(((URGENT))) request from HOWARD DEAN

[BigBearJohn]

Sometimes partisan politics gets overheated -- I know that as well as anyone. But when one party controls all three branches of government, and then seeks to change the fundamental principles and rules of our democracy, we need to talk about it soberly and seriously.

The Republican Senate leaders have decided to fundamentally alter the role of Congress -- they want to give George Bush unprecedented power to manipulate the legislative branch and the courts.

Today Harry Reid and the Democratic Senators asked us, the American people, to help them preserve the right of our elected representatives to speak their mind on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

We have to act. Sign this petition, which we will deliver to every U.S. Senator, asking them to protect the right to free speech in the Senate. If they don't, it is not only their voice that will be silenced -- it will be ours:

http://www.democrats.org/freespeech

Here are the facts: George Bush has appointed judges to lifetime positions at a better rate than any president in nearly three decades. More than 95% of his nominees have been approved. Only ten nominees have been refused -- all because they are unqualified and out of the mainstream.

But that's not enough. And on this issue, as on Social Security, it is becoming more and more obvious to everyone that the Republican leadership is out of touch with reality.

More Americans voted against George Bush than any sitting president in history. And that same day, across the country, the Democratic candidates for Senate received over 4 million more votes than Republicans.

Americans did not endorse the fringe agenda to dismantle Social Security. And they did not endorse dismantling the system of checks and balances that have served our country for over 200 years.

Please tell your Senator to stand up for free speech:

http://www.democrats.org/freespeech

This is not a partisan issue -- it is an American issue. And we all must act together in order to protect our democracy.

Thank you.


Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

[flpoljunkie]

1. Received and sent.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Done and sent.. Forwarded note to my entire email list.

[BigBearJohn]

3. Fantastic!!! Thanks!!!

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[fooj]

8. Welcome to DU!!!

It makes me sick to my stomach, too!

Peace.

[BigBearJohn]

11. Welcome Gandolf13! Welcome to DU!!!!!

:hi:

[LostInAnomie]

5. Done

[Cha]

6. Thank you, Dean! And thank you,

BigBear for bringing this on DU!

This is my "comment"..

I got into Politics in 2000 because I was concerned about what would happen to SS if bush got in..turns out we weren't being paronoid!

[BigBearJohn]

9. My pleasure. Let's keep the momentum going. This is important.

[fooj]

7. done

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[BigBearJohn]

10. fax number for Inouye 1-202-224-6747 for those who cant get thru

Thanks to DUer Robbien for the fax #

[Me.]

12. Done n/t

[autorank]

13. kick kick kick

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[SteveIrving1]

14. Signed and Sent.

[Wilms]

15. Signed, sealed, delivered. Thanks for the tip. n/t

[burrowowl]

16. Done

[bvar22]

17. Done...

and recommended for Greatest

[Laurab]

18. Done earlier and a kick

:kick:

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nedbal]

19. Reccomended, kicked, done

I wrote:

We live in a wonderful country where the diversity of thought is supposedly respected and tolerated. But from what I have seen lately, our country has not been this divided since the Viet Nam War

I stole it from anoter poster here, you can steal it from me

[Robeson]

20. Done...

...thanks.

[IronLionZion]

21. You bet your sweet ass it's not a partisan issue

If every eligible voter voted in 2004, we would have President Kerry and control both houses of Congress. Democrats ARE the mainstream, Republicans are the fringe extremists.

Chairman Dean will lead us to victory and we will take back our country.

Then the Republican opposition will need to use the free speech they are trying to destroy.

[Ken065]

22. Done. n/t

[Califooyah Operative]

23. done. nt

[napi21]

24. I responded as soon as I received it in my email.

Howard is off to a good start as Chairman. I hope all Dems give him the support he needs.

[Babel_17]

25. I signed. eom

[SpiralHawk]

26. Signed and kicked. This is a major battle

It counts - big time. Lose this one, and we the people of these United States are toast. The fat-cat Bush Oil Plutocrats will have gotten their Skully & Boney fingers around the throat of the nation, beginning the process of "legally" choking off all official legislative protest at the neck.

Totally Ugly. Act now to maintain your legislative voice.

[DebJ]

27. done

[SmileMaker]

28. My response:- suggestions for framing Bush/911 using "On Bullshit"

This administration is a dangerous disgrace.

While you are all standing firm - I hope you will get REALLY serious about protecting us. So much has changed because of 911 for "National Security"- but, whose security is being protected? By giving in, you will be handing more of our country over to a very cruel, fascist network. They must be stopped. I think we could frame it around a 911 story that says it all.

We should point out the "Bullshit" that is being peddled by using the philosophical frame from a tiny new book version of "On Bullshit" (a type of lie) by a philosophy professor at Princeton University.

Here is a good story to explore from the Bullshit perspective.

Sibel Edmonds, who discovered evidence of espionage in FBI translations units, information about criminal/terrorist money laundering and embarrassing fiancial connections to high levels in the Bush Administration.

This information might have been used to prevent our 911 tragedy, but the fact that National Security is used to keep information that enganders us a secret is frightening.

You, our Democratic representatives, are our only hope. We have the facts on our sid and all that the cons have is piles of Bullshit! Now, we just need strong backbones to hold your noses sometimes long enough to stand up to a bullying fascist network..

[caligirl]

29. signed eom

[UrbScotty]

30. Done - my comments:

I asked the Senators to remember our troops overseas and the freedoms they (are supposed to) protect.

[caligirl]

32. Nice. I asked them to be the loyal opposition party,

loyal to the people of the democratic party and oppose the republicans.

[UrbScotty]

73. You had me worried there!

"Loyal opposition..." Well, you can say we are more loyal to America than the other party.

[lonestarnot]

31. done...

[NYFlip]

33. Done

Sent to all in my address book.

[Melissa G]

34. done! n/t

[Terre]

35. Done and KICKED with

ENTHUSIASM!! God that felt good! :)

[MountainKeeper]

36. Howard Dean

Done! I did it earlier today through email. Thanks for this forum!

[strangemedicine]

37. Done!

Thank you!

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

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[Carolab]

45. Thanks Howard. n/t

[American in Asia]

46. Done, and thanks. (n/t)

[EST]

47. Done did dood it!

Thanks for the reminder.

[EST]

48. Wow!

While I was typing my message, suddenly a bunch of messages are posted and deleted. Wha hoppen?!!? Admittedly, I'm a pretty slow typist, but that's just amazin'! Whad he say so bad?

[zann725]

49. Done! Kick!

:kick:

[zann725]

50. And I told them to Filibuster their lungs out NOW!

No more retreat...no more surrender!

[mittenlandgirl]

51. done

This was the comment I submitted:

Those who want only up or down votes for judicial nominees when the balance of power is already so one sided would do well to realize the positions will be reversed someday. The legislative branch is part of check and balances, one party should not have such power. 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'





I was being nice, I didn't mention they are already corrupt and all that remains is for them to become "absolutely corrupt"

"they" meaning the republican party as a whole, since so many of them are already absolutely corrupt!

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

53. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AuntiBush]

54. Rec'd & Sent!

When Dr. Dean calls, we respond!

:rock:

[Donailin]

55. done/kick

[Maine-ah]

56. done, kick

[ElsewheresDaughter]

57. done and forwarded to all on my mailing list

[OneTwentyoNine]

58. Sent......nt

[JNelson6563]

59. I'm on it

and thanks for posting! Great to see all the action being taken.

Julie

[Larkspur]

60. Done!!

Go Dean!!!

[DemoTex]

61. Done and forwarded ..

:kick:

[Pool Hall Ace]

62. Signed and forwarded

:kick:

[Tom Rinaldo]

65. Done. n/t

[DinahMoeHum]

63. Done.

:kick:

[NoSheep]

64. Done. n/t

:kick:

[Edgewater_Joe]

66. Done - but WHEN WILL DEAN STOP DESTROYING THE PARTY?!

DAMN but we're getting so weak, aren't we?!

[WLKjr]

81. ?

[woodsprite]

67. Done! n/t

[myrna minx]

68. Done n/t

[Gelliebeans]

69. received and signed

kick

[Old and In the Way]

70. Of course.

Who wants to live in a One Paty country? Only a fascist or a communist, I suppose.

[Al-CIAda]

71. done

[toad12]

72. Signed and passed on, thanks for posting n/t

[Pushed To The Left]

74. Signed it!

[Lizzie Borden]

75. Done!

:kick:

[chocolateeater]

76. Done. Thanks for posting. n/t

[Joey Liberal]

77. Just passed it along!

[Catchawave]

78. Done !

[rodeodance]

79. a sweet signing it twas

[WLKjr]

80. done. nt

[Catchawave]

82. A Kick for Saving Democracy.....!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[annabanana]

83. done............n/t

[madfloridian]

84. Another kick.

:kick:

[savannahana]

85. signed & sent :-) thanks for posting this, BigBearJohn

My comments:

I sign this petition in principled defense of every citizen of this nation, no matter their current beliefs or ideology; & in remembrance & honor of my forebears who fought in the American Revolution: men & women who were born everywhere from Scotland to Germany to NJ, PA, MD, VA, NC & SC.

Hindsight & history name these people "Patriots" -- but today their blood whispers in mine:

"We were the dissenters of our place & time, those outcast from an established order... We were the refugees from a great tyranny; those 'out-sourced' from our homelands to profit an empire & its sheltered elite. We were those presumed to be too ignorant or too fearful to make our stand against oppression & injustice. We were not called 'patriot' when we fought. And it was among our kinfolk and our neighbors that our first battles were pitched; that fight was agony, hot words on cold principle... Remember who you are, & you will find all you need to make your stand in your strange & troubled times, by the light of your own clear heart & strong mind. As we stood for you then, so stand for us now: in spirit, we stand with you still."

The oldest in my family is 91; the youngest 18 months: for love of each of them I sign this petition: in hope for the old man - who sat in a cave on Okinawa in 1945, weeping for all he had seen of death & courage, & innocence lost - may he not have to die believing there is nothing left to cry for; & in fiercest defense of our littlest girl's right to grow up free to discover who she is, & what gift she may bring to this Earth: to be & to do that with all her intelligence, courage, & goodwill - knowing there is yet everything to live for.

Thanks to each signer here, and to Governor Dean for his most welcome, inclusive, & astute leadership.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This being only my 2nd post on DU, I feel kinda shy; but maybe I can overcome that? :) Feels great to be in good company here, & to find a way to have a voice again. My SO & I are anchored in a region so Red & Fundie it's surreal; so I've been coming here to learn & to get a break from LES (Local Exile Syndrome). You guys are The New Enlightenment! Thanks for being here.

Peace

Ana

[Satara]

86. Count me in :)

Signed and will be posting in another forum as well !

[WillyT]

87. Done !!!

:kick: