Here's how I answered a plea for $$ from Daschle

[hackwriter]

Do you ever get these? This one was from "A Whole Lot of People for Daschle", seeking money for his re-election campaign.

I wrote the following on the donation card:

"Why on earth should I give you money for re-election, when you have sold out Democratic voters to the Bush administration on every issue facing the Senate since he took office. My household income has been cut in half due to Bush's "job loss" recovery, so I have no money to give you anyway. And until you grow some cojones and FIGHT BACK, you won't get a f*cking nickel from me. Dean in 2004!"

..and I put it in the POSTAGE PAID envelope, and sent it back to them.

Won't make one iota of difference, but it made me feel better for five seconds.

[jiacinto]

1. Then don't compalin when the party doesn't have money

Then don't complain next year when they can't get TV ads or staff in key races. Please don't ever complain about the Democrats not having money again.

[Swalker24]

2. There is a difference between not giving

a certian pink tutu Democrat any money versus the entire party. It is possible to dislike the actions of certian representatives and as such choose not to support them through campaign donations, and still give money to the party in general, or for the campaign of the presidental candidate. This is a small, symbolic act that may wake Mr. Daschel up and make him realize that bi-partisanship isn't going to happen in this current environment. Perhaps if you read the post completely you would have noticed the whole "I don't have any money to give" part, but instead of just tossing the letter into the recycling bin this person decided to let the candidate know that they are not pleased with his record. Which may help the candidate more then money ever could.

[Romberry]

4. God! Another one!

Look, the poster didn't "not give". The poster "took away". In case you missed it, POSTAGE PAID means it costs money and money, in case you missed that too, is in short supply.

It wasn't a "protest", it was idiocy that undermines our own candidates ever further.

If people don't want to donate, then they shouldn't donate. But sending back empty POSTAGE PAID envelopes just wastes the contributions that the rest of us send in. You want to protest? Put a f*cking stamp on it and write a note.

[Swalker24]

6. Fine we will just send money to OUR

representatives regardless what they do. The fact that this particular representative hasn't done his job doesn't matter? As house leader Daschle should be asking some tough questions, but I don't see him doing that. The fact that he gets a protest letter, that he has to pay for may wake him up, but it will not bankrupt his campaign.

How much do these postage paid envelopes cost? 10 cents, 20 cents? Explain to me how this will bankrupt his campaign? If he doesn't have those pennies will he just have to bow out of the race and let the GOP candidate win? Money does matter, and it may make a difference, I do agree with you on that. But the message matters even more, and maybe this will make Daschle realize that pandering to the GOP under the guise of bi-partisanship isn't helping him. It is a SMALL price to pay for such a lesson. This isn't about the entire party, this is about one man who isn't doing the job he should be doing.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

13. Daschle is actually the Democratic leader in the Senate, not the House

I just thought i ought to point that out. I am assuming you misspoke.

[Egnever]

15. Um ....

Dont cogresspeople get free postage?

I am pretty sure they do but I could be wrong.

[Jim Sagle]

5. We'll complain any time we goddamn well feel like it.

[Romberry]

3. That was a STUPID thing to do

That would be a nice tactic for a stealth Republican but not much good for a progressive Democrat.

I don't know why you think what you did is something to be proud of. If I were you I'd hang my head, get out my checkbook and send a check on my own dime with a note of apology. In case you missed it, the Republicans are outraisining Democrats by two and three to one.

Our candidates can't fight back without money. You don't want to send anything? Fine. Don't send anything. But don't WASTE my contributions by sending back an empty postage paid envelope. Time for people with your mindset to rethink what they are doing. No excuse for this kind of idiocy.

Dean doesn't need supporters like you who will PURPOSELY undermine other candidates. Do real Dean supporters a favor and drop any mention of the doctor if you are going to brack about doing stupid things. All you will do is posion the well for the rest of us. ("Dean huh? Yeah...we got a ton of empty envelopes from you Dean people!")

[jburton]

7. I'm always amused by these...

As if Tom Daschle walks down to the post office, checks his box, and then opens each envelope individually and reads notes written to him.

Get a clue. All candidates (excepting local races like state assembly, etc) have their campaign mail processed. It does NOT go to the candidate (especially Daschle, after the anthrax terror)

It's kinda like wanting the pres. candidates to respond to your individual e-mails about a stance on some obscure pet issue.

But if it makes you feel better, go for it.

[avtho]

8. Well I'll guarantee you

If a whole lot more of us, sent the damn contributions wanted letter's
back with those kind of comments, maybe the leaders would have gotten more cojones and we wouldn't be in this mess.

It seems to me they don't have a clue to how the base feels and I get a lot of requests for donations that have a "please put your own stamp on here to save us money" so it seems they could catch on and follow suit.

Again I say in our local election we kicked the crap out of the Republicans even tho we were outspent and outpolled. Shoe leather and phone calls did the trick. A whole lot of the money spent sending letters requesting contributions ends up in the dump.

[poskonig]

9. Good for you.

Our leadership needs to get a clue, as seen by Joe Lieberman's debate performances lately.

Fortunately my Senator (Durbin) rocks, so I don't have this particular problem.

[sandnsea]

10. Elect a Republican in SDakota!!!

Rah Rah!! It'll be great!

There are 50 states and 100 Senators. Over half those states have a large conservative constituency. It is a real balancing act to promote Democratic principles without losing those states altogether. The Democrats could march up to the White House, toss Bush out on his ass, and there'd still be people on this board who'd decide throwing him instead of kicking him was the wrong approach and therefore they all had pink tutus.

This is really getting a little old.

[DJcairo]

11. but Dashle got Jeffords

to switch sides and has taken Bush to task on his tarring Dems with the "unpatriotuc" shit. He has fought the good fight and as a majority leader with no real majority and now a minority leader the best he can do is stall and pressure the GOP. The Senate blocked Estrada - thanks to Dashle, blocked drilling in ANWR, passed campaign finance, blocked a ban on late term abortion, the list goes on and on. And who do you think was responsible for that. At a time when you have Dems who are really repubs like Zell Miller et. al. Dashle has done a wonderful job. Leave him alone - he is a great Senate leader.

[GOPBasher]

12. Which issues are you referring to?

You said that Daschle sold us out to Bush on every issue. I realize that he voted to give Bush the power to attack Iraq, which he already had under the War Powers Act anyway. What other issues are you referring to? He opposed the tax cuts. He opposed the end of the 40-hr week. He opposed the roll back of the Clean Air Act. He opposed drilling in Alaska. So it doesn't seem to me that he sold us out at all.

Which issues are you referring to? Do you have evidence for your claim?

[DJcairo]

14. What do you expect from a liberal who is as nuts as Bill O'Reilly

[w4rma]

16. I assure you that Daschle already knows we're not happy campers

The Democratic leadership only has to watch the rise of Gov. Howard Dean's grassroots campaign to see that. :)

IMHO, it's best to protest *positively* by *supporting* Democrats.