Brilliant!
The Minnesota GOP pulled a fast one on the DFL today. They patched through angry constituents to their DFL State Senators on their Senate floor telephones, and apparently those are phones that almost never ring:
Several DFL members of the Minnesota Senate say something happened that rarely occurs. Their phones within the Senate chambers were ringing.
That may seem odd but the phones, according to members, are only supposed to be used by Senate members and staff. But at least six Democrats say they got calls today from unhappy constituents. They were being urged to vote against a $1 billion bonding bill. DFL Sen. Don Betzold of Fridley says he got a call while the Senate was debating the bill.
“I’ve never gotten a phone call like that from the floor,” Betzold said. “I have never gotten a phone call like that from a citizen, a lobbyist, anyone, until today.”
This is great stuff. Our leaders in state capitols and in Washington are too often insulated from their constituents. They leave their districts, sit in St. Paul, or Madison, or Washington, and lose touch with the citizens who put them there. Any measure that puts a little pressure on them to actually interact and listen to angry constituents is a step in the right direction. Let them have it I say. Naturally, the DFL is whining that Senate Republicans are breaking protocol by forwarding calls through to the phones on the Senate floor:
DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller said the calls are a violation of Senate protocol. He said the phone numbers for the phones are unlisted and are only meant for internal business. He urged the Senate to stop the practice at the end of today’s floor debate.
But it doesn’t look like that will happen. Michael Brodkorb, a spokesman for Senate Republicans who also serves as Deputy Chair of the MNGOP, said he didn’t know the calls were taking place until after the fact. He also said he didn’t give the internal phone numbers to the MNGOP. But Brodkorb defended the practice stressing that the phones are paid for with taxpayer dollars.
“I don’t know that’s it’s problematic,” Brodkorb said. “They’re public phones but I don’t know how often the party is going to do it or not.”
Let’s hope the the Minnesota GOP continues the practice.
Cross-posted and comments welcome at Midwest Spin.
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