This is what GOP reps are facing at the Town Halls they're having during their August recess. Their numbers may have decreased since 2010 but members of the Tea Party are sticking to their 'guns' and holding their reprsentative's 'feet to the fire' to mix a few metaphors.
Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) received an earful Monday at a town hall after he said that he will not be backing efforts to defund Obamacare and risk a government shutdown.
The exchange was captured and posted by the tea party website ConstitutionalWar.org. A man off camera can be heard asking Pittenger about the defunding effort spearheaded by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).
"Do you want the thoughtful answer?" Pittenger asked.
"I want yes or no," the man said.
Pittenger then said "no," a clip that the tea party website re-played in slow-motion.
The lawmaker then had a back-and-forth with the man and a woman, who was also off camera.
"Do you think Harry Reid is going to pass that in the Senate?" Pittenger asked.
"It doesn't matter," the man fired back.
"We need to show the American people we stand for conservative values," the woman shouted, drawing a smattering of applause.
Only a few Republicans in the House are going to engage in the futility of voting to defund Obamacare and try and shut down the government. Relatively sane GOP legislators have
advised against it, and conservative writer Byron York
explains why it would never work.
This Teanut insists on a yes or no answer from his Representative, and a woman next to him says they have to stick to their Conservative principles no matter what. They have to make a point. Governing no longer matters, making a point does.
Get a load of how they edited this video of the Town Hall to make Rep. Pettinger (NC-9) look as awful as possible.
These 'pledges' from his website aren't conservative enough for them:
1. Return to a Constitutional government with a limited federal role.
2. Grow our economy and expand free markets with a lower tax burden and less regulation.
3. Prioritize America’s defense and security in budgeting and not allow cuts to fund a welfare state.
4. Stand for the “rule of law” in all immigration policies.
5. Protect our borders, recognizing that security threats can exist from porous borders.
6. Stand for the unborn, who have no voice but ours.
7. Defend 2nd Amendment Rights.
8. Return education to state and local autonomy.
9. Overturn Obamacare – replace with competitive, market driven, patient-physician healthcare.
10. Overturn Dodd-Frank.
11. Protect the religious liberties of churches and religious institutions as sovereign entities and not subject to federal regulation.
12. Simplify the tax code.
13. Expand energy development by opening closed areas for exploration, while building more refineries and expanding nuclear and clean coal to become energy independent.
14. Rein in the EPA from egregious influence on development, energy policy and business growth.
15. Balanced budget-spending limits amendment.
These nutjobs may be a minority but they are vocal and engaged and their Representatives in Congress have to acknowledge them. Rep. Pittenger is rather a brave man.