TN R-Sen Corker spewed on prior to the vote about it coming down to 'three missing words'. It was going to fail because of 'three missing words'. Are you kidding me, seriously? It's kind of baffling to me to hear them say 'no one hear wants to see the Big 3 fail' and yet they weren't willing to keep the talks going. I watched the remarks after the vote to close the debate those speaking seemed to make better arguments after failure. Particularly PA R-Sen Specter and IL D-Sen Durbin.
I sat down to ease by frustration by writing a letter in which I will send to all of them. When I reference 'them' I exclude (for this vote only) the ten R-Senators that voted to keep the discussion going. I especially exclude PA R-Sen Specter who made a decent case for keeping the talks going on principal.
My Letter After The Fold...
Greetings
(Insert One or All of the 30 R-Sen's voted to kill it last night - list found here)
We the people, it seems, no longer matter to you and no I don't mean in the same manner we haven't mattered to you in the past. It seems to me that we are of so little importance now that our collective well being isn't even important enough to be 'debated' at length. Regardless of one's stance on whether the American Auto Industry should receive loans, one's stance should, at the least, include allowing a longer debate. Last night, in what could arguably be described as one of the least functioning Senate's ever, our collective well being wasn't even of enough importance for you to vote for a continued debate on it.
I refer to it as our collective well being not because 1 in 10 U.S. workers are tied to the auto industry but because in the end we all are. Every aspect of our collective well being is dependent upon our workforce across all industries and the American Auto Industry happens to be one of the largest workforces available 'for the people'. When 'we the people' lose jobs it is simply not just one more person not earning a wage. It is one more person not paying taxes, it is one more person not shopping, it is one more person without adequate healthcare, and it is one more person that can't contribute to the overall collective well being. It is, in the end, doing more negative damage fiscally than the proposed loan would have granted dollar for dollar.
Take for example a small town that is primarily dependent upon auto factory jobs. Wouldn't you say the collective well being of that town deserves being debated at length. Now let's say that auto plant closes. Certain people like you seem to think this only affects the newly unemployed auto workers, yet this is sadly not the case. That 'auto factory dependent' small town's stores now become at risk as there are less dollars being spent, sales slow, earnings slow, payrolls shrink, and soon say goodbye to that small town store. That 'auto factory dependent' small town's restaurants begin to see fewer customers at their tables, orders slow, payrolls shrink, and soon say goodbye to that small town restaurant. That 'auto factory dependent' small town's other businesses lose revenue needed for stability and growth, soon say goodbye to more jobs. That 'auto factory dependent' small town's municipal government begins to receive fewer taxes, budgets shrink, potholes grow, emergency services fade and the municipality now faces budget crisis in all areas, soon say goodbye to infrastructure and security. That 'auto factory dependent' small town having lost it's local businesses and services begins to lose residents, now say goodbye to that small town. Now repeat for all the 'auto factory dependent' small towns in America. You can of course leave out the ones that are dependent upon the foreign manufacturers in your states that aren't currently at the table - rest assured 'we the people' know if they were you'd certainly be singing a different tune. Your tune will probably change greatly if the American Manufacturers fail as the subsequent supplier job losses will certainly be felt in your districts. i.e. less cars being made equals less parts being made and bough equals less jobs everywhere
You can also replace the term 'auto factory dependent' with other similar industries within the blue collar sector and repeat. Repeat for all the 'steel dependent' towns, for all the 'auto parts supplier' towns, and for all the other rapidly disappearing 'manufacturing based' small towns. After you stop imagining then ask yourselves two simple questions:
"In this current economic crisis in which you have all claimed is comparable to the 1930's Depression, how can you vote in good conscience to not further the debate on assisting in the protection of jobs? Can you explain to us why you think the collective well being of the people of this nation and our economy isn't worthy of further debate in efforts to reach a solution?"
It's very hard 'for the people' to not become cynical given the history of our government and especially given the more recent history of this administration and congress. I concede that BushCo has done so much damage that they now hold no weight over their own party in the Senate and the fact even BushCo was pushing for these loans speaks volumes to their lack of popularity as the debate failed before the loans ever could. Yet still I sit here mystified. Mystified that you Senators didn't vote to kill a bill or deny a loan but that you voted to just stop debating it. Do you need to be reminded of how you were hired for your job, 'by the people'.
Yes I understand the 'behind closed doors' discussions took place without a viable solution (in your opinions) being achieved. No I do not understand why you felt this adequate cause to stop trying, go home, and wonder. Have you tactfully put the ownership of further 'bailouts' back on the Whitehouse by killing the discussion in the Senate and thus perhaps forcing the Whitehouse to use TARP funds which should have been used in the first place (that in itself would at least be a solution). Regardless ending the debate so abruptly does bother me. Maybe you just care more about the job of 'playing politics and getting elected' than you do about 'governing the country and serving the better interests of America'. It is so very easy to see why 'we the people' become cynical in regards to 'Washington' and yet we must find a way not to. 'We the people' must continue to forge ahead with the 'hope' it will get better and the knowledge you are not part of the solution but part of the problem.
Partisan politics are naturally to be expected in many areas but under the oaths you take upon your swearing in shouldn't such partisanships end when the collective greater good is seriously at risk? I guess in a closer to perfect country the people would matter more when the debate is of such importance. Reality dictates that there are countless other items and people that that blame could be placed upon, at least partially. Yet in the end those other entities did not cast a vote to end the debate before it really even began, you did. So I place the blame solely upon each of you R-Senators.
How much damage can a lame duck president do, better yet, how much damage can a lame duck senate do? Once you decide upon your answer take a moment to stop and contemplate just how much damage both lame ducks could do together at the same time. Naturally you don't have to contemplate for long as you are doing it for all the world to see. I'm not ranting 'just' in support of those loans at this time, I am ranting at the fact 'we the people' were not worth keeping the debate open. I am ranting because somehow you and a group of fellow Senators think risking the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs was less important than going home because you mistakingly think union wages are too high. You don't think 'we the people' deserve further debate of a matter that greatly concerns our collective greater well being.
I refuse to allow myself to become cynical or to think change is not possible. I refuse to become cynical because I somehow still believe truly that "there is nothing false about hope" no matter how hard you and your fellow Republican Senators try to prove there is no cause for 'hope' by your efforts to damage beyond repair. It's as if your party's end game is an America so close to "FUBAR" we dare not even bother trying to fix it.
How incredibly sad I find it that you and your fellow Republican Senators find the business of 'playing politics' trumps the business of 'governing for the greater good'. How incredibly sad I find it when you Republican Ideologues continue to sacrifice our collective well being for your far to often corrupt, misplaced, damaging views. How incredibly sad I find it you same Republican Ideologues continue to retain your seats. How incredibly sad I find it that we will quite possibly spend the duration of my lifetime trying to correct the last 8 years of yours. How incredibly sad I find it that it we have not quite yet reached "The End of This Error". How incredibly sad it is that it's not already January 20th, 2009.
So to you TN. R-Sen Corker and your R-Sen friends let me offer you a few ideas on those 'three missing words' you indicated in your diatribe that I feel should have given cause to keeping the debate open. "For the people" , "By the people" , "Massive Economic Recession" , "Not Since 1930's" , "Banks Get $700B" , "Unions Still Matter" ,"Auto Industry Dependent" , "Further Job Losses" , "The New Depression" , "Because People Matter" , "Put Us First" and most importantly sirs and madams, "JOBS BABY JOBS" !!
I sincerely wish more of these three word phrases would have had more bearing in the minds of you and your ideologue friends. Maybe if they had you'd voted to at least stay at the table and try to find a solution. Since they didn't have any impact and since they seldom ever do, I will leave you with a few other 'missing three word' phrases you and the Republican Ideologues can chew on for the next 8 years... "Kiss My Ass" , "You're A Jackass" , "Right is Wrong" ,"Please Go Away" , "Electoral College Landslide" , "A Democratic Mandate" , and lastly and most importantly "CHANGE IS COMING" (you mother 'expletives')...
Sincerely Yours,
One Who Has Already Started The Campaign Against You In Your Next Election
P.S. Rest assured your next election opponents will receive National support!
********************** End of Letter *******************************
You have my full permission (and encouragement) to copy my letter to them (or send your own). Despite the fact the votes have been cast the battle is not yet over. Even f you don't support the loans as they are proposed I would still encourage you to speak your mind to them as in future it may be something you do support that dies prematurely. My reason for support of these loans (beyond the obvious economic impacts) are personal and I offer it here if you so chose to inquire.
Update ; I see the Fed appears to be doing the right thing by stepping this morning. So I will point out I wrote this letter last night and well until the checks are sent nothing is certain I guess. Nevertheless my letters are going out so perhaps in the future they think differently. I did not include contact information for these R-Senators as I trust you all have it handy.
Cheers