I am initiating, with help from some Kossacks, some of my readers and possibly certain progressive organizations, a campaign to publicize the corruption of Congressional Republicans. This is in essence a continuation of the DeLay scandals. I have been heartened that even the mainstream media has been picking up the DeLay sleaze stories. In essence, we have already scored a victory against DeLay because now his name is associated with the word "scandal" even in the mainstream media. Don't underestimate the value of doing that. But ideally we would bring him down like we brought down the Gingrinch. And that is possible. So DeLay is still a target.
But it is more than just DeLay. I have been looking to target a series of Republican Congresscritters to expose their ethical lapses. I wish to begin this campaign this week and, of course, DailyKos will be a good place to initiate it. I will also be using my own Progressive Democrat Newsletter to publicize these efforts as well as various other organizations I have ties with.
This week I want to focus on Tom Delay and to introduce my next target. I invite you to either write separate letters to the editor and to your Conrgessional Rep about each of these Congressmen, and I suggest that we also tie them both (and other Repubs) to the hypocricy of the Schiavo case (see my sample letter in the comments for this tactic).
TOM DELAY:
First, read up on what little Tommy DeLay has been up to:
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/03/12/delay/
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/031505Z.shtml
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/Tom-Delay-Unethical8oct04.htm
http://www.ethicsscoreboard.com/list/gop.html
Then start lobbying your Rep. demanding DeLay resigns. The easy way to do this is:
http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=18721
But even better than this, contact your Reps office directly by looking him or her up on:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
Then focus on the ethics committee. Let them know you are sick of DeLay's scandals and you want him out:
Here are the 10 ethics committee members you need to call:
* Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA): 202-225-5816
* Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL): 202-225-3515
* Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX): 202-225-4236
* Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA): 202-225-2565
* Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK): 202-225-6165
* Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV): 202-225-4172 (Ranking Minority Member)
* Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH): 202-225-7032
* Rep. Gene Green (D-TX): 202-225-1688
* Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA): 202-225-1766
* Rep. Michael F. Doyle (D-PA): 202-225-2135
Or go here for more info on the ethics committee:
http://www.commonblog.com/story/2005/3/8/112531/5955
Finally and MOST IMPORTANTLY, hit the issue in your local media. Get writing letters and calling talk shows demanding that DeLay resign:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/
MIKE OXLEY (OH-4):
Mike Oxley (OH-4): Ohio Congressman Mike Oxley, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, should have faced a serious investigation and sanctions for a seamy transaction in which he offered to drop a much-needed probe of the mutual insurance industry if its Washington-based trade group, the Investment Company Institute, agreed to hire a Republican to oversee its lobbying efforts. House Democrats balked at filing an ethics complaint after Tom DeLay and Company threatened to counter with a volley of ethics complaints against Democrats. Though this tactic finally collapsed with DeLay's own ethical problems, it managed to spare Oxley, so far at least. Here are a couple of links with further info:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/3/9/19274/36787
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A28822-2004Mar3¬Found
=true
Again, contact your Representative and ask that these ethics violations be investigated and punished. And contact the media demanding Oxley come clean and resign if necessary regarding these violations. You can do both through:
http://www.congress.org/
DOUBLE PUNCH:
Write a letter to the media decrying the hypocricy of corrupt politicians like DeLay and Oxley who are interfering with the personal tragedy of the Schiavo family as a way to cover up their own immorality.
The goal of all of these letters is to get America connecting the names of Repub leaders with the scandals that bear their names. It will only work if many of us participate, so PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!
Thank you!