Catch 8

Indiana 8th District Rep. Brad Ellsworth has found a way to have a town hall meeting on health care reform without having to actually deal with those obstinate and obnoxious creatures known as constituents:

It's a town hall teleconference, and the Democrat's office says 8th District constituents who wish to participate must first sign up on his Web site, www.ellsworth.house.gov. People have to pre-register so that calls they receive for the teleconference at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time Saturday do not violate Indiana's do-not-call law.

Well, that's not too cowardly, is it? I'm reminded of Major Major, one of the characters in Joseph Heller's "Catch-22." As Cecil  Adams of The Straignt Dope summarizes:

Major Major is a commander who doesn't command. He hates dealing with people, and is somewhat frightened of them. He therefore instructs his receptionist/orderly that, whenever he is in his office, any visitors should be told he is out. When he leaves his office (sneaking out the back window), the receptionist can send visitors in to see him. In short, the only time you can see Major Major in his office is when he's out. If he's in, you can't see him.