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U.S. NEWS Saturday 25 February 2017
Vulnerable Dems lay low as town hall angst rages

she participated in a dis- Trump administration.”
cussion about flood issues As skittish Democrats
with constituents in north- dodge, many Republi-
eastern North Dakota and cans face an outpouring
attended a subsequent of anger in public meet-
ribbon-cutting on Thursday. ings across the nation from
She planned to tour a local constituents fired up over
National Weather Service Trump’s first steps as presi-
office on Friday. dent. Republicans like Sen-
Manchin’s office reported ate Majority Leader Mitch
an equally busy schedule, McConnell and Arkansas
but his constituents said Sen. Tom Cotton have
he’s been hard to find this been yelled at, heckled
week. They’ve scheduled a and booed in recent days.
protest outside the Demo- Some Republicans have
cratic senator’s Charleston avoided such confronta-
office on Friday to demand tions.
more access, according to Texas Rep. Louie Gohm-
Cathy Kunkel, an energy ert evoked the near-fatal
consultant who helped shooting of former Rep.
plan the protest. Gabrielle Giffords to ex-
“Here we are, and we’d plain why he’s only hold-
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. From Missouri to like a town hall meeting,” ing telephone town halls.
Montana, the nation’s most vulnerable Senate Democrats are avoiding town hall Kunkel said. “His constitu- Giffords on Thursday urged
meetings altogether this week as their Republican counterparts get pummeled by an ents have a lot of ques- members of Congress to
energized electorate frustrated with President Donald Trump’s early agenda. tions. This is the first recess “have some courage” and
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) of the new Congress in the face their constituents.q

STEVE PEOPLES uents,” said Hillary Shields,
Associated Press a volunteer organizer with
NEW YORK (AP) — From the Kansas City group.
Montana to West Virginia, The cautious approach
the nation’s most vulner- comes as Senate Demo-
able Senate Democrats crats work to limit risks
are avoiding town hall ahead of a challenging
meetings as their Republi- 2018 election season. After
can counterparts get pum- claiming the Senate ma-
meled by an energized jority in 2014, Republicans
electorate frustrated with could win a filibuster-proof
President Donald Trump’s 60-vote Senate majority
early agenda. next year in an election in
Some Democrats prefer to which Democrats are de-
connect with constituents fending 25 seats (23 held
over the telephone or us- by Democrats, two by in-
ing social media. Others dependents), 10 of them in
are meeting voters in con- states carried by Trump.
trolled environments with The GOP has a 52-48 edge
limited opportunities to ask in the Senate.
questions. But few of the 10 There are no easy answers
Democratic senators fac- for Democrats like Mc-
ing re-election next year Caskill, pushed to stand up
in states carried by Trump to the Republican presi-
have scheduled in-person dent by their liberal base
town hall meetings during and pulled to cooperate
this week’s congressional with the GOP by indepen-
recess. dents and moderates.
Missouri Sen. Claire Mc- McCaskill’s office noted she
Caskill declined an invi- spent part of this week tour-
tation to attend a town ing the U.S.-Mexico border
hall organized by a group and planned to host town
called Kansas City Indivis- halls later in the year.
ible this weekend, decid- The political pressure is par-
ing to send a staff member ticularly intense for West
in her place. The two-term Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin
senator, up for re-election and North Dakota Sen.
next year in a state Trump Heidi Heitkamp, Demo-
won by nearly 19 percent- crats whose states backed
age points, is scheduled to Trump by an average of 39
chat with voters next week percentage points in No-
on Facebook Live. vember.
“Seems to me that all these Both have avoided for-
members of Congress are mal town halls this week,
afraid to face their constit- but Heitkamp’s office said