Roskam staring in own 'Groundhog's Day'

My congressman Peter Roskam (IL-6) makes the right call in refusing to host a Town Hall with 6th District constituents. While his rookie congressional neighbor next door in District 8, Raja Krishnamoorthi, held a highly productive, polite Town Hall right out of the congressional gate, Roskam claims these critical participatory venues are nasty, unproductive exercises he refuses to waste his time on. He's right of course, but not for the right reason. Newbie Raja functions as a real congressman, willing to address the critical concerns of every 8th District resident. He faced tough questions at his event but did so honestly and sensibly, earning the respect of all attendees.

After ten years in Congress the majority of 6 District residents finally figured out Roskam isn't a real congressman, simply a taxpayer paid lobbyist for the special interests having nothing to do with real resident concerns. Take health care. Roskam's spent a decade on behalf of the health insurance industry working to first prevent, then repeal life saving healthcare from the 20 million who got it from the Affordable Heath Care Act. Roskam uses blatant lies that it hasn't accomplished one benefit to offset the millions of jobs its destroyed, heartlessly oblivious to the 50,000 lives and counting its saved so far. Take the environment. Roskam remains in the delusional climate change denial wing of the Republican Party, no doubt paying dues to the fossil fuel industry he claims is the only way to energy self sufficiency. Take gun control. That A grade and campaign cash from the NRA weren't garnered from backing sensible gun control to reduce the annual bloodbath on our streets, schools and places of worship. Take women's reproductive health. Roskam makes exception for his mantra opposing big government every time it involves a woman and her gynecologist.

The ordinary folks hurt by these cruel policies want answers that Roskam is incapable of and unwilling to give.They're not waiting till November, 2018. They're going to vote with their presence, their persistence and their questions every time Roskam makes a public appearance in the 6th. Though he'll never set one up or accept an invite, Roskam will find that the entire district has been turned into a continuous Town Hall till he starts doing the job he's run from for the past decade. Roskam is finding out every day he awakes in the 6th...it'll be 6:00 AM on Groundhog's Day.