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Time to DO Something.
By Tom | November 11, 2007
On election day 2007, I was at my precinct (I’m the captain) at 5:30 a.m. , in the rain, with a cold wind blowing. I spent the next three hours passing out sample ballots, greeting people, monitoring turnout. I rushed to D.C. for a four-hour business meeting I couldn’t miss, then back to my precinct for another four hours. Then, inside the polls, I watched the count, which took another two hours.
At the Democratic victory party that night, I celebrated with hundreds of volunteers who did the same things I did. We had a great time complaining about the weather, patting each other on the back as things started looking pretty good in Virginia. The Governor dropped in. Mark Warner was there. Candidates celebrated as the returns were posted on the big screen.
Then, driving home, I found out that Harry Reid called a quick vote, and Michael Mukasey was confirmed 53-40 as attorney general. So much for fun and celebration. Did Schumer really say he was “wrong on torture” but otherwise OK? And voted for him? Then all the nonsense over Kucinich’s impeachment resolution. Referred to the Judiciary Committee to kill it?
Military Commissions Act, FISA, billions thrown into the Iraq rat-hole. Screw the Constitution so you can send a health care bill to the White House for a veto and claim you’re doing something worthwhile? Excuse me, but until we deal with what needs to be repaired, we’re spinning our wheels.
The next day I got a call from the DCCC, reminding me of a pledge I’d made but had not, in the rush around the election, bothered to fulfill. I exploded at the poor young woman on the phone, I’m sorry to say. What I said to her was simple:
1. I’ll give money to DCCC when the House Democrats grow a backbone.
2. If House Democrats are going to spend all their time pleasing the GOP and the White House, start asking them for support.
And if I have a chance, I’m going to say something similar to the DSCC.
When I cooled off, I realized I’d crossed into new territory, at least for me. As a life-long Democrat, I give what I can — both time and money — to party organizations and candidates. My precinct, my area, is overwhelmingly Democratic, so a significant amount of that goes to national organizations and candidates in other areas. I know my meager contributions won’t be missed by DCCC or DSCC, and that I’m sending a message that won’t be heard. Doesn’t matter. I can’t and won’t support them anymore.
After thinking about that a while, I decided it wasn’t enough. So I decided to draft the outline of a plan that just might, if it catches on, send the message I want the leadership in the U.S. House and Senate to get:
You cannot take our money and our time, betray us, and then ask for more. Life doesn’t work that way. Your fat-cat donors may give you big money, but they won’t stand in the rain and wind to work for you when it counts. They won’t put out your signs (and clean them up), they won’t go to the rallies and media events that make you look so good on camera. They won’t gather signatures at the farmers’ market. If you think you can win without us, then do it.
The outline for the project is here. I need your thoughts and suggestions for how the netroots/grassroots community can do this. Can we make this happen?
Topics: Politics |
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