Reporting on My Call to Senator Reid's Washington DC Office..

I have just finished speaking on the telephone with a staffer in Senator Reid’s Washington DC office. Because I’ve read all the reports, and because I had already called two days in a row asking what the Senator’s position is with regard to Senator Feingold’s Motion to Censure, my purpose for this morning’s call was not to ask the underpinning question, but to demand that he brings the Democratic Senate Caucus in line with supporting Feingold's motion for Censure.

I first mentioned that though I'm from California, I'm calling his office, because Senator Reid is the Senate Minority Leader, and charged with afore mentioned duties.

I asked the staffer to remind the Senator that a good number of these same Senators who are running for cover on Feingold's motion now, voted to Censure Bill Clinton on the Monica Lewinsky affair, and asked what is so difficult in Censuring a president who has done far more serious damage to our nation, and the laws of the land, and our Constitution and which are far more serious than anything that Bill Clinton ever did?

Staffer didn't have an answer, but acknowledged the point.

I reminded the staffer to please remind the Senator, that the issue is Domestic Spying on political dissidents and perceived “political enemies” such as elected Democratic officials or their staffers, does he understand this?

Staffer, said very gloomingly yes, that is the issue.

I referenced this mornings article on the ACLU‘s findings of illegal surveillance of peace activists.

Staffer said yes, he saw the article.

I pointed out that running for cover is showing weakness, not strength.

I pointed out that Dick Cheney has the lowest popularity in the entire country, why are they acting like he’s God everytime he gets out and smacks the Democrats? I said they need to smack him down harder, verbally (and legally) on his brazen lies, distortions and propaganda. That he needed to be challenged publicly relentlessly and aggressively.

I added that the best way for the Democratic party to demonstrate their “strength on national security”, (and meeting aggressively with despots outside of our country who threaten our national security) is to demonstrate their courage of conviction, willingness and strength in unity to go after the despots within our country, those who are occupying the White House now, along with their brown shirts in the Senate .

I also expressed my frustration with Senator Reid’s cow towing to the GOP in response to their attacks for the Senator’s temerity in posting documents illustrating illegal and unethical activities of the GOP and other evidence of corruption. I asked why did he cower and apologize for that perfectly legitimate action, and then have those documents removed from the website? The staffer, responded by saying very sheepishly and apogetically that he just didn’t know why.

I pointed out that I’m voting for Senator Feingold for president in 2008, regardless who the DLC intends to shove down my throat, even if it means I will have to vote for him as a write-in candidate. I also pointed out that I’m a life long Democrat that who is considering changing as an Independent due to my deep disaffection and disappointment with the party leadership.

Senator Reid's staffer who took my call at the Washington DC office was very nice, listened attentively and quite frankly, his tone implied quite clearly that he's on the same page with us.

People we are not out of the mainstream, we are the voice of the people.

Make those calls to your own Senators, but also please call Senator Reid's office. 202-224-3542 !

Does the Senator support Feingold's motion to Censure, or does the Senator support continued illegal activity, the desimation of our Constitution with among other illegal activities, domestic spying on perceived political enemies?

with him as well as our own Senators.. :hi:

every chance I get.

I did not go into alot of detail like you did. Thanks, next time I will have more ammunition to back my point like you did!

Good news is I did call....

It's not about who did a "better job" - it's about making the point of what it is YOU want to see them doing!

Good job, and don't hesitate to repeat the calls.. that's important too..

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin is on the Judiciary committee and is most likely the person who was responsible for having the matter transferred to that committee. If you want it out of Judiciary onto the floor of the senate, a call to dick is in order:

http://durbin.senate.gov/

thanks!

And here's Senator Leahy's number - (he's the Judiciary Co-Chair)
(202) 224-4242

OK people call Durbin's Washington office now.

(202) 224-2152

automatically go to the Judiciary after leaving the floor. Said if Russ wanted it to get out of Judiciary, it was up to Russ. For some reason I think I am getting my chain yanked.

I told her to tell Dick that us Dems are getting pretty fed up out here with the lack of courage and leadership. I also told her that if Russ runs, he will win because he is showing leadership.

She said: Thank you, I'll tell him.


Sometimes I just don't know folks. Lets keep on it. The best fights are hard fought.

come to think of it, it seems to me i read an article yesterday quoting Feingold as suggesting that after a few days if the Judiciary doesn't take action on it, he will then pull it from committee himself and call for a vote on the floor. i don't remember now if that it was a press wire report or other source.

anyone else recall reading that report and remember the source?

Durbin also the whip? So he has influence there as well.

His staffers were polite but cold.

I called my senators obama and durbin yesterday along with reid
and will do it again today.

we need to all call and keep calling until we get the
answer that we want

K&R! :kick:

Good job!

:toast:

Posted up thread, was the point that Durbin sits on the Judiciary committee and was responsible for taking Senator Feingold's motion to Censure to the judiciary to die - call this Senator's office and demand that it not be allowed to die in committee!

Peace.

And, intend to call them again. Same messages as those you enunciate.


Be The Bu$h Opposition - 24/7

Now whether they actually DO anything about it....

remember the DSM? that took a couple of months before it finally got mentioned in msm .. (as if it were reported on all along)

you know what ELSE you can do? I realize this is subterfuge, but hey - all's fair game... kkkarl said so.

Call them and identify yourself as a Republican. Maintain a VERY calm and reasoned voice. DO NOT get all agitated. Be serious and courteous and thoughtful. Tell them you're a lifelong Republican and that you're just sick at heart at what's happened to the party you love (YES. I'm serious. Say stuff like this. Cross your fingers behind your back if you have to.) and what's happened with the war and what's happened to people's privacy rights and what's happened to the lofty principles of smaller government and no big-brother intrusions that have supposedly guided your party - til now. Tell how distressed you are, and how it hurts you to have to come to this, but as a self-respecting old-style Republican you simply can no longer, in good conscience, support this president and that you are horrified by his flagrant, willful law-breaking. Talk about how you always regarded the GOP as the LAW AND ORDER party, and how you're left unable to say anything of the kind, now. Tell them how his policies and his illegal activities and his trampling on the Constitution (that YOU still hold in high regard) are all turning you against your own party, and making you and EVERYBODY ELSE in the GOP look REALLY BAD. And that you feel utterly BETRAYED.

I've done this. I've appealed to them as a loyal partisan who is now heartbroken at the way "my" party has been hijacked and totally perverted. I've even said "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually seriously considering voting for the Democrat Party." Make sure, if you do go this far, you DO SAY "Democrat Party." That's insider code. Their "true believers" and a LOT of their leadership often refer (in a VERY subtle, pejorative, dismissive, under-the-radar dig) to us that way, instead of what we ARE - the Democratic Party.

Just try this for fun. But you simply MUST keep your voice even and well-modulated. Don't start getting shrill or hysterical. You are coming to them as a reasonable, informed, dedicated longtime party supporter - one of good conscience and good faith, who just can't morally or ethically stick with this anymore. It makes an impact with some of these people. I tell ya: they take it FAR more seriously when they're hearing from their own kind than from us. From us they expect to get shit. And they don't care, nor do they take it seriously. We matter nothing to them. But their own are different. They care deeply about their own. It's their so-called "base" that they're always focused on shoring up and pandering to. And when that base gets shaky - AS IS NOW HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY - and BELIEVE ME, THEY'RE WELL AWARE OF THIS - so do they. So have some fun. And HAVE SOME IMPACT. Get into them like a low-grade infection and ruin their day with subtlety. Might even help their ulcers along. ONE of the people you try this with WILL have to go reach for the Rolaids afterwards, if not by the end of the day. They'll take your call, and your message, a LOT more seriously. And they WILL pass something like this along to their bosses. There is NOTHING they're more worried about at the moment than keeping everybody on the reservation. That's their only hope for survival in November, and they're already seeing that slip away. This WILL have an impact.

I live in California, both my Senators are Democrats. (Well.. Boxer signed on to Feingold's resolution announced yesterday, and Dianne Feinstein is another story)..

but i'm such a Leftist .. i know any Republican would see right through me, in an instant..

I would be interested to hear 'report backs' - from those who dare try this...

You all will love my senators...
Sen. Bill Frist
(202)224-3344

Sen. Lamar Alexander
(202) 224-4944


I just called them and gave 'em the same schpeel...

Good luck to all!

I haven't ever heard of Lamar Alexander... i never see him speak or see him in any committee - is he a Repuke?

The spokesperson for Frist stated, that he believes President did nothing wrong...
For Alexander, received a voice mail box and left message...

:rofl: just kidding...

he gets away with that bullshit?

but not the recent past) but that their stand on the issue is not what good conservatives sent them to office to do, and that I won't be voting R in the future (also true)

I figure they'd ignore anyone who doesn't sound like their base, so I try to. Simple fact is they are Senators for the State of NC (which makes me their base) even though they act like they are Senators for the Republicans of the State of NC.

not just Republicans. So good on you, and thanks for trying...

love to hear a report back..

Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson. Their staffers said that the senators don't think the president did anything wrong. I asked them where they got the good drugs. It was pretty much over after that. :shrug:

Chambliss is a Fascists - but it's good that he heard from you!

I called Senator Kohl(WI-D) first asking his Washington, DC staffer if he was supporting Senator Feingold's motion to censure President Bush (amazing how polite I get when trying to keep someone on the phone). The reply was that the Senator was still taking input from constituents. My response was that usually means he does not intend to support it. I said the Senator should question why the Senate bothers passing any laws since the President just keeps ignoring them? She then asked for my name and address which I freely gave along with information that we are still looking for someone to oppose him in the upcoming primary.

On to Senator Reid's office. His staffer said that the Senator had the question of censure "under review." When asked why the Senate should keep passing laws for the President to ignore, this staffer said that is an interesting point and several callers had expressed "similar logic".

Then I called Senator Feingold's office to thank him for the censure motion. This brightened that staffer's day, apparently not all calls to the La Cross, WI office, 608-782-5585 have not been supportive. Other offices were always busy. When I asked what will happen to the motion in committee, this staffer said it will be up to Specter. We then discussed the likelihood of Specter actually finding his spine...

The Pittsburgh office for Senator Specter, 570-826-6265 was the only one I could find to answer. The staffer there said that he "has expressed interest in holding hearings" on the censure motion. I encouraged him to do so, with witnesses under oath this time.

I think the odds are slim but well worth phone calls and follow up faxes which I will start on my next break.

Never think about calling their state unless i can't get through the Washington number...

chatted up quite a bit...

staffer said Feingold was on Ed Schultz just about an hour ago, which means it should be coming up here on just a bit if i haven't missed it.

listening in right now, and Schultz is going through a list of Dems who haven't committed and being critical of their responses..

hear from me and I told him to send me donation contribution to WA state address and I'll be donating!!! OMG, he was so HAPPY!!!

are both Repukes, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson.:puke: Is it even worth the time and effort to call them? Or would it just be a total waste of time? I'm asking you guys 'cause I'm the type of person who REALLY avoids confrontation, whether in person or on the phone.
Also, has anyone heard anything about Senator Mary Landrieu's stance on this?

feel about their hypocrisy - remember all their grandstanding around
Bill Clinton's "broke the law" and returning the office from disgrace to a place of honor and blah blah blah..

let them know that you pay attention to what's happening, and you know. that you are voting for Feingold (just kidding)..

i don't think it's a waste of time... i be they never get a freaking ribbing on what repuking hypocrites they are.

:hug:

All those calls & letters trying to stop Roberts
and especially Alito....what good did they do?
It would far more productive to spend that time and
energy collecting funds for the next election. Just
my 2 cents.

I posted about it to someone else, but let me tell you what the staffers said - that each senator didn't think the president had done anything wrong. I've called these people numerous times, so I always feel like I've got nothing to lose so I asked them where they get their really good drugs if they think he's done nothing wrong. It was pretty much over after that. I thanked them for their time. They didn't tell me to have a nice day. Just rude........ :evilgrin:

line is always busy!

busy, vm full, or an outgoing message that gave a run down on office hours. i'm referring to both San Francisco office and WashingtonDC.

that's says alot.

on other hand, Dianne Feinstein's Washington and San Francisco phones have NOT been too busy, at least i was able to get through both on monday and tuesday - guess i should call again today, eh?

that during the viet nam war, many of the staffers were frustrated with their bosses' slowness to take a stand against it. sounds like you experienced some of that.

and we protested on the capitol steps and we marched. and it worked.

at 4:45 pm ET.

Maybe I work too late?

No, they don't work much do they?

Don't you believe in Joementum?

:rofl:

I told the staffer to send one message to my Senator:

"Tell him to make a decision - that's what he's getting paid for. He should make sure his decision matches the oath he took when sworn into office. You know, the part about defending our U.S. Constitution from all enemies, both foreign AND domestic? That one."

that neither Negroponte or Alberto Gonzalez was willing to openly discuss in eithe committees.

Whyden grilled Negroponte and Hayden heavily on the so called "Total Information Awareness Program" that Congress had shut down after learning about it in committee meetings during iran contra only to see reports that this program is back in operation but shifted to other departments at NSA.

these traitorous bastards need to be locked in prison for life.

Read more about it here: Think Progress's article on "Basketball" (the new TIA)

You know i did hear something about "basketball" on a talk show i think, but i thought was a joke.. (!)

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/02/24/national-journal-total-information-awareness-stopped-in-name-only

That should work now - I have NO idea why the other one didn't work, it's the EXACT same URL. :shrug:

office was busy-busy-busy.

I told 'em I, too, was calling from California ("I care enough to call all the way from there, and as a Californian, I'm officially a next-door neighbor. Close enough.") and that I wondered why the Dems are running away from Feingold.

I pointed out that you're either for the law or against the law, and that the republi-CONS impeached a man for lying about cheating on his wife - while there are EVER SO MANY MORE egregious reasons to IMPEACH bush.

People like Harry Reid need to be reminded that this shit is why so many Americans think the Dems are weak, spineless, and don't stand for anything. After all, it could fairly and reasonably be asked - "how do we know you'll stand up to bin Laden if you can't stand up to bush?"

He's listening to too many DLCers, maybe. Which is why WE need to confront him and others like him loudly and frequently, so hopefully we'll drown the appeasers out.

Feingold said on Ed Schultz.

Where are those Loose Cannon Dems? Those are the ones we need!

crickets tune out their own

No name-calling, just the facts and an empassioned plea for Sen Reid to help out.

That's the way to handle a call to a Senator who you think might not be doing the right thing.

I'm going to recommend this thread on that basis.

Good job, radio4prog..

We'd better use the best tools including a bit of common sense, and decent manners goes a long way... :hi:

Call to Patty Murray....went nowhere...her box is full...goodbye...click dial tone...
Call to Maria Cantwell....went nowhere...her phone went unanswered...
so there you have it...
windbreeze

Don't know about Washington State, but in California Boxer and Feinstein have offices in a few municipalities because of the size of the state..

But i'd have to imagine there's got to be one in Seattle but also in the Tri-City area?

Just check www.congress.org - they'll have listings for Washington AND the local offices. Your chances of getting through there are better. And for us West Coast types, you can still weigh in with a live being after the East Coast offices have closed.

I'm not surprised their numbers are busy. That's true for LOTS of these people. I usually just call one of the Nevada numbers for Harry Reid, for example, because his Washington offices are almost always busy. Just don't stop trying.

I bet illegal NSA wiretapping isn't too popular in Rhode Island.

guess i could be wrong.. somethimes i read like he's actually Liberal at heart but he votes party line most of the time. but when i hear TALK about issues - he talks like a progressvie!

I don't get him... :shrug:

This is of course back before that term wasn't an oxymoron. Back in the era of Chafee's father, things weren't so partisan and the country was shifted much more to the left. Progressive northeastern Republicans were common. Equally common were progressive democrats from what would now be considered red states. Frank Church, Birch Bayh, and George McGovern would all have a nearly impossible time getting elected in the states that they represented.

Chafee remains a Republican because he has nostalgia for his father's era. It's kind of like how Zell Miller remains a democrat because he claims to have nostalgia for his father's era. Of course while he says he has nostalgia for the democratic party of John Kennedy in the 1960's, he really means that he has nostalgia for the democratic party of John Breckenridge in the 1860's.

I was astonished to hear a Senator with an R after his name when he grilled Condi for Secretary of State position last year..

He grilled her over the administrations hypocritical rhetoric wrt Venezuela - pointed out that Chavez was ELECTED by the people with a huge majority, yet we engaged in efforts to try oust him in a CIA orchestrated coup twice, and the current saber rattling was anthetical to the notion of supporting democratically elected leaders on the one hand, and calling for regime change (of Venezuela) on the other..

I'm broadly paraphrasing of course, but he was as clearly disturbed by these covert and black ops.. I don't remember if he voted to confirm her nomination or not. It seems largely that he votes party line, but that his head and heart is essentially opposed to a lot of his parties machinations.

is the headline of the Providence paper today. That's a start anyway.

Bill

vs not censuring Bush when he's done far worse to this country.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:SE00044:@@@L&summ2=m&

S.RES.44, introduced 2/12/1999

Thanks.

strong as I would have hoped, i.e., in full support of the censure motion but it's a start. Maybe we should encourage them and sign the petition. Here's their call to sign a petition and the link.

http://www.democrats.org/page/s/allard says,

Stop Attacking Russ Feingold

Republicans are so scared of having a legitimate debate about Iraq or national security that they have only one reaction to news of their failures or calls for accountability.

On Monday, Democratic Senator Russ Feingold introduced legislation to censure the President for breaking the law by creating a secret domestic spying program. Agree or disagree with his proposal, as a Senator -- and as an American -- he has the right to speak his mind and express his views without Republican Senators questioning his patriotism.

But that's exactly what happened. This week Republican Senator Wayne Allard of Colorado, in an interview with Fox News radio, said in response to Feingold's action that he has "time and time again with the terrorists".

Send a message to Senator Allard: shame on him for questioning the patriotism of another Senator. Sign this petition and it will be delivered to Allard:

Durbin and Reid this: Senator will you support Feingold's motion to Censure, or will you support continued illegal activity, the decimation of our Constitution with among other illegal activities, domestic spying on perceived political enemies?

Fed Up With Spineless Democrat Leadership

Martinez staffer did NOT take it well that as Martinez a Cuban American if he agrees on being spy on for the American people he should of stayed in Cuba to deal with "The Chivatos" (those are your neighbor's committee in Cuba, that reports to Fidel's government what you are up to!)
Bush spying is definitely a state of the art compare to Fidel, but in my eyes is the same!

Fidel + Bush= NO Difference!

Next Sen. Durbin, Leahy and Reid!

:patriot:

this to spend this much time.

There are times for angry calls but they're rare and when you make them, you've probably lost anyway.

Reid wants to be a national leader, he needs to live up to his promise. I was very encouraged by his selection. We've seen the Harry Reid who got furious and shut down the Senate by a very clever procedure and the one who called Bush a "liar" and wouldn't back off. Most of the time, we get vacillation between points of brilliance and longer periods of not much. I'm hopeful but the people are obviously going to lead the politicians...and that's a good thing;)

Great call. Recommended

I wish I could be as articulate as that but my concentration is pretty much nil lately.

I want to book mark this page but I don't know how.

Blu

after you open it...