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Congressman Dave Brathas faced a lot of criticism in the past weeks in Virginias 7th District. He faced even more when he came into the national spotlight about a week agoand for good reason.After refusing to host Town Hall meetings for his constituents in Virginias 7th District until 100 days into the Trump presidency, thesecond-term Congressman (who affiliates with the Tea Party) was recorded saying some not-so-flattering things about the women at what can only be described as astand-up comedy routine with a bit of policy talk thrown in for good measure.

While the second-term Congressman said a lot of things that rubbed many of his constituents the wrong way, one statement was particularly notable. Early into his speaking engagementwhich, by the way, was given in Virginias 1st District on January 28, while he is stillrefusing to host a similar event in his own DistrictDave Brat hinted at why he wasnt open to talking to his own constituents despite heading to Arizona to speak at a Town Meeting there later this month.

Since Obamacare and these issues have come up, the women are in my grill wherever I go, Brat said to a room full of Republican supporters in Virginias 1st District. They come up and they ask me whens your next town hall? andbelieve meits not to give positive input. The statement was met with a hearty round of laughter from the crowd as Brat chuckled at his own hilarious disregard for the concerns of the people he was elected to represent.

One such womanwho is most certainly in his grillis Maureen Hains, a 33-year-old resident of Midlothian, Virginia and the founder of the7th District Town Hall MeetingFacebook Group (which has over 1,000 members at this time). In fact, it might just be Hains and her friends who Brat was referring to in hisinsensitive and misogynistic speech. See, as Brat became more and more evasive regarding his constituents requests for a Town Hall meeting regarding the Obamacare repeal, Hains decided shecould no longer take it. Although shesays shes never had a background in local politics, Hains decided she had todo something aftergetting the runaroundfrom Rep. Brats office.

And what was she calling them aboutabout? The date and time of the next Town Hall meeting hosted by the Congressman who she voted for.

Yes, thats right. Despite painting the women as the enemy of reason and conservative values in his bizarroDef Comedy Jam-style speech to a room of mostly male supporters, it turns out that at least some of thewomen hes referring to actually did vote for him, which would indicate that they at least agree with some of what he wants to do.

That hasnt stopped Brat from painting Maureen and the rest of his discontented constituents as rich liberals and paid activists as an excuse todismiss their concerns without a second thought. Hains isnt upset about the policies necessarily (though she doesfeel uneasyabout the promise to destroy theJohnson Amendmentamong a few others), its Brats apparent contempt for the people he represents that got her fired up and ready to fight.

The aforementioned video didnt help his case, of course. Maureen explained that she wasabhorred he would refer to hisconstituentsas the Women.' She said that it reminded [her]of Donald Trumpsrhetoricwith theMexicans and the Blacks. [Brat]doesnt realize that its not just women who want to be heard. But that wasnt the biggest problem. She founded the group before Brats speech had even happened.

While Hains said she found the Congressmans comments condescending and sexist, she explained that her concerns do not lie only with what he may or may not planto do. Imconcerned hes changed. Im concerned hes become a sell out. Im concerned that he is lying when he says he wants peoples voices to be heard. Im concerned he doesnt care how his actions in the first 100 days will affect his constituents, she explained.

And thats an important distinction to make. Just because you demand transparency from your representatives does not mean that you are opposing them or out to criticizewhich seems to be what Brat doesnt understand (that said, Dave Brat, I, personally, oppose everything you are doing, just FYI). The women who are up in hisgrill arent out to get him. Its not a witch hunt. Its not an attempt to demonize himor hissupporters. They want to do their civic duty and make their voices heard.

His defensive argument that hes held so many town hall meetings in the past doesnt answer our question. Were not asking if hes done them before, we know he has, we are simply asking, When is the next Town Hall meeting? Its not an accusation, its a question. We still have not heard the answer, Hains explained of her position. You cant represent if you wont listen to both sides.

That seems pretty reasonable to me, Congressman. Seriously, if you cant wrap your head around that, get out of politics and make way for someone who actually cares about the will of the people.

Thelast few weeks have been fatiguing to say the least, but Maureen Hains story does speak to one important silver liningto the current political situation: the apathy that has marked American politics for far too long seems to be coming to an end. People all over the country who have never participated inthe political process (outside of voting) are getting involvedwhich actually bodes well for the future of our country.

Although things are admittedly bleak in Washington at the moment, the renewed interest in defending our rights as citizensfrom marriage equality and healthcare to church/state separation and access to our representatives indicates that, ifwe make it through the next few years (months? days? weeks?), we will be in a better place than we ever have beenand this time, it seems, women are leading the fight.

So, getused to us being in your grill, Congressman. The women arentgoing anywhere Except maybe to Washington to take your job.

Follow this link:
'Women in His Grill': Is Tea Party Congressman Brat the Biggest Chicken in the House? - AlterNet