When Republican Sen. Cory Gardner wouldn’t respond to requests for a live town hall while he’s home on break from Congress this week, his constituents got organized. A coalition of local citizen groups invited the Senator, booked the space, and spread the word about a “with-or-without-you” meeting this evening, the second for Gardner in the past week. The result was a spirited mix of earnest input and snarky political theater in a packed gym at Denver’s Byers Middle School, complete with signs, chants, and voters addressing a cardboard cutout of the man himself. Participants took the smiling Gardner facsimile to task on issues including health care, immigration, climate change, refugees, environmental protection, the Dakota Access Pipeline, transgender rights and foreign policy.
Watch the whole meeting below.
Gardner should be ashamed. He’s afraid of some direct, legitimate, perhaps even logical questions when thousands of his constituents live with real fear every day because of the issues they face with health care, money, violence,…??? If Gardner and crew think this is confrontational or “dangerous”, they need to listen to Gabby Gifford. Hopefully Gardner and his colleagues will find some courage and integrity soon.
In the meantime, thank you to everyone who is taking action and ‘reminding’ our elected officials they are accountable to ALL OF US, not just “friendly” supporters.