Last Thursday night viewers of MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show” could tune in to watch Rep. Brian Baird, D-Vancouver, defend his reasonings to not hold town hall meetings during the summer Congressional recess. In the past, Baird has been one of the most active in holding such public events.

    Republicans were demanding Baird apologize for his remarks on those disrupting recent town hall meetings across the nation as “close to brownshirt tactics,” a reference to Hitler’s thugs during his rise to power.

    On Tuesday on The Chronicle’s editorial page, the “Our Views” column headline stated “Public Town Hall Meetings Need to Resume.” A commentary written by Julie McDonald had the headline, “Baird Wrong to Cancel In-Person Town Halls.” That headline prompted one of Baird’s staff to call The Chronicle Editorial Board with the complaint that since Baird had not scheduled any town hall meetings, he could not have canceled any of them.

    Fair enough, but we find that a complaint of a technicality. We still hope Baird changes his tactics and resumes his tradition of talking directly to the people, no matter the passion found in the audience.

    The tough week for Baird continued. His office received a fax that had a picture of President Obama that was morphed into a disturbing image of actor Heath Ledger’s the Joker as portrayed in last summer’s movie “The Dark Knight.” On the picture of Obama is a communist hammer and sickle. At the bottom of the picture are the words “Death to All Marxists! Foreign and Domestic!” Baird’s staff passed the image on to the U.S. Capitol Police. It may be investigated by the Secret Service.

    Then came a front-page story by The Wall Street Journal this past weekend detailing an 11-day trip Baird and nine other members of Congress made to the South Pole around New Year’s Day 2008. This follows criticism against Baird for a June 2008 trip to the Galapagos that the national news show “Inside Edition” called “the trip of a lifetime on your dime.”

    This most recent trip cost taxpayers at least $103,000, and when factoring in the use of Air Force planes, more than $500,000.

    Baird strongly defended his overseas trips, which also include several visits to the Middle East and to Switzerland for a meeting of the World Economic Forum. Baird is chair of the House Science panel’s Energy and Environment subcommittee, and has long been concerned with oceans and climate change. Baird said such trips are “more valuable than 100 hearings.”

    That might be true. We just wish we could listen and report on Baird’s defense of his actions. A town hall meeting right here in Lewis County would be the perfect venue. Given proper ground rules it could be quite valuable to Baird’s constituents.