Via this morning's pundit roundup, I found today's Washington Post column by Eugene Robinson, which ultimately led to my writing a short letter to my representative, Mike Castle (R-DE).
I thought other Kossacks who have the misfortune of a Republican representing them in the House might be interested, especially if they're in a relatively blue (or blu-ening) state, or if their Congresscritter has a reputation--as mine does--of being "moderate".
I've always been interested in Mr. Robinson's commentary on MSNBC, and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite go-to pundits of the nascent Obama era. Today's column is well worth the read, but to encapsulate, he uses the history of the air traffic controllers' strike early in the Reagan years as a comparison to the House Republicans of the 111th voting en masse against the stimulus package.
Though the logic may seem a bit tortured, in actuality, Robinson makes his point well. Regarding the air traffic controllers, he opines
Under Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford or even Richard Nixon, the controllers might well have won their strike. Under Reagan, they had no chance -- not only because of his stubborn resolve but also because American voters had given him a broad mandate for change.
Robinson reminds us that Reagan used his resolve and mandate to bring into the Republican mainstream what had been fringe conservative economic policies, which may not have been possible without the support of the prevailing political mood of the country at the time:
Reagan's new orthodoxy wouldn't have been possible unless Americans had the sense that the old orthodoxy had reached a dead end...There was the feeling that America's greatness was somehow slipping away, that things were out of control, that the old rhetoric was empty, that the old solutions wouldn't solve anything, that we needed to try something new.
Robinson goes on to point out what most readers here already know: today's Republicans are tone-deaf to the massive shift in politcal winds because they continue to meet in "a soundproof room".
But it was his powerful conclusion that prompted my letter to Rep. Castle.
As things stand, we have to let actions speak: absolute solidarity among House Republicans in voting no.
It was a triumph of discipline over reason, of doctrine over observation. There is abundant evidence suggesting that we are in a new political era with new rules and a new lexicon. Those who ignore that evidence will have only themselves to blame if, like the air traffic controllers, they end up losing their jobs.
My letter to Rep. Castle was short but, I hope, powerful:
January 30, 2009
Dear Representative Castle,
If you haven't had a chance to read today's Washington Post column by Eugene Robinson, you really should. It is located at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Mr. Robinson sums up my feelings toward your vote on the stimulus package more concisely than I could:
"As things stand, we have to let actions speak: absolute solidarity among House Republicans in voting no.
It was a triumph of discipline over reason, of doctrine over observation. There is abundant evidence suggesting that we are in a new political era with new rules and a new lexicon. Those who ignore that evidence will have only themselves to blame if, like the air traffic controllers, they end up losing their jobs."
Please save a tree and don't send me your staff's written reply defending your vote. Please consider responding via email or not at all.
Sincerely,
Abe Frohman
Southern Delaware
I tend to agree that for most Republican congressmen, this vote will have few political ramifications. The cases where they may feel some pressure seem to be if they are not particularly worried about a primary from the right AND have some reason to worry about their Democratic constituents opinions come re-election time. I figure Rep. Castle to fit that mold; if you think your rep. does too, then please put some pressure on them to buck their party in favor of working people for once in their corrupt lives.
If you've read this far, thanks. Special thanks to DemFromCT for the morning pundit roundups, which are a not-miss feature for me, and Eugene Robinson, who deserves kudos imho for pointing out that the stimulus vote is NOT a political hit to President Obama but a missed opportunity for House Republicans.