Given the news today about GOP Senators being threatened with their #HeadOnAPike if they dare cross Trump, I decided to check in with my GOP Senator, Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania, to find out how he felt being threatened like that, so I called his Philadelphia office first and I got a man, abrasive and short from the get-go, who asked me what my comment was.
”Uh yes, hello. I’m a Philadelphia resident and a constituent of the Senator from Pennsylvania, and I wanted to know if the Senator had any comment on being threatened to have his head on a pike if he didn’t...”
”SIR, YOU NEED TO BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR WITH ME. ARE YOU MAKING A THREAT AGAINST SENAT...”
”What? No, and I’m not even the one who said it. It’s all over the news, Twitter, the web. Are you not famili...”
The phone call quickly degenerated from there, with the man lying that he was asking the context of my statement as opposed to accusing me of making a threat against a Senator, until I was eventually hung up on. But I didn’t get my answer, so I tried another office, this time in Allentown. And using Philly as my first experience, I altered the call a little.
Ring-Ring — “Hello, Senator Pat Toomey’s Allentown office. How can I help you?
”Hello, yes, I’m a Philadelphia-based constituent of Senator Toomey. I tried to ask this question of my Philly office and was immediately yelled at, so I’d like to phrase the question a little better. Are you familiar with the trending news item about Republican Senators being threatened that they will find their heads on pikes if they dare cross the President in the impeachment trial? It’s all over the...”
”WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? ARE YOU MAKING A….ARE YOU...”
”No, look, are you in front of a computer? Just Google it. Just Google “head on a pike” and it’ll come up. It’s all over the news, Apparently, all the GOP Senators were threatened with...”
”I DON’T SEE ANYTHING AND DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT. UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO SAY, THEN...”
And the phone call ended again. I’m a little surprised that these folks answering the phones AREN’T already well aware of this, but whatever. But it’s REAL funny that when it’s (likely) Mitch McConnell or President Trump making this threat against sitting jurors in an impeachment trial, let alone United States Senators, it makes the headlines but nothing happens. If you or I call to ask about that statement, we get treated like we’re making serious threats against a Senator and that says quite a lot all by itself. If I don’t get a visit by someone later, I’ll be surprised.
But go try it for yourself and see, if you’re so inclined. Pennsylvania residents can call any of Senator Patrick Toomey’s EIGHT taxpayer funded offices and ask the representative at the office how the Senator feels being threatened like that, but personally I recommend calling the Philadelphia and Allentown offices, as they were the only two offices open and staffed today.
Allentown: 610-434-144
Erie: 814-453-3010
Harrisburg: 717-782-3951
Philadelphia: 215-241-1090
Pittsburgh: 412-803-3501
Wilkes-Barre: 570-820-4088
Johnstown: 814-266-5970
D.C.: 202-224-4254