Senators' positions on the Feingold Censure resolution.

[Pacifist Patriot]

Thanks to DUer sinkingfeeling I had a wonderful talking point ready for the conversation. I spoke to Sen. Bill Nelson and Sen. Mel Martinez's offices.

I told the staffers I was calling about the Feingold proposal to censure the president. Both staffers responded almost identically, "the senator has not issued a formal statement and is taking consituent feedback."

I said, "well my question is whether the senator supports censure or supports criminal activity."

The staffers uh hummed and coughed.

I continued, "I sincerely hope the senator supports censure as a minimum action at this point in time. The president must at least be censured."

The staffer, "I'll be happy to pass along your comments to the senator. May I have your zip code?"

Me, ever the courteous constituent responds, "But of course, it's ____. Have a great afternoon!"

Staffer, "um yeah, you too."

Whether you are in Florida or another state, please, please call your Senators. Let them know we are paying attention to what they do at this point. Democrat AND Republican.

Thanks!

[ClassWarrior]

1. Amen. When my Senator's staffer said it hasn't been determined whether...

...Bush** committed a criminal activity, I asked her whether the Senator is denying that it's illegal to spy on American citizens under FISA. She didn't have an answer.

:evilgrin:

Keep calling and asking till you get an answer.

And please help me keep this thread kicked and recommended:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2512789&mesg_id=2512789

While you're at it, please pass this along to your email lists.

:patriot:

NGU.

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. Oops, I didn't see your thread before I saw the comment

by the other DUer. My hat is off to you too. Thanks for the frame!

[ClassWarrior]

7. No problem. Not trying to grab credit. Just trying to keep the thread...

...kicked.

:hi:

NGU.

[BR_Parkway]

3. In the real world, that's what a trial would prove - so does the Senator

support the full bi-partisan investigation into what activities may have been criminal violations then? Wonder how they answer that..

Burr & Dole's flunkies didn't answer, they just kept repeating Senator has no position yet. I replied that hopefully, at the end of their term in the Senate, that the Senator would have no position then either.

[Pacifist Patriot]

15. LOL! Good answer.

[spartan61]

4. I just called Nelson's and Martinez' offices too and got almost

the same answer you received. I asked if Senator Nelson (Martinez) supported Senator Feingold's proposal on censure or did the Senator support the illegal wire tapping. (Made it an either/or). I got a lot of uh uh,ummm before the staffer said the Senator was waiting to get feedback before making a decision. I then said that I am a constituent and although I would much prefer impeachment, at the very least prez bush should be censured. Asked for my zip code. Since we also own property in Maine and have a zip code there, I'll call Snowe and Collins.

[stop the bleeding]

5. [phone] - I hope this number is good, call the switchboard

and ask to be transferred to your Senator. I am at work so I can not try it to see if it works.

I love how you all frame the argument.

Nominated!

[Kansas Wyatt]

6. Sure...

From Senator Roberts, I would get: The Senator is too "over-worked" and already covering (covering-up) Bush's Glorious Actions (crimes) to respond to partisan attacks.

From Senator Brownback, I would get: We should just trust the President, and would I like to join his prayer group and Jesus PAC.

Sorry, I am without any reasonable and credible representation, and am stuck with BushCo enablers and co-conspirators in the Rubber Stamp Senate.

[stop the bleeding]

10. so tell the staffer that you will tell everyone that you know that the

Senator's support illegal activity. People who refuse to answer straight give implied consent in their lack of answers.

Frankly I am tired of the games, if they won't play right then it is time for us to play to win.

[ClassWarrior]

11. Okay, then pin them down to the statement, "I support...

..."the criminal activity of this Administration**," or make them hang up on you first.

NGU.

[Pacifist Patriot]

16. Oh live a little. Senator Martinez is so far up Bush's backside...

he can see out of Shrub's eyeballs.

That's what made it so fun to ask if he was in support of censure or criminal activity.

[RazzleDazzle]

21. And if you DON'T call them because you think it's a lost cause,

it IS a lost cause because they won't get any (or as many) calls as they might and can honestly say, "My constituents don't care about that."

Nice little self-fulfilling prophey you got going there. They may not represent you particularly well now, but you HAVE to give them the information to do better, whether they will or not is another matter. However, at this point Bush is so reviled, even by many Republicans, that they're running scared and might listen.

They listened BIG TIME on the ports issue, much better than our own Dems listen to anything. So you never know, except one thing:

If you DON'T call and make your views known in no uncertain terms, they can't possibly know your views.

[spartan61]

8. Just called Senators Snowe and Collins and

received the same message when I asked if they supported Sen. Feingold's proposal on censure or supported illegal wiretapping. Both offices said no decision by the senator was yet made. So I gave my spiel that I would prefer impeachment to censure, but for heaven's sake do something to send a message to bush that we won't tolerate his breaking the law.

[ClassWarrior]

9. Keep calling till they answer the question.

Make them sweat this one.

NGU.

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. Hillary's Democratic Primary opponent backs Feingold's censure motion

Jonathan Tasini is calling on Clinton to join him in taking that stand. He also thinks impeachment is justified:

"I support Sen. Russ Feingold's proposal that the U.S. Senate censure
George Bush for his illegal wiretapping of American citizens. Feingold
is right when he asserts that the Bush Administration, `repeatedly
misled the public prior to the public disclosure of the National
Security Agency surveillance program by indicating his administration
was relying on court orders to wiretap suspected terrorists inside the
United States.'

I call on Hillary Clinton to join me in supporting Feingold's proposal.

At the same time that I support Feingold's proposal, I believe that
the illegal conduct of this Administration has been so rampant as to
justify the filing of Articles of Impeachment in the House of
Representatives against the president and the vice-president."

http://www.tasinifornewyork.org/

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. Excellent!

[EVDebs]

13. Feingold reminds me of that quote from Ibsen

with Dr Stockman in An Enemy of The People

"The strongest people in the world are those who stand most alone". That play has some other great quotes, but this one makes clear that the real enemy of the people are those within the administration who subvert the Constitution and make a mockery of their oaths of office. Shame on those faux "patriots". I'm watching the real deal with Feingold. Run in '08, Russ !

[ClassWarrior]

14. .

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. Durbin was leaning towards support, Obama has no position.

Obama is turning out to be the joke of the senate. We thought we had something special in Illinois. He turned out to be specious.
Anything contraversial, anything difficult, and he runs into the Briar patch to hide.

what a disappointment.

[Pacifist Patriot]

19. You never know. He may just be playing things close to the vest.

Ultimately, his vote will tell the tale.

[ClassWarrior]

20. Keep framing the question to him and his staff... force him to stand up...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2512789&mesg_id=2512789

NGU.