Rant about the Process

[liveoaktx]

I called up Chet Edwards DC Office yesterday to ask what his position was on the Energy bill, as well as on some specific amendments, like the ANWR drilling amendment. The woman that answered the phone was spectacularly uninformed about his position and told me no one else was there that knew. I said it would be good if the people answering the phone were given even a short position statement to answer people with, besides taking comments.

Chet voted for ANWR and I still don't know what his position is on the energy bill. I called up again this morning and the person answering the phone told me they would send me the reasons, after the fact, in the form of a letter. I asked why I never seem to see Chet Edwards on Cspan-the guy said, well, there are over 400 Rep members and a limited amount of time- I said, yes, but seems to me when I see some of the same people get up repeatedly to speak, that Chet could also arrange to get a minute or 2 to speak his opinion. He said, Chet doesn't want to be a camera hog. I was surprised at this, and asked if Chet had said that specifically. No, it was the guy answering the phone, he said it was their opinion that the people going up on Cspan were camera hogs. I said, it's supposed to be that government represents the people in a district, and if calling up, no one knows a position (and the guy said they don't want to TELL the position even if they knew because it might not be phrased properly to totally represent Chet's position), then watching Cspan is an excellent way to see someone's position (and in this case, maybe the oNLY way beforehand to find it out) and, it can't be misrepresented because it comes straight from the horse's mouth. I also told him that I thought Chet was an excellent speaker so it surely couldn't be that he is shy to do it. He said, we'll send you a letter telling you why he voted like he did-I said, that's not really what I want, I want to know BEFORE he votes how he plans to vote.

As a point of understanding since I don't know. I am under the impression that any Rep that wants to speak on the floor would be able to do it within a time constraint if they arrange it with whoever the person is that is allocated a block of time. I think it's an excuse to say that Chet can't speak because there are so many reps and so little time. Or is there something about the process of getting time to speak on a given bill or amendment that I don't understand?

[liveoaktx]

1. After seeing the Roll Call, I understand why Chet doens't speak up

he doesn't want to go on record publicly in front of the cameras for how he's voting.

Now's the time for someone in District 17 (assuming it won't be gerrymandered again into a different one in the meantime) to step up as a Yellow Dog Democrat and run. It might just as well have been a choice between two Republicans.