GOP Congressman caught on camera faking cell phone call to avoid questions.

[AverageOldGuy]

First, the facts:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/gop-rep-caught-faking-phone-033104305.html

A Republican congressman was caught faking a phone call in order to avoid answering questions about his party's plan to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Approached by a reporter for MeidasTouch and asked about Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to cut Social Security, Virginia Republican Rep. Rob Wittman pulled out his phone and began speaking into it.

"Hey, how you doing? I'm good. I'm good with that. I'll be there in just a few minutes," Wittman says into his phone while walking, as the reporter follows.

However, half of his screen is visible in the video posted by MeidasTouch, and it appears he was not on a call at all, as it does not show the typical phone call screen.

Now the background.

Rob Wittman, VA-01, Republican, 100% Trump voter, was elected in a special election in 2007 and had been re-elected ever since by margins ranging from 65-35 to more recently 54-46. His district includes some very rural areas that go 70% for him and Trump and some Richmond suburbs that are beginning to shift away from him. In fact, the DCCC has made Wittman one of their targets and he along with the Republican in VA-02 are in trouble -- VA-02 no doubt will flip and Wittman is neck-and-neck with a generic Democrat. Seven Democrats are in an August primary to face Wittman in November.

Wittman is basically a non-descript back-bencher with no legislative accomplishments. Just outside his district is all the naval installation and shipyards around Norfolk, so, he has been on the House Armed Services Committee since he joined Congress, although his military expertise is limited to accepting checks from defense contractors.

Wittman claims to be an avid fisherman -- some of his district borders the Chesapeake Bay. However, the fish mounted on his Congressional office wall all are deep-sea critters, caught while he was on all-expense-paid fishing expeditions courtesy of defense contractors.

Up until mid-2010 Wittman held frequent in-person town halls around his district. In August 2010, he was attacked over and over by Tea Party assholes from his district, so, he quit holding town halls -- something for which he is roundly criticized, to no avail. His responses to phone calls and letters are boilerplate.

He needs to go in November.