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Republicans who benefited from rowdy town halls six years ago and harnessed a wave of discontent with Democrats to win seats in Congress are learning a hard lesson this week as they return home: The left is happy to return the favor.

Across the U.S., Democrats and their allies are spending this short congressional recess protesting elected Republican politicians who are avoiding the events that often turn into shouting matches.

Brennan Linsley, AP Photo

Just like the tea party sympathizers who vented against Democrats and President Barack Obama, the new left and left-leaning protesters are taking out their ire on Republicans and their links to President Donald Trump.

In Denver this week, the activists targeted Republican Sen. Cory Gardner denouncing him as inaccessible and beaming a picture of him fashioned into a Missing poster to a wall of the Denver Art Museum while protesting Trumps plans to boost energy production on public lands.

Gardner is supposed to represent us, but where is he? said Emma Spett, a 22-year-old environmental activist from Denver who says shes terrified of environmental policy changes backed by Trump.

Gardner defeated a Democrat in 2010, and used impromptu town hall meetings heavily attended by tea party members in his campaign to rail against Obamas Affordable Health Care Act and incumbent congressional representatives he labeled as out of touch with voters.

Now an incumbent who doesnt face re-election until 2020, Gardner has no town halls scheduled and was met Wednesday at an agricultural forum in Denver by protesters yelling We want a town hall!

He dodged questions from reporters about why he did not plan any, saying that he supports people who are expressing differing points of views but leaves it to his staff to meet with protesters.

Experts say that avoiding town halls is a tactic that constituents detest but a way for incumbents to dodge being berated in widely publicized local events.

If youre there at a town hall meeting and theres hundreds of people there yelling at you, its going to be a media event, said Seth Masket, a political scientist at the University of Denver. Theyre calculating that the bad press theyre going to get from not having a town hall is not going to be as bad as that.

Butch Comegys, The Times & Tribune via AP

In Montana this week, Republican Sen. Steve Daines got waylaid with boos and jeers from hundreds of protesters just for rescheduling an appearance before state lawmakers Helena from Tuesday to Wednesday.

What a coward! said Katherine Haque-Hausrath, a protest organizer who demanded he meet with constituents. If he doesnt listen to us now, he can listen to us in 2020 in the election.

Asked why he rescheduled, Daines said he decided to hold multiple events Wednesday and nothing on Tuesday.

He also reminded reporters about the result of last Novembers election: While every voice must be heard in Montana, the reality is the people of Montana rejected Hillary Clinton and voted for Donald Trump.

Suburban Chicago Republican Rep. Peter Roskam decided to interact Monday with voters in a conference call with 18,000 callers, saying town halls are not productive.

People come in, and they get angry and they hold placards and they shout at one another and they feel bad and they escalate and they end up being a disaster, Roskam told The Chicago Tribune (http://trib.in/2kTkCvH ).

And Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert announced he decided to hold telephone town halls only because groups from what he called violent strains of the leftist ideologyare preying on public town halls to wreak havoc and threaten public safety.

In Arizona this week, Democrats organized what they billed as a search party to look for Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, taking their protest to the front yard of his house in suburban Phoenix. He was meeting with patients at Phoenix Childrens Hospital at the time and had no town hall meetings scheduled this week.

Back in Colorado, a Republican elected during the tea-party wave of 2010 traveled to Germany this week to attend the Munich Security Conference instead of returning home to his sprawling district about the size of Arkansas that includes the ski resort towns of Aspen and Telluride plus conservative ranching and mining towns. Some constituents of Rep. Scott Tipton were outraged.

He has every right to be in Congress and he has every right to support President Trump. But if hes going to do that, he needs to tell us why and listen to our concerns, said Dylan Thomas, a Democrat from the small town of Eagle.

But the Republicans accused of going into hiding are getting some sympathy from Democrats they defeated, including former Colorado Rep. Betsy Markey.

Back in 2010, she held town hall meetings focusing on health care only to be greeted by a deluge of conservative protesters who showed up waving yellow Dont Tread on Me flags.

They were pretty rowdy, Markey recalled with a chuckle.

Republicans who played their campaigns to take advantage of the tea party movements populist appeal now need to learn to take what was dished out to the Democrats, she said.

Thats why you were elected, to represent the people. You come back on weekends, you come back on breaks, and you talk to people even if they dont like what youre doing, Markey said.

Butch Comegys, The Times & Tribune via AP

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Republicans elected amid rowdy tea party town hall meetings now avoiding their own - The Denver Post

Over three terms in the Arizona Legislature, J.D. Mesnard has seen lots of controversial legislation pass into law with scarcely any notice. He has also watched as bills that appeared mild or harmless have blown up, bringing the state embarrassing media attention.

Its the latter scenario that Mesnard is seeking to avoid in his new role as speaker of the House. Arizona has repeatedly drawn negative press during debates over matters such as illegal immigration and gay rights. Like other Arizona Republicans, Mesnard believes the national media routinely distort the intent and practical effects of social conservative bills. Nevertheless, he recognizes that having bills portrayed as harsh or intolerant has done no favors for the state. At the moment, he believes, social conflict is too hot to handle. There has been a conscious effort to keep us out of these divisive, controversial issues, Mesnard says. We want to have tax cuts and deregulation and make that the narrative about Arizona.

To put it simply, one very red state is cutting back on thered meat.

In Arizona, as in other Republican-dominated states, there have been prolonged battles in recent years that pitted establishment-oriented Republicans -- those aligned with the chamber of commerce and large corporations -- against GOP legislators backed by the Tea Party and championing hard-line social issues. In Arizona, that battle is over for now. The establishment has won. The legislature has been more careful about the bills being introduced, says Glenn Hamer, president of the state Chamber of Commerce. Im not aware of any mainstream legislators in the state who are eager to move off the road of economic development and education.

Arizonas evolution may be instructive for the country as a whole. Nationally, the Republican Party is entering into a period in which it will be forced to rethink the principles for which it stands. President Trump won office in part by bringing along Democrats who were unhappy with the status quo, but who were also open to his unorthodox approaches to budgeting and trade. Its not clear yet how far his party will go to back up his plans. Especially sensitive at the moment is the presidents harsh crackdown on immigration. Even some of the most conservative Republican officeholders in Arizona have no desire to follow him down that road. They have been there before.

Arizona became the flashpoint for the national immigration debate in 2010 with passage of Senate Bill 1070, which required residents to show proof of citizenship if law enforcement officers had reason to suspect they were in the country illegally. Key parts of that legislation were ultimately ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, most Arizona lawmakers, including the states two Republican U.S. senators, are favoring a softer approach, or at least a softer tone. If anything, the immigration issue probably hurt Trump in Arizona, says Victor Riches, president of the Goldwater Institute, a free-market think tank in Phoenix. I think the bulk of people in Arizona would be happy not to hear of immigration again.

Arizona Republicans have in mind the states rapidly changing demographics, which have both political and economic resonance. Under GOP Gov. Doug Ducey, the state has stepped up its trade relations with Sonora, the Mexican state to the south. Arizonas economy cant survive without immigration, says Steven Slivinski of the Center for the Study of Economic Liberty at Arizona State. Arizonas probably going to stick to conservatism thats opportunity-based, not so much bashing niches in the population.

Theres no telling at this point how Trump will fare during his time in office, or what his ultimate impact on the party will be. But it may be possible to start thinking about a post-Tea Party Republicanism. Much of what drove the Tea Party and other conservative activists in recent times came in opposition to President Obama and his policies. Obama is now safely out of office. There was a lot about the Tea Party movement that was reactionary, Mesnard says, and the reaction was to Obama.

Arizona is just a single red state among many. But the shift in approach there suggests one potential path for the Republican party as a whole. Theyve come out the other side on some of the social issues that are still playing out in other states, says Jonathan Williams, vice president of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative group that brings together legislators and business interests and has similarly shifted its focus away from social issues. Both policy results and electoral results point to Arizona being a model for conservatives around the country.

Secretary of State Michele Reagan says officials concerned with business creation must promote a different image. (Alan Greenblatt)

Arizona has been dominated by Republicans, with few exceptions, for more than half a century. For years, its been home to a string of polarizing politicians, especially on immigration. Gov. Jan Brewer, who drew national attention when she wagged her finger in Obamas face on an airport tarmac, became a fixture on cable shows, warning about the perils of illegal immigration. She was term-limited out in 2014. State Sen. Russell Pearce, SB 1070s primary sponsor, was recalled from office a year after its passage amid ethics complaints. Most sensationally, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose hard line on immigration made him a national figure and a Trump ally, lost his bid for a seventh term last November.

Arpaios defeat was ascribed by many Republicans to an ongoing FBI investigation, but its symbolic importance was not lost on anyone in Arizona politics. Neither is the fact that voters, on the same ballot, approved a statewide increase in the minimum wage. Or that Trump, while he carried Arizona with a plurality, won by a margin of less than 4 percentage points. In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney carried Arizona by 9 points.

Currently, both chambers of the Arizona Legislature and all the statewide offices are held by Republicans. But the state may not be as red as it looks from the outside. Arizona Republicans believe theres a chance they could lose power in 2018 or 2020, at least in the state Senate, and their fear of the state slowly turning purple helps explain their move back toward the middle and their avoidance of social issues. Right now, its the business party, says Doug Berman, a senior research fellow at the Morrison Institute for Public Policy. Republicans still have a decided advantage, but theres a center of gravity thats moved quite a bit away from Trumpism in Arizona politics.

Democrats have been touting the idea for many years now that the rising share of Latinos in Arizona (currently above 30 percent) will inevitably turn the state blue. It hasnt happened yet. Social conservatives are convinced that many Hispanics are with them on the issues, even if theyre put off by the GOPs immigration politics. Still, many other newcomers -- notably transplants from California -- are more liberal on social issues than Arizona natives. That may be one reason why Ducey, who was hailed as a conservative reformer on the cover of National Review last year, is happy to have the legislature concentrating on fiscal matters.

Ducey loves to brag about the states ability to attract and grow businesses and welcome a large and steady influx of newcomers from elsewhere. Like other Arizona politicians, hes learned from experience that having cable news trucks parked at the Capitol complex, covering the latest controversy, can make the state look bad. He wants to keep Arizona one of the most welcoming states in the country. Toward that end, Ducey has made the reputation of the state one of his top three priorities, along with K-12 education and economic growth. Theyre not issues that cherry pick or inflame, says Ducey. Theyre issues that unite people into broad majorities.

The states softened approach on social issues shouldnt fool anyone into thinking Arizonas going to become a bastion of moderation anytime soon. This is, after all, the state that just last year declared ideological war on its cities, passing a blanket preemption law that puts state aid to localities at risk if a city or county has any laws on its books that dont align with what the attorney general decides is state policy. Even before that law was enacted, the legislature had preempted local governments on everything from plastic bag bans to gun control. It passed a bill in 2015 taking away local authority to regulate Uber and similar shared economy companies. Enforcing preemption bills, especially weapons compliance, was very difficult to get through the courts, says state Sen. John Kavanagh, who is sponsoring a bill this year to block municipalities from issuing their own identification cards. So, we hit them in their pockets.

Arizona has been on the cutting edge of the school choice movement, with a robust scholarship tax credit program and the nations first education savings accounts. Since the recession, Arizona has made the deepest cuts to higher education, on a percentage basis, of any state in the country. Last year, Ducey signed a bill largely taking the state out of the business of regulating anonymous campaign contributions from nonprofit groups. Were concerned that will become the model of how to enshrine dark money, in terms of lack of disclosure, says Catie Kelley, an attorney at the Campaign Legal Center in Washington.

In terms of harsh policies toward immigration, the country now is living through what we lived through in Arizona, says Petra Falcon, director of the Latino advocacy group Promise Arizona. (Alan Greenblatt)

Aside from its longstanding Republican voting habits, Arizona politics has two structural elements that have made its legislature one of the most conservative in the country. One is term limits; the other, perhaps surprisingly, is public financing of campaigns. Those two features have allowed many free agents, untethered to traditional GOP leaders or the business community, to crash the party and win.

But the tide has shifted. It isnt just the legislative leadership that professes a desire to shy away from bills that court controversy. Many rank-and-file members do as well. The business lobbyists will tell you that. They will also inform you that none of the legislators who were with them on tough votes have been defeated in a recent primary. In terms of the things Arizona had that were bringing in the trucks from CNN and Al Jazeera, thats really been replaced by a focus on meat-and-potato issues, says Hamer, the chamber of commerce president. Comedy Central has had to find other states.

While social conservatives such as Kavanagh know that now is not their moment, they are confident they have the votes in hand to respond if a new issue should flare up. The desire to use legislation to respond to perceived threats posed by immigrants, for example, has not completely abated. Last month, state senators introduced a bill that would fine charities that assist refugees who settle in the state. But most of the prominent social issue debates over the past few years have been driven by outside events, such as court decisions on same-sex marriage, the sudden increase of awareness about transgender issues or reports about Planned Parenthoods handling of fetal tissue. I see my caucus as no less socially conservative than they may have been six or eight years ago, says Steve Yarbrough, the new Senate president. Its still in our DNA.

Yarbrough sponsored the states religious freedom act, which national media outlets criticized as opening the door to discrimination against gays. His bill, SB 1062, was vetoed in 2014. In retrospect, that may have signaled the beginning of the states shift in direction. Yarbrough believes his bill was mischaracterized but knows that it attracted attention in a way the state no longer seeks. He recognizes the current lack of appetite in Arizona for pursuing issues that cause controversy or confrontations. Its more a difference of where the emphasis is, Yarbrough says.

Arizonas most contentious bills -- 1070 and 1062 -- are still referred to around the Capitol that way, solely by their number. Secretary of State Michele Reagan is a former legislator who supported both bills. Nevertheless, she recognizes that their media reception left wounds. Its almost like you have to retire the number 1070, like a jersey, she says. Its become so tainted.

Reagan notes that she and her family moved to Arizona years ago because it was a great place to start a business. Last year, the state ranked sixth on the Chief Executive magazine list of best business states. There are a lot of misconceptions about Arizonas immigration approach, Reagan says. But, like many other public officials, she recognizes that when outsiders think about Arizona, harsh policies are often what leap first to mind. Its the job of statewide leaders who care about economic development to dispel the myths, she says.

Hence the effort to concentrate on fiscal matters, with a renewed stress on education and a growing interest in safety-net spending and the costs of mass incarceration. Arizona Republicans are ready to turn the page after years of political upheaval. Theyve gone back to an old-school approach, concentrating on policies they believe will continue to draw companies, retirees and workers from other states. Its a winning playbook, Ducey says, and its the path forward for Republicans and conservatism.

*This appears in the March issue of the print magazine, which will be available online March 1.

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Is the GOP's Tea Party Over? - Governing magazine - Governing

Unfortunately, at this time there are groups from the more violent strains of the leftist ideology, some even being paid, who are preying on public town halls to wreak havoc and threaten public safety. Threats are nothing new to me and I have gotten my share as a felony judge. However, the House Sergeant at Arms advised us after former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot at a public appearance, that civilian attendees at Congressional public events stand the most chance of being harmed or killedjust as happened there. One Congressional friend had one of his district staff members knocked unconscious and hospitalized this past week after being overrun by a group intent on physical confrontation and disruption.

First of all, how dare gun-loving, NRA-funded Gohmert invoke Gabby Giffords name?Shes worked tirelessly on sensible gun reform laws since she was shot by a mentally ill constituent and he has stood in the way at every turn.And that last bit is emphasized in bold because Gohmert isnt the only congressman using that particular instance to cancel or refuse to hold town halls.

Heres what actually went down: a mother and her 2-year-old daughter were delivering a Valentines Day card to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher at his California office. Rohrabachers staff has been particularly nasty to constituents, locking the door each week and refusing to meet. On Valentines Day, constituents were sliding cards under the office door and high school teacherMegan Blashs 2-year-old daughter went to the door and slid a card under the door, surrounded by local news who captured the adorable moment. Without warning, a Rohrabacher staffer swung the door open, hitting the toddlerin the head. She started crying and another constituent grabbed the door in the confusion. The 71-year-old Rohrabacher staffer tried to yank the door closed, lost her balance and fell. Thats it. Thats the violent mob incident all these congressmen are using toavoid their peaceful (but angry) constituents. Watch for yourself:

As for Gohmerts constituents and their calls to listen to their stories about how the Affordable Care Act has helped them, Gohmerts letter went on to make clear that he really doesnt give a Texas hoot:

I very much appreciate hearing from the most vocal who form part of the very important twenty-six percent who disagreed with my seven year position on Obamacare, and I really believe that if we do the right things after repealing Obamacare, that even most of those who like government control of their lives in Obamacare, will acknowledge that things are better with more personal choices at a lower price, and without the massive cuts to Medicare and our seniors healthcare that Obamacare inflicted.

It appearseverything really is bigger in Texas, including the cowardiceand the denial. See you in 621 days at the midterm election, Rep. Gohmert. Dont get too comfortable in the House majority.

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Tea party Congressman refuses constituent meeting, blames 'violent strains of the leftist ideology' - Daily Kos

Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune(Photo: Enquirer file)Buy Photo

The board that helps decide which tax levies goon the ballot in Hamilton County got a bigoverhaul Wednesday, with Democratic appointees taking over for Republicans and tea party activists.

The move to revamp the Tax Levy Review Committee is one of the first significant policy changes in county government since Democrats won a majority of county commissioner seats inthe November election.

"Elections have consequences," Commissioner Todd Portune, a Democrat, said before commissioners voted on the changes. "And this election has consequences."

Thecommissioners then voted 2-1 along partisan lines to replace six of the review committee's nine appointed members.The major changes include the removal of Cincinnati Tea Party founder Mike Wilson and Republican Dan Unger in favor of liberal and Democratic activists, such asBishop Bobby Hilton, a preacher and civil rights advocate, and Bond Hill attorney Janaya Trotter.

The vote Wednesday immediately transformed a volunteer board that had consisted almost entirely of Republicans to one dominated by Democrats.

The changes did not go over well with the last remaining Republican commissioner, Chris Monzel, who complained he'd been left out of the selection process. In the past, Monzel said, selections to the committee werediscussed publicly and applicants' qualifications wereavailable on the county's website before the commissioners' voted.

That didn't happen this time. Monzel said his aides reached out to Portune's office weeks agoseeking input about the committee, but no one got back to him with names of proposed committee members until Tuesday, the day before the vote.

"This is nothing personal. This is about process," Monzel said before voting against the appointments. "This is far too important a board to be thrown together at the last minute. To me, this was a completely closed process."

The proposal to make the newappointments did not appear as a regular item on the commissioners' agenda Wednesday and wasinstead introduced by Portune as a late addition. "I was taken aback by the entire process," Monzel said after the vote.

The Tax Levy Review Board is influential because it studies and makes recommendations about all levy proposals that require approval of county commissioners before going on the ballot. Although the board doesn't have final say, its recommendations about the need for a levy and the appropriate tax levelcarry weight with the commissioners and often are adopted.

This year, the board will make recommendations about the senior services levy, the indigent care levy and the mental health levy, which together raise more than $90 million a year.

Portune, who was joined by Democrat Denise Driehaus in approving the new committee members, said changes were made because the committee needed to reflect better the diversity in the county. While the previous committee had seven men, two women and one African American member, the new committee will have five men, four women, four African Americans and one Asian American.

Just as important, Portune said, all of the members are qualified and bring strong skill sets to the group. They include attorneys, a physician and a business consultant.

"These are appointments we feel very strongly need to be made," Portune said.

Outgoing committee member Unger, who joined the committee in 2005 and was its longest-serving member,said he had hoped to stay on the job. He said he wasn't shocked the new majority wanted to make changes, but he was surprised by the last-minute notice.

"I got a call last night," Unger said Wednesday. "I'm very proud of our work. We always serve at the pleasure of the commissioners."

He said the committee never approved an increase in a levy on his watch, and he expects that to change with the committee's new makeup. "It was always my view that more people will own more homes if we keep property taxes at a reasonable level," Unger said.

Several of the new members said they don't expect big changes, though they promised to study the levies with fresh eyes.

"I look forward to taking a look at how the county is distributing funds to make sure we're taking care of the people who need taking care of," said Hilton, senior pastor of Word of Deliverance Ministries in Forest Park.

Three committee members will stay: Gwen McFarlin, John Silverman and Mark Quarry. The six new members are Hilton, Trotter, JenniferO'Donnell, Bob Furnier, Jeanette Hargreaves and Ed Herzig.

The departing members are Wilson, Unger, Ed Steiner, Eppa Rixey, Heather Harlow and Chris Habel.

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Tax board overhaul: Dems in, tea party out - Cincinnati Enquirer - Cincinnati.com

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL GREETED BY PROTESTERSWoman confronts Sen. Mitch McConnell about welfare and coal jobs in Lawrenceburg | 0:56

A woman confronted Sen. Mitch McConnell about too many Kentuckians having to rely on welfare while accepting that coal jobs are dwindling due to mechanization. Sam Upshaw Jr./CJ

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Several hundred protesters gathered outside the American Legion Post in Lawrenceburg to rally against Sen. Mitch McConnell. Sam Upshaw Jr./CJ

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Several hundred protesters rallied outside of Sen. Mitch McConnell speech in Lawrenceburg.

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Woman confronts Sen. Mitch McConnell about welfare and coal jobs in Lawrenceburg

Several hundred protesters rally against Sen. Mitch McConnell in Lawrenceburg

Protesters rally outside of Sen. Mitch McConnell speech in Lawrenceburg

Jody Lambert of Georgetown, Ky. uses a megaphone to chant "Ditch Mitch" and other anti-McConnell sentiments outside the Louisville Marriott East with around 500 protestors Wednesday. McConnell spoke at the Jeffersontown Chamber of Commerce luncheon.(Photo: Matt Stone/The C-J)Buy Photo

When Victoria Keith came home to Kentucky a decade ago, she didnt expect to be leading a self-described resistancemovement against the president of the United States.

But the 72-year-old former documentary filmmaker, who lives on her family's farm a few milesoutside Hopkinsville in the western part of the state, said she is horrified byPresident Donald Trumps agenda.

"Its hard just to sit back and listen to all of this and not want to at least begin speaking up, Keith said.

Much like the conservative tea party groups that sprung up in the aftermath of President Barack Obama's election in 2008, citizens who see themselves as liberals,progressives or libertarian-leaning have organized to oppose Trump's policies.Many have used an online document called the Indivisible Guide" produced by a group of former Democratic congressional staffers as a blueprint.

The guide has reportedly spawned about 7,000 groups nationwide, and the main website shows Indivisible chapters oraffiliated groupsin all 50 states.

According to the website of Indivisible Kentucky, which is what the Louisville chapter calls itself, there are roughlya dozen groups in the commonwealth, with representationin all six congressional districts. There are more than four dozen in Indiana.

The 26-page guide, which has been downloaded more than 1 million times, "has made it easy to get going, said Keith, who joined with more than a dozen neighbors to form Pennyroyal Indivisible Kentucky named after an indigenous plant in the region.Its not just completely left up to you, theres a lot of support and help from this network of people.

Indivisible Kentucky was founded by Kim Hibbard and the Rev. Dawn Cooley after the 2016 election results left many in the community feeling angry. 2/22/17(Photo: Marty Pearl/Special to The C-J)

The Louisville chapterwasfounded in Januaryby the Rev. Dawn Cooley and Kim Hibbard, a computer systems administrator, before Trump even took office. It has since protested outside the offices of Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, drawing 300 people to McConnell's office in one demonstration.

It also encouragesmembers to get involved in other events,includingMayor Greg Fischer's pro-immigration event last month that attracted roughly 5,000 people outside the Muhammad Ali Center downtown.

Cooley, a Unitarian Universalist minister, and Hibbard met online just as the latter registered the group's website."I reached out to her and said, 'I've got people, and you've got tech,' and about a month ago she and I met and decided to work together and Indivisible Kentucky was created, Cooley said.

McConnelllikened the movement's rise toa tantrum thrown by liberals upset overTrump's victory. He said the protesters "did not like the result of the election,"during a speech in Lawrenceburg, Ky., where he was met with about 1,000demonstrators.

Scott Lasley, a political science professor at Western Kentucky University, said: "It was a pretty hard-fought, bitter election, and part of what you're seeing is a result they (the protesters) did not see coming. ... I wouldn't use the word 'sore losers,' I'd usethe word 'surprised losers.' "

Others have accused liberal megadonors, such as investor George Soros, of bankrolling the demonstrations. Sean Spicer, Trump'sWhite House press secretary,said during an interview on Fox News recently that unlike the conservative opposition to Obama, the anti-Trump protests are an"Astroturf-type movement" made up ofwell-paid activists.

"I mean, protesting has become a profession now," Spicer said. "They have every right to do that, dont get me wrong. But I think we need to call it what it is. Its not these organic uprisings that we have seen over the last several decades."

Hibbardsaid hergroup hasn't received anyoutside fundingand is made up of volunteers. The group sets up a donation box at meetings, she said.

"This is a strictly organic group of people that are willing to give money out of our own pockets to maintain our common goal," Hibbard said. "We are the constituents of Kentucky.We have a voice, and we will be heard."

Cooley attributes the movement'srise to people of different backgroundsfeeling threatened by Trump's action, such ascontroversial restrictions on the travelof immigrants from seven largely Muslim countries. She said the group has heard from immigrantrights groups and others who are forming a coalition and have participated in their demonstrations.

The Indivisible manual borrows from the tea party's early tactics that empowered grassroots conservatives who opposed Obamas $830 billion stimulus package and health care overhaul.The tea party movement'sinfluence was felt in the 2010 elections, when it propelled Republicans to take control of the U.S. House and helped secure Paul's Senate victory, among others.

Cooley said she wouldn't be surprised if members began to consider running for elected office in the near future but that it isn't part of their current strategy. She also isn't sure if those candidates would challenge local and state Democrats in primary elections, as Paul did,or work more closely with the party.

"One of the strengths of Indivisible right now is our very laser focus," Cooley said. "We're focused on stopping Trump's agenda through direct action and lobbying our own representatives."

Lasley said he doubts whether any liberal-leaning movementcan pry Kentucky from conservative hands, especially in rural areas. "Republicans are going to be in pretty good position for the next 30 to 40 years," he said.

Trumpwon Kentucky by 30 percentage points in November, and by even larger margins in large swaths of the state where many are hoping hecan make good on promises such as reviving the coal industry. One of Trump's first moves in office was a measure to end an Obama regulation protecting waterways from coal mining waste thatindustry leaders had said would lead to job losses.

Protesters greet Sen. Mitch McConnell with heated questions

Sen. Mitch McConnell hears it from protesters -- this time in Louisville

Against that backdrop, Hibbard said Indivisible Kentucky isencouragingmembers to get involved with anydemonstration that aligns with their beliefs. The Indivisible guide advisesconstituents to attend town hall meetingsand other public events where members of Congress appear, swarm district offices and clog congressional phone lines.In Utah,Indivisible-affiliated groups made news last month when about 1,000 demonstrators shouted questions at Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz during a town hall meeting.

In Louisville, Cooley and Hibbard said they planto continueprotesting outside McConnell's office every Tuesday for the first 100 days of Trump'spresidency. They call the protests "Trump Tuesdays."

Indivisible Kentucky memberstried toconfrontMcConnell when he arrived atLouisville's airport on Feb. 10 to no avail. Later, a larger group protestedoutside the Senate majority leader's Louisville houseover the nomination ofJeff Sessions asattorney general.The grouphas a "hunt for Mitch" section that alerts chapters across the state on his scheduled whereabouts.

Other chapters are planning to flood congressional offices with letters and postcardsand are looking for opportunities to rattle members of Congress anytime they return from Washington.

Deborah Hankins, a retired schoolteacher who founded Ashland KentuckyIndivisible, said her group ofabout 40 members want a town hall meeting with Congressman Thomas Massie. She said the congressman's district office said he wouldn't be backduring Congress' recess last week but that she saw a picture of Massie in Henry County, which is in thedistrict.

"I think he's forgotten there's an election coming up that he's going to participate in and thinksthat this movement isgoing away, and he doesn't have an answer that we'll accept," she said.

Massie spokesman Lorenz Isidro said last summer the congressman hosted nearly two-dozen events across Kentuckys 4th congressional district, which stretches from Louisville's eastern suburbs to Ashland.

"He plans to continue this unprecedented level of public accessibility and interaction both through public forums and on social media," Lorenz said."Constituents are encouraged to follow his Congressional Facebook page to receive notices of upcoming public events."

Asked about the rising protests, McConnell spokesman Robert Steurersaid his boss believes that the U.S. Constitution affords all citizens the right to peacefully assemble. "As Senator McConnell has said, 'Going back to the beginning of this country we've had a pretty open ability to complain about whatever you want to and it's about as American as apple pie.' People are free to express themselves," he said.

On Tuesday in Lawrenceburg, McConnell said he was "proud" of the protesters.

While exercising that right, Indivisible Kentuckyleaders stressed that members must avoid embracing anger. Many who carried signs at the McConnell protest in Lawrenceburg, for instance, held signs calling the senator a coward and comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler.

"We don't want to become our enemy," Cooley said. "... We've got righteous anger, but righteous anger is not the same as vitriol, as hate speech and so I don't want to get into thatwhich is against our values."

Hankins said the angeris already beginning to wane in her part of the state, and that it's important for progressive-minded voters and people who live in rural America to listen and persuade Trump voters who are their neighbors.

"We have to point out to people they need to vote in their own self-interests, which has puzzled liberals for years," she said. "And I don't think lecturing from the outside is going to do it, we need to learn how to speak to people."

Reporter Phillip M. Bailey can be reached at 502-582-4475 or pbailey@courier-journal.com.

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Anti-Trump movement may be spawning liberals' answer to the tea party - The Courier-Journal