Assuming it's true that a phone call has much more impact than an e-mail, I decided to attempt to phone Ken Salazar (my former senator).
It took several calls that went from long voice menu options (none of which go to Ken) to operators who would forward me (a couple times) or give me another number to call, both of which resulted in new phone menus, none of which go to Ken.
I sweet talked like an MA in PolySigh like me ought to be able to do and sounded like I had a serious issue to present to Ken (reading off this webpage for info), and eventually the one operator with poor English (out of 3 I talked to) gave me the number for the Fish and Wildlife Service (having ascertained "endangered species" from me), so I called that one, and asked their operator to speak to or leave a message for Ken Salazar.
The gentleman sounded suspicious, and asked what is was about. I told him that I wanted to urge Mr. Salazar to restore the full protection of the polar bear, and that I would be happy if this meant regulating carbon emissions.
He asked me how I got his number, so I told him about these phone circles I'd been sent in.
Clearly, Obama's people need to get over to the Interior and improve their openness. For such a pain in the ass as I went through, I can only hope that it had more impact than some e-mail. I was completely polite and professional sounding to everyone.
It feels a bit pathetic, when our Senators were sending Bush sternly worded letters, that here I am making multiple polite phone calls. Perhaps it'll seem less strange if I create an environmental organization to say I'm representing.
But I've been to many antiwar protests over the decades, and I don't think they've done much. So I'm going to try to politely pressure the Obama administration and the Dems consistently and see if anything significant can be accomplished within the two-party system. I'm a radical who is trying to help the reformist liberal at least maximize the possibilities of liberal reform, insufficient as it seems to me.