What Was Rep. Lynn Jenkins Thinking?

In today's instant message social media world, what in the world was Representative Lynn Jenkins of Kansas thinking when she laughed as a single parent asked her a few questions about the politician's position on health care reform?

According to a story and video in today's Huffington Post:

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins stood just a few feet away as a young mother expressed frustration at not being able to afford a doctor for her son, but Jenkins was not swayed from her opposition to a new government-run insurance plan.
...Elizabeth Smith, a 27-year-old Ottawa waitress who wanted to know what was wrong with a government-run plan for Americans who are currently uninsured. Smith's 2 1/2-year-old son, Jonah, sat on a nearby table, swinging his legs, as his mother questioned Jenkins.
Jenkins told Smith she'd rather give subsidies to families to allow them to buy private insurance. When asked directly why she was against a government-run program, Jenkins laughed and said, "A government-run program is going to subsidize not only yours but everybody in this room. So I'm not sure what we're talking about here."

The representative did "Agree to disagree" but that's just a pleasant addage for family members who might attempt to reach out over the Thanksgiving turkey to strangle someone. It's definitely not enough for town hall meetings where elected representatives are supposed to be taking in and addressing issues that constituents bring to the meeting. And, right now town hall meetings are all about health care reform.

Since when does laughing express a respect for voters? Is Jenkins that secure in her position that she doesn't need to take such questions seriously - or at least pretend to take them seriously?

Jenkins is entitled to her opinion but in a public setting, blowing off someone's question as she did this young uninsured parent just isn't the right thing to do.

I wonder how many votes this has cost her. It sure would have cost her mine!
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