Dear Nancy, I Am Code Pink

[G_j]

I Am Code Pink
I have been voting since 1969
And I suppose I was an activist well before then
I was and am a flower child
I registered as a Conscientious Objector during he Vietnam war.
I actively opposed the Vietnam war and every war since.
I've hitchhiked, taken buses, carpooled, and driven to DC over and over again to DEMONSTRATE for sanity and peace. I ALWAYS VOTE, I CALL you (my Reps), and I WRITE to you, over and over, year after year after yaer.

I've worn out typewriters. I try to MEET with you and even sometimes succeed.
I've put on ties and jackets and spoken in churches and county faires.
All for love.
And I've stood in front of riot police and under helicopters,

And.
I am always, and always will be
respectful of you as a human being.

I seek DIALOG and believe in LOVE,
I strive for PEACE, COMPASSION and UNDERSTANDING
I am just 56 yrs old.

Why
dis
me???


~ ~ ~

http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=4396&catid=4&volume_id=254&issue_id=312&volume_num=41&issue_num=48

Pelosi won't see pink
Speaker tells Code Pink to buzz off

By Sarah Kai Acker

US House speaker Nancy Pelosi has almost entirely ignored the Code Pink protesters who have been camping outside her Pacific Heights residence since Aug. 12. Except for the first night of the campout, when she called them "nuts."

The half dozen women, several of whom voted for Pelosi, have been on a hunger strike. They said their aim was to get San Francisco's congressional representative to agree to hold a public meeting with peace activists to discuss the Iraq war during the House's summer recess.

Pelosi's response, delivered as she arrived home that Sunday night: she said she would never meet with the protesters. She then told them to get away from her house.

"It sent chills up my spine," Toby Bolme, a physical therapist and member of Code Pink who spearheaded the hunger strike and the encampment, told the Guardian.

<snip>

[jgraz]

1. The Queen is Not Amused

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

25. Almost Forgot What Site This Was For A Second There...

Thankfully I scrolled up and was able to see the big Democratic Underground banner to ensure me that I was in fact in the right place.

But man did you make it confusing for a second there.

[EFerrari]

2. I am Code Pink, too.

And it may not be easy or attractive or at first blush beneficial for Democrats looking at the next election.

But there comes a moment when what is important, what is needed, becomes so very clear.

We all know that BushCo is insane. And there is no use negotiating with terrorists. They have to be confronted and held accountable.

New rules: You are accountable to the people. And Code Pink has been right this whole time in pointing that out, in making that principle material.

[formercia]

9. You're right. Bush needs to be held accountable.

No negotiating, just due process.

[creeksneakers2]

31. Code Pink is not "the people."

If they want Nancy to respond to "the people" they ought to let her hold press conferences.

[John Q. Citizen]

39. So she can stay on message to big corporate media? What good has that done?

OH yeah, $5.72 an hour I forgot.

The people spoke last November and they told Nancy clearly and resolutely;

Stop enabling the war, and Impeach!

Code Pink is just reminding her about that.

[shance]

40. Well what are they then honey? Potted plants?

They are people just like you and me.

In addition, they are putting their money,their commitment and their sweat and experiences where their mouths are.

One could say they are taking their pain and channeling it in the healthiest way possible.

[creeksneakers2]

48. They are people

They are not "THE" people.

[EFerrari]

45. We're not the people?

What are we, the cosmic muffins? :silly:

[Irishonly]

55. You Are The People

I am The People. Pelosi is the Speaker of the House. She represents all of The People because of her position. I write and call but never get a response. Her lack of attention may be attributed to the fact I am writing about impeachment, the invasion, FISA and other topics she may not be interested in hearing my complaints. Cripes, Feinstein has taken me off her mailing list also.

I admire what you do for "The People" in and around San Francisco. You took the time to email me when I was having some problems. You are one hell of a representative of "We, The People".

BTW, I am Code Pink also. I can't get out like they would like me too. I have always thought that until we walked in their shoes we have no right to judge their actions. I am also a goody two shoes so my eye brows raise at some of the more colorful members but they fight the fight. Everyone of "We, the People", have the right to be heard no matter how quiet or flamboyant we are.

[John Q. Citizen]

38. I support Code Pink! Anyone can stick a D after there name, but not anyone

can be Code Pink.

Code Pink is doing the heavy lifting for democracy.

[leftchick]

3. oh, go eat some cake!

:)

K&R!

[CoffeeCat]

4. Nancy Pelosi...

...Complicit, do-nothing, BushCo enabler.

I am ashamed that I ever had any faith in her.

She is a failure.

[Time for change]

5. I just don't get it. Why would she do this?

Was there any indication throughout her career prior to becoming Speaker, that she would act like this?

[bdamomma]

13. it's an election year.

damn them for not listening to the American people, there is only so much people can take.

[EFerrari]

20. It's now ALWAYS an election year. The campaigning never stops

imho because of the really corrupt way we fund our elections. Elections are big business. The corporati donate big money and get it back in ad buys.

The electorate is mostly in the way and out of the loop.

[bdamomma]

35. well the way they are acting they are out of loop, not us.

we are always several steps ahead of them.

[truedelphi]

28. In order to succeed in Dem politics in side the greater

San Francisco Bay Area you have to be beholden to Di Feinstein.

She (or one of her minions) gives the final A-okay as to whether or not you may run in your district for dog catcher, school board or whatever.

Pelosi is someone who has run that gauntlet so many times to get where she is now that she probably has forgotten what the real values that she aspired to once were. (If she indeed held those values to begin with.)

[Time for change]

36. But Feinstein at least met with them and talked with them

:shrug:

[shance]

41. Because she had a slip and showed her true colors. These are actually gifts if people

would realize that individuals eventually show us who they are, if we are willing to see it, instead of what we want to see.

Seems its our own skewed perceptions that allow us to be further abused and duped by those who play into our illusions of the way things ought to be.

Nancy has shown that she is an elitist. She is tremendously insulated from reality and certainly any realm of financial hardship or anxiety, and as such has a very distorted view of what is happening in the world.

[creeksneakers2]

6. Code Pink disrupted a ribbon cutting ceremony

that Nancy was involved in not that long ago. Code Pink ruined important news conferences that Nancy was part of too. There is no need for a demonstration to take place outside Nancy's house. She must have a district office. The letter in the OP says "I am always, and always will be respectful of you as a human being." That statement doesn't apply Code Pink.

Code Pink is trying to intimidate Pelosi and I admire her courage for standing up to them.

[Tesha]

7. When you pla in the big leagues, that sort of thing happens.

> Code Pink disrupted a ribbon cutting ceremony that Nancy
> was involved in not that long ago. Code Pink ruined important
> news conferences that Nancy was part of too. There is no need
> for a demonstration to take place outside Nancy's house.

When you pla in the big leagues, that sort of thing happens,
especially when you're *CLEARLY* not representing the will
of your constituents.

"Politics ain't beanbag."

Hurray for Code Pink!

Tesha

[cali]

8. If she's so clearly not supporting

the will of her constituency, how come polls show tremendous support for her? She may not be representing the will of her constituency re impeachment, but clearly that's not the only issue.

[Tesha]

10. Don't forget that pesky little "war" thing. (NT)

[cali]

11. That retort hardly answers my question. n/t

[Tesha]

14. My retort answered this point that you raised.

My retort answered this point that you raised.

> She may not be representing the will of her constituency re impeachment, but clearly that's not the only issue:

The war is clearly another issue. So is health care,
NCLB, the USA-PATRIOT Acts, etc., etc.

There's plenty for Nancy's San Franciscan and national
constituents to be unhappy about, and I hope she has a
*VERY CHALLENGING* re-election campaign.

Tesha

[cali]

15. Your hopes will be in vain.

She's incredibly popular in her district. And Sheehan won't gain any traction. She's started off badly, and judging from past history, she'll make one gaffe after another.

[Tesha]

16. "And Kerry will easily win election". (NT)

[cali]

33. LOL!

First of all, I never thought Kerry would win. Secondly, Nancy Pelosi is polling at something like 82% and Cindy Sheehan is polling at 8%. this one isn't that tough to figure out.

[stimbox]

42. Which polls, Cali?

All I hear from my fellow 8th District residents is negative about Pelosi.

[cali]

52. here's one

http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_221161227.html

this poll shows Pelosi at 66% and Sheehan at 9%. There are many more reflecting the same gap. Just google.

Look, I don't live in SF, but anecdotal evidence just isn't very accurate in cases like these. In addition, I doubt that voters in any district would exchange having the most powerful person in the House with someone who would be the ultimate backbencher.

Pelosi may elicit anger and negativity among many of her constituents, but that doesn't mean they won't vote her.

[stimbox]

53. You don't live here.

One poll taken on the day that she announces her candidacy doesn't indicate much, imho.

The thing is, Pelosi hasn't been representing her constituents very well since becomming Speaker of the House.

I wouldn't underestimate the anger of her constituents in the 8th District.

[cali]

57. You're right, of course, I don't live there

But that's not the only poll that's been taken. Look, Pelosi knows politics, Sheehan doesn't. Pelosi has all the resources. I don't have to live in CA-8 to be able to see who's gonna win this one.

[stimbox]

54. Pelosi has 39% approval rating in this poll.

"Pelosi, who took office in January with great fanfare and a pledge to start bringing U.S. troops home, has seen her personal approval rating fall from a high of 48 percent in the March poll to 39 percent in the new poll."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/08/24/MNTSRO7DI.DTL

[cali]

58. That's a statewide poll, not a CA-8 poll

and has no bearing on this debate.

[stimbox]

64. Yes, it does.

District 8 is a part of California.
Do you know for a fact that no District 8 people were polled?
We can dig up polls that say whatever.
All I know is that people I talk to here in SF are not too happy with her right now.
I agree that she will probably be re-elected, but she will have a tougher battle than she ever had before.
Pelosi better start doing what her constituents want soon, or else she may lose a lot of votes.

[Yukari Yakumo]

67. No, it doesn't

Cali is not all blue, there's quite a bit of red splashed in here and there. Therefore, Pelosi's numbers will not be to terribly high no matter what the situation is.

[stimbox]

70. Sample.

It doesn't say who was in the population sampled.
Honest pollsters will call an equal number of Dems, Pukes, and Indies.

[creeksneakers2]

26. Nancy knows it ain't bean bag but not Code Pink

Code Pink thinks they ought to be able to command Nancy's appearance at a public event after they harassed her. Code Pink needs to understand that after you hit somebody in the head with the beanbag they stop sending Code Pink Christmas cards.

[progressoid]

12. ...

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[mikelgb]

18. oh shit they ruined photo ops?

well I might just have to send them a donation...

:evilgrin:

fuck photo ops, end the war

[EFerrari]

19. If Pelosi can be intimidated by her constituents, she needs to find

another line of work.

[creeksneakers2]

22. Pelosi is handling this just fine

Its code pink that's whining because they can't sucker Nancy into a public meeting.

[EFerrari]

24. Pelosi is avoiding a district that is furious with her. It's not only

CP by any stretch of the imagination.

If you believe that our elected reps should avoid us, that's your perogative.

[cali]

34. Let me suggest that you go check out her approval

rates. It's very, very high. Oh yeah, and avoiding you guys isn't exactly the same as avoiding her district.

[stimbox]

43. She's avoiding us.

No town hall meeting while she was on vacation.

[EFerrari]

44. I'm sorry to be such a huge grump. I have friends in the district office

AND in Code Pink and this situation is killing me. :(

[dflprincess]

46. Then no doubt you admire Bush for "standing up" to the protesters at Camp Casey

who tried to intimidate him?

[Senator]

17. Well, Being At 18% Can Cause "Cheney-Like" Temperament

This is not to excuse Madame Squeaker's disdain for the handful of her fellow Americans who care enough to DO something, but just to provide some context for her grumpiness.

Ending up in a public-diapproval ditch so soon after taking the wheel can cause some pretty irrational behavior. Like wishing she could just stay home and display real patriotism by demanding impeachment, instead of being forced to violate her oath of office and enable war criminals just because in her new "leadership" position she ... uh, mmm ... well, whatever the reason is this week for being bushcheney's firewall.

And it can also be quite tedious to realize day in and day out that one's political epitaph -- Failed To Impeach -- is already written in stone. Kinda takes all the mystery out of life.

Not that she deserves any slack. Keep asking the tough questions.

Just don't expect any pleasant, or rational, answers.

---

[ComerPerro]

21. maybe her refusal to meet has something to do with being harassed at her home

[EFerrari]

27. Because protests shouldn't disrupt business as usual

no matter the daily human cost. :eyes:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

23. I Can Understand Completely Why Should Wouldn't Want To Meet With Them Any Longer.

Most of us don't go rushing to the gates to meet with people who are irrationally harassing us. I'd say her lack of interest of meeting with them is pretty reasonable.

[EFerrari]

29. Irrationally? Last time I looked, the majority of Americans

want this war to end.

And, Code Pink is asking for a townhall meeting, not a private audience with Her DLCship.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

30. I Want This War To End Too. That Has Nothing To Do With My Statement.

It is the extreme and irrational ways in which some of the Code Pink members have gone about such desire, that is the focus of my statements.

But nice try with your attempt to make this a black and white issue of "Those who want the war to end vs those who don't". How ridiculous.

[EFerrari]

32. There's nothing "black and white" about this.

We're asking for a townhall meetinig. Around this bay area, other reps met with their constituents in August. Nancy refused.

We're not packing, you know, lol. Extreme and irrational? Okay.

[Yukari Yakumo]

51. And it's any wonder why NO ONE takes them seriously.

When you start screaming "My way or no way", people tune you out in droves. Is it any wonder why people like Pelosi won't bother to meet w/ Code Pink?

Code Pink has become almost as irrelevant as Sheehan.

[Desertrose]

37. Good post, G_j

Nice work, Pelosi :eyes:

......why would you NOT meet with Code Pink? How could it be wise to ignore this group?


:hug: G_j
DR

[G_j]

47. hard to believe, even as politics go it seems foolish

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/08/24/18443126.php

Five Women Arrested Outside Pelosi's Office
by Jody Paulson
Friday Aug 24th, 2007 3:40 PM

My elected representative won't have a public dialogue with her constituents about peace, and Code Pink wants to know why.
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House and congressional representative of my district in San Francisco, hasn't held a public meeting with her constituents about anything since Jan. 2006 -- months before she became Speaker. One could easily argue she would still be Minority Leader were it not for the dedicated work of peace activists all over the country to get Democrats elected in November ... yet Pelosi's aid has told us she has no room on her agenda this recess to publicly dialogue with any of her constituents about peace.

<snip>

More: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/08/24/18443126.php
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/08/23/18442934.php
http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0824-01.htm


Here's a link about Camp Feinstein:
http://indybay.org/newsitems/2007/08/21/18441910.php

:hug: DR
G_j

[creeksneakers2]

49. Where did they get the pink duct tape? n/t

[Yukari Yakumo]

50. The million dollar question:

Of the Code Pinkers who were there, how many of them were actually from Pelosi's district?

[peacetheonlyway]

56. Code Pink Rocks, Nancy Sux.... it's that simple

Medea Benjamin and Cindy Sheehan will go down in this chapter of History as the Martin Luther King and Ghandi of this era.

do not worry over Nancy. she's out before she ever got in. she will never see the light of a presidential bid, which was hers until she enthroned herself and pissed off us dems that pay careful attention to actions not words.

trust me.

she will go down along with many other republicans when waxman, john conyers and a small handful of TRUE dems start to take real action.

watch this email deadline september 10th. trust that following that, some real accountability will happen all across the spectrum.

I'm sorry she did not lower herself to meet with CodePink , but any official that does not meet with protesters is themselves unfit to serve the people who pay their FRIGGIN paychecks.

don't give her the power of being upset or the power to dis you.

continue your actions and know that one day, you will have the position she currently occupies.


we are all running for office. we will rise to her position and the protesters wills though many years later, will for sure be granted.

[cali]

59. only in a simple black and white george bush type world

is it that simple.

[peacetheonlyway]

60. the backlash cometh

people who don't listen to the wishes of the people will be catapulted out of office at an alarming rate.

CINDY SHEEHAN IS ALREADY the representative from California that Nancy no longer deserves.

speak it and it shall be so.

nothing hard to figure out here.

Nancy took Impeachment off the table before consulting with her constituents or following the wishes of a huge majority of her country.

she will never live down that failed moment in her political career.

any other discussion (like talking to code pink) makes no sense if you are nancy and you like George bush, think you are above the wishes of the people.

[cali]

61. Whaaa?

Really, what delusional world do you live in? Nancy Pelosi will win re-election without even breaking a sweat. There is no such thing as a wnified voice of the people. This country is a veritable cacophony of opposing and contradictory opinion.

Both my Senators and my rep have opposed impeachment, and I can assure you that if Pat Leahy and Bernie were up for election tomorrow, they'd be handily re-elected- particularly if opposed by a Cindy Sheehan type candidate.

[peacetheonlyway]

62. Washington State will Pass an Impeachment REsolution

which will force the hand of the House of Representatives.

it will pass easily in the House and possibly fail in the senate.

I don't care.

this chapter of history has to show the President with the most powerful tool we have that his acting above the law is unacceptable.

Leahy and the rest of spineless jellyfish have iraqi and american soldier blood on their hand for every day they let this thing careen in the hands of criminals.

the mere beginning of impeachment proceedings will drive bush to resign.

it is so.

come back to this thread 6 months from now when Washington state, under the able leadership of Sen. Eric Oemig forces congress's hand and the citizens which are over 17K petitioners and over 1K folks showing up on the impeachment resolution and NOT A SINGLE PERSON OR SIGNER AGAINST this resolution show the will of the people at least in washington state, demand a start of impeachment proceedings.

i don't care what you think.

i have the power in my state and I'm taking it.

[cali]

63. So tell me, is ignorance really bliss?

Leahy a jellyfish? You mean Leahy who made what is undoubtedly the strongest speech about the perils of the Iraq War, comparing going to war in Iraq with the Tonkin Gulf resolution, prior to the IWR vote?
You mean Leahy who has said the only way to end the war is to defund it?

You really are horrifyingly ignorant. Oh, and the Vermont Senate passed an impeachment resolution months ago. We're fucking light years ahead of Washington State when it comes to progressive politics.

"Vermont senators voted Friday to call for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, saying their actions have raised "serious questions of constitutionality."

The nonbinding resolution was approved 16-9 without debate all six Republicans in the chamber at the time and three Democrats voted against it.

The Vermont Senate is believed to be the first state chamber in the country to pass such a resolution, said Bill Wyatt, a spokesman for the National Conference of State Legislatures."

<snip>


http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3060355

[Yukari Yakumo]

68. I don't think she's mentally stable

When people say "I have the power in my state and I'm taking it," it shows a clear disconnect with reality. But to compare Sheehan and Medea Benjamin to MLK and Gandhi... she is just fuckin' nuts.

Seriously. She really needs to go back to whatever meds she was taking.

[truedelphi]

66. The visionary forces are ramping up the energies of the planet

Today the Establishment fights them and laughs at them, (after some two or three years of ignoring the visionaries) and then In the end, Cindy Sheehan will laugh the last laugh, CODE PINK will laugh the last laugh. The visionaries trump the Establishment.

The change CANNOT and WILL nOT OCCUR through politics. Politics is a defeated paradigm. The Body Politics has been exposed for the whore mogering, campaign fund chasing gestalt that means that the INDIVIDUAL has no power.

But we are not a nation based on Whore mongering. We are based on the ideas that certain truths are self-evident -and they must remain so. (Whereas Politics and the New World Order politician attempts each day to change and remold the nation into the concept that these truths are not self evident but instead are granted to the Individual by the Government - if and only if, saith the Government, the times are allowing the Government enough "security" to allow the Government to grant the liberty. And we know the answer to that - since 9/11 says the Establishment - there simply must be a trade off between liberty and security with security winning 24/7

So the visionaries gather their soul strength and inside the deeper consciousness of everyone they arise to bring us to a new day.

[cali]

69. What blather.

It reads like a parody. And I'd be willing to wager that you're not remotely delphic.

The ideas you champion in your third paragraph, btw, spring from a political context and from the philosophy of the Enlightenment.

Cindy Sheehan is hardly what I'd call a visionary.

[lonestarnot]

71. My "guess" is that she's making money off the war.

[LWolf]

65. I am a peace worker

I was born in 1960
I was, and am, the daughter of a flower child
I cut my teeth on activism for peace and social justice
I always vote, and I write repeatedly

I am a peace worker, and I approve of the above message.

[KingFlorez]

72. Harrasing people at their private residences is wrong

Why is she expected to cater to people who seem to have a strong dislike toward her? Protesting outside someone's home is not normal, rational behavior and won't get anyone to talk to you. Just because they are anti-war, doesn't mean that everything they do is right.