Should I Even Bother To Write My Congressman About The Health Care Bill? (Vanity Post)

3/16/10 | MplsSteve

[July4]

For years I contacted my senators and representatives on matters that seemed most urgent. I do not believe that my best (and always respectful) efforts were even read by a staff member, much less by the senator or representative.

I DO believe that citizens are encouraged to share their opinions for the sole purpose of defusing the populace.

For once, Senator Lindsay has it right; we are “tired of this crap.” I'm ready to turn my efforts to doing something that gets more attention.

[DungeonMaster]

Your district elected a Muslim?! I’d start going door to door and invite people to church. A Christian church.

[PGR88]

The repellent and disgusting Louise Slaughter is my congressman, but I called anyway.

[MizSterious]

I’m lucky, because my congresscritters will most certainly vote against this monstrosity. But if I were in your place, I think I’d save the effort, and use my time to work against this creep Ellison. If you want to write a letter, make it to “the editor” in local papers. If you have extra money to spend, donate to whoever will run against him. Help that candidate by manning the phones, or doing whatever other kind of gruntwork you can afford on your schedule.

But I wouldn’t waste a stamp or the time to write, not on that guy.

[TexasCajun]

My congresscritter seems content in sitting in the back of the class with his head down, fearing to be called upon!

Pete Olson is no Tom Delay!! ...sadly!

[theDentist]

Call, write, email, show up. Be courteous, be firm. Let him/her know that if they vote for this, not only do they lose your vote, but every spare dime you have will go to their opposition... that you can and will have signs and bumper-stickers made up on your own dime that will remind his voters that he flipped them off for personal and political gain. I told my Congressman to be ready for hundreds of bumper stickers that would say “Cong Nye: Jumping at Nancy’s command” and some using foul language “ **** you Voters, I do what Nancy tells me to do.”

[Hojczyk]

Do the e-mail it is easy..write your own letter...

From hugh hewitt.com

You can start here http://www.capitolconnect.com/freeourhealthcarenow/ by sending an e-mail to your Congressman -which will be identified by the use of your zip code- and the same e-mail will be personalized and sent to all 58 Blue Dog Democrats. As Mike Pence said on my show yesterday as he reviewed the battle against Obamacare -transcript here- the most effective contact is with your own Congressman or a member of your state’s congressional delegation.

After that effort, please hone in on these two new targets, identified by Jay Cost’s reporting: New York’s Tim Bishop (NY-1) and Arizona’s Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-8).

Bishop is being challenged by Chris Cox, Richard Nixon’s grandson and a formidable campaigner and fundraiser. Please consider a $25 or $50 contribution to Chris via his website, and then call or e-mail Bishop and let him know you contributed to Cox and there’s more where that came from if Bishop votes for Obamacare. Bishop’s contact info:

D.C. Office: Phone:
Fax: (202) 225-3143
Corum Office: (631) 696-6500
Southhampton Office: (631) 259-8450
Email

Giffords represents the Tucson area has drawn many primary opponents, but the frontrunner is probably former state senator and Army officer Jonathan Paton. Again, if you can spare $25 or $50 to Paton’s campaign, follow up that contribution with a call to Giffords’ offices with the same message as above: There’s more where that came from if you vote for Obamacare.

Gifford’s contact info:

D.C. Office: Phone: (202) 225-2542
Fax: (202) 225-0378
Tucson Office: Phone: (520) 881-3588
Sierra Vista Office: Phone: (520) 459-3115
E-mail

Wait, there’s more.

Colorado’s 4rth Congressional District should be a Republican seat and my friend Tom Lucero is running to take the seat back from Betsy Markey. Please donate to Tom and then let Markey know you don’t live in her district but that you will be sending more support to Lucero if she votes for Obamacare. Markey’s contact info:

D.C. Office: Phone: 202.225.4676
Fax: 202.225.5870
Fort Collins Office: 970.221.7110
Greeley Office: 970.351.6007
Lamar Office: 719.931.4003
Sterling Office: 970.522.0203
E-mail
And that brings us to the Buckeyes. At least five of Ohio’s Democrats are on the fence and may vote against the bill. Please call them all. Zach Space especially has been swamped by calls and I urge you to continue to contact him again and again, and to find everyone you know who lives in his district or Ohio to do the same. Then repeat for Charlie Wilson and the others:

Rep. Zack Space - Ohio’s 18th District
DC Phone: (202) 225-6265
Dover (330) 364-4300;
Zanesville (740) 452-6338;
Chillicothe (740) 779-1636
Link to E-mail

Rep. Charles Wilson - 6th District
DC Phone: (202) 225-5705
District Phone:
Canfield (330) 533-7250;
Marietta (740) 376-0868;
Bridgeport (740) 633-5705;
Ironton (740) 533-9423;
Wellsville (330) 532-3740
Link to E-mail

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, 9th District
D.C. Phone: (202) 225-4146
Fax: (202) 225-7711
Toledo: (800) 964-4699 or (419) 259-7500
E-mail

Rep. John Bocieri
D.C. Phone: (202) 225-3876
Canton: (330) 489-4414
(800)826-9015
E-mail

Rep. Steve Driehaus
D.C. Phone: (202) 225-2216
Cincinnati: (513) 684-2723
E-ma

[Postman]

E-mailing generally elicits either canned responses or activation of the “delete” key. Letter to their local offices tend to have more effect. Letters to them in D.C. get to them too late because of delays due to security screening.

Why not organize some like minded friends, preferably a lot of LMF’s, and visit Ellison’s local offices.

A friend sent out the following:

“(Sen.)Coburn’s office told us on the December code red visit that going to the local offices is more effective than calling and visiting DC. (Not that DC should be excluded as a tactic)

When the local office is overwhelmed (Cloward and Piven) with inquiries and visits, they panic because they are usually expecting the “missing social security check” type of inquiry. Congressmen that we want to throw out are used to being in DC as a headquarters and their local offices become outposts (we need to reverse this). However when an outpost is under attack, the HQ panics.

The last thing they want is unrest in their home voting districts. The local office often overreacts and reports are not clear. Its like being away from the office on vacation and you get that call that all hell is breaking loose.

This may be more effective with the House Of Representative local offices than Senate local offices because the latter are like local forts versus outposts.

I would suggest studying this strategy and exploit as you see fit.”

[AirForceMom]

We have Higgins *sigh*. We got a return letter from him basically saying we were to dumb to know what was good for us, and he would do what was best.

[reagan_fanatic]

Writing someone like Keith may make you feel better but will have zero practical effect. His mind is already made up no matter what your letter would say.

The focus now should be on targetting whoever votes in favor of this monstrosity and working to see that they’re defeated in the next election. The O-bots will pass something - you can bank on that. We need to make sure that we have the representation in place after November to gut and neutralize this piece of legislative garbage before it becomes impossible to do so.

[Sans-Culotte]

IMO, it is a waste of time. But if you feel like doing it, hey, knock yourself out.

Yesterday, King Baraq Hussein I said "the polls do not represent the will of the people". They really don't care about your 2¢.

Fortunately, my rep in Texas, Pete Olson is solidly conservative. I do write him to encourage him. Also, I logged onto the FREE OUR HEALTHCARE NOW online petition site. Once you enter your address, it determines who your rep is (in your case, the worthless Ellison) and prepares an e-mail message for him from you that you can edit. It also prepares one for the alleged Blue-dogs that you can also edit.

I could not threaten to vote against people in my district, but I mentioned that I can send monetary support as I did for Scott Brown. I doubt it will do any good. The 5 minutes I spent on it is all the time I will waste at this point.

[silverleaf]

I am in same dilemma.

Only response I can expect is a canned letter containing DNC talking points. Like I got from Mikulski about the Al Gore “Count (almost) every vote” coup attempt in 2000. And the Cardin “We have to put America to work” response to my views on porkulous.

If political defeat of these socialists/communists is impossible because of deeply entrenched classes of stupid, then going Galt and looking out for #1 and family - or moving to a different state - are my only options.

[Biggirl]

Well at least they go faster and do not cost a postage stamp.

[ScottinVA]

Sorry you’re cursed by having that islamist “representing” your district. Not that it’d do any good, but showing up at his office would likely be best at this point. However, I won’t suggest bringing your dog and having him point his tail toward Mecca while pooping on Ellison’s prayer rug. I don’t want to sound “hateful” or anything like that.

[onedoug]

And remind him that he took his oath of office on the quran that Jefferson used to familiarize himself with muslim mentality so he could kick the Barbary Pirates a__es!

[A_Tradition_Continues]

Send a simple email stating his/her “Yes” vote means a “NO” vote for him/her next election.

[MadelineZapeezda]

It's never a waste of time....by the time you wrote this you could have written him a letter and been done with it!

Always let them know how you feel!

[A_Tradition_Continues]

King Baraq Hussein I said "the polls do not represent the will of the people".

Does that mean we can ignore the Nov 2008 poll?

[IncPen]

OBAMA CARE is the new TSA

Do not allow this to happen.

Block your caller ID and call every name on this list. Tell them you are a constituent, and give them a name (any name, but a common one) if they ask. They keep track of these things, much like the Nazis did..

Tell them you will join *any* effort to end their political career-- money, rallies, grassroots bake sales-- if they vote for any aspect of this legislation.

---

Rep. Lincoln Davis 202-225-6831 Columbia office: 931-490-8699


Rep. Jim Cooper 202-225-4311 Nashville office: 615-736-5295


Rep. Bart Gordon 202-225-4231 Murfreesboro office: 615-896-1986


John Tanner (202) 225-4714, Union City, (731) 885-7070, Jackson

Phone: (731) 423-4848, Millington (901) 873-5690 TN (MAYBE)


Rep. Steve Cohen 202-225-3265 Memphis office: 901-544-4131


Harry Mitchell (202) 225-2190 (480) 946-2411 AZ 5th District


Gabrielle Giffords (202) 225-2542 (520) 881-3588 AZ 8th District


Ann Kirkpatrick (202) 225-2315 (928) 226-6914 AZ 1st District


Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947 925-833-0643 CA 11th District


John Salazar 202-225-4761 970-245-7107 CO 3rd District


Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 (866) 453-0028 CT 4th District


Alan Grayson (202) 225-2176 (407) 841-1757 FL 8th District


Bill Foster (202) 225-2976 630-406-1114 IL 14th District


Baron Hill 202 225 5315 812 288 3999 IN 9th District


Mark Schauer (202) 225-6276 (517) 780-9075 MI 7th District


Gary Peters (202) 225-5802 (248) 273-4227 MI 9th District


Dina Titus (202) 225-3252 702-256-DINA (3462) NV 3rd District


Carol Shea-Porter (202) 225-5456 (603) 743-4813 NH 1st District


Tim Bishop (202) 225-3826 (631) 696-6500 NY 1st District


John Hall (202) 225-5441 (845) 225-3641 x49371 NY 19th District


Bill Owens (202) 225-4611 (315) 782-3150 NY 23rd District


Mike Arcuri (202)225-3665 (315)793-8146 NY 24th District


Dan Maffei (202) 225-3701 (315) 423-5657 NY 25th District


Earl Pomeroy (202) 225-2611 (701) 224-0355 ND At-Large District


Steven Driehaus (202) 225-2216 (513) 684-2723 OH 1st District


Mary Jo Kilroy (202) 225-2015 (614) 294-2196 OH 15th District


Zach Space (202) 225-6265 (330) 364-4300 OH 18th District


Kathy Dahlkemper (202) 225-5406 (814) 456-2038 PA 3rd District


Patrick Murphy (202) 225-4276 (215) 826-1963 PA 8th District


Christopher Carney (202) 225-3731 (570) 585-9988 PA 10th District


Paul Kanjorski (202) 225-6511 (570) 825-2200 PA 11th District


John Spratt (202) 225-5501 (803)327-1114 SC 5th District


Tom Perriello (202) 225-4711 (276) 656-2291 VA 5th District


Alan Mollohan (202) 225-4172 (304) 623-4422 WVA 1st District


Nick Rahall (202) 225-3452 (304) 252-5000 WVA 3rd District


Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 (920) 437-1954 WI 8th District

Bart Stupak (202) 225 4735 MI (MAYBE)


Brian Baird (202) 225-3536, Vancouver, (360) 695-6292. Olympia, (360) 352-9768, (MAYBE)


Senator Mark Begich (202) 224-3004 toll free. (877) 501 - 6275 just became a MAYBE


Jason Altmire 202-225-2565, Aliquippa, 724-378-0928,


Natrona Heights, 724-226-1304 (MAYBE)

[AZFolks]

I wrote and called. Some staffer gave me the talking points and a letter reiterated them.