Dear Senator Obama,
I am not what you would call a "backer" of yours, if by "backer" it means the characters that festoon this site with postings demanding we support you in some sort of high school-like "Be There or Be Square" manner.
But I realize that you just might win this primary battle. I will work for your election if you do. However, be advised, my choice was Mr. Edwards, and I stayed with him to the end.
Let's make the jump and come to the point.
Now, why did I do that? Why stay with Edwards? Senator, it was because public institutions that serve the general public-at-large have been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that I almost daily read something about how the nation cannot help its veterans even. We are falling down on care for the handicapped, the autistic, and even the elderly. If we cannot help the most vulnerable in our society how are we able to do "the big things?" Indeed sir, we appear to be failing at the "big things" too. Iraq, foreign relations, Afghanistan, the nation's financial health, and both health care and sick care too, and so on. Mr. Edwards knew this Senator, and he spoke out about it. For his trouble, he was ignored by the traditional media.
But a number of your most ardent supporters scream that you are doing the same thing. No sir, you are not. You are a gifted public speaker and must have been formidable as a debater and a winner in a declamation society, but I have not heard the same direct approach Senator. I hear inspiring talk, but see little direct addressing. Hope sir, is a fine breakfast, but a lousy supper. I once asked about policy here and got a quite snotty reply directing me to a web page. I don't want a web page Senator, I want to hear it from you. I want to hear you say it.
Politic actions by a candidate are necessary, and that you cannot blurt out everything is a given. But vacuousness is frightening to those of us who remember another vacuous sounding candidate in 2000 who seemed inspiring but ended up being a national disaster...Empty happy talk makes us nervous.
We are worried that you are all puff and sunshine, and don't have any plan at all. Web pages are not plans. Statements from the campaign workers are not plans.
So, I have some questions that I would like you to answer Senator, and not for the ego of one boilerman10, but for the nation that sees so many believing that YOU can be the one to restore America. Daily Kos is very approachable Senator, and you have an army of workers who could transcribe your answers quickly and have them out here before lunchtime in Chicago, and you will find a very friendly audience here:
1, Senator, what is your plan for ending the Iraq Calamity? (I don't want some campaign aide's webpage, even if your picture is all over it, I want to hear it from you)
2, Senator, what actions will you take to protect Social Security from those who would be so foolish as to turn over its administration to for-profit financiers? No happy-talk, what will YOU do?
3, Senator, what actions will you take in bringing those responsible for the Iraq War, torture, and the warping of US law to allow monsterous excesses to justice for their crimes? There are several who are in some of the highest offices in this land that are known to have assisted in towering enormities and monsterous illegalities; will you get the people who can bring them low, expose, and punish them for their crimes?
4, Senator, what actions will you take to clean up the Justice Department after years of cronyism, obsessive/compulsive secrecy and deceit, and bad management?
5, Senator, what actions will you take to end the influence of outside, non-military, highly partisan, religious extremeists in the Pentagon without curtailing anyone's "freedom of religion?" By this, I mean what actions will you take to seperate Sunday from Monday in our nation's national defense establishment?
6, Senator, what actions will you take in addressing the horrifying spectacle of war profiteering by cronies associated with the current administration? Will you demand Congressional and DOJ investigations and more sir, will you have DOJ prosecute those found to be guilty of theft of government monies and bribery of elected officials?
7, Senator, what actions will you take in limiting the influence of private, mercenary armies like Blackwater? Will you establish ground rules for these armed hordes that prevents mindless savagry like the Green Zone shootings, and limits their interference with and trouble for military field commanders who are actually in charge? Will you demand Congressional hearings, and DOJ investigations into this matter?
8, Senator, what actions will you take to stop and roll back the police state mentality in this nation? What actions will you take in demanding a return to Constitutional administration of justice and an end to "cowboy" and "vigilante" police administration? Will you be able to truly enforce the superiority of Federal Law upon a state that may attempt nullifacation, or worse, would you be able to declare a state so corrupt in its government that the RICO statutes may have to be applied which might lead to a need for a federally appointed governor and possibly even "reconstruction?" (I am thinking of two states, there may be more.)
9, Senator, what actions will you take in regards to disaster preparedness and the use of FEMA to bring aid to our public? What actions will you take to integrate FEMA disaster relief programs with the nation's transportation system, especially its railroads in light of the very real possibility of the need for mass evacuations of coastal regions due to massive hurricanes or flooding due to rising sea levels? Would you be able to convert abandoned military bases into FEMA depots like say the well located former Hancock Field Air Force Station in Syracuse NY, or the big former Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome NY for say upstate NY, or one of the less utilized forts or bases near the Virginia tidewater region that could move quickly to evacuate the growing Newport News/Norfolk/Hampton/Virginia Beach "super city?"
10, Senator, what actions will you take in assisting not only new Orleans but the entire impacted gulf coast between Texas and Florida? We already know NOLA and the Mississippi Gulf Coast neglect is a towering national disgrace and truly, truly, an ugly monument to Conservative ideological thought. What will your administration do to assist these people?
11, Finally Senator, what will your adminstration do to end the impass that has kept railroad workers from having a new labor contract for several years now? Will you support binding arbitration with real teeth to end this fiasco? Moreover, will you support the restoration of fairness to the NLRB, and rid it of crony political "potted plants" that have been installed by the current adminstration?
It is a long list Senator, but I think we would all enjoy hearing from you about these issues and I know that so much damage has been done by the current administration that I and many others could ask a thousand different questions about troubling issues.
Let me close by saying I will be glad to work for your election if you are the candidate of the party. But, we want more than sunshine and hot talk thrown at us. It is time for some answers and plans. If you cannot answer these questions because they are impolitic I understand to an extent, but Senator we want more substnce from YOU and not redirection to some web page...we want to hear YOU.
Thank you for your time, Senator.
Respectfully and with best wishes,
Boilerman10
PS, Congratulations on your primary victories yesterday.