Town Halls?

Citizens in the Buckhannon area planned a town hall during the Senate’s week-long recess but the problem was getting Capito to commit. As the Buckhannon Record Delta described:

“We delivered the petition to her and we have requested multiple times that she attend and have gotten no response,” Howard-Jack said Thursday morning. “We have never been able to talk to her directly. It’s always been talking to staff members, and the staff members will not give us an official answer.”

. . . . “They said she is not planning any town halls in the near future and unfortunately none of the staff can fit it into their schedules,” she said.

They held a meeting anyway. Here's the headline from that meeting (the accompanying picture is at the top of this post):

Large crowd spends meeting talking to an empty chair

(I think with that headline and that picture we can conclude that the Buckhannon Record Delta is not an Ogden newspaper.)

The Record-Delta described the meeting:

About 100 people filled Hyma Auditorium at West Virginia Wesleyan College Thursday evening to raised questions about climate change, education, health care coverage and more.

In the absence of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who did not attend the town hall meeting organized by area residents, the questions were directed to an empty chair while the event was videotaped to be sent to the senator’s office.

My internet search then took me to the Parkersburg News and Sentinel for February 28. The headline looked somewhat promising:

Local residents attend Sen. Capito’s mobile office

The article began:

Around 80-90 people gathered at the Judge Black Annex in Parkersburg with concerns regarding President Donald Trump’s executive actions in regard to immigration, the proposed repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act and environmental issues.

It looks like voters brought up important subjects but did Capito actually attend this meeting? Buried in the article -- the 9th paragraph down to be precise -- was this tidbit:

Although Capito was not in attendance Monday, two of the senator’s field representatives were on hand to take questions and concerns regarding federal activities impacting West Virginia, according to a press release from Wood County Indivisible.

So the senator wasn't even there. (As for the coverage which largely gives the senator more credit than she deserves, it should be noted that the News and Sentinel is an Ogden newspaper.)

What has Senator Capito actually been doing lately?

Apparently traveling the state talking to fifth graders. Here is the headline from last week's Mineral Daily News-Tribune (The article is also on Capito's website):

GIRL POWER: Sen. Capito speaks to KMS girls

It begins:

KEYSER - Sen. Shelley Moore Capito is traveling throughout the state to encourage fifth grade girls to strive to be leaders in their schools, communities, state and even the world.

Her travels brought her to Keyser Middle School on Thursday to talk about Girl Power.

Hopefully, the questions weren't too tough for Shelley to handle. (It probably didn't happen but it might have gotten interesting if one of the girls had asked her what will happen to their family's health coverage if the Republicans wipe out but don't replace Obamacare.)