Hypocrisy: Halvorson Holds ‘Chic’ Fundraiser with VP, Still Won’t Meet with Constituents

Hypocrisy: Halvorson Holds ‘Chic’ Fundraiser with VP, Still Won’t Meet with Constituents

Flashback: Halvorson Complains of Opponent Raising Money with VP ‘Behind Closed Doors’

Washington– Debbie Halvorson turned the hypocrisy up to eleven yesterday when she held a closed-door fundraiser with Vice President Joe Biden while continuing her crusade to avoid her Illinois constituents at all costs. Just a few short months ago, Halvorson disingenuously attacked her opponent for holding a ‘closed doors’ fundraiser with Vice President Dick Cheney. But yesterday, Halvorson’s hypocrisy was on full display in front of local Democrat bigwigs at a ‘chic’ South Loop restaurant:

“‘This is the moment,’ Biden told about 150 Democratic Party supporters of freshman U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson gathered inside the chic Custom House restaurant in the city’s South Loop neighborhood.

“‘If you’re ever going to be in this business, this is the moment,’ Biden said at the luncheon where ‘sponsors’ paid $1,000 and ‘hosts’ contributed $2,400 to eat mini-hamburgers, cheeses or cured meats.” (Antonio Olivo, “Biden Raises Campaign Cash for U.S. Rep Halvorson Today,” Chicago Tribune, 8/20/09)

Meanwhile, Halvorson has dedicated the August recess to avoiding the public at every possible turn. With her party’s agenda failing and families in Illinois and across the country expressing concerns about the Democrats’ government healthcare takeover, Halvorson told her constituents thanks but no thanks when it came to holding a town hall meeting:

“‘As of now, we are not scheduling any town hall meetings,’ Roxane M. Geraci-Militello, Halvorson’s director of communications told The Times Tuesday. She said Halvorson has not decided how she is going to vote on health care legislation and is looking for citizen guidance.” (“Ask The Times: Halvorson Town Hall,” Ottawa Times, 8/5/09)

“Debbie Halvorson has been in office for just a few short months and she has already proven herself to be a shameless, hypocritical opportunist who is only interested in raking in cash for her next campaign,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Halvorson might be in for the political fight of her life, but she’s doing herself no favors by alienating the very people who have the final say on whether she gets sent back to Washington.”

Hopefully Halvorson’s photo op with the Vice President is worth it. If she continues to ignore her constituents to rub elbows with party insiders and Democrat bigwigs, at least she will have a picture to remind her of her days in Washington when Illinois voters send her packing next November.

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