Letter from the Grass Roots

[H2O Man]

Last edited Tue Nov 26, 2019, 12:14 PM - Edit history (1)

The RNC has identified Rep. Anthony Brindisi, of NYS's 22nd congressional district, as one of the top-ten vulnerable Democrats in 2020. Over the weekend, Steve Bannon spoke on the “news” about targeting Rep. Brindisi. And currently, in our region, there are frequent television commercials telling people to call Brindisi's office to tell him to vote against impeaching Donald Trump.act, to inflate the numbers of anti-impeachment calls, they are urging people outside of our district to call.

The 2020 contest looks to be a rematch between Rep. Brindisi and Claudia Tenney. You may recall Tenney as a rabid supporter of Trump. In 2018, numerous area republican leaders refused to endorse her, in part because she had done nothing in Washington to help local communities. People were also disgusted with her paranoid attacks on Anthony's Italian-American heritage, claiming he was with the “mafia” and that she and her campaign workers' safety was at grave risk.

As proof, she noted that automobiles her staff didn't recognize drove by her Utica campaign headquarters. Yikes! I'm sure that she and her staff could identify every vehicle that had the right to travel upon the city's streets. Or maybe it was something else …..perhaps projection?

Along with some family members, I attended a rally in Utica to protest when Donald Trump came to town to endorse Tenney. We have since learned that Trump had brought an old friend with him, to help support Tenney's campaign. That friend's name is Lev Parnas, the now-indicted buddy of Rudy Giuliani. Small world.

I will be working on a few campaigns in 2020. And I've already been putting in time at the grass roots' level on Anthony's campaign. Because our district has a surprisingly high number of independent voters, I focus quite a bit on outreach to them. I also will be speaking with the students at the area's colleges and universities. In fact, I've set aside time to communicate today with some faculty and student leaders about the need to support Anthony, including calling his office to express support for impeaching Trump.

I have only known Anthony Brindisi for a few years. However, we have a couple of friends from the Utica area in common – one is an attorney I've know for over 40 years – who told me that they have the highest opinion of him. During the 2018 campaign, I got to hang out with him and get to know him and his family. They are wonderful people. And, of course, I've remained in close contact with his DC office, local offices, and now his re-election campaign staff.

Should anyone here wish to call his office to express support for impeaching Donald Trump, I would suggest using this number: 607-242-0200.

Thank you for reading this!
H2O Man

[dawg day]

1. Oh, I thought you meant THIS Grass Roots-

[OriginalGeek]

13. I saw them open for the Monkees in the mid 80s

Also Gary Puckett and the Union Gap were there. Great Fun show even though they were all considered nostalgia acts at the time.

[dawg day]

18. What a great lineup!

I was a Mickey Dolenz fan.

[softydog88]

19. Me too!

I came here hoping to hear Midnight Confessions as a lead-in to someone on the inside coming clean. No such luck.

[Kid Berwyn]

2. GOP SOP

When the facts show Trump works for Putin, GOP has only one chance: LIE BIG.

They have pulled all the $top$ on tee vee, radio, internet, and phone lines to make it SEEM like there’s opposition to impeachment.

The calendar, like the truth in the matter, favors our side. Benedict Donald and his band of GOP traitors are doomed to failure.

[H2O Man]

3. Thank you!

All they have are lies and crimes.

[WhiteTara]

4. that number doesn't work.

[H2O Man]

5. I apologize

and also thank you for bringing it to my attention .....the area code is 607 (not 507). That is for his Binghamton office. The Utica office is 315-732-1055.

Again, I apologize for my error.

PS: I edited it, so it is correct now. Thank you very much. I am in your debt.

[smirkymonkey]

6. Thanks H2O Man. I am originally from around that area and appreciate the call out.

I was wondering why he didn't have a 315 area code at first, but thanks for the correction. Will definitely give a call to reinforce the importance of impeaching Trump.

[H2O Man]

7. Thank you!

I tend to call the Binghamton office, though I also talk to some of the Utica people. I was just talking to some friends in Utica about contacting that office.

[lagomorph777]

20. So you guys are both members of the Utica Club?

Have an Erie to celebrate!

[H2O Man]

21. Utica Club

was the beer favored by the Ontario & Western railroad employees.

[WhiteTara]

8. Cool. I'm calling now!

[H2O Man]

9. I really appreciate

you! Thank you so much!

[H2O Man]

10. PS:

I'm really happy to see that MoveOn is running commercials in Elise Stefanik's area. I was talking to a friend who comes from nearby, who s visiting her parents for the holiday. Despite republican efforts to make Stefanik the party's new "star," we have a great chance of sending her packing next year.

[coeur_de_lion]

11. I'll be sure to call

You would think he would beat her (again) handily but you never know with republican rat fucking.

[H2O Man]

14. As horrible of

a human being as Tenney is, it was too close for comfort in 2018. Democrats are way outnumbered in our district. So I have been contacting numerous activists and semi-activists over the past three days, saying it's time we get back to work.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

12. faking grass roots is called astroturfing

It's an old method, but still works. All of our representatives will need to be on the lookout for astroturfing. This may be a good argument for reliance on 'town hall' meetings with constituents.

GOPers will astroturf. It's another form of lying.

[H2O Man]

15. Yep.

What I like to do is send letters (snail-mail) to various republicans' offices in DC, and say that while I may not be in their district/state, I belong to a grass roots coalition that is watching them closely, and will invest in defeating them in their next election if they continue to support Trump. Being long-winded, I note their oath of office, their responsibility to uphold the Constitution, and more. In current circumstances, I reference the Federalist Papers #65 & 66.

Although I request that they respond, none have thus far. But that's okay with me.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

16. that's excellent

That can easily be adapted to email and calls, too.

[H2O Man]

17. Yes, it can.

As much of a pain as snail-mail is, however, those in political office continue to give them more weight than either phone calls (2nd) or e-mails (3rd). Petitions on actual paper also outweight on-line petitions, which are most likely to be ignored.