The
confrontation that went viral this week between DREAMers Erika Andiola and Cesar Vargas and Rep. Steve King (with a cameo by fleet-footed Sen. Rand Paul) took place in a restaurant, Sam Stein
reports, because it was the only opportunity the activists had to talk with King. That's because King doesn't hold public forums for his constituents. "King and other members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, don’t really have those forums where they speak to constituents directly," Vargas told Stein. "We have to be creative in terms of locating members. […] They are mostly afraid of people confronting them on their votes."
They're also afraid of having more "legitimate rape," YouTube moments, which means the town hall meeting is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
Operatives working on congressional campaigns all but admit that they are keen on limiting unscripted forums. The fear of a poorly worded phrase or a heated exchange being turned into YouTube fodder is paramount—so much so that campaigns are instituting innovative means to give the veneer of openness without actually allowing for unobstructed interaction. Last summer, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) began charging $15 for entrance into town hall events—money that discouraged the rascal-minded protester from showing up, and covered the catering budget for the events. Others have leaned more on tele-town halls that give moderators sway over the questions asked and the meeting's format.
(Leave it to Ryan to figure out how to profit from making himself available to the people who elected him and pay his salary.)
The aversion to meeting the public isn't all that hard to understand, given that Congress is uniformly reviled these days among that public. And in an election year, you don't want to give people too much of a reminder of why they hate you so much. Lying low is definitely the safe bet. Particularly if you have a propensity to say really stupid things in public.
But the August recess is called a district work period for a reason. And when you're elected, that work should include getting job performance reviews from your bosses—the people who put you there.