what our Democratic "representatives" SHOULD be talking about . . .

[OneBlueSky]

with few exceptions (e.g. John Conyers), our Democratic reps and senators are spending far too much time appeasing their corporate sponsors and almost no time speaking up about the crucial issues facing the nation and the planet . . . when are our "representatives" in Congress going to start addressing:

- the illegality of the war in Iraq?
- the thousands of Americans and Iraqis killed and maimed?
- the depleted uranium contamination of the country?
- the pending war with Iran?
- the unconstitutionality of the Patriot Act?
- the war profiteering?
- the corrupted system of voting and elections?
- the obscene (and growing) concentration of wealth?
- the exodus of American jobs?
- the tax breaks for the rich and richer, including oil companies reporting record profits?
- the price of gas set by those same oil companies?
- the totalitarian control of Congress by Republicans?
- the devastation of the environment?
- global warming and its undeniable and tragic ramifications?
- peak oil, and all that goes with it?
- the need to move from oil to alternative energy sources?
- the unsustainable budget and trade deficits?
- the unsustainable American lifestyle?
- the continuing loss of civil liberties and the creeping Fascism?
- corporate monopoly of the national (and much local) media?
- the TeenScreen fraud to further enrich pharmaceutical companies?
- the 9/11 coverup (the "Mother of all issues) -- and the undeniable evidence that our own government either let it happen, helped it happen, or made it happen?
- etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.?

though they're paid handsomely (with OUR tax dollars, and at salaries they set for themselves) to look after OUR interests and the nation's, they instead are totally subservient to their corporate overlords . . . they ALL KNOW what is happening under BushCo -- yet they all remain mute out of sheer greed and noxious self-interest (i.e. fear of offending those who bankroll them, write their legislation, and tell them how to vote) . . .

it's beyond disappointing . . . it's cowardly and thoroughly disgusting . . . with those same notable exceptions, NONE of these people deserve to be re-elected next time around . . .

this cannot and WILL not last! . . . people are finally starting to wake up, and they're pissed . . . and they're starting to demand honest answers . . . and honest action . . .

we, the people, WILL prevail in the end -- but it will likely be a bloody fight unless our "representatives" stop looking exclusively after themselves and their sponsors and start looking after US, our country, and the planet we all share . . .

Power to the People! . . .

[babsbunny]

1. OH Thank You!

And a big AMEN! Send this list to every DEM leader, Damn It!

[Dez]

2. And the failed Drug War

There are so many injustices being committed by our representatives, it's criminal! I'm trapped in Arizona, a red state. Try writing to those assholes, they're just so slimy, impossible to write to them and get through to them *sigh* and get an intelligent response.

[evilqueen]

5. You refuse to take spin or talking points for an answer.

That's how. You take whatever they send you and you pick it apart with refuting facts, piece by piece. And you force them to answer the questions you ask.

Every legislator has an email address or form on their official website. Complaining via email is a lot easier than trying to reach them by phone, plus it gives you time to cover everything you want to cover.

Don't take no for an answer. Don't back down.

[ClassWarrior]

10. That's right. Remember, in a democracy, when the people lead...

...the leaders follow. It's not up to THEM. It's up to US. And any failure by our leaders is OUR failure.

NGU.

[wli]

11. the drug war's a success: it doubled or more the number of prisoners n/t

[shaniqua6392]

3. You need to send this list

to HOWARD DEAN!!!!! He could use some talking points for the Dems. I have not been impressed with him or the other Dems that are already in office. I can not see much evidence that any of them can speak loudly and clearly for us.

[Clintmax]

4. Here here, BlueSky!

I agree that you need to send that list to our leaders!

[LWolf]

6. An exception brought me to the Democratic Party

after a lifetime as an Independent. I campaigned for him in the '04 primaries, and stuck around after because I thought he needed my support. Dennis Kucinich has been consistently speaking up about the issues on that list all along.

Kucinich, Conyers, my ex-senator Boxer...maybe a few others that I'm not as familiar with. They've got my support whenever they need it.

[bvar22]

7. Some Democrats DO talk about these issues:

You can find them here:

http://www.pdamerica.org/

Progressive Democrats of America

[ClassWarrior]

8. So what have YOU done to change all that?

NGU.

[Al-CIAda]

9. Oh, but this gets a vote from me. nt

[OneBlueSky]

12. why I posted this . . .

I understand that SOME Democratic representatives and senators are fighting the good fight one SOME of these issues . . . I also recognize that the list is far from complete . . .

my intention was to illustrate the magnitude of what we are facing, and to suggest that fighting BushCo on an issue-by-issue basis is far from sufficient . . . we have to look at the TOTALITY of the carnage and fight BushCo head-on in ways that will result in their removal from office . . . and soon . . .

to me, the enabling issue for virtually ALL of BushCo's transgressions -- and the reason they have gotten a free pass from the American people -- is 9/11 . . . the horror of thinking about the magnitude of the damage they are doing is surpassed only by the horror of considering that BushCo either let 9/11 happen, facilitated it, or made it happen . . .

but the evidence is unmistakable . . . anyone who still believes that the planes brought down the WTC towers, or that a jetliner hit the Pentagon, or that the plane in Pennsylvania was NOT shot down is not looking at the evidence clearly . . . the reaction is, of course, understandable . . . no one wants to even consider the possiblity that our own government was involved in making 9/11 happen . . .

but the magnitude of what BushCo has "accomplished" suggests that they are entirely capable of instigating an enabling event of comparable magnitude . . . and the evidence now strongly suggests that they did just that . . .

everyone has to decide for themselves where to enter the battle and which issues to focus on . . . imo, the truth about 9/11 is the single issue that, when revealed, will so destroy BushCo's credibility that everything else they are doing will immediately be suspect . . . for that reason, I believe that reopening the 9/11 investigation and finally determining the truth of what happened that day is the "mother of all issues," and the single most important thing we could accomplish to defeat BushCo and remove them from office . . .

[Al-CIAda]

13. .

[Al-CIAda]

14. .