Post by RPankn on May 19, 2006 5:58:03 GMT -5
Saw this at Progressive Independent:
mberst
Member since Sep 11th 2005
3298 posts
Fri May-19-06 01:19 AM
Original Post
Megan suggested that this get a thread of its own. It is cross-posted here form thwe "Bowing to the Police State" thread by Rhonda47 in GD.
There is a letter I got last week from a local farmer directed at the local Dem US Rep and party HQ that is circulating around in the ag community, and he made the same point about the complicity of congress. I'll just paste the whole thing here, because I would be interested in people's reactions and commentary.
May 12, 2006
Grand Traverse Democratic Party
To Whom it may concern,
I am a lifelong Democrat. I can no longer support this party. I believe in the rights of workers and opportunities for all. I believe in regulation for monopolies and for companies that do business which requires national infrastructure (phone, energy, telecom). I believe in giving immigrants a fair shake. I believe in education! I believe in mental health care. Mostly I believe in the Constitution and the civil rights of all Americans.
The New Deal has been torn down by people who hate any form of government. Our Democrats have stood by quietly as our rights have been eroded. Homeland Security has become a secret police that does the will of a right wing fringe with impunity. Laws have been passed that allow federal government agents to imprison Americans without trials or publicity. While our congress people may have voted against these bills they did not use any political capital. When Governor Granholm. Senator Stabenaw, and Senator Levin all endorsed John Kerry days before the Michigan primary they were carrying out the will of a badly misinformed DNC and they lost us the presidency to a weak and unpopular Republican. There had been strong debate and the democratic process was working until incumbent politicians endorsed a hand picked DNC ringer, who voted for the war despite a complete lack of evidence. When the Democratic party leadership changed the legal definition of Michigan's primary to a “caucus” thereby precluding the required public announcement and reducing the number of polling places and changing the locations of the polling places, and selectively notified only one candidate's headquarters about these changes, the voters in Michigan were disenfranchised.
I have been 100 percent supportive and enamored with Carl Levin for many years. However, even though he is on the Senate Armed Services Committee, he voted for the war on flimsy contrived evidence. He continues to go along with the 9-11 commissions paranoid conclusions. Finally both Senator Levin and Senator Stabenaw declined to filibuster Judge Alito even though his record clearly pointed to a judge who always sides with the prosecution.
Several weeks ago I wrote Bart Stupak about my liberal views on immigration. I have yet to get a response. However, I went to his web site to find his viewpoint. There was no comment on immigration. I personally had contacted Bart's office about the intimidation and threats leveled at Michigan farmers by the completely corrupt FDA. (Which is now staffed by drug company lawyers and lobbyists, and routinely suspends the conflict of interest rules when voting on drugs). I found that Bart was unwilling to take a stand against corruption. I did not get a response to my second letter to him months ago about the farmers struggles with and positions on the FDA. I find that Bart is all about helping constituents when it is easy and you don't have to take a stand, but his position on the serious issues confronting America today is nebulous at best. I would rather see anyone with conviction in his office than see an ex cop who won't do the tough duty. Who won't make an unpopular move. Who won't join John Conyers and demand the impeachment for treason of a president who contrived an enemy and took us to war. Bart just wants to get re-elected, he doesn't want to be a leader. Hey Bart, you swore to uphold the constitution!!
On a state and local level I see a police force in Grand Traverse County getting its funding from seizing the assets of suspected criminals. When a person is suspected of a crime and even before they are charged they have their houses raided and their belongings removed. Those who are convicted have to pay for their stay in jail before they get off probation. (Hardly a good start). The police force needs to puff up every drug case and exploit every suspect to get assets to sell. I see little or no mental health services, and our education funding is in bad shape. The rights of citizens are constantly being eroded. However, the Democrats are working on grant money for organic farming and pandering to other well-funded special interest groups.
I do not want to see gay marriage or gun control or abortion as Democratic issues while Americans imprison and torture innocent, and uneducated peasants. The benefits from those causes are things the wealthy always have had, and the poor will never get through special interest politics. Why polarize the electorate and alienate half the working class for the sake of the desires of a handful of upscale upwardly mobile people in the liberal activist community? Meanwhile, as Democrats move to the right and try to stake out positions on the critical issues just to the left of a self-destructive right wing fringe they will find they have no base. The people of America are moving on and YOU Democratic organizers will be the last to know.
I am guessing that I am in the majority of Americans who feel that America will only be served when politicians from a new party serve in congress and Carl Levin and Bart Stupak are retired.
www.progressiveindependent.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=27137
Any illusions I had about Levin were quickly dispelled after the hearings on the completely ridiculous "oil-for-food scandal," chaired by an AIPAC operative, and Levin's questioning of George Galloway. It became clear then whose water Levin was carrying.
mberst
Member since Sep 11th 2005
3298 posts
Fri May-19-06 01:19 AM
Original Post
Megan suggested that this get a thread of its own. It is cross-posted here form thwe "Bowing to the Police State" thread by Rhonda47 in GD.
There is a letter I got last week from a local farmer directed at the local Dem US Rep and party HQ that is circulating around in the ag community, and he made the same point about the complicity of congress. I'll just paste the whole thing here, because I would be interested in people's reactions and commentary.
May 12, 2006
Grand Traverse Democratic Party
To Whom it may concern,
I am a lifelong Democrat. I can no longer support this party. I believe in the rights of workers and opportunities for all. I believe in regulation for monopolies and for companies that do business which requires national infrastructure (phone, energy, telecom). I believe in giving immigrants a fair shake. I believe in education! I believe in mental health care. Mostly I believe in the Constitution and the civil rights of all Americans.
The New Deal has been torn down by people who hate any form of government. Our Democrats have stood by quietly as our rights have been eroded. Homeland Security has become a secret police that does the will of a right wing fringe with impunity. Laws have been passed that allow federal government agents to imprison Americans without trials or publicity. While our congress people may have voted against these bills they did not use any political capital. When Governor Granholm. Senator Stabenaw, and Senator Levin all endorsed John Kerry days before the Michigan primary they were carrying out the will of a badly misinformed DNC and they lost us the presidency to a weak and unpopular Republican. There had been strong debate and the democratic process was working until incumbent politicians endorsed a hand picked DNC ringer, who voted for the war despite a complete lack of evidence. When the Democratic party leadership changed the legal definition of Michigan's primary to a “caucus” thereby precluding the required public announcement and reducing the number of polling places and changing the locations of the polling places, and selectively notified only one candidate's headquarters about these changes, the voters in Michigan were disenfranchised.
I have been 100 percent supportive and enamored with Carl Levin for many years. However, even though he is on the Senate Armed Services Committee, he voted for the war on flimsy contrived evidence. He continues to go along with the 9-11 commissions paranoid conclusions. Finally both Senator Levin and Senator Stabenaw declined to filibuster Judge Alito even though his record clearly pointed to a judge who always sides with the prosecution.
Several weeks ago I wrote Bart Stupak about my liberal views on immigration. I have yet to get a response. However, I went to his web site to find his viewpoint. There was no comment on immigration. I personally had contacted Bart's office about the intimidation and threats leveled at Michigan farmers by the completely corrupt FDA. (Which is now staffed by drug company lawyers and lobbyists, and routinely suspends the conflict of interest rules when voting on drugs). I found that Bart was unwilling to take a stand against corruption. I did not get a response to my second letter to him months ago about the farmers struggles with and positions on the FDA. I find that Bart is all about helping constituents when it is easy and you don't have to take a stand, but his position on the serious issues confronting America today is nebulous at best. I would rather see anyone with conviction in his office than see an ex cop who won't do the tough duty. Who won't make an unpopular move. Who won't join John Conyers and demand the impeachment for treason of a president who contrived an enemy and took us to war. Bart just wants to get re-elected, he doesn't want to be a leader. Hey Bart, you swore to uphold the constitution!!
On a state and local level I see a police force in Grand Traverse County getting its funding from seizing the assets of suspected criminals. When a person is suspected of a crime and even before they are charged they have their houses raided and their belongings removed. Those who are convicted have to pay for their stay in jail before they get off probation. (Hardly a good start). The police force needs to puff up every drug case and exploit every suspect to get assets to sell. I see little or no mental health services, and our education funding is in bad shape. The rights of citizens are constantly being eroded. However, the Democrats are working on grant money for organic farming and pandering to other well-funded special interest groups.
I do not want to see gay marriage or gun control or abortion as Democratic issues while Americans imprison and torture innocent, and uneducated peasants. The benefits from those causes are things the wealthy always have had, and the poor will never get through special interest politics. Why polarize the electorate and alienate half the working class for the sake of the desires of a handful of upscale upwardly mobile people in the liberal activist community? Meanwhile, as Democrats move to the right and try to stake out positions on the critical issues just to the left of a self-destructive right wing fringe they will find they have no base. The people of America are moving on and YOU Democratic organizers will be the last to know.
I am guessing that I am in the majority of Americans who feel that America will only be served when politicians from a new party serve in congress and Carl Levin and Bart Stupak are retired.
www.progressiveindependent.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=27137
Any illusions I had about Levin were quickly dispelled after the hearings on the completely ridiculous "oil-for-food scandal," chaired by an AIPAC operative, and Levin's questioning of George Galloway. It became clear then whose water Levin was carrying.