The 2006 Election was about Iraq = Pressure on Dem. Committee Chairs is a Good Thing

[HereSince1628]

Having gained control due to Majority disillusionment with the Sunk-Cost rationalizations for continuing the greatest foreign policy blunder in the history of our nation, the democrats are struggling to make headway in meeting voter expectations to bring the Great Gamble in Iraq to an end.

Not attending to their priority is sure to bring out frustration among those who feel their effort shifted control of the powerful committee chairs out of the rubber-stamping hands of Republicans and into the grasp of Democrats. Those voters expected Democrats to heel-over the tiller and make a sharp change in course. To party partisans, especially it seems the DCDems the election was about gaining Democratic control. To the people the election was about changing control of Congress in order to bring America out of the bloodshed.

Are we really surprised there are people disappointed, even frustrated with the lack of movement? It is plain to see that both the NeoCon administration and the now majority Democratic Congress are stymied on ending the occupation because of "political realities" like not being creative enough to find more than 218 votes when 68% of the citizenry wants the US out of Iraq. In the end it will be motivated citizens whose persistence will overcome the inertia and set the nation in motion. We, the people, knew it was our responsibility in October 2006 and we the people thought we actually had done something to decide the nation’s course on the war in November.

So, what is a motivated citizen to do? The choices often presented in these chatrooms seem to include the truly hard, time consuming, often thankless work of knocking on the doors of the members of Congress to petition them to do something with the power they have, advocating for Impeachment and thus freeing the people from its Gambling Addicted Executives, or invoking the revolutionary spirit of the Founders to shed the yoke of a form of government that no longer fairly represents the people.

Personally, that first choice seems the most attractive. It isn’t revolutionary; it isn’t asking for a radical change in leadership. It isn’t even a radical Left Wing proposition. It _is_ an option of the people insured in the Bill of Rights. It is one of the things truly motivated Americans can do to bring the fruitless bloodshed to an end.

Putting pressure on the local office of a Democratic Congressional Committee Chairman isn’t any less patriotic than standing in a ditch in the central Texas heat. Taking the time and money to step away from the computer keyboard to step into the hallways of Congress is surely as noble, and is done with with much less cover, as rallying on the Mall and marching in mass protest to the foot of the Hill.

Let us not forget the occupation in Iraq and Afganistan is still on, surging even. The people’s pressure to end the occupation must also remain on the Congress and it may be needing to surge as well. That means that Chairmen must be confronted with petitions from the people. Consequently, people are going to “get in the face” of Democratic Chairmen and make their demands known. They are even going to get in the face of friendly Democrats like David Obey.

A congress critter being confronted in the hallways of a congressional office building really is part of the process anticipated by the Founders. It _is_ a good thing. And if I can be so presumptuous, I’d recommend that Democratic Committee Chairs do a little bit of study on values clarification and conflict resolution, because it’s going to be a long 2 years.

[rodeodance]

1. I thank the people who are physically there to keep the pressure on the

Dems.

I do not know if there is a similar effort to put pressure on the Rupugs???

[HereSince1628]

2. I'm thankful for everyone keeping the pressure on

I don't have the $$ to get to DC but I can keep on with the little pressure I can exert.

I'm now calling Feingold, Kohl and Sensenbrenner's office everyday and leaving the message that I expect them to help get us out ASAP.

[BayCityProgressive]

3. I have protested outside of Levins

office in MI and I was in DC for the Jan. protest. I will be there again for the march on the 17th. Anyone who thinks the Dems would do ANYTHING without a huge amount of pressure from the people are smoking some good stuff.