The most asked question in Arkansas today may be, “Is anyone listening?” Based on Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s initial (but now recanted) refusal to hold open town hall meetings on pending healthcare legislation during the August Congressional recess, it would seem that the answer is a resounding and distressing, “No!”
In response to criticism about Mrs. Lincoln’s refusal to listen to worried Arkansans, Lincoln campaign manager Steve Patterson reportedly claimed that the senator “had appeared ‘more than 100 times’ in public events in the state since becoming a senator in 1998″. In a recent statement from the senator’s office, this was further clarified as 10 events per year. How could he brag about that? Less than one appearance per month in Arkansas over the last 11 years?
The fact that Mrs. Lincoln’s primary residence is Virginia, not Arkansas, can explain some of that. And it may also explain why she and her fellow Washington elitists are so surprised by the concern and even outrage about the atrocious healthcare “reform” legislation being proposed in Congress.
It seems to me that it is very important to stay in touch – to listen frequently to the people one works for and represents to the country and the world.
That is why I have committed to 75 town hall listening meetings every year; a listening session in every Arkansas county every year I serve Arkansas in the U.S. Senate. Such a commitment is not only necessary but also simple, requiring only two days per month and a desire to listen! Listening to Arkansans is exactly what a U.S. Senator from Arkansas should be doing.
Is anybody listening? I am.
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