Well, I just wrote a letter to my senator re: FISA

[krispos42]

And as I promised her, I'm posting it for all to see. Pressure, pressure, pressure, right, guys?

Dear Senator Klobuchar,

I am writing regarding the FISA bill that will be coming to the Senate soon. It passed the House late last week, unfortunately. Congressman Oberstar, whom I emailed on the issue, did NOT vote for it, for which I gave him my thanks.

I would like to reiterate some of the points with you that I made with him.

First and foremost: Democrats need to get a spine and stand up to these authoritarians that call themselves the Republican party. Like most Democrats, I'm sick and tired of seeing a "President" that simultaniously holds the records for being the LEAST-LIKED and MOST-DISLIKED president since the invention of the presidential opinion poll keep getting what HE wants done.

It's pretty obvious by now that if Bush wants something, there is about a 98% chance one or more of the following applies: it benefits wealthy and uber-wealthy people, especially Republican ones; screws the lower-middle, working, and lower-class people; is illegal; is unconstitutional; is covering up illegal or unconstitional acts; and/or destroys effective government.

Democrats need to replace the Slinky in their spines with a good solid piece of stainless steel.


Second: Bush and the Republicans have latched onto telecom immunity like a drowning man grabs a lifering. It's the one thing they refuse to negotiate on. This is extremely suspicious, as there is credible evidence that the Bush Administration began implimenting illegal domestic surveillence as early as February of 2001, not after the 9/11 attacks as claimed. What are they covering up, and how much money and positive media coverage will big telecoms give to the Republicans to thank them for covering their collective butts?


Third: in mere months, Democrats are going to win huge in the 2008 elections. Probably 58 senators, maybe as many as 62 or so, and a few dozen more representatives, plus President Obama. Let this go to the 111th Congress. Let THEM deal with the issue. Let President Obama remove executive priviledge from the telecom information, let the public and the Congress see what the gov't did and when they did it, THEN decide on the issue.


Fourth: Isn't creating an "ex post facto" law unconstitutional? Considering how much time and effort the Republicans have spend shredding this document, this "goddamn piece of paper", as Resident Bush said so eloquently a few years ago, do you really want to be part of that shredding? So you really want, in the 2012 election season after the gruesome details of the crimes and treason of the Bush Administration are fully documented, some firebrand liberal challenger calling you "Republican-lite"?


Fifth: I believe it was Harry Truman who said that given a choice between voting for a Republican and voting for a Democrat that acts like a Republican, the people will vote for the Republican every time. Don't let this happen to you.


Let this go until the 111th Congress. Let the calmer heads deal with it. Let the less-partisan 111th Congress deal with it. Let there be laws passed that are not done out of manufactured fear of terrorism (the classic Bush ploy).



As I usually do, I'll be posting a copy of this letter on my favorite internet discussion board, DemocraticUnderground.com. I'll put a copy in the "Minnesota" forum as well as "General Discussion". You never know; it might make the front page!

Thank you for your time.

http://klobuchar.senate.gov/

*cough* *cough* Front page *cough* *cough* *ahem*

[PerfectSage]

1. Bless you. K&R

[krispos42]

5. Well, I try periodically

The problem being that so many things are interconnected that if I actually work on it, it come out like a novella rather than a letter. So I usually don't bother that much. But, hell, might as well, right?

[jtrockville]

2. I faxed both my senators, AND send email to Obama.

A buddy of mine was visiting last night and she did the same.

She ALSO sent email to McCain. She felt it was important for him to know how many people were against this.

[pacalo]

3. That's such a great letter.

With senators like Landrieu & Vitter, I just don't have the fire in my belly anymore to write these kind of letters. I think I lost it in 2004. Impeachment is the only thing that keeps my hope alive these days.

[krispos42]

8. I have this ongoing fantasy...

Where Obama, in like 2010 or so, invites Bush onto Air Force one for a trip to Europe. And just before the plane lands, four US Marshals appear from the back of the plane and grab him. While three of them handcuff and frisk him, one reads a warrant to him.

The plane comes to a stop, the hatch opens, and a quartet of European police officers take him into custody on war-crimes charges. And Obama flashes a big smile at Bush as he's dragged away.

[pacalo]

9. I like that! Our system is so broken we might have to rely on other countries to get justice.

[qb]

4. Excellent! K&R nt

[eridani]

6. I borrowed it and did some cutting and pasting to write my own senators

They probably don't read Sen. Klobuchar's emails.

[krispos42]

7. Oooooo.... I'm tellin'!!!!!

:-)

[pacalo]

10. Hahaaa!

(I thought of doing the same thing, with the fire-in-my-belly gone MIA.)