Today, half sick, at my first ever "town meeting," I came oh-so-close to shouting at my Representative to Congress, the honorable Cliff Stearns, a man I'd never even seen before in person. I've lived in Florida for five years but paid no attention to FL politics for the first three.
Hell hath no fury like a half-sick woman who has been living and breathing the Iraq war and occupation and all of its appalling tragedy for the past two years on a daily basis!
This is about my own angry question about vets and VA funding below, and about his admission about his voting priorities. Another diary follows tomorrow about our illustrious Rep. Cliff.
This man, this Cliff--an affable if bland man--has been in the Congress since 1989!
SHEESH~~!!
Now.
My half hour drive into town has me wondering. Will I actually go to this town meeting? I feel I should, but since I'm just a week into my third-in-a-row-bout of bronchitis (7+ weeks now and no health insurance, thank you very much), I am not at my best and none too happy. Perhaps a tad grouchy? Still, I am tantalized with of all the things I'd like to say to a Republi-con congressperson. Will I have the nerve to speak up, not being much of a speechifying person? I grew up quite shy, never speaking up in class until I took grad classes in my thirties (!) when I found my voice.
Issues marche through my hurting head--Iraq, corruption, the Bill of Rights, Guantanamo, Katrina, the tragedy of Iraq, USA's, Abu Gabu, wa, wa, wa. I am pretty pissed off when I arrive and find it hard to park, even with my Handicap placard. Yes, I will go. I am angry as sin. Damn this guy. I find a park at the far, far end. Who knew the library would be so popular today? I decide to ask about funding for veterans because it is so important, a moral issue and a scandal with resonance.
Stumbling over many feet, mumbling pardons, I make my way into the crowded meeting room and find myself sitting in the center of 75 people. I do not cough. Someone asks about getting a medal for a veteran. Handed this lovely warm fuzzy moment Cliff milks it. Yes. He will get this medal for the brave soldier. It is a simple "matter of conscience."
Ah-ha. Good opening that. My hand shoots up high as if of its own accord--before anyone else's. He has to call on me, me in my non-threatening guise. I stand, and in my bronchially heavy voice (some might compare me to Lauren Bacall today!) ask not the most brilliant question I ever heard, but I try:
"Speaking of matters of conscience." Pause to constrain myself (?) or for dramatic effect. "I would like to know why the Republicans cut Veterans Affairs by five percent last year, given that we are at war?"
Rep. Stearns said:
"We did not cut Veterans Affairs last year. In fact, under President Bush we have raised Veterans Affairs funding by 83%." (Some applause here.)
Not about to let it go I said:
"Yes, I heard the 83% figure, but tell me, what was the amount in the budget for VA last year? If you know?"
I was stalling for time, not at my best but wanting to wring something out of this tussle.
He then sort of sputtered a bit: "I'm not sure, but we raised it under Bush 83%. Though last year they wanted 12%, and so they said we 'cut' it 5%, but we did not."
My anger rises. Visions of countless wounded soldiers needing new limbs, of TBIs, Walter Reed, and countless maimed veterans, of Bob Woodruff and of brave wives testifying at Congressional hearings, I virtually shout back at him angrily.
"Oh. That's it then. That's the five percent. Why not pass the whole 12%? In fact, given that the there have been more than 25,000 people wounded in this war, at a minimum--and that doesn't even include most PTSD cases--don't you think the veterans deserve and need a lot more? In fact, with a WAR, a WAR of four years, don't you think it would have been a good idea to give them a whole lot MORE? What's so great about 83% when we have these terrible injuries from a four year war and more to come?"
I couldn't believe it. Here I was virtually shouting. And in the LIBRARY!!
Whew. Some people applauded. The support helped but it was tense. I was really feeling my rage and knew I had to calm down to maintain dignity. Honestly, I'm not sure exactly what I said at the end, but this is what I remember. Then he said something else, I'm not even sure what. It didn't make much of an impression I guess. Then after he stopped, I just sat down.
Hell hath no fury like a half-sick woman who has been living and breathing the Iraq war and occupation and all of its appalling tragedy for the past two years on a daily basis!
A man asked later: At what point will you think that our troops need to come home--when already 70% of Americans and 80% (or whatever figure he gave) of Iraqis want us out of Iraq? He did not answer directly. The man repeated his question, and said, "What if 90% of Americans wanted the troops to come home?" Stearns blathered on. I was just grateful the question was asked.
When it was over the women on each side of me, who had been whispering things to me at various points, thanked me for raising the VA issue so I knew it must be the concern of many. I was glad I'd done my own version of yelling at the guy! He deserved it.
After ALL THOSE YEARS IN CONGRESS! Since 1989.
STARTLING ADMISSION:
Rep. Stearns: "My first consideration when deciding on votes is what will get me re-elected!"
Realizing this attempt to win the audience over with "refreshing candor" or something, was not so well received as he'd planned he then blathered on a bit about voting his conscience and and deciding on "what would be good for America." (As if...)
One funny thing. A man said this in seriousness:
"I'd just like to say that so many people seem to lack the facts, they just don't know what is really going on. They get their news from the networks, and CNN, Msnbc, etc. So I just want them to know that they could learn a whole lot more if they just listened to Fox...."
Uproar. Loud laughter. From all over the room! It was hilarious. I added my own loud HA-HA-HA-HA. Perhaps a bit too transparent there. Later I felt a bit sorry for the lad, so sincere in his deeply misguided beliefs.
BTW, another diary tomorrow about Cliff Stearns:
My Rep confused: "Is NSF the same as NIH?