Pardon the non-native barge, but I just sent this to McCain

[Pacifist Patriot]

and wanted to share it with his constituents.

-----------------------------------------------------------

To the Honorable Senator McCain:

I noticed in the newspaper today you were quoted with respect to the Senate debate regarding Dr. Condoleeza Rice's confirmation as Secretary of State.

On the senate floor you suggested Democrats were sore losers.

"I wonder why we are starting this new Congress with a protracted debate about a foregone conclusion," McCain said. Since Rice is qualified for the job, he said, "I can only conclude that we are doing this for no other reason than because of lingering bitterness over the outcome of the election."

I would suggest to you that there is indeed another reason. You may consider Dr. Rice qualified for the job, but many people including myself do not. Dr. Rice was the National Security Advisor at the time of the greatest terrorist attack on US soil in modern history. While occupying that position, she received multiple warnings of impending attacks by al Qaeda, some even going so far as to surmise that terrorists were seeking to use fully fueled passenger jets as missiles to fly directly into buildings. When confronted with these reports, rather than act on them, Dr. Rice did nothing. Subsequently she misled the public about the alerts in order to minimize them. Since that time, Dr. Rice has participated in a campaign by the Bush administration to take America to war based on lies and has also participated in attempts to enable US forces to torture prisoners. The line of torture is not a blurred one, as some administration officials would like us to think. Rather, it is a clear one, and it acts as a divider between civilization and barbarism. Given her performance as National Security Advisor, Dr. Rice is clearly ill-equipped to represent the United States as its chief diplomat and foreign policy advisor.

Furthermore, you do your colleagues in the Senate a disservice when you chide them for carrying out their legislative duties. Senate confirmation of Presidential appointments is a constitutional exercise designed to maintain balance between our three branches of government. Despite these confirmations being historically rubber stamp for the most part, any Senator with reservations or objections has the duty to raise them prior to a vote. By invoking the bitterness of the election you failed to disparage the Democrats and instead appear disrespectful of the United States Constitution and legislative responsibility.

Regards,

[Desertrose]

1. Thank you ! excellent letter!

Now if it would just sink into McCain's brain.......

I especially liked this line...so true!!!

"you do your colleagues in the Senate a disservice when you chide them for carrying out their legislative duties."


:yourock: Thanks PP

:hi:DR

[fob]

2. 3 cheers to you!

:toast:
:toast:
:toast:

[stray cat]

3. what a beautiful letter - thanks for contacting McCain.

I should do the same - thanks for the incentive.

[HuckleB]

4. Great letter!

:hi:

[EC]

5. Good letter, now let's hope he actually reads his mail...n/t

[FormerOstrich]

6. Great Letter...

However, I don't hold much hope that McCain will give it much consideration. I have written McCain numerous times and through different mediums (e.g. e-mail, fax,...). The first time I received the wrong form letter as a response. Since then I have not received any sort of reply whatsoever.

Sometimes I think his office has me on an ignore list. Recently I called his office. When I said my full name (first and last) the woman repeated said something like "of course this is" repeating my first name. It was kinda creepy.

Great letter and I think we should keep writing in spite of they lack of response. Thank you!!

[Pacifist Patriot]

7. Hey, most of the time I don't write these figuring I'm actually going

to make a difference. I write them to make myself feel like I've done something. Totally self-serving. ;)

And yeah, what that woman did was kind of creepy. I suspect I'm on some kind of "watch list" at my Republican Representative's office. I once got a letter from him that pretty much said (in other terms of course)

Don't bother contacting me anymore, I know I don't represent you.