Youngstown's Own Chicken Little

Winston Churchill once said: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Apparently this is a lesson Congressman Tim Ryan needs to learn.

Congressman Ryan was scheduled to attend a meeting on health care at the Youngstown Community Health Center on Wick Avenue this past Tuesday. He was a no show. Several of the Ohio TEA Party organizations got wind of the visit, and sent some protestors to the site to express their displeasure over Mr. Ryan’s health care vote. His visit was posted on at least one of the TEA Party web sites.

Poor Timmy. He was a’feared. He got some threats, or so he says, and was a-shakin’ in his shoes. Can you believe this guy didn’t show up because he was afraid to see maybe a maximum of 15 protesters at an average age of 60 plus? He made some lame excuse that it would disrupt the medical services at the building, and there wasn’t any security to protect the patrons and others. Is he serious?

Well, it’s clear there is no profile in courage here. The entire health care debate has been done in secret and behind closed doors. The public opposes it, and the coup plotters in Congress who shoved this monstrosity through did most of the voting at midnight on the weekends and Christmas Eve...no courage there.

Town Hall meetings were canceled, except for those where the audience was “invited” so they wouldn't have to answer to their constituents. That is what Ryan did. Then there was Charlie Wilson’s on-line Town Hall meeting. That one would have been hysterically funny if it wasn’t so pitiful. Anything not to face the voters. No courage here either.

So Tim Ryan wimping out because of a few senior picketers is absolutely in line with how he, and his fellow Democrats, have played this whole thing.

On the other hand, he probably got the Democratic memo. The Dems have been using a theme of violence in their attack on anyone who opposes them...calling those opposing violent...and racist. Yes, they must be racist. If he didn't have a threat, he had to manufacture one. Maybe he isn't a wimp. Maybe he is just a hack

Congressman Ryan…be a man and grow up. Your predecessor did many things of questionable nature, but he never turned out to be a chicken like you; nor would he have bought into party dirty tricks maunfacturing violence where there is none. Timmy...you got to do better than this.