Our letter to Schumer & Feinstein

I am a constituent and Democratic County Committee Member in Tompkins County.  I am writing to urge you to vote NO on the Mukasey nomination.

Anyone who cannot understand that the rule of law depends on having everyone, including the President, obey the law is not fit to be Attorney General and will obviously not be working  to defend the Constitution.  Add to that the fact that he cannot bring himself to see that waterboarding, first used as a torture method in the Spanish Inquisition, is in fact torture and we have a nomination that is a disgrace to the country and anyone who votes for it.

That includes you.  Much though I have liked you in the past, there are times when you really need to put politics aside and ask yourself "Would I want my own child waterboarded?  What would I think of a government that would do that to MY child regardless of what crime they committed?"

Every human being is someone's child Mr. Schumer.  You seem to be in danger of forgetting that.

S. & S. Kyle

http://feinstein.senate.gov/...

http://www.senate.gov/...

•  Tip jar

  WRITE, PLEASE, it does make a difference!!!!!

  by bluecayuga on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 10:14:05 AM PDT

  •  Dianne has said that a major reason

    she voted for him was to prevent a recess appointment (of the worst kind?) and I wonder if that is what the WH threatened them with.  How bad could a recess appointment be?  Anyway, as a Californian I will again call her office to complain. Your letter will help me send her a good snail mail one, which I understand they pay more attention to than e-mails.

    by hairspray on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 10:23:43 AM PDT

    •  So tell Dianne the Dummy...

      that rather than supporting a piece of crap like Mukasey, she should sit in the Senate chamber EVERY DAMN DAY from now until Bush leaves (or is thrown out of) office, so that the Senate remains in Senate and there can be no recess appointments.

      That excuse is an insult to a five-year-old.

      by Randall Sherman on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 12:20:50 PM PDT

    •  thanks for the tip, i'll send one too.

      by bluecayuga on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 12:54:32 PM PDT

•  I am hoping that folks, esp. those in CA and NY,

  will write a letter -- not an email (or and an email)  -- to these Senators expressing their dismay.

  The rest of us should do so as well.

  A piece of paper that has to be handled in the office will have the most impact.

  by muledriver on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 10:16:14 AM PDT

  •  Okay, I just did and followed the diarist

    Senator Dianne Feinstein
    1 Post Street, Suite 2450
    San Francisco, CA 94104

    Dear Senator Feinstein

    I am a constituent and member of the Metropolitan Democratic Club in Oakland and I am writing to tell you how disappointed I am in your decision to confirm two of the latest Bush Administration appointments to our courts. The most troublesome is Michael Mukasey.
    Anyone who cannot understand that the rule of law depends on having everyone, including the President, obey the law  is not fit to be Attorney General. Will he  work to defend the Constitution or the "unitary presidency?" Add to that, the fact that he cannot bring himself to see that waterboarding which was first used as a torture method in the Spanish Inquisition, is in fact torture.  We now have a nomination that is a disgrace to the country and anyone who votes for it. Our reputation as a world leader has been so besmirched and approving judicial appointments that swear allegiance to a failed presidency and his  disdain for our constitution simply boggles my mind.
    Much as I have admired you in the past, there are times when you really need to put politics aside and ask yourself "Would I want my own child waterboarded? What would I think of a government that would do that to MY child regardless of what crime they committed?"  In addition, we know that torture  simply does not work. Allowing the Bush Administration to continue in this charade is further enabling the destruction of our national honor.
    I have lost confidence in your leadership.

    by hairspray on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 11:21:56 AM PDT

    •  great letter! thankyou!

      by bluecayuga on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 12:56:41 PM PDT

      •  Thanks for your diary

        I hope you don't mind the psuedo plagarism.

        by hairspray on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 04:27:54 PM PDT

        •  no no, by all means, the more mail the better.

          by bluecayuga on Sun Nov 04, 2007 at 05:28:23 AM PDT

•  I emailed Schumer yesterday.

  I only got an electronic response:

  Thank you for your e-mail. Each and every piece of correspondence I receive is important because it allows me to better understand the New Yorkers I serve in the United States Senate.
       As you can imagine, my office receives a great number of messages every day regarding a variety of issues – this is particularly true of e-mails. It makes me proud to know that my constituents take an active role in our government by corresponding with me, and I look forward to responding to your concerns in greater detail. In the meantime, I just wanted to let you know that your e-mail has been received, and to ask for your patience until I send you a more detailed response.
       Again, thank you for writing. Please feel free to visit my website http://schumer.senate.gov to follow my work in the Senate and to learn more about the services my office can provide to you.
      Warmest regards

  This isn't satisfying, but if enough of us email and write and call maybe it can do something.

  by davidseth on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 10:43:30 AM PDT

  •  With e-mails I think they have a list of issues

    and when a mail comes in, they hash mark pro or con.  At the end of the day they total them and if Schummer gets 3000 e-mails of con for this appointment and 150 pro he gets some sense of the electorate.  Of course they also understand that those who write are self selected unless they really get a large number, say like thousand over a period of a couple of days.  That tells them that there is a real issue here.So writing does help, snail mail is worth a couple of hundred letters, according to friends of mine who work for elected officials.

    by hairspray on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 11:27:40 AM PDT

  •  Try hanging them in effigy...

    ...from lampposts or trees right outside their offices in their home states.  Perhaps that will send a message that will sink into their thick skulls!

    by Randall Sherman on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 12:23:03 PM PDT

•  Thanks for the addresses. Letters sent.

  Do NOT support Judge Mukasey for Attorney General.  Please listen to the words of John Dean.  He is calling your support a 'sad concession to President Bush.'

  STAND UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING!!  If you've gained any political capital, now is the time to spend it - this is what it's for.

  If you still want to persist in aiding the White House destruction of our constitution, at least follow the advice of John Dean, former Nixon WH counsel who suggests:
  Before the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee completely cave-in to Bush, at minimum they should demand that Judge Mukasey appoint a special prosecutor to investigate if war crimes have been committed. If Mukasey refuses he should be rejected. This, indeed, should be a pre-condition to anyone filling the post of Attorney General under Bush.

  If the Democrats in the Senate refuse to demand any such requirement, it will be act that should send chills down the spine of every thinking American.

  (Sen Feinstein, your dismal record of not standing up to the Bush administration is causing chills.)
  (Sen Schumer, your declaration of support for Judge Mukasey is causing chills.  Based on your past efforts in congress, I find this a sorry departure.)

  Here's a link to John Dean's comments from TPM.

  by lizpolaris on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 12:19:32 PM PDT

•  Didn't Bush say we wouldn't have AG?

  Oh, yes, I forgot the Politicians have the right to lie.

  by army193 on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 12:34:27 PM PDT