Listening vs. Hearing

Dennis Hastert announced earlier this week that the House will hold hearings across the nation before forming a committee to work on immigration reform legislation. The stated purpose of said hearings? (Source: All Headline News)

House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) explains that the hearings are for Congress to "understand what the American people are saying."

But don't think that Senator Arlen Specter isn't thinking about the American people, too. (Source: The Hill)

“I plan to hold some hearings of our own,” he told surprised reporters in the Capitol later in the day. “I just developed the idea this morning in the shower.”

Specter says he will start with a field hearing July 5 in Pennsylvania, the state he shares with fellow Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, a leading foe of the bill who is in an uphill reelection bid.

Specter aims to sway the public rather than directly influence his congressional critics, he said.

Let's contrast and compare, shall we?

Hastert says the House wants to "understand what the American people are saying."

Specter, on the other hand, wants to "sway the public rather than directly influence his congressional critics."

Evidently, Specter doesn't quite get the concept of a congressional hearing. Note to Mr. Specter: it's not a platform for you to tell the American people how it is -- it's a forum for you to listen to what the American people have to say.

I guess for him to "get it," though, he'd have to give a shit about what the people he's supposed to be serving want in the first place.

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Illegal Immigration * Dennis Hastert * Arlen Specter * Immigration Hearings