Driehaus’ Broken Promise
When Congressman Driehaus and I were locked out of the August 3rd town hall meeting in Avondale he promised that he would hold a town hall meeting with the Cincinnati Tea Party. At the time he was open with his health care thoughts and concerns and said he wanted to have a bipartisan discussion.
I spoke with his district director and scheduler to arrange the public forum per the Congressman’s direction. His chief of staff offered a private meeting on two occasions, but I pressed for the public meeting that was promised. The Cincinnati Tea Party announced the Voice of America Rally and Town Hall on August 21. I contacted the Congressman’s office on that date to provide my personal invitation ahead of the formal letter.
I met the Congressman at the August 26th town hall in Green Township and the Congressman was aware of the town hall invitation. He again reiterated his desire to speak at a bipartisan event and indicated that I should follow up with his district director and scheduler. Shortly thereafter I learned via the newspaper that he was not planning to attend. His office had neither the respect nor the follow-through to contact the organization or me before making the public announcement. His scheduler has promised to return my call with proposed solutions no later than Friday afternoon.
This is not the way a representative should act.
> Driehaus still has time to follow though on his promise.
> The scheduler has time to fulfill her promise.
It is my sincere hope that two promises will be fulfilled on Friday.
It is my hope they will act with honor and respect.
I will report their actions by close of business on Friday.
Note: Full email correspondence is on file with senior CTP leadership.
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:38 am
[...] Driehaus’ Broken Promise | Cincinnati Tea Party When Congressman Driehaus and I were locked out of the August 3rd town hall meeting in Avondale he promised that he would hold a town hall meeting with the Cincinnati Tea Party. At the time he was open with his health care thoughts and concerns and said he wanted to have a bipartisan discussion. [...]
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:48 am
Bye bye Mr. Driehaus. Welcome back Mr. Chabot.
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:55 am
Citizens MUST TAKE BACK THEIR COUNTRY.
We ELECT Representatives to vote OUR views in CONGRESS.
We don’t need the DNC or RNC to use OUR money to BUY votes.
Hold YOUR OWN Town Hall meetings. Don’t invite the incumbent, but invite their opposition.
Hold a citizen’s PERFORMANCE REVIEW of your elected officials. Don’t stop at Federal Level – include State and Local officials as well.
You get a performance appraisal at work – why not Congress, State and Local officials as well.
It’s time loudmouth LIBERAL activists are pushed off the stage. Let REAL CITIZENS speak for themselves.
Cancel all media subscriptions until 2010 election is over. That will insure a more fair election.
It will help eliminate those who are hurting GDP growth and prosperity for the middle class.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:28 am
You still have not learned that, once elected, a politician couldn’t care a fig about you and the electorate—until six months before the next election. Then the promises come, the voters fall for it, and he or she is back in office. Term limits, please.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:29 am
Are you really surprised? It would surely have had impact if you’d had him on video making the pledge but as it is the staff/spin machine is developed, trained, and paid to be able to shuffle this kind of stuff off the road. Good luck with it. Instead of offering the debate, why don’t you post your POLICY options so that WE can debate them. If he chooses to ignore it, so be it.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:37 am
You actually believed a politician’s promises?
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Justin,
Do you live in Driehaus’ district? It seems that the entire ‘leadership’ of the local TP lives in Boenher’s district.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:24 am
Kind of funny how Driehaus went to Hyde Park for his last “town hall”. when Hyde Park isn’t in his district.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:35 am
I live in Driehuas’ district and he has been non responsive to my request to come out and speak with me privately. The irony is that he advertised a town hall meeting open to the public that was not advertised well and when people showed up after taking a day off of work and hiring a baby sitter, they were told that only 15 or so people would get a one on one meeting with the Congressman. So, it was not public at all. That was upsetting for a line of people who showed up. Driehaus has broken many promises to meet with constituents.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:40 am
Hello Chuck and Justin,
I too have sent an email to Driehaus personally inviting him to the Freedom Rally. I sent this email on Thursday of last week. No response yet. I do live in Congressman Driehaus’ district. I was passed along the name of Shawn Kelly as a contact in his office. I think I may go ahead and call to see if I am able to get anywhere.
My husband and I are relatively new members to the Tea Party and are looking forward to attending the Freedom Rally as our first event.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:52 pm
@Chuck – I live in his district… I think I qualify as leadership. A good chunk of our membership is from his district too. I think Justin has the ability to speak on their behalf and mine.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I’m sorry that the Congressman cannot come out to your home Jennifer and speak to you individually. I live in Covedale not far from Congressman Driehaus, and I spoke to him last week and personally urges him NOT to speak at your event for these reasons:
-The TP is made up of right wing extremists that did not vote for him and never will.
-The TP wants you there so that they can yell, scream & rant at you and in the process gain more televion exposure.
-The TP in NOT bipartisan but is in fact a highly partisan pro-GOP group that is orchestrated by right wing groups including FreedomWorks.
-The vast majority of the TP’ers live in Beohner’s district.
I won’t pretend to speak for the Congressman, but I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for him or any Democrat to speak to your partisan group.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:31 pm
@Chuck
1. Not extremists – fiscal conservatives are a majority in this country; I did not vote for Driehaus, but many tea partiers did – remember that he campaigned as a fiscal conservative.
2. You are projecting. We want a civil discussion.
3. We never claimed to be bipartisan – we are non-partisan. We promote fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government. Sometimes GOP politicians promote those, sometimes they don’t.
4. Really? Do you have access to our mailing list? Entirely possible I suppose…
Again, I’m not sure why this is so hard for you. A partisan is a fan of a party. Our principles come first.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Republican or Democrat, they’ll tell you whatever they think you want to hear.
They’ll say whatever t it takes to keep themselves in power …and growing wealthier by the day …on your money.
Those caveats in place, we need get people to stop with alla that stuff about, “Yeah, he’s a crook, but he’s our kinda crook,” and vote the incumbents out – no matter their party. *If* we can do that, we might have a chance to do alla this peacefully…or at least, with a lot less runnin’, screamin’ and dyin’ involved inna process. …mebbe…
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
“we want a civil discussion”
like these?
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:54 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTxhWLbEH-Y
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:55 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muJiANVc3NI
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVS4Zgjm8HE
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:03 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD1gfnpze4M
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
@ Chuck
I find it very interesting that in seven posts you have failed to address the point of the article – integrity.
It is quite simple:
The Congressman made a promise.
I expect him to keep it.
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
No, not like those Chuck. I’d much rather have a discussion where we can get these people on record with their views.
You’re not doing good tonight Chuck. You keep changing the subject and not supporting your point. The Cincinnati Tea Party (which is the only group I am the leader of) has consistently been on the record about engaging those who disagree in a civil manner.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I am calling it the Political Alternate Reality Syndrome, or PARS. Am going to blog on all of the members of Congress either hiding or presenting their own alternate realities to the people showing up at their town halls and voicing their opinions.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Driehaus should tell all of you teabaggers to drop dead. You just want to get more publicity by yelling & screaming. Just like in those videos of your fellow teabaggers in other cities. Your just pissed because Driehaus out smarted you and wouldn’t give you a platform for you to act out at. None of the republicans are holding town hall meetings but we haven’t heard a hoot from you about that.
Teabaggers=astroturf=paid for by the insurance industry & Dick Armey.
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Don’t invite Driehaus or his representatives. Don’t accomodate him. If he asks to attend, to speak, refuse. Have your own meetings.
You don’t owe him a forum to help him with his agenda. Make him live with his choice.
There’s nothing that gets to a politician better than a parade that leaves without him.
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:59 pm
I find it interesting that some characterize the tea party movement as Republican. The ONLY Republican who I would vote for is Ron Paul. Otherwise, I wouldn’t vote for any corporate controlled lackey like Obama or Bush. My concern is for legitimate, Constitution based government rather than the governmention of multinational banks (protected by corporate media) that controls the GOP and Dem party leaderships and presented to us by leading propagandists like Glen Beck, Jim Lehrer, ABC, FOX, CNN etc.
For many of us, the tea party is about bringing us back to individual liberty, back to limited government, and back to a nation that controls it’s own treasury and debt as opposed to control by private finance who earns interest and profit for every dime spent in our budget.
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:17 pm
well Shorebreak all of the leaders of the the CTP are also members of that leading propagandist Glenn Beck’s 912 group, so what does that tell us?
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Trust me Andy, Driehaus isn’t going to ask to come and he’s not going to be brokenhearted if he’s dis-invited. And since he and his fellow Democrats are following the agenda that they laid out during the campaign and were then elected by the majority of this nation to enact he hardly needs your forum to advance his agenda.
“The Cincinnati Tea Party…has consistently been on the record about engaging those who disagree in a civil manner”
We’ve all seen the videos of your fellow TP’ers at the town hall rallies Mike. Sorry but you can’t yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater and then disavowal responsibility when people get trampled Mike. We know what the end result is going to be of any Dem attempting to speak at your ‘rally’; shouts, boos, screams of nazi, communist and traitor. Perhaps the gun totting thugs will even show up again. No Dem is going to fall for your trap. On second thought perhaps you should try Zell Miller.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Chuck,
I’ve been all over TV and radio making that exact point. You can find it on our blog. You can find it in the emails I send to our mailing list. You can see me on Youtube telling people at the 8/3 Driehaus town hall to let him speak. Seems consistent.
Yes, a dem might get booed, but I think you’ll see some of the repubs get booed on Saturday too. Or at least those that show up will. You won’t be there because it’s clear from your comments that you think you have it all figured out.
And as for the Democrats enacting what you say is a majority agenda… do you really believe that? If so, please explain why they haven’t passed HR 3200 already? Obama and the House leadership all said they wanted it passed prior to the recess. They have the votes – 79 extra in the House and 20 in the Senate. Why do you think they hesitate? It’s because they fear electoral consequences. And if they have that to fear, it isn’t a majority agenda.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
More ‘reasonable civility’ from the Tea Party:
The Boston Tea Party has issued a ‘warrant’ for Senator Olympia Snow on the charge of ‘Treason’. Her ‘crime’? daring to talk to the White House about Health Insurance Reform.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/tea-baggers-olympia-snowe-wanted-for-treason-for-negotiating-health-care-reform.php?ref=fpb
Anyone who doesn’t see through your non-partisan BS is blind. Or a republican.
As for HR3200, it hasn’t been voted on yet because there are 5 versions of it in various House & Senate commitees. There simply is no bill to vote on yet.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:01 pm
First, there isn’t a “Tea Party.” There are a bunch of loosely connected groups calling themselves Tea Parties.
And anyways… let me get this straight. Your answer to me describing our public and consistent record of civility is that a group in Boston did something wacky. Is that supposed to contradict me?
And yes there are multiple versions of the bill. But they could have reconciled them and picked one to vote on. But they didn’t.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Oh and quick question – why is it that left/dem/liberal/whatever you call them always seem to refer to the Tea Party groups as teabaggers? Is it civil to refer to others using a vulger sexual reference?
Should I hold you responsible for those that share your beliefs?
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Chuck – it’s interesting to me that the Cincinnati Tea Party is affiliated with propagandist Glen Beck. I didn’t realize that and I’ll be looking at the matter in closer detail. I’m a recent transplant to the area, having supported the effort for fair taxation in Indianapolis, and the grass roots organization in that area that was actually ignored by the Indianapolis Tea Party group after motivating an entire city the year before. The Tea Party group attracted national media and ignored the local folks who were so active and effective, whom the media had ignored.
I suspected last year that the Tea Party movement was actually a swindle to get ahead of real change and real activism that would eliminate corrupt government. Now that I hear that Glen Beck is leading the charge (I only watch mainstream news nowadays to hear what the the current propaganda focus is, so that I can understand where our corporate leadership is trying to herd us), I’m going to have to look a little bit deeper at the agenda. From the tone of things, I wouldn’t be surprised if the goal is to stir up enough righteous anger to stir up pockets of revolt and supposedly “justify” a military response by government.
That’s worst case scenario, but one thing that I’m certain of is that these corporatists intend to bring our nation to it’s knees and they will try to use distortions and co-operation to walk us right into conflict.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Well looky there, it’s CTP’s own Mike Wilson featured prominently on the Glenn Beck Meetup group’s website:
http://www.meetup.com/The-Cincinnati-Glenn-Beck-Meetup-Group-WE-Surround-Them/photos/564343/
And here’s CTP’s Brian Willis:
http://www.meetup.com/The-Cincinnati-Glenn-Beck-Meetup-Group-WE-Surround-Them/members/9258571/
The simple fact is that the various Tea Parties are coordinating their activities through front groups including FreedomWorks. Here is an MSNBC investigation about FreedomWorks astroturfing of the TP’s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JvSS4RY-Xw
Sunshine is indeed the best disinfectant.
September 4th, 2009 at 4:33 am
Shorebreak – I’d be interested in hearing more about the fair tax/indy story… Based on my personal experience, I think it’s less sinister than you think. Most of these tea party groups started from nothing back in March/April and they probably had very little understanding of existing grassroots groups. The true significance of the tea party movmement is that you had people who weren’t involved before cross their line and decide to go do something. The downside is that most of them are political novices who are learning to channel that into an effort that actually make a difference. We are all pretty reactive right now due to the current agenda being pushed – we have focused efforts on fighting against expansion of government healthcare and cap and trade.
My guess is that if the Indy tea partiers had time to think about it, that they would be very supportive of fair tax efforts.
September 4th, 2009 at 4:42 am
Now to address Glenn Beck and the 9/12 Project. We find them to be a like-minded organization and we have great relationships with the local version. In fact, they are helping sponsor the VOA rally on Saturday. Congrats Chuck on exposing something that isn’t hidden.
Now shorebreak, I am not sure how you could have an opinion on the tea party movement last year since it didn’t exist. We came into existance at my kitchen table on 2/22 and most other groups were founded in March prior to the nationwide round of tax day tea parties.
And what makes you think Glenn Beck is a propagandist? I find his program to be pretty good and entertaining although he does have a tendancy to go off the deep end occasionally. I don’t find him much different than Sean or Rush in that I can take the good with the bad and generally enjoy the programs. I’m interested to hear more about this.
September 4th, 2009 at 4:45 am
@ Chuck
You have now responded 12 times.
While I appreciate the time you have devoted to this page you have still failed to address the point of the article – integrity.
It is quite simple:
The Congressman made a promise.
I expect him to keep it.
September 4th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Hey, Chuckie!
What’s Ax pay you to lay down that astroturf? The punk you’re covering for is supposed to represent ALL of his constituents, not just the ones who suck up to him. Gutless wanker he is, just like the rest of you Dems. You know you can’t get your socialist agenda passed in daylight so you lie about it in public and cheat, scheme and connive to pass it without the people knowing about it.
TAXPAYING Americans know that Obama and the Dems’ insane deficit spending will lead either to default on the debt or hyperinflation, and that’s just talking about what they’ve already done. National healthcare plua cap and trade will sink this country irrevocably, and Obama knows it. Judging from his actions so far, the destruction of this country is exactly what he wants.
Remember how things were when the Dems took over Congress in 2006: 12000 Dow, 5.5% unemployment. You socialists took over and it’s been all downhill ever since. Contemptible lying sods, the lot of you Dems.
September 4th, 2009 at 7:54 am
JP6 is one of those non-partisan TP’ers who is looking for common ground and a civil debate. I bet that he has his Obama Hilter sign ready for the rally and is practicing yelling Seig Heil already.
September 4th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Funny how you’re so certain of that Chuck.
JB6 posted from an IP address located in Asia. Kind of hard to be a tea partier from that far away…
Lots of anonymizing services exist that can be used to disguise where someone is posting from. I wonder if jb6 is using one of those?
OrgName: Asia Pacific Network Information Centre
OrgID: APNIC
Address: PO Box 2131
City: Milton
StateProv: QLD
PostalCode: 4064
Country: AU
ReferralServer: whois://whois.apnic.net
NetRange: 119.0.0.0 – 119.255.255.255
CIDR: 119.0.0.0/8
NetName: APNIC-119
NetHandle: NET-119-0-0-0-1
September 4th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Mike,
I sincerely appreciate your response.
With regards to Glen B, I lump him in with propagandists like Rush, Hannity, and others who characteristically support unConstitutional activities and authority, just so long as it’s run by the GOP. They support two fronts against the people.
The primary front is to maintain an ideological divide and keep people convinced that there are two opposing political parties, when in fact, both parties support the corruption of indebtedness to global finance and their golobal economic objectives. The next front is to appeal to those who believe them and generate support for national (as opposed to federal) policies that expand and promote Executive Branch power over our state and local governments and over our daily activities, often using fearmongering like security.
If we want legitimate reform – especially in terms of responsible taxation and constitutional government, rally’s like the one tomorrow at VOA need to be focused on exposing the corruption of both sides, exposing the use of tax dollars to fund the private banks that loan us every single budget dollar at interest, and to line by line trace back how both parties appoint senior officials to run our government from the same small pool of corporate individuals, with no regard for party line.
If the tea party rally’s don’t harness their presence and popularity to achieve the level of reform that we need, my opinion is that they are either a distraction, or they are being run by people who may be legitimately fed up but have no clue regarding what the core problems are or how to fix them. Here’s a hint: Threatening to throw people out of office cannot help.
September 4th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Mike – this story from today may give you a little more insight:
http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2009/09/fake-tea-party-leader-to-run-for-for-us.html
September 4th, 2009 at 10:43 am
I bet that billions of asians are interested in the tea party antics and post on their blogs.
Dreihaus said he wanted to speak at a bipartisan event. By your own admission your tea party is not bipartisan. Go ahead and scream and cry, no dem is gonna drink your bitter brand of tea.
Edited by Mike to remove the teab****r slur.
September 4th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Coming to the national TP Washington DC rally next week, a TP group is getting out in front with their non-partisanship and civility:
“Tea Party Group: Obama Is Both Goebbels And Mengele”
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/tea_party_group_obama_is_both_goebbels_and_mengele.php?ref=fpa
September 4th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Hmm… we try to engage, gittyup uses sexual slurs to attack us, and Chuck wants us to be responsible for the excesses of any group that calls themselves a tea party.
I’ll accept that I won the argument because he can’t attack *us* for not being civil. He has to keep resorting to attacking others and hoping it sticks.
Why does a legitimate disagreement on political issues justify personal attacks? Let’s be clear – Chuck is being deceptive by attacking others on our blog. The goal is to make it look like we are the same as them.
Gittyup – if you have to resort to vulgarities you’ll be banned. This is your only warning.
September 4th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Mike, Will you condemn that Tea Party for thier vulgar, uncivil attack (nazi, Mengele, Goebbels etc) on Obama then?
September 4th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
If the hat fits, wear it.
Obama is no different than Bush on propaganda, corporate control of government, torture, endless war, etc etc. Is it vulgar? Absolutely. Uncivil? Yes – without question.
And the hat absolutely fits.
September 4th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
This video follows my point on propaganda and the continuity of the false left/right paradigm, when in reality, our challenge is the fact that we’re becoming a top-down government. The left/right debate is used to shift focus to issues rather than Constitutional law. Check out the video. It’s a great little eye opener to prioritize away from issues (that usually result in more government) and understand that our primary concern is constitutional law:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGk6LG0GA4A