I've been on the phone with Congress critters re: Alito

[Jo March]

I've been calling members of the Senate since the Alito hearings started. On my way home from work, I dial over and over, asking for this Senator or that Senator. I've spoken with all kinds of people in offices of both parties.

Bottom line: Senator Dole and Senator Burr (my sens, ugh) are the most useless Senators alive. Dole's staff is RUDE and they are snotty. Burr's staff gave "no comments" out like candy.

I'm calling every single day. I have a cell phone and minutes to spare. I just feel as though no one cares what I have to say. No one.

[Skidmore]

1. Ask your critters flunkies how big a wad of money do you need

to be heard and heard with civility.

[Jo March]

24. "My name is Arnie Abramoff"

That will get their attention!!

[FreedomAngel82]

32. Do it better

Work to get rid of them from the Senate.

[peekaloo]

2. I feel your pain.

I have Cornyn and Hutchison. The Hutchison staffer audibly sighs when Alito's name is mentioned.

[txindy]

8. Yep. Lovely, aren't they? Helpful and thoughtful, too.

:sarcasm:

[FreedomAngel82]

33. I can do better!

I have Frist and Alexander.

[Jo March]

34. CatKiller and PlaidBoy

I feel for you. I think that you win (lose).

:(

[katinmn]

3. Thanks, Arnie! Mine are both noncommittal

One Rep and one Dem and neither will say where they stand. It's safe to say that Coleman will rubber stamp anything Junior wants.

[Jo March]

7. Dole is the queen of rubberstamping

I keep bringing up CAP, Vanguard, Exxon-Mobile and all I get is, "I'm sure the Senator will want to hear these concerns."

I am fed up! I am taking time away from other things to call these idiots and they don't give a flying fuck in a doughnut rolling downhill.

Ugh. Dole and Burr only won because of the machines. NC had a heap of "voting irregularities." Diebold got them their jobs.

[gratuitous]

4. Tell them you're from Jack Abramoff's office

And that it's now time for the Senator to repay the kindnesses Mr. Abramoff showed them in the past.

Hee, hee, hee.

[Jo March]

10. I brought up Abramoff to Dole's phone dude

Boy, did the cold air get colder! I said, "I would think that the Senator would like to know if Alito was paid off to make rulings, especially in light of the Abramoff scandal."

Bwahahahahaaha!

[wishlist]

5. Burr and Dole are indeed useless Bushbots, don't respond to emails

These two don't seem to have an independent thought between them but go along with whatever the Bush/Repub party line dictates.

I have received absolutely no acknowledgment or response to the emails I have written to them about many of my concerns about the Bush Admnistration- misleading us into war, Plame leak, spying without warrants and general dishonesty and lack of Congressional oversight.

[FreedomAngel82]

36. Not even a copy and paste?

I at least get that from Frist when I write him. And my Congress person (a useless republican who goes partylines always) writes back when necessary.

[Jo March]

38. Dole will send a letter about 6 weeks after you've emailed

It will be full of right-wing talking points. It's not even worth letting my cat poop on it.

[G_j]

6. Senator Dole and Senator Burr

are my Senators also. I got the same response (the same I ALWAYS get)
They are useless, and that is putting it nicely.

I've been calling a lot of Dems over this.

& Thank you for your efforts.

[Jo March]

11. They just suck

They only got in because of Diebold. Burr was losing in the polls to Bowles and viola! He wins the election.

They will be sweating it out come the next elections.

Useless.

Well, thank you for your efforts too. We'll make some progress. I am sure that we will. We just need to keep trying.

[BR_Parkway]

15. NC here too - I always LIE and tell them I am R and voted for them

when I call. I've also told them that we were all talking the other night after the Baptist Men's group meeting and everyone was very disappointed in......

They forget that they aren't the Senator from Republica - they are the Senator from NC and they represent all of us. So, since they only want to hear the Republican veiwpoint - I pretend to be a RePug and give them one.

Can't hurt if they think that their base is turning against them

[G_j]

16. true, if you are not an R you do not count

you are a non-citizen

My Rep is Chainsaw Charley Taylor
another RWingnut

[BR_Parkway]

28. I'll give you one Virginia Foxx and a bag of Hershey's - no one

has a more pathetic RW rubberstamp than those of us in Foxx's district. She probably has to get a fax from Rove every morning just to get out of bed and go pee.

[Jo March]

21. I like that approach!

They need to know that their base is turning against them because many of them are.

I love this: "I've also told them that we were all talking the other night after the Baptist Men's group meeting and everyone was very disappointed in......"

:evilgrin:

[SamuelAlito]

9. If you think it's hard to get answers from senators

Imagine how hard it is for me. I'm not allowed to even ask questions back.

So instead, I'm liveblogging my own hearings.

Sam

[peekaloo]

12. LOL!

bigot }(

[txindy]

13. About your blog, Sammy....

:spray:

[katinmn]

14. Thanks for the live blog, Sammy, and for explaining the Martha episode!

Martha-Ann
I'd prefer you all stop asking me to blog about Martha-Ann and the crying yesterday. I'm not going to blog about it, because it's her personal life.

For those of you wondering, she had a gyrotonic session yesterday after the hearings and she's feeling great.

Now I'm looking forward to more time with the Scientonlogist from Vermont.

this message sent via BlackBerry handheld at 9:02 am
posted by SamuelAlito at 9:11 AM 0 comments links to this post

[Mutley]

18. ...

:spray:

:rofl:

[Mandate My Ass]

47. ROFLMAO

Schumer Again

Him: Please please please tell me how you would rule.

Me: No.

Him: Pretty please?

Me: Hmmmm. No.

Him: Can Orrin Hatch make Arnold Schwarzenegger president?

Me: No. Only the Supreme Court gets to decide who is president.

:rofl:

[Mutley]

17. Here's an email from one of my Senators -- a DEM.

As non-commital as possible. :eyes:

==================================================================================

From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: www_email
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 15:10:34 -0500

Dear ------:

Thank you for getting in touch with me about your views on the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States . It's good to hear from you.

My decision on a Supreme Court nomination is one of the most important I make as a Senator. I look forward to thoroughly examining Judge Alito's qualifications and record by reviewing the background reports, the American Bar Association evaluation, his Judiciary Committee testimony, and his writings before I will make my determination.

I want you to know that in evaluating any judicial nomination, I use three criteria. I believe nominees should be competent, possess the highest integrity, and be dedicated to protecting the core constitutional values and guarantees.

The Supreme Court's decisions affect almost every aspect of American life. And while the President has the right to make nominations to the Supreme Court, our Constitution is clear - it demands that the Senate not be a rubber stamp on judicial nominees. We in the Senate owe it to the American people to take our time to be sure Judge Alito will uphold Americans' most basic and fundamental rights. The public demands this from the process, and deserves no less.

Thanks again for bringing your thoughts to my attention. If there's anything I can do for you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator

P.S. If I can be of further assistance in the future,
please visit my website at http://mikulski.senate.gov
or call my Washington D.C. office at 202-224-4654

[Jo March]

20. "If I can be of further assistance" - what a laugh

To be of further assistance you would have had to be of assistance in the first place! Geesh. :eyes:

[Mutley]

44. Exactly!

:eyes:

I would have preferred that she come right out and say, "Hey, I think Alito is a swell guy."

[Jo March]

45. I know. Why play cat and mouse with us?

I got into an argument with Dole's little phone dude over the "she thinks he deserves an up-or-down" vote. I said, "The Constitution does not call for an up or down vote. Stop spewing that partyline crap. There is no such thing when it comes to confirming justices." He took offense and said, "I'm not telling you what the Constitution says. I'm telling you what the Senator said!"

:crazy:

[EFerrari]

19. I hear you, arnie.

Feinstein's people are often rude when we call.

Damn public, interfering with government bizness.

[Jo March]

23. Hey, sweetie! How are you???

I hate to have to spend so much time on this but I feel it has to be done, you know?

Burr only got in due to Diebold. He is an idiot too. "No comment" from his staff, no less!

[EFerrari]

26. Yes, it has to be done.

I got a similar treatment when I was asking about Katrina reconstruction funding just before Christmas -- FROM NANCY PELOSI'S office. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeesh.

[Jo March]

29. Their beautiful minds, dontcha know?

I'm having more and more Madame DeFarge moments.

[Gloria]

22. When I called Sen. Bingaman's office a couple of days ago

(local office) after expressing my views on Alito, I went on to tell him that it was now or never for the Democrats, that they better watch their own base because they were not really representing us, they were not a real opposition party and that we didn't want Republican-lite. I said they had played footsies with this bunch for far too long...this bunch of liars. He said I wasn't the only one who was telling him this sort of thing....

I wouldn't even bother with Domenici--I've already been hung up on when I've called about other issues! So much for listening to his "constituency."

[Jo March]

25. Excellent work

I think that we need to just put it out there on the line: If you compromise on this, we will vote your ass out of office. Period.

[EFerrari]

27. Has anyone called Feinstein? I get heartburn just THINKING

about it, but I guess I have to. :(

[Jo March]

31. Called but their office had closed

will try later today. Sigh. I hate to call her as well.

On the bright side, I'm calling Senator Graham. I have lots to say about him. :evilgrin:

[EFerrari]

41. I called both SF and DC: Kennedy's office says

she's blocking a fillibuster. And, she's up for re-election!

[Jo March]

42. Maybe she's just saying that?

I hope that she'd stand up for women's rights a bit more.

I am having another Madame Defarge moment.

[FreedomAngel82]

30. It's sad

:cry:

[lonestarnot]

35. Both fucking repukes here, may as well hang it up.

[peaches2003]

37. Got a question for you

Don't know how long you have lived in NC, but we were there when Richard Burr was first elected Congressman. His campaign slogan for that election and his next 2 year reelection was that he would then retire back to private life- the founding fathers never meant for there to be anything but citizen-legislators, not a lifetime career in DC. We moved after that so I didn't get to follow this little liar.

Soooo- what happened????? Burr is still in DC!!!

[Jo March]

39. I know that folks keep bringing this up but he is still there

Burr is just that - a burr on the butt of this country. He's smarmy and tries to get his face in front of the cameras every chance he can.

[LizW]

40. I think we should tape record Senators being rude to their constituents

and put the audio on a website.

[Jo March]

43. That is a great idea!

It would be pretty funny if it weren't so aggravating. They work for me. I pay their salaries and they act as though I'm an annoyance.

[Lorien]

46. Bravo! I hear a lot of people on this board crow about "staying here to

fight", but most just kvetch on this board. You, however, ARE fighting the good fight!