A very nice letter of thanks from Harry Reid

[bush_is_wacko]

He sent this email to me after I sent him a thank you for his words on Jan, 6th and his subsequent work on the issue. I hope it is okay to paste the letter in it's entirety here.

Re: Thank you



Dear Friend,

I wanted to send an email to say thank you for the kind and powerful words you wrote me last week.

History has shown us that the right to vote has always demanded vigilance, responsibility and hard work from citizens and legislators alike. And the sad fact is disenfranchisement continues even today.

Thanks to your support, Senator Boxer and I we were able to use these facts to force the senate into a public debate on voting rights. But that was only the beginning. Now the Senate must act to correct the errors and injustice of the voting system still visible in the 2004 election. It is a fight that I promise you I will champion as Democratic leader.

Although I was able to help enact landmark reforms in ballot box protection for my home state of Nevada this year, suppression efforts were still made. Calls, which we were unable to trace, told voters that Election Day was November 3rd, not November 2nd. And our registration process was also tainted by the proven destruction of Democratic voter registration forms.

We know that in Ohio and across the country, precincts with large minority populations had disproportionately long lines because there weren't enough voting machines in those precincts. And blanket challenges to Ohio voters were merely a thinly veiled effort to suppress the vote.

During the next session of Congress we face many other tough battles including the fight to save Social Security from the Republican plan to phase it out in favor of benefit cuts and private accounts. Social Security is America's promise of retirement security, but through news reports and White House leaks, we know the President intends to break this promise in order to reward Wall Street with windfalls.

We're up against some very powerful opponents, and to win this fight you and I will need to work side by side, from battles on the Senate floor to debates in cities and towns around this nation. Together we can make sure the values of fairness, security and opportunity survive the Republican onslaught and remain a part of the American experience.

To help our work together, in the next few weeks I plan on launching Democrats.gov, which will introduce new methods of citizen participation in Government. I will be in touch with you during this time to let you know how you can get involved and strengthen your voice in government.

Once again thank you for your letters and kind words. They meant more to me than you could ever know.

Sincerely,

Harry Reid

[Robbien]

1. It is a good letter

Just the fact that he acknowledges grassroots exist is a giant step ahead of Daschle.

[ClarkUSA]

2. Very encouraging.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. That is true. Also, Nevada went to * by one point. In the future....

Nevada will be a Blue state and Reid won his fourth term with 61% of the vote and has much higher ratings than Bush has. Unlike Daschle, Reid will be making noise when it is needed!!!

[chrisbur]

4. Hey that's weird.

I got the very same letter.
I say, put your money where your mouth is.
I like what I "hear" so far.

Still, being new to this whole "politics" thing I don't quite get the: Stand up and rail against something and then vote with the Rethugs anyhow. Don't get me wrong. I understood the electoral vote strategy, I guess, but why are so many Dems voting for Bush's appointees?

I guess I'd like to see them lose the civility and start calling liars, well... liars.

What's the strategy?

[bush_is_wacko]

5. Given the numerous letters like this I have recently received from

at least 4 Dem's. I think they are all trying to call liars liars, but with no majority in either house and a delusional President they are getting their digs in at the only opportune moments they can. They are trying to create a "movement" and that means testing the waters of every Dem out there. I actually think they are rolling along pretty well on this. It seems to me as if the tag team is Boxer, Obama, Dodd, and Kerry. I thought I saw Conyers go up and point to Kerry during the second part of the hearings and it looked to me like he mouthed "you the man." did anyone else see this? I think it was Conyers. It was a quick sideways view.

[chrisbur]

6. Thank you for this insight.

It beats looking for the "hidden" messages in John Kerry's e-mails. ha!

[ClarkUSA]

10. I saw something like you mentioned but it didn't look like Conyers to me

[bush_is_wacko]

11. Any thoughts on who it did look like. It went so fast I wasn't sure but

thought it might have been Conyers.

[Robbien]

7. So far all your posts today have recommended screaming liar

in each and every situation. Why?

[chrisbur]

12. Well...

I suppose this is what is known as "calling out a newbie".
I believe I have 12 posts. 2 use the word liar. 0 mention screaming. 1 was today.

I believe there are many liars in the Bush administration. I am politically naive. I was trying to gain some insight into the strategy behind avoiding this useful word.

You can imagine how I get along with people.

[Robbien]

15. Why do you think it is a useful word?

So far no one in politics or the so called liberal media has ever used that word against this administration.

[chrisbur]

16. It indicates that someone does not tell the truth.

I suppose I can make your argument for you and get this over with.

Nobody calls the Bush administration "liars" because the Bush administation is very careful to use ambiguity of language and underlings as intelligence scapegoats to cover their asses.

Geez, now I am a reactionary sock puppet who has indeed used the word liar far too many times.

[Robbien]

17. I see by your answer you have some understanding of politics

but this answer is at odds with your previous activity where you have been jumping into threads posting "geeze I such a newbie and know nothing about politics, alls I know is Bush sucks and is a liar". A common tactic used by disrupters trying to fit in and build up post counts.

If you really are here to have discussions, learn the real news and perhaps do some activism, I wish you welcome.

[chrisbur]

20. My god man!

I've heard about this phenomenon but...I'm weak. I'll defend myself anyway.
Perhaps you confused my posts with someone else's posts. (and no, you don't need to show me my posts). You're really quite the enforcer aren't you.

I really am here to read and learn. I've been lurking for the last 3 months or so. As for my activism. Since Nov.2 I have written letters to media and Congressman, collected quite a few Congressman's phone numbers and called them often. In fact, I am headed to D.C. on a bus this evening.

Think about this. I used to just go to work, live my life. You know, watch the news at night and actually believe it. This is good. There are probably more of us coming.

You be nice and I'll try to be more careful and not waste your time with inane posting.

[GetTheRightVote]

8. I am liking what I see & hear about Harry Reid of late, great letter

:kick:

I can not wait to see the web site, I hope it is soon.

[Pirate Smile]

9. Did you see this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1501331&mesg_id=1501331

Hopefully, this will be an improvement.

We can only pray they actually heard this - http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/16/10112/1506

[Robbien]

13. I saw that.

By not including grassroots in his war room he is making a mistake. Congressmen saying the only way grassroots can help is by handing over greenbacks is the same mistake Kerry made.

I hope along with you that Reid heard what Paradox said.

[bush_is_wacko]

14. Cool! I missed that. I signed up! Thanks! n/t

[moggie12]

18. I am a big Reid fan

He has stepped up to the plate and done well under difficult circumstances. He is also a good addition to the "public faces" of out Party, an older, very earnest-sounding, straight-talking guy who brings much to the table.

[medeak]

19. hope he's able to get larger staff

office is overwhelmed by emails....