Vote it up!

Unfortunately, Majority Leader Hoyer was delayed in Washington, D.C. due to bad weather and didn't make it to the Syracuse OnCenter. To his credit, Mr. Maffei held a very respectful and productive discussion for almost two hours with the constituents who attended. He had the Majority Leader join in at the outset by phone and managed to look as dignified as one can standing on stage next to a conference call speakerphone. Congressman Mike Arcuri from the neighboring district dropped in to lend support as well. Below are some of the highlights from the meeting.

In discussing Iraq, Majority Leader Hoyer said "what we are doing is not working." He cited the op-ed piece by Thomas Friedman in Sunday's New York Times and said he looks forward to hearing General Petraeus's testimony to Congress on September 1o and 11. In response to a question about the viability of reinstating the draft, Hoyer maintained that he is not particularly in favor but that the current use of the military is simply not sustainable at the rate we're going.

After signing off with Hoyer, Maffei addressed the same question by voicing his support for a system of mandatory universal service of the kind proposed by retired General Wes Clark.

Among the questioners, there were the inevitable grandstanders who seemed to enjoy reading statements more than asking questions. Maffei handled each with dignity and deference even when their topic of choice strayed from Iraq.

Maffei promised to deliver a copy of the meeting to the House Majority Leader so that the concerns of the district will be known to the Democratic leadership. One wonders if he will send a copy to the current Congressman's office as well. This district is shaping up to be a battleground for both parties and it looks like the Dems are bringing their A-game with Maffei.