Conyers blog: We Must be Getting Through

[MelissaB]

Monday, June 20th, 2005

We Must be Getting Through
Right Wing Reacts to DSM

After ignoring the plain facts for some time, the far right has been forced to respond to the reality of the DSM. If you do a google search, you will see that various right wing blogs and publications, including none other than Rush Limbaugh, have decided to not only acknowledge the issue, but to go on the offesensive against the DSM. Some on the right are even trying to assert the DSM were forged, after previously saying there was nothing new in the DSM. To me, this is an overt sign of the sucess we are having in bringing this critical issue to the attention of the American people.

The hearing we had last Thursday was just another step in the process of getting to the bottom of how President Bush led us into war. I expect the steady drip-drip of stories and revelations to continue. As a matter of fact, today's Guardian has a story on a UK diplomat admitting that claims about WMD were "totally implausible."

BTW, CNN has a new poll showing that less than 4 in 10 Americans support the Iraq War


Blogged by JC on 06.20.05 @ 10:36 PM ET

Link: http://www.conyersblog.us/

[spindoctor]

1. Excellent!

Go Johny Go!

[havocmom]

2. Johnny be good!

we love it!

[KaliTracy]

3. he said "drip drip" ...

thanks for posting this

98+% of voting anomalies favor * ........... drip
Exit poll weirdness .........................drip
DSM..........................................drip
coingate/Noe/Ohio........................... drip
Noe/Ohio/Campaign Contributions..............drip
lowest approval rating to date ..............drip
among other..................................dripdripdrips

[MelissaB]

4. I had that in bold, but took it out.

Sounds like he has been reading DU. :hi:

[KaliTracy]

5. lol

:hi:

[madrchsod]

7. if he isn`t someone in his office is.

he thanked du in an earlier statement. i think du is developing a strong voice within the democratic internet and people are listening to what we have to say...

[johnaries]

19. Hi, John! Notice how many of us have changed our avatars

to your picture to show how much we support you?

You do the name JOHN proud!

[ailsagirl]

6. I hope he doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon!! Please no!!

[G_j]

8. what I love about Conyers

is that he speaks like a rational, caring, intelligent human being, someone I could enjoy just talking to. He speaks more like down-to-earth peace activists I know than most politicians. And sure I consider grass roots activists more down-to-earth than politicians.

John shares something so significantly with the peace and justice tradition of American activism/the civil rights movement. That is the kind of person I'd have a beer with. :-) He is one of the most important players in America right now.

I'll do what I can to support him.
He has earned my trust.

[ailsagirl]

10. Kind, caring, decent human being. He has my everlasting thanks

:loveya:

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. When Conyers first started his blog, he often responded to posts himself.

I've shared this several times recently, but in case you readers didn't see it - here is an exchange between him and me - 3 or so other posters had also thanked him for his efforts in the same thread, but to me this was a personal response that I will always treasure. It shows that he is indeed a rational, caring, intelligent human being who would be a delight to just talk to:

Rep. Conyers, I know that your primary duty is to represent your own constituency in Michigan, but I want to tell you how inspiring and heartening it has been to have you and your colleagues stand for ALL of us, all across the country. (I am in Massachusetts.) You stand for hope and the restoration of law and democracy to this country.

Your welcome introduction of this blog is the subject of a new thread in the Democratic Underground political discussion forum here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1675727
In case you did not already realize it, the Democratic Underground Home Page and Greatest pages are perhaps the best places in the progressive internet to get the very latest news. The Democratic Underground site is also an excellent place to ask for help in digging for documentation of obscure but important facts.

I hope you're not too discomfitted at being seen as a hero by so many people, sir. I'm afraid you're just going to have to live with that.

"Thank you" doesn't begin to express the gratitude I feel for what you and your courageous colleagues have done and are continuing to do. You're not only a leader in the fight for justice, you are showing HOW to fight for justice and infusing hope that it is still possible to win.

And here is his reply:

I am truly gratified to receive all of your comments and reaction to my new interactive web site. As I am sure you realize, being being on the losing side of so many votes so often in Congress can be discouraging, but I gain much comfort from comments like these. It is the essence of democracy and pluralism to interact directly with you as this new and improved blog will allow me to do. Keep submitting comments and letting me know what you think. I welcome your ideas and thoughts.

[G_j]

15. thanks

that is a really wonderful exchange, and I really appreciated your comments to him. You spoke for me also.

[Nothing Without Hope]

18. I'm glad.

I felt really daring and presumptuous to write that to him, but at the same time I just couldn't NOT tell him. It just burst out. This was long before the era of the half-million signatures - and recall that he was considered overoptimistic to call for far fewer initially! I felt strongly that he needed to hear clearly that a LOT of people outside Michigan realize just how important what he is doing is to the whole country, that we believe in him and that together we can prevail. I'm glad you feel I spoke for you too - you can share that thrilling sense of connection/community I felt when I found his reply. I really hadn't expected a reply and was utterly blown away when I saw it. I will always treasure it.

[G_j]

26. I have written to many

many politicians/leaders over the years and only a few have personally responded. I have a hand written note from Cynthia McKinney which I will always treasure.

Hey, & John Conyers is an official DUer now too!

[Nothing Without Hope]

27. I love it! There he is among the usernames: John Conyers Jr.

Member since Jun 17th 2005
Number of posts 1
Gender male
City Detroit
State Michigan
Homepage http://www.conyersblog.us/default.htm
Hobby Jazz

And there is his first and only post, on June 17:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3879052&mesg_id=3886311
58. Thanks

I just wanted to drop by and say thanks for all your help and efforts on this and so many other things. In the days ahead, I will announce some next steps. We must do more, more and more to bring the truth to light about the deceptions that brought our nation to war, and resulted in the loss of the lives of over 1700 Americans and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis. In the meantime, I cannot thank you enough for your help and support.

I hope the admins give him a special dispensation so he can start threads before accumulating so many posts as others of us had to do. He doesn't have time to post that often, and we need to hear what he has to say.

[G_j]

28. Hobby Jazz

figures... one of Americas other finest contributions. :think:

I hear ya, he is always welcome here.

[me b zola]

17. My husband is a repub convert

And he wants Conyers for POTUS. He loves that with such class & dignity, Conyers keeps fighting the good fight---no matter what the odds. My husband (unlike me) is a soft-spoken individual, and I know that this is another quality that he loves about Conyers---quiet, but ferocious!

Congressman Conyers, you have my(& hubby's) respect and my/our gratitude :loveya:





epitad 4 spileng

[Nothing Without Hope]

23. Yes, Conyers would be the ideal POTUS. No one else comes close.

If this fantasy could become real, I would be over the moon and the country would be in such good hands.

[Nothing Without Hope]

9. As an extra treat - Conyers recently thanked DU for its continuing support

It's the subject of this recent thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3887184

Wonderful that he has kept going on so many fronts, never giving a pass or letting up. He is an inspiration and a source of hope as well as a key leader in getting our country back from the criminals.

[ailsagirl]

12. Here are some wonderful photos of him and his family

I noticed that he takes the time to address people in
his blog-- apologizes for being behind in sending out
books to people and for not having the time to scrutinize
every comment that comes his way.

The first time I saw him was in Fahrenheit 9/11. He has
stuck in my mind ever since.

God bless him.

Here's an early photo of him:



And, of course, maybe what will come to be one of his greatest:



And his lovely family:

[Nothing Without Hope]

13. oh yes, blessings on him, keeping him strong and safe

http://www.realcities.com.nyud.net:8090/images/realcities/krwashington/11903/141682229307.jpg

Caption: GABRIEL B. TAIT, Detroit Free Press
Representative John Conyers, Jr., (D-MI)

Found here: http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/11902946.htm

[Nothing Without Hope]

20. Thank you for these! Look at that loving family. I love how he

is holding the hand of his younger son, who stands close to his brother. You can see so clearly that these are genuine people who care deeply for each other.

[ailsagirl]

21. Absolutely. I hope someday one of his little boys will run !!

If he does, I'll bet you hands-down that he'll win.

:)

[Nothing Without Hope]

24. Talk about training at his father's knee! And his wife must be an

exceptional person as well. Those boys aren't so little now - they grow fast and this was back under Clinton.

[satya]

22. Thanks--what a beautiful family. He deserves the best of everything! nt

[MelissaB]

31. Thank you both for posting all of these pictures.

My hormones must be going crazy because these pictures and that reply on his blog get to me for some reason. :cry:

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

14. Thank you for loving your country and fighting for it, Rep. Conyers!

[kaitykaity]

16. And so history repeats itself.

Good on you, Chairman conyers.

:loveya::yourock:

[lonestarnot]

25. Thanks for this post MelissaB.

[G_j]

29. kick

[Tesla]

30. Thanks Mr. Conyers for being a light

showing us a way out of this dark tunnel....

God Bless you....


Come back often!!!

[goclark]

32. Our STAR shines bright for the TRUTH!

[blueblitzkrieg]

33. Damn straight we are getting through!

Thanks to brave Democrats like Conyers!

[G_j]

34. kick

[paineinthearse]

35. Go, Johnny, go!