Dave Reichert (R-WA District 8) is one of the 23 endangered Republican congress people whose districts voted for Hillary. You would think Dave would be reaching out to constituents to show that he truly represents them. Instead, the politician whose single accomplishment is being Sheriff when they caught the Green River Killer, is, according to The Stranger, hiding.
The constituents of Washington's District 8 have a lot to say to their U.S. Representative, Dave Reichert (R-Auburn), but when he returns from Washington for recess the week of February 20th, he isn't giving them a public forum in which to say it. No town hall. No mini-town hall (we'll get to that in a second). No speech from a balcony or from a fir tree or from Mt. Si's hallowed haystack.
Instead, and only after serious pressure, he's agreed to host a Facebook live event
How nice of him! He wouldn’t even have to come back from the “other Washington” for that.
Recently Reichert was called to counsel other GOP “representatives” on how to avoid dealing with inconvenient constituents, including the courageous run out the back door technique. His advice was revealing.
According to the Stranger:
Reichert's last bit of advice is one of prevention, and it reveals a major motivation for all of his dodgy ways: “You’ve got to build a relationship so you don’t get to the level where they feel they need to threaten or antagonize you or try to get you upset and get a YouTube moment,” he said.
A YouTube moment. That's what all this is about.
Of course, lawmakers and their staffs deserve to work in a safe space. But this isn't about safety. It's not about Reichert wanting to effectively communicate with constituents so he can represent their needs, either. It's about not getting caught on video, standing in a room with a hundred people begging him not to take away their healthcare.
Go read the full Stranger article for some insight on concerns about the ACA for Washingtonians in Reichert’s district. And help Washington hold him accountable between now and elections in 2018.