Mike Thompson and the hard hitting jounalism of the Daily Democrat

Thompson reflects, regroups over recess.

Thats the headline. It may be more telling than we realize.

Rep. Mike Thompson visited the Daily Democrat Thursday to meet with the paper's publisher and to discuss with reporters his thoughts on the gains and setbacks since the current legislative session began, as well as his hopes for progress in the coming months on divisive issues such as the Iraq war. (insert question from anyone in the room here, like this one maybe, "Congressman Thompson with more and more reports coming in about how well the troop surge is working in Iraq, don't you feel conflicted in your position to pull our troops out right now?")

When House members return from recess next month, Thompson said he hopes legislators can finally make meaningful progress on the Iraq war. He said he supported a "long overdue" redeployment of U.S. troops. ( With all due respect Congressman, isn't there meaningful progress happening right now in Iraq? I mean even Dick Durbin says there is real progress in Iraq. Have you ever read Michael Yon or Bill Roggio?)

"There's a civil war going on in Iraq right now," he said, "and we shouldn't leave our troops in the middle of that civil war. We've done all we can do, militarily. The economic and social costs (to the American people) are just enormous."( Not to belabor the point Congressman, but the surge started in earnest this June and our soldiers are now walking down the streets of little towns and cities throughout the Anbar province and other areas where they couldn't just months ago, the Sunnis are turning on Al Qaeda and we just broke up a huge Iranian backed Shiia IED making ring in Baghdad, does any of this sound familiar?)

In order to achieve compromise on Iraq and other issues, certain legislators' tempers will need to cool, Thompson said, noting the "contentious" atmosphere that presided over the House in its final week before recess as certain Republicans "made mischief."

"There's a certain group within the minority that, it's safe to say, isn't happy with their new role," he said. "They continually tried to slow things down with procedural motions." (Mr. Thompson were you in the House chamber when the House President gaveled the vote closed with a tie when he knew the Democrats were going to loose a close vote on a motion to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving any federal funds apportioned in the agricultural spending bill for employment or rental assistance? Is that the kind of mischief you are talking about?)

I guess when you are a small town newspaper you don't go asking tough questions of any big name office holder lest they put you on the blacklist, but c'mon, can you ask just one question of Mr. Thompson? If I wanted hear his talking points, I could just go to Mr. Thompson website, or talk to one of his staffers at his office.

Yolo County journalism at its finest.