Town Hall Meetings

Criminalizing Free Speech: Is This What Democracy Looks Like?

John W. Whitehead | Posted 05.16.2012

Read More: First Amendment, Free Speech Zone, Trespass Bill, Secret Service, Free Speech, Justin Amash, Town Hall Meetings, Dick Cheney, First Amendment Rights, Occupy Wall Street, Nato Summit 2012, Politics News

Activities which were once considered a major component of democratic life in America are now being criminalized. Bubble zones and free speech zones, in essence, destroy the very purpose of the First Amendment.

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Harold Hodge v. SCOTUS: Has the First Amendment Become an Exercise in Futility?

John W. Whitehead | Posted 04.04.2012

Read More: Gop Town Halls, Harold Hodge Supreme Court, Obama Town Hall Meetings, Harold-Hodge, Gop Town Hall, Town Hall Meetings, Freedom of Speech Supreme Court, Eric Cantor Town Hall, Supreme Court Protests, Politics News

Clearly, the government has no interest in hearing what "we the people" have to say. Yet if Americans are not able to peacefully assemble outside of the halls of government for expressive activity, the First Amendment has lost all meaning.

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Let's Talk: Democracy Depends on Civility

Jennifer Gennari | Posted 04.02.2012

Read More: Town Hall Debate, State and Local Government, Town Halls, Town Hall Meetings, Global Warming, Local Government, San Francisco Government, City Planning, Bay Area, Protesters, San Francisco News

These days, self-government is under assault. Unfortunately, a minority faction is overtaking town halls around the nation and suppressing any discussion at all. In the Bay Area the problem is particularly acute.

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Facing Opposition, Congressmen Skip Out On Town Halls

AP/The Huffington Post | Posted 11.02.2011

Read More: Congress, John McCain, Video, Voters, Washington, Town Halls, 112th Congress, Gabrielle Giffords, Town Hall Meetings, Gabrielle Giffords Shooting, Tea Party Express, Tea Party, Politics News

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP/The Huffington Post) -- Too much yelling, not enough listening. Facing organized, often raucous confrontations at political e...

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Starbucks CEO To Host National Forum To Address America's 'Crisis Of Confidence'

AP | SARAH SKIDMORE | Posted 11.02.2011

Read More: Politics, Howard Schultz, Politics News, U.S. Economy, Unemployment, Debt Crisis, Howard Schultz No Labels, Town Hall, Economy, No Labels, No Labels Movement, Starbucks, No Labels Group, Jobs, Howard Schultz Starbucks, Town Hall Meetings, Politics News

PORTLAND, Ore. — Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz changed how America drinks coffee. Now, he wants to change the political system. The leader of th...

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Democrats Target Vulnerable House Republicans Over Town Hall Protests

HuffingtonPost.com | Tyler Kingkade | Posted 10.31.2011

Read More: Social Security, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, John Boehner, Voter Protest, Gop Protests, House Republicans, Web Ad, Accountability August, Video, Cuts to Medicare, August Recess, Lou Barletta, Dccc, Angry Voters, Town Halls, 112th Congress, Town Hall Meetings, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- Congressional Republicans have taken a lot of heat from constituents at home during the August recess after a bitter showdown with Democ...

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Iowa Democrats Slap At Activists For Town Hall Antics

HuffingtonPost.com | Tyler Kingkade | Posted 11.01.2011

Read More: Town Hall Protest, Social Security, Charles Grassley, Iowa Democrats, Chuck Grassley, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Grassley-Town-Halls, Progressive Activists, Iowa Cci, Town Hall Meetings, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- The Iowa Democratic Party is lashing out at one of the Hawkeye State's most politically active progressive groups, potentially alienatin...

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GOP Rep: Pay 'Not So Much'

The Huffington Post | Jordan Howard | Posted 10.26.2011

Read More: Unemployment Rate, Linda Sanchez, Steve-Southerland, Sean Duffy, Unemployment, Jobless Rate, Pay Gap, Dccc, 112th Congress, Unemployment Benefits, Jobless Benefits, Florida, Congressional Pay, Town Hall Meetings, Politics News

According to the U.S. Census Bureau the median household income in 2009 was $49,177, almost $98,000 less than what a member of the House of Representa...

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GOP Congressman Seizes Cameras At Town Hall Event

HuffingtonPost.com | Amanda Terkel | Posted 10.25.2011

Read More: Eric Odom, Town Halls, 112th Congress, Gop Town Halls, Steve Chabot, Town Hall Meetings, Judson Phillips, Tea Party, Steve Chabot Town Hall, Video, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- After banning and confiscating cameras at his town hall events, Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) is taking heat from all sides -- including fr...

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WATCH: Protesters Confront GOP Congressman Over Public Town Hall

HuffingtonPost.com | Amanda Terkel | Posted 10.24.2011

Read More: Town Halls, 112th Congress, Video, Chip Cravaack, Town Hall Meetings, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- Confronting mounting pressure and protests, Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) has agreed to hold a public town hall at the Duluth airport at ...

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GOP Congressman Distributes Activist 'Watch List' For Town Halls

Orlando Sentinel | Posted 10.19.2011

Read More: Daniel Webster Florida, Florida Town Halls, Daniel Webster, Gop Town Halls, Florida, Republican Town Hall, Florida Town Hall Watch List, Town Hall Meetings, Politics News

U.S. Rep. Dan Webster said he simply wanted to share some friendly advice with other members of Congress about how to manage town-hall meetings and th...

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Paul Ryan's Office Calls Cops On Jobless Protesters

HuffingtonPost.com | Arthur Delaney | Posted 10.19.2011

Read More: Paul Ryan Town Hall, Unemployment, Wisconsin Jobs Now, Long-Term Unemployment, Town Halls, Paul Ryan Medicare, Wisconsin Unemployment, 112th Congress, Town Hall Meetings, Paul Ryan, Politics News

Staffers for Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) called police on Thursday evening to disperse unemployed protesters staging a sit-in at his Kenosha, Wis., office...

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GOP Town Halls Hit With Progressive Messages

Firedoglake | David Dayen | Posted 10.16.2011

Read More: Tea Party Movement, Americans, Debt Crisis, Progressive Message, House GOP, Progressives, Medicare, Progressive Movement, Gop Town Hall, Republican Town Hall, Town Hall Meetings, Balanced Budget Amendment, Republicans, Politics News

Two years ago, a concerted effort by a corporate-funded Tea Party movement to get conservatives out to town hall meetings changed the dynamic in Washi...

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After Months of Tea Party Attacks on the Environment, Glimmers of Sanity Emerge

Frances Beinecke | Posted 10.09.2011

Read More: Grand Canyon, Energy Efficiency, Continuing Resolution, Policy Riders, Budget, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species, Light Bulbs, Town Hall Meetings, Tea Party, Endangered Species Act, Green News

A growing number of GOP lawmakers are starting to question the Tea Party's reckless overreach. They realize that anti-environmental efforts do not reflect the wishes of the American people.

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Representative Moran (and 25 Others): Conned by Concord Coalition

Eric Lotke | Posted 09.12.2011

Read More: Taxes, Town Hall Meetings, Budget Cuts, Budget, Deficit, Concord Coalition, Jim Moran, Politics News

Concord is an honest advocacy group and entitled to advocacy towards its ends. But our elected officials should not dress it up in government clothes and present it to constituents as a town hall forum.

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What the World Needs Now: Obama's Town Hall Twitter?

Dr. Cheryl Pappas | Posted 09.05.2011

Read More: Politics, Twitter, Obama, Town Hall Meetings, Communication, Politics News

The President yesterday conducted a town hall meeting by Twitter. For the many people who do not tweet, including me, this "tweet meet" was a curious ...

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Obama Quizzed On 14th Amendment At Twitter Town Hall

HuffingtonPost.com | Ryan Grim | Posted 09.05.2011

Read More: Obama White House, 14th Amendment, Video, Twitter, Town Hall, Debt Ceiling, 112th Congress, Barack Obama Twitter, Obama Twitter, Town Hall Meetings, Barack Obama, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- During a Twitter town hall Wednesday, President Obama was asked whether he would consider invoking the 14th Amendment to pay government ...

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Why Barack Obama Loves the War on Drugs

Stanton Peele | Posted 08.03.2011

Read More: Internet Town Hall, Town Hall Meetings, Barack Obama, Drug Policy, Drug Addiction, Kofi Annan, Ruth Dreiffus, Richard Branson, Decriminalizing Drygs, Global Commission on Drug Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, George Schultz, Heroin, Drug Tsar, Cocaine, Politics News

Do you remember the scene when Barack Obama opened the government to suggestions from the audience (the American public) in the first ever Internet To...

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The Tea Party's 10 Ways to Survive Town Hall Meetings

Andy McDonald | Posted 07.31.2011

Read More: Gop, Town Hall Debate, Teabagging, Teabaggers, Debt Ceiling, Budget Cuts, Deficits, Deficit Spending, Tea Parties, Tea Party Movement, National Debt, Town Hall, Talking Points, Medicare, Town Hall Meetings, Tea Party, Tea, GOP Freshmen, Comedy News

A Tea Party group known as FreedomWorks has provided new GOP congressmen and women with talking points that will help them survive budget-focused town hall meetings which have recently been very confrontational for conservatives.

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Medicare, Other Issues Have Republicans Suppressing Social Media

Hal Donahue | Posted 07.31.2011

Read More: Social Media, Congress, Big Oil, Tax Cuts, Congressman Barletta, Media, Medicare, Town Hall Meetings, Tea Party, Congressman Marino, Politics News

Congressmen Barletta and Marino are adopting the tactics of former Egyptian President Mubarak: no electronic media will be allowed during town hall and public meetings except by recognized press.

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Stop, Think and Contemplate: BP Anniversary, Fukushima Disaster & Fracking... Are Our Lives in Jeopardy?

Mitchell J. Rabin | Posted 07.20.2011

I'd rather stop, think and contemplate a beautiful sunrise really, a powerful, yellow ball rising above the horizon by the shore. Or a sunset with a ...

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Anti-Ryan Town Hall Rage Suffers From A Hype Deficit

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 06.22.2011

Read More: Eat the Press, Medicare Vouchers, Politics News, Ryan Plan, Medicare, Town Hall Meetings, Paul Ryan, Politics News

As noted earlier, House Republicans have lately had to contend with a taste of the town hall rage and bitterness that roiled throughout the summer of ...

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GOP Reps Host Town Halls, Get Yelled At

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 06.21.2011

Read More: Eat the Press, Medicare Vouchers, Ryan Plan, Lou Barletta, Medicare, Town Hall Meetings, Charlie Bass, Paul Ryan, Robert Dold, Politics News

During 2009's long summer of angry town halls, it was very common for Democrats touting the benefits of health care reform to constituents to be met w...

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Riots, Jobs, and Innovation

Dylan Ratigan | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Jobs, Town Hall Meetings, Steel-on-Wheels, Egpyt, Egypt Demonstrations, Egypt Protests, Egypt Riots, Politics News

With the people of Egypt in open defiance of a corrupt autocratic regime, using new tools of social media to foment a resistance to government tyranny, it's important to understand that innovation isn't just about iPads. It's about freedom.

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Ted Brassfield's Camelot is Still Alive

Caroline Dowd-Higgins | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Unemployment, Under-Employed, Economy, American Dream, Student Loans, Town Hall Meetings, Networking, Barack Obama, Politics News

During last week's Washington town hall meeting about the economy, Ted Brassfield, a recent Indiana University Maurer School of Law graduate asked Pre...

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