MORE: 10th District town hall goes on without Rep. Comstock

[mahatmakanejeeves]

MORE: 10th District town hall goes on without Rep. Comstock

Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017 by Chantalle Edmunds

The Sterling Community Center was bustling Friday night with around 150 10th District constituents hoping to put questions and comments to U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.-10th) in a town hall-style meeting.

At the front of the hall sat table and chairs, with one seat set for the congresswoman. The chair, as expected, remained empty for the course of the evening. Earlier in the week, Comstock's Deputy Chief of Staff Jeff Marschner said she couldn't attend the meeting because of a long-standing prior commitment. Marschner made reference to the two tele-town halls the second-term representative has held as a way of talking to thousands of her constituents “in a civil and conversational manner.”

Todd Kliman, described by organizers as an author, essayist, critic, food writer, speaker and teacher from Maryland, served as moderator. ... “Tonight is about you,” he began. “Whether or not Rep. Comstock is joining us or not.”
....

Receiving a standing ovation and the biggest cheers of the evening was retired Air Force colonel and former Loudoun County Democratic Committee Chairman Mike Turner. ... Producing a small blue book from his jacket pocket, which turned out to be the Constitution, Turner, who had run for Comstock's congressional seat as a Democrat back in 2008, waved it in the air and said: “I served for 28 years wearing an Air Force uniform protecting this … in my wildest dreams I never imagined the chief enemy of this document would be the President of the United States,” Turner said. “When the impeachment comes, and it’s coming … when the impeachment comes, Rep. Comstock, will you vote with your constituents for the people who pay your salary or not?”

[murielm99]

1. There has been a lot of this.

Put a picture of the congressman in the front of the hall, and ask questions of the picture. Record everything for the media, and tweet the absent rep.

Make sure all these people are registered to vote. Encourage them to participate in their local and county Democratic organizations.

[Alpeduez21]

2. +1

I'm trying to figure out how to get Goodlatte defeated here in the 6th. There are a lot of voices going on here. But he won by a 2:1 margin of Dengler. Landes at the state level has a opponent who could give him a run, so there's that.

[murielm99]

3. I have been to various grassroots meetings

in the past few weeks. Many of them are still poorly organized, I am sorry to say.

I went to one progressive group that ran a town hall meeting where the rep was absent. They are former Bernie supporters, and a well organized group. I like them quite a bit. Quite a few of them have joined their county central committees, and are actively trying to find candidates.

The grassroots groups are great, if they can find leadership and consensus. Otherwise, I think people should continue to join their central committees, act as election judges, be precinct committeemen and register people to vote. The structure and the ability to raise funds for candidates still resides with the Democratic county committees.