Congressman and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Fifth District of Maryland, held a stellar town hall meeting recently. (I watched the entire town hall on C-Span.) He listened politely and answered all questions, even while a few booed loudly. They particularly didn’t appear to like the word “Democrat.” Hoyer never gave an inch to the staged hostility of the drug company stooges. Many spoke in favor of the “public option.”
Watching Hoyer explain, patiently and in great detail the proposed bill put forth by the House of Representatives, I felt pride and hopefulness. He spoke with both eloquence and simplicity — yet never dodged the question, no matter how tough.
Throughout Hoyer remained cool and on-target. He made no mistakes in his speech and appeared unruffled even after the rudest crowd behavior.
My own Congressman, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R) could take lessons from Hoyer, whose poise and emphasis on facts, even under intense hostility expressed by a few in the audience, was without flaw. Hoyer talked about the essential “bones” of the bill and coolly expressed his opinion on its various components. He didn’t play to the crowd, nor did he ignore his detractors. It was a pitch-perfect performance.
The Baltimore Sun said of the town hall meeting, “In a recent interview, Hoyer emphasized that the House would not be voting on the 1,017-page measure that has become the object of intense criticism since its approval by several committees in late July. Instead, a separate proposal - containing elements of the legislation that has been working its way through the House, is likely to come up for a vote late this month.” READ MORE
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