A politically diverse group of bloggers and "movers and shakers" including Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas, commentators, techies and politicos have launched an online campaign, "Demand Question Time" today, urging President Barack Obama and GOP congressional leaders to hold regular, televised conversations like the extraordinary exchange in Baltimore on Friday and the Democratic Senatorial exchange which took place this morning in Washington.
**Divergent supporters include Grover Norquist, Joe Trippi, Mark McKinnon, Ed Morrissey, Ari Melber, Katrina vanden Heuvel, Nate Silver and David Corn.
Lets not stop with the GOP House, lets do it with the Republican Senators, too. Show DeMint, Inhofe, Coburn, Cornyn, Kyl and Roberts for the radical Right-wing fringe that they are! Then....let's get something done, lets demand that we get something done.
The "Open Letter" and petition:
We live in a world that increasingly demands more dialogue than monologue. President Obama’s January 29th question-and-answer session with Republican leaders gave the public a remarkable window into the state of our union and governing process. It was riveting and educational. The exchanges were substantive, civil and candid. And in a rare break from our modern politics, sharp differences between elected leaders were on full public display without rancor or ridicule.
This was one of the best national political debates in many years. Citizens who watched the event were impressed, by many accounts. Journalists and commentators immediately responded by continuing the conversation of the ideas put forward by the president and his opponents — even the cable news cycle was disrupted for a day.
America could use more of this — an unfettered and public airing of political differences by our elected representatives. So we call on President Barack Obama and House Minority Leader John Boehner to hold these sessions regularly — and allow them to be broadcast and webcast live and without commercial interruption, sponsorship or intermediaries. We also urge the President and the Republican Senate caucus to follow suit. And we ask the President and the House and Senate caucuses of his own party to consider mounting similar direct question-and-answer sessions. We will ask future Presidents and Congresses to do the same.
It is time to make Question Time a regular feature of our democracy.
Excerpt from todays Q & A meeting with Democratic Senators:
The first senators to pose questions to Obama, as TV cameras rolled, face difficult campaigns this year. Sens. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Michael Bennet of Colorado expect strong GOP opponents in November. Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, who switched from the Republican Party last year, is being challenged for the Democratic nomination in his state.
Other speakers — Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Barbara Boxer of California — also face potentially stiff Republican challenges this fall, though Obama easily carried their states in 2008.
Obama listened patiently to their remarks and called them by their first names.
The president tried to stiffen the resolve of the Democrats. He said if they keep showing progress on issues that affect people's lives, then the politics of 2010 "will take care of themselves."
To Democrats seated in front of him at their conference at Washington's Newseum, Obama said: "We've got to finish the job on health care. We've got to finish the job on financial regulatory reform. We've got to finish the job, even though it's hard."
I know Obama would love more face time in front of the Republicans, as was announced by the White House yesterday. But I doubt that the Republicans will allow themselves to get smacked around again....and I completely doubt that Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell would ever allow his 41 obstructionists to be shown in an equally embarrassing smack-down by President Obama. But we should all demand this, as Americans, Democrats and Republicans. Now that would be truly (bipartisan) and we as Americans deserve to have this!
"It is time to make Question Time a regular feature of our democracy".