Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/05/09/thin-skinned-gop-rep-rod-blum.html
…
1 Like
Oh, please let’s see a follow-up report that shows exactly from whom/where GOP Rep Blum gets his donations!
14 Likes
The question seemed to actually be “from a Republican in Iowa City?” That is, suggesting that he wasn’t willing to listen to people from Iowa City, but he was willing to listen to money from Iowa City. Money is speech, after all.
24 Likes
The details are that the reporter asked him why he was vetting and allowing only people who are from the 1st district into the town hall, and shouldn’t all Iowans have a right to be in attendance. He responded “No, I do not represent all Iowans, just the ones from the 1st district”. Now, strictly speaking he is correct on that point.
The follow up was of course perfection with the interviewer asking “Would you accept a campaign donation from a republican outside your district?” to which Blum stormed off. THAT was a perfectly appropriate question because you know that he most like HAS gotten donations from those outside district 1.
Clearly he’s a weasel. And he’s less than pleased that he just got snake bit.
38 Likes
This guy thought he was going to sit there with the kids behind him as some sort of shield from hard questions. He is using the taliban approach to hiding a military depot right beside a children’s hospital.
15 Likes
Such a snowflake! Hope he made it to his safe space!
32 Likes
This guy’s job is to know the issues, know the talking points, know how to speak to the difficult challenges Iowa is faced with, and he couldn’t even last more than one question?
4 Likes
This abruptly abandoned interview gets me thinking of a great way to institute campaign finance reform. Offer these options: only take donations from within your district/state, or allow access to ANYONE from all districts/states where you take donations from. For instance, if Rod Blum takes donations from Koch Industries, he has to open his doors to anyone from the 4th Congressional District of Kansas.
11 Likes
What a candy-ass.
5 Likes
-
His first district is apparently populated entirely by black children 12 or younger.
-
That kid to his immediate right did not seem impressed.
-
I get solicited to contribute to lawmakers campaigns across district lines almost daily. Particularly by Alan Grayson but also others including the DNC. I don’t do it, but I don’t find it surprising.
3 Likes
Thing is, up until that point he was basically doing fine. Thin skinned, and completely unable to think on his feet (which I’m more sympathetic towards).
And if it is considered a “gotcha!” to illustrate that political parties (not just accepting money, but coordinating agendas) violate the idea that a representative represents their constituents and not not-constituents, then I’m afraid we’re not as politically savvy as we think. Virtually every rep in the country belongs to these organizations which pay no heed to district and state lines, but this reporter thinks they stumbled upon some new gotcha?
1 Like
He went into the interview already feeling defensive, probably worried that he would get booed at his upcoming town hall meeting (which is exactly what happened). He probably should have loosened up with a shot of tequila or a Xanax beforehand. After he walked out, I was hoping the interviewer would talk to some of the kids. They seemed more interesting and more mature.
11 Likes
I’d love to see: you may accept donations of money, goods, and/or services only if:
- The donor is eligible to vote for you in the election for which you are campaigning.
- The money, goods, and/or services are equally available to all candidates for the position. [So if a store wanted to offer a discount to all candidates for an office, it would be okay.]
- The donor is related to you. I’m not talking “fifth cousin three times removed”, I’m talking more like “at most three steps by blood, marriage, and/or adoption.”
4 Likes
It’s like he knew that he would get his ass handed to him in the town hall, so he restricted attendance by implementing a stupid ID check policy, blaming outside agitators from Chicago, Des Moines, and Minneapolis. Then, when pressed about this issue, he got completely flummoxed. Finally, when asked about campaign donations, he behaved exactly how you’d expect for someone who requires an ID check at his town hall event.
11 Likes
Where did that kid behind him get that cool shirt? Or did he draw it himself?
6 Likes
Maybe he suddenly realized the reporter wasn’t from his district and therefore had no standing to question him? Or, he’s just an snowflake asshole.
1 Like
Clearly, we need a new term. #notallweasels.
4 Likes
From his reaction, I’d say the reporter thought that was a softball he just lobbed, not any sort of “gotcha.”
13 Likes
