Getting public officials off talking points is what citizens must do

As town hall meetings go, the Sept. 26 “Conversation with Cathy” with congressional 5th District Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers at Cheney’s Wren Pierson Community Center was definitely good political theater, if nothing else.

But that’s part of the point — there was something else. A lot else, if you will, and too much to try to fit in one 704-word recap.

One of the biggest “else’s” for me was how well prepared most of those in attendance were. A few were political operatives, if you will, such as Spokane County Democratic Party Chair Jim CastroLang, who questioned McMorris Rodgers about allegations from a former aid that the Congresswoman used her Washington D.C. office resources to assist with campaign activities.

As quoted in a March 24 piece in the Capital Hill publication Roll Call, the Office of Congressional Ethics reported their investigation indicated “substantial reason to believe that Representative McMorris Rodgers used congressional funds, staff and office space for campaign activities,” and “improperly combined congressional resources and campaign resources to produce a mailing and video for her leadership race.”

CastroLang asked McMorris Rodgers if she was willing to tell people what she sees in the report, if mistakes were made, if they will be fixed and will all of this be made publicly clear before November’s election. The House Ethics Committee has declined to broaden the investigation into McMorris Rodgers but will continue reviewing the allegations.

“I have always operated my congressional office in accordance with the rules and I’ve been wide open about the investigation,” McMorris Rodgers responded, adding further that the report found no violations.

But, as CastroLang and several others in the audience pointed out, they did find “substantial reason to believe,” there were inappropriate activities. It’s a fair question to ask of the Congresswoman, or any person in public office.

We want public officials to play by the rules, to not use public funds for personal gain, which a political campaign is somewhat.

Anytime there is any “substantial reason to believe” a public official has misused their office, even if unwittingly — the ethics rules are more complex than those of the NCAA — it is the duty of that official to respond in a way that completely clears up the issue, even if doing so is to admit failure.

McMorris Rodgers has not really done this. But this issue aside, most of those in attendance had prepared themselves to pursue lines of questioning that held McMorris Rodgers accountable for her actions, rather than just raising issues for her to comment on via prepared talking points.

Like most politicians at all levels, McMorris Rodgers is very good at using talking points and staying on message, deviating only when need be but always returning.

There’s nothing wrong with talking points. If one is going to make a speech or presentation, it’s best if you prepare yourself with an outline of things you wish to cover.

Those are talking points, and in the political arena, talking points are often used to reinforce someone or some party’s agenda while deflecting criticism and acknowledging other valid ideas.

From McMorris Rodgers voting record and public stances on women’s issues, college education funding, federal K-12 funding and health care, most of those who came to the Sept. 26 Conversation with Cathy were well prepared and not so ready to back off from a line of questioning in order to get a true answer. McMorris Rodgers is a seasoned politician, and she managed to stay on her points, although there were times when it seemed she was at a loss for words or uncertain how to extract herself from the line of questioning.

And there was her brief moment of anger.

It’s our job as voters, as citizens, to press issues with our elected officials, even if it’s unpleasant to do so. It’s our job to get them off message, to get them to be honest about disparities between what they say and how they vote.

It should be done with facts, like what happened at the Wren Pierson Sept. 26, rather than the innuendo and name-calling one finds in the blogosphere and on talk shows.

If I wore a hat, I’d tip it to most of those in attendance at Cheney’s Conversation with Cathy and to her for showing up and giving people the opportunity to ask questions face-to-face.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].