Rep. Louise Slaughter: End of the Bush Era?

[paineinthearse]

by email

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Dear (),

On Tuesday I opened my copy of the Washington Post and was immediately caught off guard by a headline proclaiming, "The End of the Bush Era."

The article went on to state, "The Bush Era did not begin when he took office, or even with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It began on Sept. 14, 2001, when Bush declared at the World Trade Center site: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." Bush was, indeed, skilled in identifying enemies and rallying a nation already disposed to action. He failed to realize after Sept. 11 that it was not we who were lucky to have him as a leader, but he who was lucky to be president of a great country that understood the importance of standing together in the face of a grave foreign threat."

I couldn't agree more.

http://www.votelouise.com/era

As an elected Representative I know it is the people who have placed their trust in me and I am lucky, indeed humbled, to have it. Each day I wake up knowing it is my responsibility to represent my constituents to the best of my ability... to work hard and make certain no one is left behind in their pursuit of the American dream.

If the past two weeks have taught us anything, they have taught us that the needs of far too many Americans have been completely ignored by their government.

I'm talking about more than FEMA's terribly inadequate response in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Over the past fives years the Republican controlled Congress and President Bush have done more than just cut funding for disaster response and preparation. They've taken the axe to program after program... programs that millions of Americans rely on just to get by.

Programs that feed children and protect the environment. Programs that provide important medical care to our veterans and seniors. Programs that put cops on our streets and teachers in our classrooms.

If the President was surprised by the poverty he saw when visiting New Orleans, almost a week after Katrina hit, he shouldn't have been.

It is a poverty he's helped to create.

http://www.votelouise.com/era

"The president's post-election fixation on privatizing part of Social Security showed how out of touch he was. The more Bush discussed this boutique idea cooked up in conservative think tanks and Wall Street imaginations, the less the public liked it. The situation in Iraq deteriorated. The glorious economy Bush kept touting turned out not to be glorious for many Americans. The Census Bureau's annual economic report, released in the midst of the Gulf disaster, found that an additional 4.1 million Americans had slipped into poverty between 2001 and 2004," the Post article continues.

In the coming weeks and months much will be said about Congress and the President's response to Katrina. It is our obligation to stand up for our brothers and sisters and say enough is enough.

We need to stand up for our poor, young, old, displaced, sick, handicapped and homeless. This isn't a one time commitment that needs mending after a horrible disaster. This is a lifetime commitment we must all rise too.

http://www.votelouise.com/era

I hope you will take a moment to share with me your thoughts and reflections on the Bush era. How has the Bush administration affected your day to day life? What will it mean for you to have a Democratic Congress and President? What are you doing to make that possibility a reality?

Now more than ever Members of Congress need to hear your voice loud and clear. Change begins right here, right now. It won't happen without you.


In Solidarity,

Louise M. Slaughter
Member of Congress

[Erika]

1. Yes, we've lived through a nightmare with Bush & his bushbots

and it seems like several life times.

[longship]

2. What a great woman.

You must be proud to have her as your representative in Congress.

[Karenina]

3. She is superb!!!

Louise, :yourock: