Alex Isenstadt has a piece in today’s Politico called “Town halls gone wild” in which he explains how Town Hall Meetings sponsored by select Members of Congress have turned into “houses of horrors” that include “… [s]creaming constituents, protesters, [and] congressmen fearful for their safety”.

This is a tremendous sign of progress for those of us who have been actively working to change policies in our country by ‘waking up’ our fellow Americans.

In the article, Congressman Bishop, a Democrat from New York representing the never-boring constituency of Long Island, quips that Town Hall Meetings serve no purpose because “an unruly mob prevents you from having an intelligent conversation”. So he canceled his Town Hall Meetings.

Voters on Long Island should punish Mr. Bishop by not re-electing him.  If he can’t answer to or be held accountable by his constituents, then he doesn’t deserve to be in Congress.

Rep. Bishop’s comments could not be further from the truth.

Constituents confronting their alleged ‘leaders’ on issues of concern is exactly the type of dialogue that can be very productive — dialogue that has been lacking from our ‘politics-as-usual’ for decades.

It’s only recently that people have shown their utter disgust at Town Hall Meetings and other public events — venting to their Member about the issues that confront our country. Among the recent Town Hall blues for Members of Congress:

* Close to 100 sign-carrying protesters greeted Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL) at a late June community college small-business development forum in Panama City, Florida;

* Danville, Virgina “anti-tea party activists” claimed they were refused an opportunity to ask Rep. Thomas Perriello (D-VA) a question at a town hall event and instructed by a plainclothes police officer to leave the property after they attempted to hold up protest signs; and

* Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) found himself in a confrontation earlier this month with a “birther” protester who insisted he address the issue of Obama’s birth certification.

These “controversial” confrontations are exactly the types of citizen disgust that have been lacking from our political system for decades, so I’m pleasantly surprised — yes, encouraged — to hear that We the People are confroting our ‘leaders’ when they fail to … um, lead.