Sidestepping questions

The recent town hall by our District 19 sitting Congressman Jeff Denham at the Salida library was not what I expected.

There were several people who stood up to voice their concerns about the economy, veterans issues, waterways and bus services.

But the main issue that Denham sidestepped altogether was questions about a new federal mandate signed into law by President Obama on New Year's Eve. That new law being the National Defense Authorization Act, which calls for the federal NORTCOM soldiers to remove citizens from any area of the United States and take them to foreign lands to be held without due process for as long as the president wants.

Denham denied that these provisions were in the law but refused to answer questions on it when pushed further. If a prospective presidential hopeful named Ron Paul is taking out time to campaign to go back to Congress to submit a new law to remove those provisions, then how does Denham's answer that they don't exist hold up?

What's really going on here and why are we not demanding more about it?

GREG JOHNSON

Salida