FroshUpdate: Freshmen Return Fr/Afghanistan, NYTs Previews Coming Town Hall Fights

Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday May 3, 2011

Still driving the day is the killing of Osama bin Laden. Elsewhere, a NYT article previews the town hall fights expected to breakout this summer; and freshmen Reps. return from a trip to Europe and Afghanistan. This is FroshUpdate for May 2, 2011.

BACK FROM EUROPE/AFGHANISTAN: Republican freshmen reflect on lessons learned during a week-long Congressional delegation trip to Europe and Afghanistan. "It was an honor to meet with our troops in the field.  They and their families suspend their lives and time to answer the call of our nation and sacrifice themselves for those the world over,” said Rep. Jon Runyan (NJ-03). http://bit.ly/kuV2kb

WAIT TIL SUMMER ARRIVES: Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-05) is the subject of a New York Times article about the backstage political fights waged between liberal and conservative groups to pack town hall meetings with their own members, either to harass an opposing lawmaker or to prevent heckling and hostile questioning. In the piece, Schweikert is unsuccessfully challenged by an elderly woman angry about proposed cuts to Medicare, who vows to "bring more people with me" to the next meeting. http://nyti.ms/jtHZTn

FroshUpdate is a regular look at how the freshman class is making news. Add us on twitter strong>@freshmenFF<, or tell others to join our mailing list by emailing strong>frosh@frumforum.com< with ’subscribe’ in the subject line.

SCHWEIKERT & PUP: FrumForum’s freshmen twitter feed (here) is often filled with staid press announcements of a town hall here or rib-fest there. So we’re thrilled to see @RepDavid, the handle for Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-05), tweeting the chronicles of his dog Charlie and what looks like a long-awaited trip to D.C.:

  • PHOTO: @RepDavid: Charlie Schweikert's chew toy. Dipped in bacon bits. Sure-fire way to calm pre-flight jitters. #CharlietakesDC http://plixi.com/p/98213781
  • @RepDavid: Charlie Schweikert's now a 'pawsenger' on Pet Airways. Packed w elephant toy & bacon treats for stress. Sounds like his dad. #CharlietakesDC
  • RT @LemonsClement: Watch out Washington! The highly anticipated arrival is only hrs away. First on DC agenda - Capitol tour. #CharlietakesDC

Fellow Arizona freshman Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-01) chimes in on Twitter: “Can't wait to see Charlie!”

ALL OF THE ABOVE: In an op-ed in the Augusta Free Press, Rep. Robert Hurt (VA-05) extended his sympathies to the members of his district suffering from extreme weather and flooding, as well as touching on the issue of high gas prices. Hurt endorsed an "all-of-the-above energy policy," criticizing President Obama for banning drilling in Virginia's coastal shelf.
http://bit.ly/kcPSiE

PEARCE ON OSAMA CELEBRATIONS: Rep. Steve Pearce (NM-02) recounts his experiences at Sunday night's White House rally in an article in the Albuquerque Journal. Pearce, who went straight from the airport to the rally and stayed until 2:30 in the morning, called the spontaneous celebrations "an appropriate response of a grateful nation."
http://bit.ly/k5NeC0

TEACHABLE MOMENT: Iraq veteran Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15) gave an impromptu history lesson to a group of high school seniors in his district yesterday, discussing the importance of Osama bin Laden's capture. Many of the students, too young to remember the 9/11 attacks well, thought bin Laden had already been captured years before.
http://bit.ly/kXo4dN

WEST QUESTIONS PAKISTAN: In a departure from most other freshman press releases on the death of Osama bin Laden, retired Lt. Colonel and current Tea Party icon Rep. Allen West (FL-22) sounded a note of concern over Pakistan's potential complicity in hiding bin Laden, saying, "what strongly concerns me is that bin Laden was not found hiding in a remote cave, but in an urban area of Pakistan where the Pakistan Army’s premier training institution operates. This is a war that is nowhere close to being over.”
http://bit.ly/igAZMB

SC REPS SPLIT ON OSAMA CREDIT: The four freshmen from South Carolina, who have previously operated as a united group, split evenly over whether to credit the president with bin Laden's capture. Reps. Mick Mulvaney (SC-05) and Jeff Duncan (SC-03) congratulated the president in their press releases, while Reps. Tim Scott (SC-01) and Trey Gowdy (SC-04) refrained from doing so.http://bit.ly/mdJ5py

Category: Freshmen Blog