Carl Levin's office hangs up on constituents

[longship]

I have property in both CA and MI, so I've called both Feinstein and Levin today.

I asked Levin's aide if Levin voted to approve Hayden in committee. He responded yes.

I then said, "You mean to tell me that he approves for the head of the Central Intelligence Agency the very person who helped orchestrate the illegal spying on hundreds of millions of US citizens? What was he thinking?"

The asshat hung up on me.
Nice telephone etiquette.

[fooj]

1. It's really unbelievable.

How soon they forget WHO they work for, eh?

[etherealtruth]

2. I don't doubt your story, but am surprised by it ...

I call and email both Levin's whenever I feel the need to express my opinion (good or bad)related to their (potential) actions and have always been treated with respect. Youe experience is certainly unfortunate and I hope not indicative of a change in his office.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. I Would've Hung Up Too.

As a receptionist, they don't really want to deal with disgruntled people. I agree with your argument, but I'm not saying this point from a political opinion standpoint. It's more of a logical one of tone and intent. The question you asked came off as not really wanting a reply and not really wanting to engage in conversation, but rather to just throw a jab or two. Most receptionist types I know generally hang up on callers who don't genuinely seem to want to have a conversation, so this just seems typical to me.

[longship]

5. My tone was polite, not angry.

I indicated my zip code, and my name and asked whether Levin voted "Yes" on Hayden in the committee today.

I told him I didn't understand that vote and then said the statement above.

There was no reason for him to hang up on me except for the fact that he didn't like what I was saying.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. I Think It Was The Nature Of The Question.

The people who answer Senator's phones are there to get feedback, not really have full all out conversations. If the question had been framed as a submitted comment, such as "please let senator levin know that I am very angry at his decision to vote yes for the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, the very person who helped orchestrate the illegal spying on hundreds of millions of US citizens", they may have said OK and then hung up. But even said politely, the question still has a tone of being provocative and most receptionists I know, like I said, will hang up after the statement is said. I'm not saying you did anything wrong here, I agree with what you said. I'm just saying I wouldn't have expected the person to have remained on the phone afterwords. They're probably getting a million phone calls right now.

The point is, you did get your point across, which is what you intended.

[longship]

8. If Senator Levin cannot answer constituents' questions

and if he doesn't like people questioning his wisdom about selling their freedoms down the river, let him resign!

For christ sakes, the man has sworn to uphold the Constitution. He violated that oath today.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

10. I'm Really Not Sure What You Expected From The Receptionist

after your question.

They are probably getting a ton of phone calls. It's not like they hung up on you mid sentence, and I'm sure they got your intent. But how did you think it was supposed to go? Again, as I said, I agree with your statement. But I would've never hung up offended in a million years if they had hung up on me after having said it. I would've expected it. That's all I'm sayin.

[Dr Fate]

13. How about a refutation of the voter's charges?

Oh wait- the callers charges against Levin are not refutable- hence the hanging up and the hoping we "just go away."

Excuses, excuses.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

15. There Was Nothing To Refute, And Receptionists Generally Don't Refute

political points anyway, so I disagree with you there.

[Dr Fate]

16. Not true- I've had interns explain thier employers positions to me before.

She cant exaplin this one away, and she knows it. Thus the hanging up.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

17. I Just Don't Find The Question To Have Been One That Was Truly Asking For

a real answer. It seemed more like a rhetorical question with a pre-determined answer in the callers mind already that wasn't really requiring further discussion. So after the question was asked I think it perfectly reasonable for the person to have hung up. The only thing missing was a "thank you for your feedback", but I don't see that as a huge biggie here.

[Dr Fate]

18. I'm not here to make excuses for coward-ass collaborators like Levin.

Or their employees who dont even have the guts or intellect to defend his cowardly, pro-Bush, anti-4th amendment positions.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

19. I Don't Think Anyone Is Here For That.

I'm just offering my perception of the incident. It's a discussion board and that's my take on the discussion. I just didn't see any real issue here. No biggie.

[Dr Fate]

20. The fact that no one will LISTEN or RESPOND is THE issue.

See the Alito non-filibuster, see this current issue, and see about a 1000 other items where Democrats ignored their base.

This one intern hangin up on a true-blue Democrat is symbolic of everything that is wrong with the collaborator/coward wing of the party- the dont LISTEN, they dont respond and they dont give a FLIP.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

22. If You Think This Little Incident Carried That Much Weight Then So Be It.

But I don't think the gravity of what happened is nearly as deep in its impact.

[Dr Fate]

26. Voting pro- Bush & against the 4th amendment is big stuff.

And yes, I expect the person who answers the phone to be able to explain WHY a Democrat collaborated w/ W as opposed to just hanging up.

I cant ask Lord Levin directly- god knows- he is busy talking to big-time lobbyists or something- but cant I at least get a straight answer from his lackey?

We bitch about Bush not being accountable, but we make excuses when DEMs refuse to be held accountable. That is a problem.

ARRGHH! You are making excuses for someone who could not even formulate an excuse.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

27. No, I'm Not. I'm Just Choosing To Remain Level Headed As Opposed To

melodramatic.

I see this as a non issue. You see it as something far more. We'll just have to agree to disagree then.

Goodnight.

[Dr Fate]

30. It's not "melodrama" after losing 3 election cycles in a row...

...due to wimpy DEMs who cant take a stand-it's just stating the obvious.

Be prepared to make it 4 in a row if your going to continue to make excuses for them.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

33. You Get Allllll That Out Of A Standard Receptionist Hanging Up After A

snarky comment huh? More power to ya. But like I said, to me that is way melodramatic to the actual gravity of the real situation, and as I've explained above multiple times feel that the incident itself is completely benign.

We aren't going to agree on the level of importance of this situation obviously, so we probably should stop going in circles. I don't want to end up with this discussion claiming that nuclear war with iran is imminent now due to the receptionist hanging up, since it appears that's where the replies are heading.

[Dr Fate]

36. No- I get it form his cowardly, pro-Bush, anti-4th amendment vote.

And from the fact that he nor his staff gives two flips about explaining the real reason why.

[Dr Fate]

11. Especially when you work for Collaborators. n/t

n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

12. Well A Receptionist Would Always Be Working For Collaborators No?

In any situation if someone is calling up complaining to a receptionist, that receptionist would be working for those being complained against right?

[Dr Fate]

14. No- only if their employers are collaborators- like Levin.

Not all recpetionists work for Pro-Bush, anti-4th amendment "Democrats"- but this one does.

[peaches2003]

23. Hang up on your employer?

This is the same as hanging up on your boss or employer because you didn't like what he said. Too bad. Who do these guys think gives them their job and pays their salary? Being a Senator is not an entitlement and it's about they remembered that.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

24. We Don't Employ Them, Sorry.

I know you mean well, but I can't think of a time in my life I was able to go to a polling facility to vote for a receptionist to a congressperson.

[peaches2003]

29. Of course not

But we do employ the Congress persons and pay their salaries. For that matter we pay the salaries of the people they employ. And the Congress person sets the tone of his office and regulates the behvior of his staff.

[Dr Fate]

31. So when do we get to talk DIRECTLY to ANYONE?

???????????

Sorry to be "melodramatic"- but you suggest we are not voting for the receptionist- I agree. Does that mean we should have direct access to Lord Levin himself?

Please- the receptionists is there to talk to us so Lord Levin can free up his time for more important, big-time donors. Now we cant even talk tot he receptionist.

Excuses, excuses.

[Le Taz Hot]

35. And in my office

I would have fired your ass for that just as I have in the past. That's YOUR JOB, to answer the phone. Not eveyone is going to make nice. It takes finesse to handle a disgruntled caller. Hanging up is NOT an option unless they're cursing at you or insulting you, personally. Otherwise, there are like a gazillion ways of handling it so it won't further piss off the caller.

[shance]

37. Of course you would OMC.

Trolls do those sorts of things don't they?

[acmejack]

4. It speaks directly to the respect, or lack thereof, they have for us,

who supposedly are their "Boss". Haha... The Arrogant SOBs show that type of contempt for the people, they truly imagine themselves Imperial Senators.

on edit I read OMCs #3, reread OP and agree that the mind crimes have it, professional phone people won't argue with you, oops-disconnected

[BuyingThyme]

7. Levin personally hangs up on constituents.

What he did today is unforgivable.

He knowingly voted to allow a criminal to commit crimes against Americans on a mass scale.

[shance]

38. I think we have to now spend more time at their offices.

They could give a damn about our phone calls and emails.

Snail mail is also preferred because they can't ignore thousands of letters greeting them as much as they can delete emails.

[Greeby]

9. Anyone in Michigan want to get started for a primary challenge in 2008?

May as well get ahead of the game. :shrug:

[etherealtruth]

21. I've always had great interactions with the Levin's

I don't agree with him on every single vote ...but I'm not about to throw "the baby out with the bathwater"

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=S0430103&type=category&category=National%20Journal


2005 According to the National Journal - Composite Liberal Score's calculations, in 2005, Senator Levin voted more liberal on economic, defense and foreign policy issues than 86 percent of the Senators.

2005 According to the National Journal - Liberal on Social Policy's calculations, in 2005, Senator Levin voted more liberal on social policy issues than 77 percent of the Senators.

2005 According to the National Journal - Composite Conservative Score's calculations, in 2005, Senator Levin voted more conservative on economic, defense and foreign policy issues than 15 percent of the Senators.

2005 According to the National Journal - Liberal on Foreign Policy's calculations, in 2005, Senator Levin voted more liberal on foreign policy issues than 95 percent of the Senators.

2005 According to the National Journal - Conservative on Economic Policy calculations, in 2005 Senator Levin voted more conservative on economic policy issues than 19 percent of Senators.

2005 According to the National Journal - Conservative on Foreign Policy's calculations, in 2005, Senator Levin voted more conservative on foreign policy issues than 0 percent of the Senators.

2005 According to the National Journal - Liberal on Economic Policy's calculations, in 2005, Senator Levin voted more liberal on economic policy issues than 78 percent of the Senators.

2005 According to the National Journal - Conservative on Social Policy's calculations, in 2005, Senator Levin voted more conservative on social policy issues than 18 percent of the Senators.

2004 According to the National Journal - Liberal on Social Policy's calculations, in 2004, Senator Levin voted more liberal on social policy issues than 82 percent of the Senators.

2004 According to the National Journal - Liberal on Economic Policy's calculations, in 2004, Senator Levin voted more liberal on economic policy issues than 93 percent of the Senators.

[JNelson6563]

34. No! No!!! Off with his head!!

Can you believe how fast hysteria spreads? Oy!

[two gun sid]

28. Levin's office has always been very nice to me...

they still send me e-mails about issues that I have discussed with them.

[progressivebydesign]

25. Employees in those offices have to have a thick skin.

They should not have hung up on you.. if you were not abusive, as you stated. They are trained to say something like.. "I'll let Senator Levin know your position, thank you". Then hang up. I have friends who worked in congressional offices.. and they take the most unbelievable abuse from "constituents".

[shance]

39. Absolutely. To defend those like Levin rolling out the carpet for fascism

takes the thickest of skins.

You are so correct.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

40. was their position "receptionist" or "aide"?

wondering about the correct terminology. :shrug:

[Beaverhausen]

32. What did the person at Feinstein's office say?