace
(332 posts)Live in the 2nd district.... (30 years in Texas before that)...
We'll see what impact the national reorganization has .... however, I think we might have expected more from a Party that advocates the value of communal effort and embraces rational long-term scholarship.
DownriverDem
(6,232 posts)I hope folks all see why left leaning unity is where we should all be right now. I question the hearts and minds of negative left leaners.
ck4829
(35,094 posts)rogue emissary
(3,148 posts)Last edited Tue May 9, 2017, 12:26 PM - Edit history (1)
a community center focused on supporting greater parental involvement from fathers. It really bugged me that Blum was using Black boys and girls as human shields. He thought the reporter wouldn't ask him any tough questions if he surrounded himself with children.
Josh Scheinblum
For weeks I have been trying to set up a one-on-one with @RepRodBlum, on May 3rd they agreed and asked me to meet him @ the Dream Center
Link to tweet
BumRushDaShow
(129,662 posts)Using our (my as a POC) children to cloak themselves in righteous bullshit while doing everything in their power to implement policies that would damage, maim, or kill those same ones who they wrap themselves with.
jalan48
(13,901 posts)duhneece
(4,118 posts)That's what we've taken to calling our Tea Party, Freedom Caucus Congressman Steve Pearce.
Bigredhunk
(1,351 posts)When the previous congressman, Bruce Braley (D), held his ACA town halls - he had no restrictions. I went to his town halls and local meetings (I remember one being in the home of a great Dem, Bob Osterhaus - [link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Osterhaus|). His town hall in Maquoketa re: ACA was full of old, conservative farmers. When Braley said "This is the worst economic crisis since The Great Depression," they loudly jeered.
tl:dr - Democrats didn't try to dictate whom could come to their town halls. Democrats didn't pre-screen questions. Democrats didn't walk out when the going got tough.