Extra

Unless I’m missing something, Lateefah Simon, the recently elected congressperson from our deep blue district, is annoyingly MIA. Lying low.

However, by chance, someone picked up the phone at her new district office today, and I learned she’s holding a virtual town hall sometime tomorrow, Feb. 25. Although I’d signed up to receive emails on her websiite, I got no email notification. Her website, I’m told, has more details. The Capital switchboard still routes you to “Barbara’s Lee’s office,” as of today.  

Brief backstory: Rachel Maddow a couple of weeks ago (an eternity!), mentioned Minority Leader Jeffries gave marching orders to his caucus to hold constituent meetings, in their districts. Per that prompting, I started calling Simon’s DC office. Her reps were polite but noncommittal, and repeated that there would be a meeting, but no particulars even to month. Her predecessor’s (Barbara Lee) office was closed, no phone. I was quite surprised, in this crisis, that Simon wouldn’t even have a district office, and contacted the League of Women Voters, who provided the old Lee address and phone number. So I tried that number again, and was rather surprised to get someone. I learned they have a new Oakland office at 1630 San Pablo Ave., as yet unopened. 

The aide/receptionist was still vague about any meeting. When I noted Simon’s low profile, he defensively said she’d gone to a protest at the Education Dept., andI could follow her on Instagram. When I mentioned the higher profile AOC, Maxwell Frost, and Jasmine Crockett, he blamed the press and their focus. We have still gotten no emails from her office, although many from Lee over the years. When I suggested to her aide about using Lee’s list, he replied that was a possibility… 

Simon had no serious primary opposition, a well-connected (Harris, Breed) insider with no base or real constituency. That would have been fine for her in this deep blue district, doing over the years as little or much as she wanted. But then Trump and incipient fascism arrived, and she’s yet to prove she can meet the moment.