First we’d like to give credit to the hundreds of Coloradans who packed Byers Middle School to air concerns about how Republicans will reform health care, immigration and environmental policies.
Even though U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner was represented by a cardboard cutout, voices were heard at the “With or Without You” town hall on Friday. It was an effective protest on important issues.
Second, we’d like to come to the defense of Gardner.
Certainly, it would be easier to defend Colorado’s first-term Republican senator if he had braved the crowds at least once. Other Republicans appeared at forums knowing full well they would take a lashing from constituents upset about what has been a slap-dash roll-out of huge policy changes by the White House and Congress.
But Gardner’s position of not attending or holding town halls last week during Congressional break is defensible.
All last week, Gardner met with constituents like the Colorado Health Care Association, AARP and CEOs from Colorado’s tech industry concerned about immigration. Town halls like the ones he avoided were for political show and organized by liberal opponents. Some of the 11 questions asked in advance by the organizers illustrates their clear political posturing.
We support intelligent political activism, which the Byers event clearly was. Smart politics and executed with maximum flair.
However, from a purely strategic perspective, with Republicans in power and poised to tackle real policy changes for the first time in six years, it’s good to have a voice at the table in Gardner.
Gardner isn’t just some run-of-the-mill freshman senator. He’s now running the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a position that indicates he is well-respected by GOP leaders who hold the fate of the country in their hands.
Giving Gardner space to be a diplomat also makes good sense to us. These are tricky waters for more-moderate Republicans to navigate. There’s something to be said for public restraint in the face of antagonism.
To be an effective Republican senator these days, Gardner, who didn’t vote for Trump and once called him a buffoon, needs to pick his battles.
Yes, it’s important for lawmakers to know the impact of their decisions, but hearing repeated heartbreaking stories about pre-existing conditions is only so helpful, when Republicans have already expressed multiple times they want to find a way to protect those who before were unable to get coverage except in state-run high-risk pools.
Gardner could do a better job of explaining publicly where he stands on such nuanced policy questions as ending federal funding of the Medicaid expansion and spending that money elsewhere. He will get that chance on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. with a telephone conference call open to all constituents.
To his credit, Gardner has come down strong opposing Trump’s travel ban, calling for sanctions on Russia, and defending NATO.
This outrage over Gardner’s lack of a town hall is driven in part by powerful forces behind the scenes posturing for 2020. Sen. Michael Bennet was in Cuba last week instead of meeting with constituents during the break. Notably, no one held mock events to drill the absent Democrat on whether he would confirm Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch.
Gardner would do well to stand before his constituents in this time of rapid change and take his licks.
But he would also do well to play the diplomat and accomplish some wins.
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