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Have You Called Your Senator Today?
Some people get up early to have a leisurely breakfast and read the newspaper before going off to work, while others fly out the door with their coffee cup in hand. Whatever your morning routine, let me suggest a 30-second addition that could help stop the war in Iraq: Call your two Senators and tell them to bring the troops home in 2007.
Earlier this year, I virtually moved from my home in San Francisco to Washington, DC to pressure Congress to end the war. I've learned a few things in these last few months:
- Both branches of Congress are conservative, but the Senate is downright Jurassic. While the House of Representatives is sprinkled with women and blacks and Latinos, the Senate is stocked with one dark grey suit after another. Rich white men still compose about 80 percent of the Senate, their average age is 62, and even those who call themselves Democrats often think and act like Republicans.
- Active constituents around the country tend to know their House rep, but have little contact with their Senators. House members are up for election every two years and feel obligated to mix with the masses from time to time (town hall meetings, community events). Senators are much more isolated and elitist.
- While neither branch of Congress has fulfilled the will of the American people to stop the war in Iraq, Senators have been the worst. In the House, there is the Out of Iraq Caucus, the Progressive Caucus, a plethora of bills to stop the war; in the Senate, it has fallen virtually to Russ Feingold to lead the charge to get out of Iraq.
- When House and Senate bills go to joint conference to hash out the final bills, the House bills get watered down by the more conservative Senate. With the first version of the 2007 Supplemental war spending bill, the House had a fixed timetable for withdrawal, the Senate only a "goal", so the version sent to Bush dropped the fixed timetable. The same will be true of the second supplemental that will be presented to Bush: the Senate version will take out any remaining House restrictions and allow this war to drag on and on.
- The series of call-ins, sit-ins and other pressure campaigns aimed at Congressional reps have had an impact in the House: 171 Representatives (169 Democrats, 2 Republicans) voted for Congressman Jim McGovern's bill for withdrawal to begin within 90 days of enactment and be completed in 180 days. It didn't pass, but the vote represented a significant 72 percent of Democrats. By contrast, a similar bill introduced by Senator Feingold to bring the troops home by April 1, 2008 got only 29 votes in the Senate, representing merely 57 percent of Democrats and no Republicans.
- Several Republican Senators have expressed misgivings about the war and even protested the surge-Chuck Hagel, John Warner, Susan Collins, Norm Coleman-but they all voted for continued war. Twenty-one Republican Senators are up for re-election in 2008 and many of them, such as Gordon Smith from Oregon, Susan Collins from Maine and Wayne Allard from Colorado, are extremely vulnerable. The time is right to go after Republican Senators up for re-election.
While most of the Senate is deaf to the cries of the majority of Americans to bring our troops home quickly, some Senators are listening-those running for president. All the Democratic Senators running for president supported Feingold's bill to bring the troops home by April 1, 2008: Christopher Dodd (a co-sponsor), Joe Biden, Barak Obama, and even previous war hawk Hillary Clinton. Their votes don't represent their great anti-war convictions, but rather the tremendous pressure they are getting on the campaign trail.
In fact, whether in the Senate or not, all the Democratic presidential candidates are falling over themselves to be more anti-war than the next. John Edwards has apologized for his 2002 vote authorizing Bush to invade Iraq and has been taking out full-page ads in major newspapers saying "Support the Troops, End the War". He supported the Feingold bill but said it should go further by beginning withdrawal immediately and having all troops out in a year. Bill Richardson calls for troops out in 2007. Congressman Dennis Kucinich, the only one who doesn't have to beef up his anti-war credentials, has now one-upped the others by adding the impeachment of Dick Cheney to his platform.
It's obvious that these Democratic candidates, who are out among the public day after day, feel the pulse of the nation and are taking anti-war positions to win votes. Unfortunately, other Senators aren't feeling that same kind of pressure.
If we want to end the war, this must change. Our Senators-especially the 71 who failed to support Feingold's bill-need to hear from us on a regular basis. So why not add to your morning routine a call to your Senator with a simple reminder to bring our troops home in 2007? If enough of us make those calls, perhaps the Senators will actually wake up and smell the coffee.
Medea Benjamin (medea@globalexchange.org) is cofounder of Global Exchange (www.globalexchange.org) and CODEPINK: Women for Peace (www.codepinkalert.org). To see how your Senator voted, see http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00167. To call the Senate, dial the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senator.
26 Comments so far
Show Allmy senators gave a mixed record with stabenow surprising me by voting for withdrawal while levin went conservative. levin is the one up for election in 2008, so he might respond to pressure. at the start of the war, he was against it.
medea, keep up the good work!
Over my many years as a voter, and in more than one state, I have written to my senators and congressmen a number of times on issues I thought important. Each time I received a polite form letter thanking me for my interest and stating that they will look into the matter about which I wrote. They also stated - and I paraphrase - that they did not have time to waste on letters from constituents. I hope they understand that I no longer have time to waste my votes on them.
I hound Senator Lugar weekly (during a bad week, almost daily.) He's been a very good sport about it... responds to every single correspondence (and these aren't canned replies either.) He answers my questions and discusses specific inquiries. I haven't had nearly the luck with Senator Bayh (D).
Lugar is an old school conservative who apparently still believe that he is there to represent his voting constituents. I may not agree with some of his votes, but he is always willing to discuss them with me and listen to my concerns. Frankly that is amazing in this day and age. Maybe he is just happy that someone is paying attention out here. I think many people do pay attention, but they don't take the time to contact their representatives, and that allows them to remain isolated... with the very loud, very persistent lobbyists.
Yes, I think calling our Senators is very worthwhile. I even call other peoples' senators when they speak out against the war, torture or corruption. I've actually received answers from Hagel (about the war,) and from McCain (on the subject of torture.)
No I haven't Madea, but I have given both my senators stuffed white envelopes, and let me tell you that is way more effective.
jon
Connecting the dots: from human behaviors to ecosystem decline
http://StudentsForTheEarth.org
Medea Benjamin is someone I always look forward to hearing from, with the great integrity, political savvy, and courage she has shown. One point in this article I think is very important is that she saw how much pressure from the street has forced changes in the politicians. The Dem candidates may be superficially anti-war (with the exception of Kucinich) but they do respond to pressure. It's like FDR once said to some activists that met with him to get hi to champion their cause, "I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it." We can never let up on the pressure!
Troops out in 2007! Gotcha, Medea!
YES - please call your politicians, not just once. Please- call them ONCE A WEEK and tell them to end the war AND
To IMPEACH the war criminals in the white house NOW. We really need to bug them on this til they do it.
Find your senator's phone number here:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Don't forget to call: NANCY PELOSI
(202) 225-4965
You might have some luck with the toll free numbers for senate operators, but spending 10 or 20 cents for a long distance call has always been much quicker for me. The texas senators lines are always either busy or you get a recording that says go to their stupid web site.
Toll free
(800) 862-5530
(866) 220-0044
Here are some toll free phone numbers that you can use with your morning coffee.
Call your members of Congress now toll free at 800-828-0498, 800-459-1887 or 800-614-2803 to tell them it's time to END THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ.
Then, e-mail Pelosi (AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov ) to put impeachment BACK ON THE TABLE!!! Better yet, call her office at one of the above toll free numbers.
So I'm curious, RichM -- what have *YOU* done? Medea *has* been arrested, *has* sat-in at offices -- has thrown herself body and soul into this for 4 years now (as have many of us). So when someone like you gets up and writes a dissertation about what "has to be done" to make the plutocracy (read: profoundly flawed democracy of ours) respond, in some general sense, I just say ah, wow, how profound and new! You've suddenly shown us all the light! Sigh.
RichM: I just don't think it's as black-and-white as all that.
RichM, have you committed acts of civil disobediance? During the Vietnam War I demonstrated, sat in, picketed, marched, refused to pay the telephone war tax surcharge for years, wrote endless letters to editors and none of it made any difference. Some people think the draft influenced the public, but it didn't. 65,000 dead young people didn't make a serious dent in the general population, and no one over age 26 was at risk. Remember Kent State? The majority public attitude was "Good, maybe now they'll behave themselves and stop all that ruckus". What finally made a difference was when the cost of the war began to be felt in people's wallets and then the general public started objecting and exerting pressure.
Well, this administration is being careful not to let that happen this time, they're putting it on a charge card. As for demonstrations, if thousands of people show up the media reports hundreds. Hundreds of thousands, the media reports tens of thousands. And no pictures. The media is colluding to keep it all below the radar. One thing we can all do is use bumper stickers. The media can't hide those. And I agree, call our Congresspeople. During the Korean War Eisenhower asked for the bag count every day. People were mailing little bags of rice to him to express their disapproval of the war. Bush is no Eisenhower, but while Congress gets it's money from the corporations, it's the public that actually votes them in - or out - and they know it.
I think Democratic Senators running for reelection next year should know their jobs are also on the line. It's been made clear that just electing a Democrat isn't the solution.
And listen to Medea Benjamin. MoveOn always asks us to thank our representatives who vote on our side. They talk to their colleagues. We may feel ignored, but I really don't think we're as ignored as we think we are. If they think there's enough of us there wanting something enough to affect our voting behavior, they'll be responsive.
I think the presidency is just about a lost cause. Our only hope is to change Congress with our votes.
And how about calling all the leading presidential candidates? Has any one of them come out for repealing the Patriot Act? Or impeaching the president? C'mon Hillary, you are as subservient to the corporate powers as anyone. And we don't need old Bill campaigning for you. It was his sexual misadventures and perjury that cost Al Gore the election. THAT ALONE is the reason we got Bush.
Calling your Senator probably won't do anything unless you send a big check first. Sit-ins, demonstrations, blocking traffic and all that won't do any good if doesn't get on their MSM. What will get their attention however, is if progressives unite and switch to the Green Party en masse. A good first step would be to convince the PDA to announce just that. Otherwise all they are doing is stripping progressives of their considerable power and delivering them in the hands of the DLC.
What the hell good can it possibly do?
My 2 senators are trying to out conservative each other: McCain and Kyl. A couple of losers who, of course, did NOT get my vote, and have not gotten my vote since I returned to AZ in '95!
I have called and expressed my intent to help campaign against them if they proceded with the war. No effect.
Most recently, I wrote them both letters trying to make a case for putting the war budget into the regular budget cycle. No more shenanigans by Bush's off balance sheet financing. McCain is so seriously addled, he sent me a letter back saying he was in support of Bush's efforts to expand our presence in that civil conflict that we started. Kyl sent back a letter saying they would do so, but you wouldn't know it by the way Bush is seeking more funding than is necessary to get us to October's new fiscal year.
What a bunch of losers we have in congress. They haven't done anything for the working American since getting into office.
We don't have representation any more.
Our country is corrupt.
It always starts from the top down.
RichM,
I know where your coming from, but I would take great exception with your comment about this article being silly.
Medea Benjamin is a great warrior for the cause of Human progress.
I was in Crawford the first Saturday after Cindy took her stand, however Medea was there before me. And after that uprising, when I went to Washington for the march, in the mist of 300,000 people in the street there again was Medea.
And I must say seeing her made me feel I was with family and at one with all who were at that event.
I would think the growing tree of dissent in our nation should have many branches.
And of that tree, Medea Benjamin is stock and root in my book !!!
P.S. to everyone, two months from now, get to Crawford.
Ill be cooking the fried chicken.
I do write and call a senator or congressman daily. I always say I am an expat and I vote. ALthough Lord knows, the blame game is not necessarily productive, I do blame the American people for helping put these criminals and their honchos (much of the US Congress) in power. Not enought people pay attention to how many ways they are being hurt.
Not enough people have critical analysis skills.
Not enough people see what is happening.
Years ago there was a saying there are no victims only volunteers. Although not 100% true, in this case too many people have given the US away by not even looking and without seeing they cannot act.
Rich M,
Your right that its silly to think writing or calling your senator can actually make this disaster go away. But, if as the author says, you get enough people doing the same thing at the same time, it could make a dent. Either way, its worth the effort.
Who is naive enough to think it could be the turning point in the war or that senators will suddenly see the light?
Writing and calling your senator is just another small (but not insignificant) way of putting our elected officials on notice.
Just another reminder that if you don't do more to stop the war, you will be voted out of office. Writing and calling your senator is just another tiny nudge in the right direction that can't hurt.
Great article.
A video on youtube shows a man hanging a cardboard sign over an expressway painted in big block letters "The War Is A Lie...And You Know It". Try it on your spare time. It can't hurt.
Twenty-one Republican Senators are up for re-election in 2008 and many of them, such as Gordon Smith from Oregon, Susan Collins from Maine and Wayne Allard from Colorado, are extremely vulnerable. The time is right to go after Republican Senators up for re-election.
The time is right to go after ALL Senators who refuse to stop this madness!
Some of us are fed up with contacting our representatives. We feel that our voices, messages, letters, and calls mean nothing to these corporate-fed rats. With every form letter I get back from Tim Ryan, I want to vomit. What an annoying process. In a sense, it is soul-destroying work. I never feel any gratification from this process, only that I am a fool running a fool's errand.
Can't we come up with something more powerful than begging our corrupt congressional representatives to 'do the right thing'?
Yeah, sure, everyone else needs to try it, but telling the readers of Common Dreams to do this, well, it's preaching to the choir for the most part.
My senators are John McCain and Jon Kyl. I have no representation.
I would agree that demonstrations make sense, but are not being covered by the MSM--so what are we to do? More agressive actions like what happened at Seattle during the WTO? Sure, but they've upped the repression, censorship, and corporate spin. This is going to be a tough problem. The more they postpone reasonable change, the dramatic and explosive the upsurge is likely to be that ultimately breaks through the corruption that is breeding a culture of indifference.
Bumperstickers make sense. All the small things matter. Even keeping a positive attitude in the face of adversity makes a difference and I wanted to counter my first comment by making my own position clearer and less discouraging. "Imagination is more important than knowledge." We will prevail, we MUST prevail....
My senator Russ Feingold is outstanding. I always get a directed response to any issue that I email or write. I don't call. On issues where he has taken a different position I always get a response that indicated thought about the issue and a well reasoned argument for his position. He equivocates less than my rep. Petri or any other politician I have contacted. In other words he treats me like an intelligent adult. With Petri I get the feeling he is patting me on the head and sent away for kool aid like you would a pesky child.
Senator Kohl seldom if ever responds. His responses also tend to be CEO professionally written ad copy claptrap.
Still he is better than many Senators (I doubt he can be bought) - his business theory idea base lacks understanding of the need for productive labor with good wages to build confidence in the government. Unfettered capitalism puts the average person with a family under too much stress about the future. The stress that fire hardens an entrepreneur just burns the butt of their unprotected and powerless employees.
"michaeljfowler May 22nd, 2007 9:44 am
My senators are John McCain and Jon Kyl. I have no representation."
You might if you gave them a six figure check. But how many of us can afford that? Let the people decide.
I'd give anything to have Feingold as my representative. Lugar is great, but Feingold is straight as an arrow: he's the Elliot Ness of the Senate. He voted against the war, voted against the Patriot Act... he's amazing. shakker you are so lucky!
Then again, I wouldn't have anything to contact Russ about anyway, because I agree with him on every issue. I'd always know he was way ahead of me and 'on it' already.
Occasionally I actually find something - ex: an article about troops being sent back into battle with post traumatic stress - that Lugar hasn't seen. He will actually reply and say "thank you for sending that article, I didn't see that." I'm telling you -- the man reads his mail!
I dunno, maybe sometimes I'm able to make a small difference... that's what keeps me going. Lugar listens. That is something. And he apparently hangs out with Hagel, so I keep hoping that one day...
I used to live in Arizona, so I completely sympathize with those who have Kyl. Ugh. McCain USED to be great, at least at responding and reading his mail. He appears to have changed quite a bit. Kyl has always been a dud.