Gardner: Don't distract everyone from my talking points!

I seem to remember days when Congress was in session more than one or two weeks a month, but that seems to no longer be the case with the Republicans in charge of the House. They love their recesses and this week afford members time to play on the monkey bars.

Cory Gardner is using his recess to meet with constituents across the district and talk to them about issues of concern to them, as long as he has those GOP talking points handy. He seems to have some trouble having an original thought or a real discussion of issues with constituents.

He attended a Republican party in Sterling on Saturday and a town hall in Yuma on Monday. Both groups were obviously very friendly, and I bet they didn't even notice his failures to say anything of substance. "Blah blah conservative values, blah blah hate providing health care to those in need, blah blah bureaucrats, rah rah anti-choice! Now clap at me and give me money! Lets not talk about the fact that we want to shut down your community health centers, stop your social security payments, and ruin the environment. Where's my check?"

It looks like there may have been some dissent at his meeting at the Larimer County Courthouse though. As the Coloradoan reports, some Libyan Americans pressed Gardner to stand against Gadhafi and support the protesters against retribution.

Mahdi Faraj Omar wept as he said, "Gadhafi is killing our people back home. More than 500 people have been killed so far. And it really breaks my heart that Obama would not come outside and say not even a single word."

To this heart-rending plea by a man who said two of his cousins had been killed by Gadhafi's men fighting the protesters, what did Cory Gardner say? Apparently not a single word.

From the Coloradoan:

"Gardner, a freshman Republican from Yuma, didn't respond to the requests from Omar or Issa at the town hall meeting."

He apparently hadn't been handed his talking points yet. He couldn't respond with lies about jobs and the economy or something about taking the country back from socialists.

What did he say when pressed by the media?

"Obviously, it is to the U.S. and humanity's advantage when freedom prevails, and strengthening democracy around the globe, strengthening freedom, is something that will lift people from poverty and improve lives." (again, from the Coloradoan)

Something non-committal and non-substantive. I'm surprised he didn't complain that these comments were distracting from the real issues. You know, the issues that he has talking points for.