Montini: Schweikert begs for campaign cash to fend off protesters bearing … cookies?

EJ Montini: The congressman is soliciting donations to protect him from his own constituents.

EJ Montini
The Republic | azcentral.com
A congressman begging for money

Where normal people would see … normal people … Rep. David Schweikert sees cookie monsters.

They must be monsters. Right?

Otherwise, why would Schweikert’s staff call the cops on them. Which is what they did a while back when a group of voters bearing cookies appeared outside Schweikert’s Scottsdale office, as they do often, hoping to express their views to the congressman.

He doesn’t meet with them. Even when they bring cookies, which they did on the day Schweikert’s people called the police.

When cookies get silly (and greedy)

Afterwards, one member of the group (AZ INDIVISIBLE CD 6, they call themselves) told me, “What has happened to our country and our democracy? At one time I could say democracy and mean OUR country, but no more.”

That was bad.

Now, it’s gotten silly. And greedy.

In other words, it’s gotten political.

Schweikert is using the cookie protesters to solicit campaign donations.

In a campaign solicitation letter first noted last week by The Arizona Republic’s Dan Nowicki, Schweikert wrote, “The left is determined to disrupt and disorganize. They are organizing new groups every single day and investing big resources neighborhood-to-neighborhood across Maricopa County.”

Among the groups listed is Indivisible.

What does Schweikert need protection from?

Schweikert said they “will stop at no turn to ‘clash with police,’ ‘incite violence,’ ‘light cars on fire,’ …”

What about … bring cookies?

Funny, he didn’t mention that.

Over the weekend I heard from a number of the voters Schweikert fears so much that he’s begging donors for money to … protect himself?

From what? A freshly-baked snickerdoodle? A hearty oatmeal raisin? Some delicious chocolate chip?

MORE:Democrats think they can oust Schweikert

A woman who is a constituent of Schweikert’s and a member of Indivisible wrote to me, in part, “The people belonging to the groups referenced are mostly women, mostly have more than a few years on them … The most dangerous physical weapons we have are knitting needles. But make no mistake … We vote … We are actively encouraging others to vote, and lots of us are educating ourselves on how politics works and running for office. Does this sound like people plotting violence? We are working within the system.”

Maybe that – more than cookie monsters – frightens the congressman.

If not, maybe it should.

MORE MONTINI:

Ducey cowers over a rebel yell

A rock star's three takeaways from Comey