12th District Republican congressional candidate Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre today demanded an apology from Congressman Rush Holt for grabbing the microphone from the hand of one of his constituents during his most recent townhall meeting in Marlboro, and for his continued refusal to listen to the people who he is supposed to represent.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/3989008/town-hall-goes-awry-for-nj-congressman/?playlist_id=86858

“Rhoda Chodosh is a constituent of Rush Holt’s, who had taken the time to come and speak with the Congressman about issues that concern her. For him to grab the microphone out of her hand while she was speaking the way he did is one of the rudest, most arrogant things I’ve ever seen an elected official do and he should apologize to her, immediately. He should be ashamed of himself, treating a constituent and a woman that way.”

Halfacre said that Chodosh was well known in Monmouth County for her attendance at meetings on every level of government. “Whether it’s a Manalapan Township Committee meeting,  Freeholders meeting, or even a legislative committee meeting in Trenton, you’ll find Rhoda there and she’s always well informed and ready to ask the tough questions, regardless of party affiliation. We should have more citizens like her. And here you have her own Congressman treating her the way he did. Just disgraceful.”

Holt’s behavior toward Mrs. Chodosh and the angry reaction of the attendees to Holt’s attempts to control the meeting have become national news, as you tube videos of the event have circulated and at least one major media outlet highlighted the video in newscasts.

Halfacre said this was not the first time voter anger had bubbled over at one of Holt’s townhall meetings and that the Congressman himself was to blame for it.

“I’ve attended several of these meetings over the last eight months and they’ve all been the same: they are specifically designed to limit participation of the attendees. He starts off with a half hour lecture listing his meager accomplishments on issues that are of little concern to the average voter. He then reads questions which attendees are forced to submit on cards, so that he or one of his staff members can screen the questions and he can answer the ones he chooses to answer. And when he does answer a question it’s usually answered in political doublespeak.”

Halfacre continued “Most of the people who attend these meetings are already angry about the unprecedented federal spending and government expansion which have taken place in the last year . They’ve taken time out of their busy lives, often driving a great distance to attend these meetings. And from the moment the meeting starts, it’s patently obvious that Rush Holt has no interest in what the attendees have to say if they disagree with him; that the format of the meeting is to limit participation and avoid answering tough questions. It’s no wonder people get even more angry. While he’s apologizing to Mrs. Chodosh, he should apologize to all the people whose time he wasted over the last eight months with these Kabuki theater townhall meetings.”

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