The weather is hot pretty much everywhere in America this week (we broke a record yesterday - over 100° in the DC Metro - I don't know if we've matched it today), although probably not as hot as it is in Iraq. I spent today in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt... Our soldiers, I expect, wore a lot more.

When Congresspeople go back to their districts this month they will hear from their constitutes, regardless of political party, that this war should end now. When they return to DC on September 4th we will be there to greet them. And we expect them to end the war. And we will Stand Watch until they do.

Grrrrrrrrrrr!  I’m on vacation and Bush World keeps intruding into my time off!

This proposed signing statement is from the Democratic leadership/members of Congress to Bush and it says –

You want to call us back in special session to pass another constitutional abomination FISA law?  WELL FUCK OFF!  We are not coming back!

We might talk about this after you criminal administration obeys all our subpoenas.  

You agree to a timeline to get out of Iraq.

You fire Gozno and you nominate a good Republican like oh.......Patrick Fitzgerald as the new AG!  

And that’s off the top of my head for starters!

The electronic vote counters in the House are broken (and I thought those things could never fail). There is a vote to adjourn on the floor, the Democrats want to wait for the voting machines to be repaired, and the Republicans now want a manual vote.

What’s truly ironic is that (per CNN, link below)Bush has prohibited them from calling a recess anyway, but they must not know this.

I recall people saying that Reid would have some of the local (VA, MD, possibly WV) senators calling the body to order on a daily basis so that there is no official "recess" in which to make recess appointments.

Is this still the case?

If so, I live close by, and I can bring milk and cookies one day.

If you live close by, what do you want to bring?

I've been doing Iron Chef Kos for a while now, so I know that Kossaks are good cooks.

Dear Nancy and Harry,

Please do the right thing and cancel Congress's summer recess. I know that you want a vacation like everyone else, even if you don't want it as much as the Vacationer-in-Chief. But it's the right course to stay in Washington and keep after the Bushists, who are rotten to the core.

Stand together in the Capitol rotunda together and make these points:

Fuck the war in Iraq, Fuck Bill O'reilly, Fuck You, Fuck me, FUCK IT ALL!! Right now NOTHING MATTERS other than keeping Congress from going into recess until AFTER we rid ourselves of our ATTORNEY GENERAL!
WRITE HARRY REID NOW!!!

CALL HARRY REID NOW! Phone: 202-224-3542

Is Harry's plan ENOUGH? Can we hang our collective hats on the specific rule or law that Reid is counting on to keep Bush at bay during recess?

According to U.S. News magazine
"Reid will call the Senate into session just long enough to force the [president] to send his nominees who need confirmation to the chamber." Reid's plan is to "hold a quickie 'pro forma' session every 10 days, tapping a local senator to run the hall.

BUT, will every 10 days actually be "JUST LONG ENOUGH"???

10. Such pleasant weather in DC

9.  Gives Pat Leahy more chances to kiss Dick Cheney

8.  Fox news can identify more new democrats in congress

7.  Gives the corporate media more copy about that nasty Harry Reid guy.

6.  Last chance for a summertime barbecue of administration rump roasts by Congress

Several recent stories and diaries have detailed the current state of play regarding the debate over Iraq.  I won't review them here; they're worth your time to read.

My point in this diary is tactical, not substantive:  now is the time to contact your members of Congress, especially if you live in a swing district or Red district.  What happens for the rest of the spring may be largely determined by what Representatives see in their home districts, with their own eyes, during this Easter recess.

That's right: as individual citizens, what we do now may have more of an effect than anything we do when our politicians return to Washington.  

The time to act is now.  I submit to you the "Spring 2007 Recess Iraq Lobbying Project" (S2K7RILP), a name, acronym, and program I just made up.  Some more discussion and action suggestions below.