NOW would be a good time to call Dianne Feinstein and tell her

[EFerrari]

she can't wait on that electronic election reform bill until 2010!

Tell her we want messy but but verifiable elections -- something the House doesn't enjoy today!

http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.Home

lol

[EFerrari]

1. kick

[emlev]

2. Unclear what you're asking. Her election reform bill is horrid! n/t

[EFerrari]

3. But it can't hurt to let her know we care about the issue? n/t

[Richard Steele]

5. But not as horrid as waiting until 2010 to start fixing the problem.

She maybe needs to get the message that even people
who want a better solution want it NOW.

[EFerrari]

7. No kidding! We can't get hung up on details. We have a window here

to illustrate our point.

Thanks.

[emlev]

14. I agree with some of what you said

"Even people
who want a better solution want it NOW."

I don't think it means we should support her awful bill. But I do think that with what's happening in California with Debra Bowen's Top-to-Bottom Review of voting systems, there's a window of opportunity to get through perhaps even to Feinstein. I think it makes sense to wait and see what happens in California today. Bowen will be making her announcement sometime in the next few hours. That may give us an even stronger position from which to approach DiFi.

[EFerrari]

15. Good to hear. I just couldn't resist putting the failure of electronic

voting in DiFi's face when she's been so cavalier about securing OUR VOTE.

I don't agree with her bill AND I don't want her to put this issue off for years. :shrug:

[stillcool]

4. I sent along this...

Dear senator Feinstein...after observing the voting problems in the House of Representatives, you may want to reconsider your assertion that we should wait until 2010, to require our electoral system be verifiable. After all, the House members gave themselves the opportunity to re-vote, while the American people are given no such consideration. Sincerely...

[EFerrari]

6. Thank you. Her bill has problems but imho, we need to keep a fire

under the effort. The bigger frame is, THIS CAN'T WAIT.

:toast:

[jgraz]

8. Do you have a $2300 check for her? If not, then don't bother.

DiFi only cares about DiFi.

[EFerrari]

12. I'm bothered and will bother -- if only to piss her off.

:evilgrin:

[jgraz]

18. OK, then go for it

Maybe I'll piss her off, too. Right after I call Barbara Lee and ask her once again to challenge DiFi in the primary.

[EFerrari]

19. PM me when you do, so I can follow up!

:toast:

[jgraz]

21. Already did it.

I think the guy who answered the phone was about 12 years old, but he was very nice and said he'd pass on the message.

[EFerrari]

22. Thanks.

:hi:

[babylonsister]

9. You might also want to tell her Ms. Waters would like a word:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1505452

[EFerrari]

11. Will do!

lol

:yourock:

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. kick

[EFerrari]

13. Thank you!

[bobbolink]

16. This fits in here somewhere...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1505132

You just can't make these things up. :hi:

[EFerrari]

17. Exactly. You can't make this sh!t up!

:hi:

[EFerrari]

20. So, I called DiFi's local office and pointed out that today's House

session was stymied by electronic voting. And I asked if DiFI was willing to have Democratic victories shaved in 2008 by these unreliable systems.

:shrug:

[fooj]

23. I heard Dean's speech at Yearly KO's and he encouraged

everyone to call in support of HR811. He said it had stalled and we needed to call our Reps and let them know they need to get this thing passed.

As far as DiFi goes, she's useless, imo. I'm still pissed that she allowed that f*cking nomination for the federal bench to pass through committee. I'll call her but it has been my experience that all of the pleading in the world doesn't cut it for that wench. Ugh.

[RufusTFirefly]

24. She received IWR calls at a ratio of 40 to 1 against

Clearly that made a big impression.

Calling DiFi reminds me of what Slavoj Zizek said about the buttons on elevators

It is a well-known fact that the Close the Door button in most elevators is a totally inoperative placebo, placed there just to give people the impression they are somehow contributing to the speed of the elevator journey - whereas in fact, when we push this button, the door closes in exactly the same time as when we simply pressed the floor button. This extreme case of fake participation is an appropriate metaphor for the role accorded citizens in our 'postmodern' political process.

New Left Review

[scarletwoman]

26. I must thank you for posting that link! It's such a great quote, I felt compelled to go read more.

I have to admit that I've never heard of Slavoj Zizek before. (although I suppose I ought to have...)

Anyway, so off I went to read what else he had to say and found a quite formidable piece of political analysis, challenging and fascinating. It is the final two sentences of the piece that gave me a big "AHA!" moment:

Participation by the far Right in government is not punishment for 'sectarianism' or a failure to 'come to terms with postmodern conditions'. It is the price the Left pays for renouncing any radical political project, and accepting market capitalism as 'the only game in town'.

Wow! That's so spot on it gave me chills...

Thanks again,
sw

[RufusTFirefly]

27. Zizek is really one of a kind

My pleasure. I'm indebted to the wife of a friend for first acquainting me with Zizek's work.

He's a lefty, Slovenian, Lacanian, Freudian critical theorist, who analyzes politics and popular culture, loves Hitchcock and Lynch, and routinely says things that are profoundly true, amazingly funny, and utterly mind-blowing at the same time. I highly recommend his movie The Pervert's Guide to Cinema, especially if you like Hitchcock, Lynch, or both, although the movies he mentions in his film run the gamut from the Marx Brothers to The Matrix. It's a trip. (And the title, he sheepishly concedes, is a bit of a MacGuffin) He also writes some pretty amazing things about Christianity.

[EFerrari]

25. You know there's no love lost between me and that person.

Thanks, fooj.