Immigration Bill Prompts Some Menacing Responses

The New York Times ^ | June 28, 2007 | JEFF ZELENY

[Plutarch]

WASHINGTON, June 27 — The threat came in the weekend mail.

The recipient was Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida, who has been a leading advocate of the proposed legislation for changing the immigration system. His offices in Washington and across Florida have received thousands of angry messages in recent weeks, but nothing as alarming as that letter he received at his home.

“I’ll turn it over to Capitol police, and we’ll go from there,” said Mr. Martinez, who declined to elaborate on the nature of the threat.

On the eve of a crucial vote on the immigration bill, the Capitol Hill switchboard was deluged again Wednesday as thousands of citizens called their members of Congress — and, perhaps, someone else’s — to weigh in. Not since the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, several Senate aides said, have the lines been so jammed by a single issue.

Republicans who support the immigration bill are facing unusually intense opposition from conservative groups fighting it. This is among the first times, several of them said, that they have felt the full brunt of an advocacy machine built around conservative talk radio and cable television programs that have long buttressed Republican efforts to defeat Democrats and their policies....

[shove_it]

Ping

[caphillbabe]

Here is a list of the key staff contacts of the “Amnesty 8” Senators (plus Domenici) that are most likely to be persuaded to vote no on Thursday and derail amnesty. Many offices are putting calls straight to voicemail and they can just trash faxes (and letters take weeks to get through due to security). Hit Hill staff where they are so codependent - their Blackberries! Send email directly to staff - not just the generic Senate office mailbox. Contact their Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, and Press Secretary. Make your voice heard!!

For the Democrats, I would strongly suggest taking a pro-union/anti-illegal alien stance (i.e. “they are taking our jobs”) rather than using the conservative national security angle.

Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Chief of Staff
tim_becker@bennelson.senate.gov

Legislative Director
christiana_gallagher@bennelson.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
david_dimartino@bennelson.senate.gov

Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Chief of Staff
bob_russell@pryor.senate.gov

Legislative Director
andy_york@pryor.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
michael_teague@pryor.senate.gov
lisa_ackerman@pryor.senate.gov

Senator Jim Webb (D-VA)
Chief of Staff
paul_reagan@webb.senate.gov

Legislative Director
mike_sozan@webb.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
jessica_smith@webb.senate.gov

Senator Kit Bond (R-MO)
Chief of Staff
brian_klippenstein@bond.senate.gov

Legislative Director
kara_smith@bond.senate.gov

Communications Director
shana_marchio@bond.senate.gov

Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Chief of Staff
glen_chambers@brownback.senate.gov

Domestic Policy Advisor
brian_robertson@brownback.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
john_rankin@brownback.senate.gov
brian_hart@brownback.senate.gov

Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)
Chief of Staff
alicia_peterson-clark@burr.senate.gov
alicia_peterson-petersonclark@burr.senate.gov

Legislative Director
natasha_hickman@burr.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
laura_caudell@burr.senate.gov
mark_williams@burr.senate.gov

Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Chief of Staff
jennifer_lowe@coleman.senate.gov

Deputy Chief of Staff
lucia_lebens@coleman.senate.gov

Legislative Director
lorianne_moss@coleman.senate.gov

Communications Director
tom_steward@coleman.senate.gov
tom_stewart@coleman.senate.gov

Press Secretary
leroy_coleman@coleman.senate.gov

Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM)
Chief of Staff
steve_bell@domenici.senate.gov

Legislative Director
edward_hild@domenici.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
chris_gallegos@domenici.senate.gov

Immigration LA
tara_shaw@domenici.senate.gov

Senator John Ensign (R-NV)
Chief of Staff
john_lopez@ensign.senate.gov

Legislative Director
pam_thiessen@ensign.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
tory_mazzola@ensign.senate.gov
jack_finn@ensign.senate.gov
don_tatro@ensign.senate.gov

[mission9]

What would be wrong, if at the next big Florida GOP fund raiser, I plopped down a thousand dollar check for the rubber chicken glad handing. During the event, I would confront Mr. Martinez with his campaign literature which specifically states that he “does not support a path to citizenship for those who have broken our laws”. Of course, I would be soft pedaled and ignored. If the answer is insufficient, I would place a stop payment on the fund raiser check. If they sue me in court for the funds, I would counter sue for civil fraud based upon Mr. Mel’s documented falsehoods. And add say, one million dollars for the diminution of the value of my American Citizenship as an additional punitive amount. I would love to have that on the Today Show.

[From One - Many]

I like your plan, I’ve considered something similar.

[RFEngineer]

I would contribute to a charity that provides flak vests to all our Congressmen. That way they could continue their disdain for the electorate with a little more security.

I think a fence topped with razor wire around the Capitol would also be a prudent measure, that I would also contribute to.

I just want our Congress to feel safe, and not have to worry about a thing while they legislate.

[Travis McGee]

Is it fair to call a traitor a traitor?

---

U.S. Constitution, Article 4 Section 4:

"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,

and shall protect each of them against Invasion;"

---

Invasion: \In*va"sion\, n. [L. invasio: cf. F. invasion. See Invade.] [1913 Webster]

1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass.

[Tarpon]

Old Mel would have been fine if he hadn’t lied about AMNESTY before he won the election. I notice that he took down his campaign speeches, but google cache never seems to forget.

[Waverunner]

Perhaps if our Senators looked back in history, They might see it was the hubris of the Senate that spawned Julius Caeser and destroyed the republic of Rome. When Senators think they are above all others, it bites them in the butt. Why are so few Senators ever elected to the White House? It’s because they are all fockbuddy’s who don’t know what leadership is on an issue.When Republicans say Ted Kennedy is right on immigration,and he will support enforcement they overlook the damage to the country by his 1965 immigration bill. Senators - we will remember next year. And Senator Martinez - If I have to vote for a Democrat to get you out of office - I will.

[cinives]

that have long buttressed Republican efforts to defeat Democrats and their policies....

That's a very revealing sentence. Are they saying that the Senators in favor of this POS are ... RINOs ?

[Plutarch]

They might see it was the hubris of the Senate that spawned Julius Caesar...

Ooooh, another threat!!!