I think this is a bit of marketing genius on the part of the Democrats. Steve Benen reports:
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) appeared on the show on Friday, the day after House Republicans passed their far-right health care bill, and he raised an interesting idea.
The Republican representative in the neighboring district, Rep. John Faso (R-N.Y.), backed his party’s regressive plan, took his office’s phones off the hook, and decided not to host a local event to explain to his constituents why he’d voted for legislation that would do so much deliberate harm.
Maloney told Rachel on the show that if Faso wouldn’t talk to voters in his own district, answering their questions about health care, Maloney would do it for him. “I think every Republican who voted for this thing ought to have to stand in front of their voters and explain it,” the congressman said. “And if it takes a Democrat to go in and do it for them for a while, I’ll explain what is in this bill. And if he doesn’t like it, he should stand up and explain it himself.”
Wow. I cannot imagine being a Republican who just had a neighboring sitting Democratic Representative come and speak in his district. The embarrassment. The humiliation. What self-respecting voter would possibly consider voting for the guy if he’s not willing to come and defend his vote?
This is starting to stink of Tammany Hall.
