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| January 26, 2006 |
Mailbag ARCHIVES | ||
The BuzzFlash Mailbag The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. More reader opinion is at "Contributors." You can write to Mailbag at http://www.BuzzFlash.com/contact/mail.html. Guidelines for submissions are at BuzzFlash FAQ #18. THIS IS PART 2 OF THE JANUARY 26, 2006 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1 Subject: U.S. Senator's DC Phone Numbers DEMOCRATS: Akaka Daniel (HI) (202) 224-6361 INDEPENDENTS: Jeffords James (VT) (202) 224-5141 REPUBLICANS: A BuzzFlash Reader [BuzzFlash Note: Toll free numbers, Capitol switchboard: 866-340-9281; 866-340-9279; 888-355-3588 (http://www.codepinkboston.org/filibusterAlito/). Also see http://democrats.com/alito-8.] Subject: Calling the Senator For whatever good it does, I did manage to take the bull by the horns and actually call Senator Kerry's office in DC.... The young man who answered was polite, and asked only my zip code. I did manage to remain cool, calm, and remarkably collected while insisting that Kerry forge ahead with his push for filibuster...all the while adding that while they were filibustering (if they get to do it)...they should bring up Plame, the lack of actually installing the recommendations for the safety of this country (ALL of them), not to mention Phase II of the investigation that Senator Pat Roberts 'promised' to get going on after Reid and others closed down the Senate. There are a lot more things these people need to bring up, IN CHAMBER, which have disappeared down the black hole. So, we shall see if Senator Kerry means what he says (remember the...uh...'recount' in Ohio?) or if this is going to be another 'sounds great but doesn't quite make it' moment. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Fed up with the Dems I am FED UP TO THE TEETH with the Democrats. I have done nothing but email and telephone them on the Alito nomination. You can't get one of them - including Kerry - to state whether or not they will filibuster. Ask them if they support Choice and they say they do but you can't get them to filibuster. Ask them if they want to live in a dictatorship and they say they don't, but you can't get them to filibuster. I called Senator Ben Nelson's office. Supposedly, he is a Democrat but he is voting FOR Alito. Why? Oh, because Alito is "qualified." If the Dems refuse to filibuster, the vote against him will mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Incidentally, I was told by the staff members in various senators' offices that they are getting a lot of calls and emails on this. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: A Democrat Must Replace Landrieu (r-lite) Next Term! Dear Buzz, I am registered to vote absentee in Louisiana, so I called Senator Landrieu's office a few moments ago, to ask if she would support a filibuster. Here's the conversation:
"Yes ma'am, I believe she does." Will I be voting for Mary Landrieu's re-election? NO MA'AM, I SURE AS HELL WILL NOT! C Dew Subject: I've Had It with the Dems! Dear BuzzFlash, I have been reading in the Mailbag, for weeks and weeks now, letters from other Democrats who are just as disgusted as I am with our Democrats in Congress. This disgust has reached a crescendo this week over the failure of our Dem Senators to filibuster the Alito nomination. The Inside-the Beltway Dems have been treating us progressives as “voter fodder” for at least the last 5 years. They feel sure we will not bolt the party because where would we go? They have kept us in their thrall with a promise to hold the line with respect to the Supreme Court. Now they are breaking that promise. I used to laugh at those dumb Red State religious right wing Bush voters who have been held in thrall to the Republican Party over promises of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, over an end of a woman’s right to choose, etc. How are we progressives any different than those poor ignoramuses? We are suckers! We have wasted our energy, our activism, and our money remaining faithful to the dead Democratic Party. We have tried to resuscitate it. This has turned out to be a lost cause. Every issue that the Dems could have made hay with, they haven’t. Even the warrantless spying by Bush and the NSA isn’t gaining traction because the Dems in Congress are handling it too timidly. (Of course, there are a few exceptions like John Conyers.) I believe it is time to ditch the Democratic Party. Past the time. We should have been out there 5 years ago starting a third party to challenge the Democratic Party. We have so many progressive organizations that have tried to work within the Democratic Party – Progressive Democrats of America, Democracy for America, etc. What have they ultimately achieved? Alito on the Supreme Court. All that effort for naught, because our elected representatives in the Democratic Party have let us down. I can no longer be a “strategic” voter. It was a losing strategy. The corporatists have won – at least at the national level. There is no reason any more to work for, contribute to, or vote for Democrats at the national level. For myself, I will concentrate my efforts now at the state level. Here in California we have hopes to achieve, and in fact have already achieved, progressive reforms. More are in the works. There is a strong push here for Clean Campaigns. And also for Universal Health Care. And I will vote for the Green Party candidate to replace Dianne Feinstein who is up for re-election this November. A BuzzFlash Reader in California Subject: Bush I couldn't believe my ears this AM. Bush gives himself complete power due to the fact that we are "at war"... this AM, when asked if he would campaign during '06 elections he said yes, he was going to campaign on a "PEACE and prosperity platform." I have heard no one pointing out this complete hypocrisy...we have really and truly fallen down the rabbit hole. M. C. Kerr |
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