Impeach Cheney: Activity #2 & 3

[H2O Man]

Today I would like to start by sharing a story with you that sums up a lot of both the good and bad in politics today. One of my cousins told me about this yesterday.

On Tuesday, my elderly aunt volunteered to work the polls in a city in Pennsylvania. There were two contests in particular that my aunt was focused on, in which democrats were looking to unseat corrupt republican county commissioners. She worked from 7 am to 7 pm, in the cold, rainy weather.

Other people worked for shorter periods, including a young aide for one of the republicans. Towards the end of the evening, he approached my cousin, unaware that she was the daughter of the elderly woman he pointed to. "Look at her," he said. "I don’t get it. She’s been here all day. It’s not like she’s going to get a job out of this. Not at her age."

Too many people are focused on "politics" for personal gain, a job, money, or power. They are as confused as this young man was when someone invests in doing something simply because of their beliefs. My aunt is the type of person who not only acts upon her beliefs, but who would not ask anyone to do something she was unwilling to do herself.

My grandfather came to this country from Ireland in the late 1800s. Other family members were already here. Some of his sisters worked in and around New York City, and they used to put together their nickels and dimes in savings. And with these savings, they were able to pay for my aunt to attend Syracuse University.

Among other jobs, my aunt ran a large human service agency, and taught at two universities. Her late husband was a nationally known professor. They were friends with a former governor, and my cousins are all friends with a neighbor who now sits in the US Senate. My aunt wasn’t standing in the rain on Tuesday because she was looking for a job; she was there because she believes strongly in the traditional democratic values that allowed the daughter of immigrants to live the life she has, and to open the door for other young men and women to have those same opportunities. But the republican aide only saw an old woman, standing in the rain for hours.

I think that some in Washington view the people on this forum with the same eyes that the young republican aide viewed my aunt. They view our dedication to a cause, without any thought of personal gain, as a foreign concept.

But there are others who understand. Today, I am hoping that we can take a few minutes to contact two of them, Congresswomen Lynn Woolsey and Debbie Wasserman Schultz. I think we should thank them for their work, and encourage them to do everything they can to push for the impeachment of VP Dick Cheney.

I also want to encourage people to put their nickels and dimes together when these two are running for re-election. Even if we are not from their district, they represent us: Rep. Woolsey is the Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Rep. Wasserman Schultz is on the Judiciary Committee.

To contact Rep. Woolsey, call 202-225-5161; fax [phone]; or, if you are outside her district, use the following e-mail, Att: Rep. Woolsey:

http://cpc.lee.house.gov/index.cfm?SectionID=15&ParentID=0&SectionTypeID=5&SectionTree=15

For Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz: phone [phone]; fax [phone]; and to e-mail from out of her district, do so c/o:

http://judiciary.house.gov/contact.aspx

Thank you for your help with this.