This Friday, taxpayer funded researchers will brief politicians in Congress on how to improve their approval ratings by avoiding face-to-face townhall meetings with voters.

After receiving tongue lashings from outraged taxpayers across the country at townhall meetings this summer, career politicians no doubt will eagerly listen to this briefing to learn how to avoid direct contact with voters and simultaneously increase their approval ratings. Taxpayers already upset by out of control, wasteful Washington spending would, however, probably be even more upset if they were told that this research was all paid for with tax dollars by the National Science Foundation.

While politicians may welcome publicly funded research to discover the cure for Congress’ low approval ratings, most Americans expect government funded research to instead find cures for cancer, heart disease, and other life threatening conditions.

As early as next week, the Senate could vote on an amendment offered by Senator Tom Coburn to prohibit NSF funding of political science research.

We would encourage you to attend the briefing, ask questions, blog about the issue, and expose this waste of taxpayer dollars.

Below is the invite to the briefing.