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Rothfus remains silent on Trump’s misdeeds; Dr. Jonathan Douds (JD); Beaver County Times; June 21, 2018.
In his previous letters, JD alleged he lived in Nashville, TN, and BCT editor’s notes asserted “The writer is a 2004 graduate of Hopewell High School.” This letter indicates JD now lives in Brighton Township. JD signed his first three letters “Dr. Jonathan Douds.”
The Vanderbilt University Medical Center website indicates JD completed his residency in 2017.
My reviews of previous JD letters are here, here, here, and here.
Below is a review of the subject letter.
“Recently, I received what I believed to be a telemarketing call. Instead, it was our congressman. That’s right. U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus has decided to interact with his constituents through questions phrased and designed to receive the answers he wants. There was no opportunity for comment and no chance to provide feedback on issues which are important to me.
“I suppose I should not be surprised. Rep. Rothfus never meets with constituents outside of pre-planned, carefully orchestrated events. Since he has voted to provide himself a larger tax cut than his average district resident and has voted to strip health care from the poor and needy, his absence from constituent interaction is notable.”
[RWC] I don’t know if Rep. Rothfus (KR) does traditional “town halls” or not. If KR does not, it’s easy to see why.
For Republican representatives and senators, it’s a no-win situation. If you have a town hall, a leftist mob tries to embarrass you. If you don’t do town halls, you’re afraid to face your constituents and a leftist mob conducts an “empty chair” meeting anyway. While some people can handle this kind of situation, I suspect most normal people and politicians can’t. This tactic is what someone does when they don’t want a real discussion.
For a taste of what would likely happen at a KR town hall, take a look at his Facebook page; it’s a never-ending bash fest of KR where even the most innocuous post is fair game. For example, KR attended an Eagle Scout Court of Honor and posted three photos. The first comment? “Did you tell them that you and the rest of the GOP work tirelessly to destroy the future for the middle class? Boy Scouts like to be prepared, so …”
Next, take a look at Rep. Mike Doyle’s (D-14; Pittsburgh) Facebook page. While MD has his detractors, his page is a love fest compared to KR’s.
“He is not just absent from constituent concerns, however. When President Donald Trump degrades women, Rothfus is silent. When Trump says Mexicans are rapists, Rothfus is silent. When Trump insults allied nations whose soldiers fought bravely alongside American troops, Rothfus is silent. When Trump mocks a Gold Star family, Rothfus is silent. When Trump refers to neo-Nazis as good people, Rothfus is silent. The list can continue and continue.”
[RWC] I’m tired of the idea that every time someone says something stupid, everyone else must run to the nearest microphone to agree with or bash the target. It’s a waste of my time.
“Trump insults allied nations” really means insisting NATO allies fulfill their financial and military commitments. NATO guidelines recommend each member spend at least 2% of its GDP on defense. As of 2015, only five of NATO’s 28 members met their commitment. Of the Baltic states, only Estonia (2.04%) meets its obligation. Latvia (1.06%) and Lithuania (1.14%) don’t come close.
In first place was the U.S. at 3.62%. The other four NATO members who met their 2015 commitment were Greece (2.46%), Poland (2.18%), the U.K. (2.07%), and Estonia (2.04%).
According to CNN, “According to NATO statistics, the U.S. spent an estimated $650 billion on defense last year [2015]. That’s more than double the amount all the other 27 NATO countries spent between them, even though their combined GDP tops that of the U.S.” In other words, the U.S. funded 72% of NATO’s spending.
“And now, while crying infants are ripped from their pleading mothers’ arms along our southern border, our congressman refuses to condemn the person who created this policy — Donald Trump. Eventually, silence is acceptance. After years of evading us, at least I now know where my elected official stands.”
[RWC] So far, I think USA Today has the best description of what’s going on.
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