From a reader in Concord, NH:

Just got an automated call from Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s office notifying me of an opportunity to participate in a telephone town hall meeting scheduled for Thursday night @ 6:00pm.
Is it just me or does this seem overly cowardly?
This is one way to make sure the unhappy masses don’t get a chance to mingle.

When members of Congress say they’re going on a “listening tour” of their districts, apparently they mean you’re supposed to listen to them.

UPDATE: A reader offers a different take: “My Congressman, John Carter, R-Texas, has had several telephone town hall meetings in which I have participated. His staff did a good job with the technology and I thought they were productive. FYI — the questions weren’t softballs and I thought the congressman did a pretty good job answering them.”