Democrats Release Video Highlighting Angry Town Halls
ABC News’ Shushannah Walshe reports:
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a web video Thursday as part of its “Accountability August” campaign to try and shine a light on Republican members of Congress—specifically vulnerable ones—avoiding town halls or greeting angry constituents.
Titled “ Backlash,” the video features local news reports and video footage from protests outside Speaker John Boehner’s office in West Chester, Ohio, Rep. Lou Barletta’s office in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., Rep. Paul Ryan’s in Kenosha, Wash., amongst several others. There is home video and news footage of constituents interrupting town halls all over the country including in Michigan chanting, “We need jobs,” and angry citizens asking about Medicare being taken away from them in Illinois.
There are also news reports from Arizona on Rep. Ben Quayle avoiding town halls during the recess and a billboard put up in Rep. Sean Duffy’s Wisconsin district that reads, “Congressman Sean Duffy Chose Millionaires Over Your Medicare.” It splices together coverage of districts all over the country pounding the message of citizens upset at Republicans nationwide.
The video starts with a quote from Rep. Steve Israel, the Chairman of the DCCC who predicted earlier this month that the August recess, where members of congress traditionally hold town halls and meet with their constituents, would get “hot.”
The DCCC claims Republican members of Congress are “choosing millionaires over Medicare.” The unruly town halls GOP members are facing are comparable to the ones Democratic members faced two years ago during the health care debate.
Paul Lindsay, the Communications Director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, responded to the video in a statement by pointing to President Obama’s approval ratings.
“It’s no secret that Americans are frustrated with Washington, and the outlet for their frustration can be found in the double-digit collapse of President Obama’s approval rating this summer. Unlike the Democrats who refused to acknowledge the message from Americans in August of 2009, House Republicans will continue listening to their constituents and fighting the job-destroying agenda that the President and his party continue to pursue,” Lindsay said in the statement.