Senator’s deaf ear

Phone calls to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office are being ignored. No staffers answer the phone. A recorded message simply says that call volumes are high; constituents cannot even leave a message. McConnell recently blamed his inability to be reached on “liberal activists from outside of Kentucky.” This response is unacceptable and embarrassing, and it raises two concerns.

First, McConnell represents all the residents of Kentucky who — regardless of political affiliation or ideological perspective — have the right to reach our senators. It is their responsibility to install enough phone lines and hire sufficient staff to answer those phones.

Second, did McConnell not anticipate that his national leadership role would attract feedback from other Americans? As Senate majority leader, he has national prominence, and Americans have the right to contact him. McConnell aspired to this leadership position for years, yet now he appears to be sacrificing his work on behalf of Kentuckians, proving yet again that he places politics above service to his Kentucky constituents.

This story was originally published March 17, 2017 at 6:42 PM with the headline "Senator’s deaf ear."