After the health care forum hosted by the Progressive Democrats of Genesee Valley on Saturday, I had the opportunity to ask Congressman Eric Massa a few questions about the work he is doing on behalf of the 29th congressional district.
One question I felt was important to ask was what Massa thought about the criticism of his approach to representation. Reporters and activists alike have questioned why Massa is so set on putting his district above things like endorsing Senator Kirsten Gillibrand or discussing next year's elections. He was criticized by progressives for his vote against the housing bill, which he said was a strong bill, but did not do enough for his district. Therefore, he was opposing it.
When I asked the question of Massa, I did not deliver it the way I wanted to. Nevertheless, I think Massa made his point and answered the question clearly enough for everyone to understand.
I also asked Massa about his work on the House Agriculture Committee and the threat a nuclear North Korea poses and why we should be aware of that threat.
Massa is a great interview. He was great during the forum and he was great face-to-face.
I should also mention that Massa was the subject of a Republican attack last week that tried to paint Massa as anti-troop and anti-veteran. It is an interesting strategy, considering Massa's 24 years of service in the United States Navy. He hit back today and used the GOP attack as a fundraising tool.
This paragraph from the e-mail is worth mentioning:
For too long, Democrats have been called weak and anti-troop. Today is the day we stand up together and declare that I have fought for our country, and together with your help, I will continue to fight for our troops and veterans.
It is hard to imagine being attacked for being anti-veteran when you are a veteran yourself. But the Republicans will continue to use such tactics to divide us, not unite us.
Massa has served his district effectively in Washington D.C. and will continue to do. He is a fighter and that is exactly what we need on Capitol Hill. If we had 435 Eric Massas in the House, we would get a lot more done than we do now. He will be a force in D.C. for years to come and will prove to be just the leader New York's 29th congressional district needs to fight for them.
One question I felt was important to ask was what Massa thought about the criticism of his approach to representation. Reporters and activists alike have questioned why Massa is so set on putting his district above things like 
