# House Republicans Fly Home to Bask In Loving Adulation **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 4, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-fly-home-to-bask-in-loving-adulation/785881 "2017-05-04T23:34:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-fly-home-to-bask-in-loving-adulation/785881/41 "2017-05-08T20:10:37Z")
Last time our representative Mo Brooks was back home, he had a [“public meeting”](http://leftinalabama.com/al-05-mo-brooks-holds-public-meeting-for-tea-party-adds-media-to-his-list-of-fears/) - but you had to be a member of the local tea party organization to get in. Not even the press were allowed. And even if you were a member, you were handed [Meeting Guidelines (PDF)](http://leftinalabama.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/TEAPartyRules.pdf) - no shouting, no recording devices, must be a tea party member or guest, etc. And to add insult to injury, this was held in a _public library._ Then again, this is the Congressman who went on national TV and said: “…(the new proposal) will allow insurance companies to require people who have higher health care costs to contribute more to the insurance pool. That helps offset all these costs, thereby reducing the cost to those people who lead good lives, they’re healthy, they’ve done the things to keep their bodies healthy. And right now, those are the people — who’ve done things the right way — that are seeing their costs skyrocketing.” ([cite](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mo-brooks-obamacare-repeal-right-way_us_5907daede4b05c397681cbf2)) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-fly-home-to-bask-in-loving-adulation/785881/42 "2017-05-08T20:33:06Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Last time our representative Mo Brooks was back home, he had a [“public meeting”](http://leftinalabama.com/al-05-mo-brooks-holds-public-meeting-for-tea-party-adds-media-to-his-list-of-fears/) - but you had to be a member of the local tea party organization to get in. Not even the press were allowed. And even if you were a member, you were handed [Meeting Guidelines (PDF)](http://leftinalabama.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/TEAPartyRules.pdf) - no shouting, no recording devices, must be a tea party member or guest, etc. And to add insult to injury, this was held in a _public library._ > > Then again, this is the Congressman who went on national TV and said: “…(the new proposal) will allow insurance companies to require people who have higher health care costs to contribute more to the insurance pool. That helps offset all these costs, thereby reducing the cost to those people who lead good lives, they’re healthy, they’ve done the things to keep their bodies healthy. And right now, those are the people — who’ve done things the right way — that are seeing their costs skyrocketing.” ([cite](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mo-brooks-obamacare-repeal-right-way_us_5907daede4b05c397681cbf2)) What’s even more ludicrous is that he represents a state (Alabama) which has among the highest incidences of the fifty states for many pre-existing conditions (e.g., heart disease, COPD, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, etc.). He’s throwing his own constituents (and, very likely, a lot of the people who voted for him) under the bus with that quote. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-fly-home-to-bask-in-loving-adulation/785881/43 "2017-05-08T20:43:32Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > What’s even more ludicrous is that he represents a state (Alabama) which has among the highest incidences of the fifty states for many pre-existing conditions (e.g., heart disease, COPD, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, etc.). He’s throwing his own constituents (and, very likely, a lot of the people who voted for him) under the bus with that quote. But he is saving money for the big guys who write him checks. If voting would change anything, they wouldn’t let us do it. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-fly-home-to-bask-in-loving-adulation/785881/44 "2017-05-09T14:44:08Z")
And even if a Republican faces a tough interview he knows how to handle it: > [@](#): > > [Cedar Rapids, Iowa]KCRG-TV reporter Josh Scheinblum asks Blum, who voted for the controversial House health-care bill last week, why he’s checking people’s IDs for a town hall later that night. For several months now, Republican lawmakers across the nation have been flooded with constituents — many but not all of them on the left — angry about the proposed changes to health care. > > Blum’s response to Scheinblum’s question: “I don’t represent all Iowans — I represent the First District of Iowa. That would be like saying, ‘Shouldn’t I be able to, even though I live in Dubuque, be able to go vote in Iowa City during the election because I’d like to vote in that district instead?’” > > “Would you still take donations from a Republican in Iowa City?” Scheinblum asks. > > Blum smiles a wry smile, throws up his hands and bounces out of his chair. “I’m done here,” he says as his hands reach for his microphone to rip it off. “This is ridiculous. This is ridiculous,” he says as he unravels his microphone and drops it into Scheinblum’s hands. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/09/just-took-a-tough-vote-this-gop-congressman-shows-how-to-not-to-conduct-yourself-back-home/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/09/just-took-a-tough-vote-this-gop-congressman-shows-how-to-not-to-conduct-yourself-back-home/) Interview in question: > **[Blum walks out of interview with TV9](https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Blum-walks-out-of-exclusive-interview-with-TV9-421676713.html)** > > Congressman Rod Blum, who represents Iowa's First District, sat down one on one with TV9 Investigative Reporter Josh Scheinblum for an interview. ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-fly-home-to-bask-in-loving-adulation/785881/45 "2017-05-09T16:43:40Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > And even if a Republican faces a tough interview he knows how to handle it: > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/09/just-took-a-tough-vote-this-gop-congressman-shows-how-to-not-to-conduct-yourself-back-home/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/09/just-took-a-tough-vote-this-gop-congressman-shows-how-to-not-to-conduct-yourself-back-home/) > > Interview in question: > [http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Blum-walks-out-of-exclusive-interview-with-TV9-421676713.html](http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Blum-walks-out-of-exclusive-interview-with-TV9-421676713.html) To be fair, Blum was in a hurry to [bask in loving adulation at a town hall with a prescreened audience](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/05/08/iowa-congressman-walks-out-of-a-tv-interview-and-into-an-angry-town-hall-meeting/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.666bdcdd606e). > [@](#): > > A few hours later, Rep. Rod Blum (R-Iowa) showed up at his town hall meeting where most of the prescreened audience screamed at him. > > … > > When a constituent later asked Blum whether he would decline to take out-of-district campaign donations if he’s barring out-of-district Iowans from attending his town halls, he demurred. > > “This is an official event as a congressman, this isn’t a political event — so when we’re talking about contributions coming from outside the district, that’s a political thing,” he told the crowd. > > That sparked a wave of boos. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-fly-home-to-bask-in-loving-adulation/785881/46 "2017-05-14T00:22:45Z")
I and mine will be screwed sideways by this administration and this presidency. Is it wrong to enjoy members of it getting it up the ass without lube? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2017, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-fly-home-to-bask-in-loving-adulation/785881/47 "2017-05-14T01:44:21Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I and mine will be screwed sideways by this administration and this presidency. How so? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-fly-home-to-bask-in-loving-adulation/785881/48 "2017-05-19T15:36:05Z")
My congresswoman is a [D](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrsten_Sinema) (Even if a [Blue Dog Coalition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition) member). No announced town halls, but I’m not sure how much I could yell at her if she did. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-fly-home-to-bask-in-loving-adulation/785881.md?page=2)