Progressive Thinking

Why does Reid Ribble refuse to meet with the folks who sent him to Washington? Instead, Representative Ribble offers an easier alternative, easier for himself. It’s called, Telephone Town Hall Meetings.

GREEN BAY - US Representative Paul Ryan does it. US Representative Tom Petri does it. US Representative Sean Duffy does it. Why won’t US Representative Reid Ribble do it?

The above mentioned, arrange Town Hall Meetings for their constituents to attend. It’s an opportunity to see your Rep; an opportunity to listen, learn, and participate.

Why does Reid Ribble refuse to meet with the folks who sent him to Washington? Instead, Representative Ribble offers an easier alternative, easier for himself. It’s called, Telephone Town Hall Meetings.

Reid Ribble’s Tele Meetings leave much to be desired. You must be available at the opportune time. Your identity has been pre-determined. If you request to ask a question, it will be screened by Reid Ribble’s staff. If you are not calling in support of Rep. Ribble, you will be placed in the unrelenting queue where your voice is certain to remain silenced.

Rep. Ribble spins this scripted engagement as an effective way to reach his constituents. A Telephone Meeting ensures Reid Ribble the certainty that he will not be caught off guard.

We need a Representative in Washington who will listen to all of our concerns. One who will answer all questions, even those questions he would rather avoid.

That Representative is not Reid Ribble.

They are many and we have all seen them. Attempts by the Republican Party and their allies in the media to marginalize President Barack Obama and the Presidency itself. They go from the small, like deliberately calling him “Barack Obama” rather than “President Obama”, to the larger attacks on the prestige of the Office, like the current flap on his address to the Congress and nation on jobs.

When our President wants to call a meeting and address the most important crisis facing the nation, are we too busy to even show up on the night he requests? In Wisconsin, is the Packer pre-game warm-up a more important event to televise than the President?

We will resist the obvious parallels to Jim Crow America and its attempts to diminish the dignity of some Americans. But really, is a political strategy to win back the Presidency in 2012 more important than doing the business of governing?

Like the 1930s, we are in dangerous times and we need to pay attention to the serious job of leading the Country out of the crisis. At the very least, we can make time to listen to the man we have elected to lead us. The election to replace him is more than a year away and we, the people, need to pay attention to our work of self government until then.

It is time for the Republican Party and its leadership to stop playing games and get down to work doing the jobs they were elected to do. And maybe the media should remember the responsibility given to the “4^th Estate” under our constitution to keep the people informed.

Freedom of the Press was not included in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution to make sure we can watch “Dancing with the Stars”.

(If you agree, you might want to call your local NBC-TV affiliate and ask about their programming choice.)