How we do we get our Senators and Congressmen to LISTEN to us?

[Atman]

I guess I should be celebrating and dancing in the streets with the rest of y'all, but I'm not. I still have this overwhelming feeling of doom. We have a president who is a PROVEN liar and a total douchebag, to boot, yet we still have democrats who won't stand up to him. Why aren't every single member of Congress standing up and denouncing the man? What does it take? I'm convinced that if Bush was first in line to the bathroom at a Duke LaCrosse post-game party, only about seven members of the House/Senate would speak out against him. What the bloody hell is going on? Why am I not turning on my teevee and seeing every single station broadcasting his mug shot?

I'm no spring chicken -- I lived through Watergate, but that was NOTHING compared to Bush's crimes. Nothing.

Yet, he's spending more of our money on fresh new backdrops so he can go give fresh new speeches, spouting fetid old rhetoric. And while he has us all tapdancing around Cynthia McKinney, his waterboy Alberto Gonzalez is testifying before Congress saying that the president can wiretap ANYONE HE WANTS FOR ANY REASON.

We're so fucked. I don't believe he has any intention of stepping down in 2008. He has no intention of allowing Congress to turn over in 2006. I hope I'm wrong, but in all the dark, gloomy predictions I've made since this ass-clown has become president, I think the only things I've been wrong about involve whether or not Tweety Matthews would admit Bush performed poorly in the debates.

It's Friday, right? I need to find a good Happy Hour.

[tonkatoy57]

1. How we do we get our Senators and Congressmen to LISTEN to us?

Bags of cash, hookers, and cocaine.

Is this a test?

[Atman]

2. I think those are what I need!

It IS Friday, after all. Living a clean life hasn't exactly paid big dividends.

[acmejack]

16. And you in Connecticut!

It sounded suspiciously like a plan, and a good one at that! I was just about ready to suggest a night on the town and to hell with all of those promises made years ago. I am saved, apparently, by matters of geography!

[OutsidetheBox]

3. Yes, bags of cash, hookers and cocaine. Well said!

[spanone]

7. Don't forget yachts and Rolls Royces.

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. Take away their Federally funded health care insurance.

:yoiks: And their Federally funded pensions. Limit their terms in Congress. Let them live like the rest of us, with no hope for the future, no health care insurance and no guaranteed pensions. Hey, it's a start.

[ksokol]

5. Bombard them....

with calls and e-mails. And I mean BOMBARD.

Kerri

[SeattleGirl]

9. Exactly what I was thinking, Kerri

We plant our boots in their butts and keep kicking them, via emails, calls, letters, and if the opportunity presents itself, in person. Their job is to represent the people who elected them; OUR job is to make sure they do that, and to vote them out if they don't.

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. That doesn't work. We did that during the ScAlito confirmation.

We all emailed and called them all for DAYS. We wanted them to filibuster with Kerry and they freakin' IGNORED US. They must have gotten THOUSANDS of phone calls and emails. They don't give a shit what WE, their employers, think/want. They will do whatever the hell they want and to hell with the people who PAY THEM.

[SeattleGirl]

14. I understand what you're saying, but I still think we need to do it.

Here's why -- if we keep on them, they will eventually get it that we're serious. I'm not saying that's the only thing to do, and I'm not saying all of them will eventually respond. But try thinking of it this way -- if your child misbehaves, and you tell them to knock it off once, they may will do it (whatever it is) again. But if you get after them every time, most likely they will finally get that you are serious.

Another thing we can do -- which will take longer, but it's still worth doing -- is support lesser known, newer candidates for various offices, be they at the local, state, or nationial level.

I know it's hard to keep fighting sometimes -- God knows, I get tired of it. I get tired of feeling like I'm being ignored (because often I AM being ignored), but I cannot give up. This country, and the people who inhabit it, are far to important to me.

[meganmonkey]

6. We all get in the streets and we refuse to leave until they do their jobs

It really may be that simple.

The question is, WHERE IS EVERYBODY???

I demonstrate at a busy corner at rush hour almost every day. At most there may be 5 other people with me, but usually there are only 3 or 4 of us. We talk to tons of people and almost every single one supports what we are doing, and they say they'll come back another day and join us, but they almost never do.

Why not?

Imagine thousands, tens of thousands, millions of people in the streets at the same time in cities across America. It happens in other democracies all the time. Think France and the students for a current example.

Are we waiting for the politicians to decide to return the power to the people? Because it isn't going to happen. We need to DEMAND it. And we need to refuse to function until things change. End of story.

I have a sign that reads:

99% OF POLITICIANS ARE IGNORING 99% OF THE PEOPLE

Not one person has disagreed with that one. Not one.

But they still won't stand with us for more than 5 minutes. WHY???

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. SURROUND THE CAPITOL BUILDING

AND REFUSE TO LEAVE UNTIL THEY FREAKIN' LISTEN TO US!

Sorry for yelling. ;)

[meganmonkey]

12. Keep yelling!

I have another sign that says:

WE NEED TO GET LOUDER OR THEY WILL NEVER LISTEN!

And can I tell you how hard it is to hold all these signs on a windy day? That's why I need more people to stand with me LOL!!!

Okay, I gotta close up shop and get over to the street corner...


Hopefully I'll see you in DC when it's time for the Peaceful Coup ;)

PEACE!!!

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. PLEASE schedule that "peaceful coup" after June 21!

I'm booked until then. Anytime after June 21 works for me.:) I'll be there!

[Cleita]

8. Well, I did threaten to kill myself on my Congressman Bill

Thomas's front lawn if he allowed the privatization of Social Security to be put on the House calendar. It was the first time he actually wrote me back and he still does. It doesn't change anything. He's as big a liar as the rest of them and writes me about all the legislation he is putting up to benefit seniors. I guess he thinks we are all really that stupid.

[Mr.Green93]

13. They respond to crowds in the street.

We have seen it in action and will see more soon.

[leftstreet]

17. Yep, kinda like this...

[in_cog_ni_to]

18. Problem IS...the media doesn't show anti-war/anti-Bush protests.

I still can't figure out why they covered the immigration protest to the extent they did.

They ignore us. C-SPAN covers them, but how many people watch C-SPAN?

[Atman]

19. Because the Immigration Bill was a BushCo scam

The protests against BushCo are REAL.

[nolabels]

20. We have put too much stock in thinking government could change things

We are reaping the whirlwind of the excesses of others and buying into what they did as a just thing. We trusted in government to do the things for us as a person and society that we could have just as well done ourself. But other than a few issues that is what happened. Government and it's corporate appendages have grown into a life of it's own that also only serves itself.

[kybob]

21. i have a vague memory

but a long time ago sitting in a movie, watching the newsreel, it was black and white. i cannot even recall the event, but it was a congressman surrounded with those big mail bags full of letters and postcards from his constituents about something.

that scene has stuck in my mind all these years. maybe whats needed is to forget emails and phone calls. perhaps when an elected official is swamped with thousands of mailbags it might get his attention...then again maybe not.