The power outage and the power of outrage!

A transformer blew up in my neighborhood the other day knocking out power to the house. I was on the computer and so had to stop and do other things not dependent of the electric grid. I got quite a lot done which reminds me we need to shut off the computer from time to time. That's what I'll be doing for the next few days. My girlfriend is dragging me out to the Hamptons for a few days where I'll be sitting on a beach in Ammagansett for the rest of the week. I received an email today that read in part:

The critical vote coming this week will be on the "cloture" of S.1639.
This vote is one to stop (limit to a finite amount of time) debate on the bill and force a final vote. Cloture requires 60 votes to pass.
The final bill only requires a majority (51) votes to pass. One of the tricks some Senators may be counting on is to vote YES on cloture, knowing full well that there will be 51 votes to pass the bill, and then vote NO on the bill itself so they can tell their voters they voted against it. It is up to you and all your friends and relatives to call their offices and let them know that it is their vote on cloture which will be used to judge them at the polls the next time they are up for election. They need to know that America wants them to VOTE NO ON CLOTURE on S.1639. A simple message to follow that may be something such as "We want our EXISTING LAWS enforced before you enact any additional ones."

Remember, it is NOT our immigration system which is broken, as so many in Washington DC continually repeat in hopes that if you hear it enough you will believe it. It is the will of the politicians in Washington DC which is broken. It is their will to enforce the law as is their sworn duty which is broken. This is something which we as a nation can "fix" at the ballot box. .

The email also gave the names of Senators that needed to be called
Bond (R-MO), Bingaman (D-NM), Burr (R-NC), Boxer (D-CA), * Cochran (R-MS) '08 , Conrad (D-ND), * Craig (R-ID) '08, * Domenici (R-NM) '08, Ensign (R-NV),Gregg (R-NH), Hatch (R-UT), * Levin (D-MI) '08, Webb (D-VA), Nelson (D-NE), * McConnell (R-KY) '08, * Smith (R-OR) '08, * Warner (R-VA) '08
about the newest Shamnesty bill S.1369 Kennedy/Bush/McCain/Lott/Graham and others are trying to ram through the Senate. So even though I won't be online I will have my cell phone on the beach and a number of staffers in the Senate offices will be hearing from me and also hearing the sound of the ocean in the background. I may be on vacation but, my participation in our Democracy never is.

P.S. The Senate switchboard number is 202 224-3121

A whole Lott of Anger!

The Washington Post had a piece about the outrage that Republican Senator Trent Lott caused by statements directed at Talk Radio and the conservative base and their opposition the the Senate Shamesty bill s1348. Lott seems to have done a John McCain and also shot himself in the foot with most of the conservatives in this country. Jeff Sessions of Alabama on the other hand knows better:"

A decent respect for our constituents means when they have very serious problems with an important piece of legislation, perhaps we should back off,"-Jeff Sessions