Roskam's car surrounded by Chicago paparazzi Monday - (Mark Weyermuller photo)
CHICAGO - Any Chicago visitor catching the news at the airport or a bar would be convinced by local media coverage that the hottest, most compelling story in the Midwest's biggest city isn't its gang wars, crime or financial catastrophe - it's Congressman Peter Roskam's audacity to avoid a mob scene.
What the Chicago media is referring to as a "town hall."
The nerve of Roskam - not wanting to be fileted alive before an audience of ghoulish Leftist Democrats commissioned to shout at, ridicule, diminish and demean the DuPage Republican for his work with the U.S. House majority.
This whole week, attention-desperate news stations and newspapers have hounded Roskam - embarrassing themselves by spending precious network minutes telling Chicagoans that Roskam suddenly has become weak and unwillingly to face righteous, democracy-adoring constituents. Voters demanding he defect from the GOP's effort to repeal and replace Obamacare.
These "protesters" that claim to be Roskam's constituents have certainly never voted for Roskam, nor would they ever. The conservative represents a district that was competitive in 2006, when he first defeated Democrat Tammy Duckworth in DuPage County's 6th District. Roskam has been re-elected easily every two years since that win until this year, when the voters in that once-conservative and solidly Republican district chose Democrat Hillary Clinton over Republican Donald Trump for president.
Despite Roskam winning re-election and overcoming the top of the ticket in 2016, he's now on the target list for Democrats in 2018. Nearly every day, the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) sends out a press release blasting Roskam for going along with the Republican leadership.
And the Chicago media is playing its part in the DCCC's game plan - yes, the Chicago media has truly become part of what Donald Trump calls the "opposition party."
Here's some recent press release headlines from the DCCC about Roskam:
These are just from the last two days. Seriously?
What do we hear from Roskam? His office refuses to acknowledge the Democrats' tactics and focuses on the work at hand. His office tells us about legislation he's working on, his statements explaining his votes and other serious matters. And the fact that Roskam is sticking with reforms that the silent majority in his district wants him to support.
It's just the way you'd expect a respectful lawmaker to respond to media-enabled political hysteria. With a calmness and confidence that is desperately needed at the helm these days.
Do us all a favor and tell your visiting friends that there is another side to Roskam town hall avoidance story. It's one they won't get in the Sun-Times, on ABC7, on WTTW or in Politico.
And be prepared, conservatives. Rocky roads are ahead, because the Leftists are in a frenzy. You ain't seen nothin' yet.
