Hi folks, for those who don’t know me, I’m a relic of the blog’s George W. Bush era. Someone unwisely said my name three times and here I am. Apparently the republic is in trouble again and we need you people to light some fires under Congressional asses.
I’ll be honest, calling Congress feels inadequate at a moment like this. Insofar as the Trumpist mob has any plan, they seem to want some combination of the Argentine dirty war, the Handmaid’s Tale, and Rwanda. If a Republican leader knowingly signs onto that then there’s no reaching them with phone calls.
However, I can assure you that not every Republican wants to wear an armband and pick up a machete. You have never Trumpers like the Lincoln Project, Amash, Walsh, etc of course. And yes, while that whole crew could fit in a laundromat, you can tell that in-party disunity stings by how bitterly Trump cultists loathe them. Among Republicans who stayed loyal, you can see that plenty of them put up with Trump exclusively for the judges. Well, the judges are confirmed now. The tax cut’s passed and signed. Since Biden won, Trump’s value for the Party has depreciated faster than a 500-Guilder tulip.
Why do you suppose Republicans are pleading for unity now? They don’t want national unity and they never did. We all know they’d gladly rule with a plurality like they won a landslide. Republicans want “unity” because Republicans are divided. Mitch and his old guard loathe Trump’s drooling maniacs, and Trump loathes Mitch so much that he threw his “$2,000 checks” grenade into the Georgia elections just to spite him. The party is at each other’s throats and eunuchs like Rubio are begging Democrats to help calm things down. Party leadership is desperately scared that party members who want to jettison the Trumpers will find a voice.
So why not help them? Obviously, wavering Republicans will only waver as long as Democrats stand together. I think we can count on that for the moment, but we should encourage it anyway. Call the Democrats who represent you and demand a full and relentless accountability for violent insurgents and those who aid them. However, if you have a Republican Congressperson or Senator(s), then you have an even more important job. Trumper maniacs are certainly mobbing the phone lines right now, but they always do that. What your average GOP office doesn’t hear is voices urging them to do the right thing. Get on the phone with a Republican’s office and urge them to stand up for American democracy, and I promise your call will have an impact.
If you make a call, please note how staff responds to you. I will post a thread later to collect how offices are responding, especially Republicans who might back an impeachment vote. We can use that information to target specific officials for follow-up calls.
If you’ve never called a Congressional office before, here is an old thread telling you how to do it. The only things I would add are:
1. the Senate switchboard is (202) 224-3121.
2. DC offices are likely in turmoil across the board. I would suggest using Google to find the number for your Representative / Senator’s local office(s) and call those instead.
What about email? Don’t use email. Pressure groups use online forms to send emails in batches of thousands at a time, and no one ever reads it. Unless you have the private address of someone in the office your email will go straight to the junk bin. Use the phone.
William Burns To CIA Director
DK
Glad to see you back, Tim F. Wish it was under better circumstances. Coming back full circle to leading people to contact their reps.
Punchy
Can we get you to re-implement Beer Blog Fridays, too?
Rosalita
Welcome back!
waspuppet
Welcome back!
“Let’s not bicker and argue over who killed who,” in this case literally.
When Republicans say “unity,” they mean “everybody do what we say.” When they say “peace and unity,” they mean “everybody shut up and do what we say.” It’s how domestic abusers talk, and we know Trump is that; the rest of the party is some combination of abusers, toadies to those abusers and abused spouses who don’t want to make a fuss.
bemused senior
You bigfooted Cheryl Rofer’s post about the CIA nominee. Maybe ask WaterGirl for a refresher on front page etiquette?
Cathie from Canada
I said this on a thread earlier today but I’m repeating it here: I think we got suckered — Democrats, and millions of Biden voters, really got suckered good.
For 2 months it was all “just wait, don’t worry, Trump will come around, he just needs a little more time” and “don’t worry about those nutcases who think the election was stolen. As soon as the court cases are thrown out, they’ll understand the election really was fair” and “its OK that these Republican politicians are saying Biden stole the election, its just political theatrics for the base, everybody knows it isn’t really true” and “don’t talk too much about Biden’s win, it hurts their delicate fee-fees and you mustn’t do that, you really need to reach out to unify the country again.”
So we whispered instead of shouting, and we didn’t push back loudly and often, and we let it go when Republican politicians were too cowardly to say anything either.
Meanwhile they were all busy plotting #TheBigLie & organizing #TrumpInsurrection
cain
@Punchy:
Tim F used to be fun, we used to have these things. Now he just wants us to call crotchety old men and yell at them for being traitors (they are) and try to get them to do the right thing (they wont)
In any case, I also think they are calling for healing so that they can all have a common enemy again – Democrats.
I live in Oregon, my reps are absolutely going to impeach the motherfucker – including that asshole Kurt who got himself in trouble earlier – not only from his colleagues but from the rest of us.
Gin & Tonic
We want pictures of Max.
williamC
Welcome back from the woodwork! Apparently today is the day lots of lurkers/too-busiers are hearing the call to arms that the fascists are on the march. I’m with you, Tim!
we all need to call our congresspeople so that they don’t fall for this crap! I’m not capable of unifying with right wing revolutionaries; it puts my black life at risk to even consider it! F these folks for ruining 2021 already!
ballerat
QFT and all that, but mostly because it pleases me to see it repeated.
Eric S.
Tim F!!!! I hope you’re doing well, sir.
waratah
@Gin & Tonic: I second that.
Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix
Slight disagree on email. Agree that just firing one off is useless. But, I used the email *form* on Schumer, Gillibrand and Morelle’s site, and all validate you via name, address, phone number, etc. Morelle even uses ZIP+4. It’s a bit cumbersome and uses a CAPTCHA. I’ve gotten responses doing this in the past, so I think they’re read. Though I’m sure these 3 are on the same page wrt impeachment.
WaterGirl
@bemused senior: Tim was clearly working on a post, as was Cheryl, and we can see that from the back end, though it’s impossible to tell when someone will finally hit post.
The posts went up within seconds of one another, and it could just as easily happened the other way around.
No One of Consequence
As luck would have it, I was fortunate enough to be ahead of this curve. I called Senators Grassley and Earnst (ETA: on last Friday). I prefaced the reason for my call with the fact that I was proud of both of my senators for not siding on with the Electoral Results Deniers, and that indeed they should not have. I then followed with my belief that the events of Wednesday provided evidence of a clear and present danger to the Country in the person of Donald J Trump, and that he should be lawfully removed from office as quickly as possible. I left my name, address and the fact that I am a born-and-raised Iowan.
My last call to their local offices was to express my belief that their actions and votes in the most recent impeachment trial were unconscionable, and I was disgusted with my Senatorial representation.
For what its worth, peace.
NOoC
Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix
@bemused senior:
I think people believe that there’s some kind of mechanism in WordPress to tell you someone else is just about to post or just posted. There isn’t, not by a long shot. Also, bigfooting is not a big deal, IMO, but, still, even if it is, it’s hard to avoid, and often you only notice it after a couple of people have commented.
PPCLI
@Cathie from Canada:
Yes.
One fundamental, baseline condition for any Republican who whines about “unity” is to require that they state publicly for the record, clearly, unequivocally, and without weasel-words, both-siding or buts, that Biden decisively won a free and fair election with no significant fraud or “irregularities”, and that the widespread allegations of such “irregularities” are simply false.
If they can’t do that, then they will be assumed to be continuing to undermine democracy.
That’s far from the only thing they should be expected to do, but it’s got to be one of the indispensable minimum requirements.
The Other Bob
I don’t buy the argument that there are “Good Republicans” who don’t support this.
Are these “good Republicans” old enough that they were there when Reagan ran a racist and anti-poor campaign? Were they OK with Bush, the elder, running pictures of a black inmate to scare bigots into voting for him? How about when Bush the younger ran to “save marriage” against those scary gay people? How about when the Republican party teamed up with religious extremists? Every Republican President elected in the last 40 year was elected on bigotry by running against a boogieman. Many of these anti-Trump R’s were fine with all the tactics that built Trumpism.
Screw them. Every one.
Cheryl Rofer
I’ve given up on being worried about being bigfooted or bigfooting other people. It’s what happens at Balloon Juice.
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: @waratah:
For an immediate Max fix, click on View Posts by Author and click on Tim F. You will treated to a beautiful photo of a young and buff Max!
Maybe that will hold you until we see get something more recent. Perhaps we will get a photo of Max as a reward for making calls.
CaseyL
Hey, good to see you again!
I called my Rep (Jayapal) and senior Senator (Patty Murray) last week to fervently thank them for supporting impeachment (Jayapal) and expulsion of Hawley and Cruz (Murray).
I so heartily, heartily, wish national politicians were less transactional, in that they only pay attention to their own constituents. I don’t know if that is a rule or SOP, but the rule of thumb for years has been, there is no point calling a Representative or a Senator if you’re not in their district/state. Their policies affect all of us, for pity’s sake.
(And the RWNJ robocallers call everyone anyway, so it’s not like the “rule” protects anyone.)
WaterGirl
Tim, are you suggesting that we call both senators and representatives?
Just our own elected officials at this point, or key position holders, as well?
Chetan Murthy
Along with calling wavering Reps to give ’em spine, I also call the stalwart ones to thank them: even if they’re not my Reps. I just called Cori Bush’s office, and have called Patty Murray, Nadler, Lieu, Speier, and a few others, in the past few days. Of course my Rep Nancy SMASH, too.
piratedan
and with all of the gnashing of mandibles regarding what Pelosi is doing; please…. while I may not be completely in sync with Her Nonnaness, I understand that she’s going thru the hoops in this manner to observe the proprieties and norms. She has to give these asshats every opportunity to come correct (not that we expect them to) because if she doesn’t do this, we’ll see even more bullshit from each and every GOP leaning outlet and organization that gives Mitch a pass when he pulls the opposite bullshit in his role of being “he who decides how things will be done”. She will sadly point to each and every procedural i being dotted and t being crossed. Then she will cut them. After she is done severing their hamstrings, she will then turn them over to the rest of her caucus for carcass cleaning.
I wanted this done yesterday (as did we all) but if we are going to be a nation of laws and rules once more, I understand we need to set examples and show that we observe them, despite the desires for it to be otherwise.
Lyrebird
@Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix:
Yes I have gotten relevant responses from Schumer’s direct contact form as well. Called local office and left voicemail for my rep, who I am sure is going to vote aye.
I also asked the Rep. to make more noise recognizing the bravery of the Cap. Police officers like Eugene Goodman and others.
Tim F
Is your dog okay? Hope so! Please update.
:-)
Evap
My senators are Warnock and Ossoff . It is such a thrill to type that!
Lyrebird
YESSSSSSSSS
Precisely!
Lyrebird
If there are standard-issue racist, anti-poor Rs who are NOT okay with siccing a mob on Congress including themselves and the R Vice President, then they might vote to impeach.
Felanius Kootea
Oh wow – hey Tim F. Welcome back!
Elizabelle
@WaterGirl: @ bemused senior:
I think we can handle several posts at a time, particularly during heavy news periods.
Personally, I think the deference to “no bigfooting” can be stultifying.
Choice is good.
pacem appellant
@cain: My Senior senator is DiFi, who can never be counted on to do the right thing when it counts. She’s Joe Manchin and somehow represents the bluest state in the union.
Counterpoint, my junior senator is days away from being elevated to the second-highest post in the land, and I couldn’t be prouder.
jl
I think asking GOP officials who might actually do something about the insurrectionist wing of the party and fellow travelers (which seems to be far more than half of it) is a legitimate wedge issue. See if we can get a few of them to do something constructive, and split the party. Seems like a win-win.
But, they have to DO SOMETHING, not just issue blather. And don’t let them peddle this crap about healing and unity, and worrying that holding people to account is dangerous in a volatile social environment, because that is at this point being used as an implicit threat (‘don’t make me obey the law, or I’ll get so upset I do something even worse’).
They have to promise to DO something and then follow through
Edit: and splitting the party and destroying the rotten parts is necessary to get back to the GOP of Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower. The party of Eisenhower wasn’t great since it was sincerely wrong more than half the time, but at least it obeyed the law.
Chetan Murthy
@piratedan:
Ha! You don’t mess with Nonna Pelosi, that’s for sure. I wish I believed that she could actually cut them in the manner you describe. I fear that the truth is much more dour: she has limited power, and is doing what she can with it. First, what’s her goal? I claim it is to get the Fucker outta there posthaste. She’s as worried as are we all, that he’ll do something truly tragic and irreversible. Symbolic actions (sternly worded letters) aren’t diddly-squat: what matters is -real action- that gets him outta there.
If I were playing one hand of poker, and got bad cards, what would I do? This game is for all the chips, right? So I would carefully try to convince the other player that my cards are much stronger than in reality, attempting to get them to fold. I’d do what I could, to draw things out rather than show my cards or fold myself. Because I would know that when and if I showed my cards, I’d lose.
In a similar manner, Nancy SMASH knows that she cannot get conviction in the Senate: Yertle will delay until after 19 Jan, and at that point, impeachment is important, but no more important than other priorities (like a Voting Rights Act). So impeachment is (in this analogy) like showing your cards: you lose. We have to convince Pence and his cohorts to invoke the 25th Amendment: that is winning (in the analogy).
Maybe I’m wrong. But I think that this is the goal of her plan. B/c really, if it weren’t why hurry things at all? Why bang on about 25A?
She’s trying to save our lives, not score ideological or political points.
citizen dave (aka mad citizen)
I had never called anyone until Jan 2 (Sat) when I was reading that one of my Senators was joining the objection crowd. I dropped a few F bombs in my voicemail, and left my real name and city. After the capital invasion he dropped off the group of insurrection Senators (betting he is glad about that).
Normally I just tweet at my three reps, who knows if anyone is reading? Very occasionally I have emailed them and received a response. My thinking usually is, if I need to show them the obvious right position, then it is already a lost cause. Only true remedy is at the ballot box.
mac8
I did call my senators (OH). Brown has already put out an email calling for accountability, so I thanked him for that (via voicemail). I called Portman asking for accountability as well, though I’ve given up hoping that he finds a spine; I’ve been burned too many times in the past. I got his voicemail, as always — I don’t think I’ve gotten a real person on the line at his local offices in years.
VeniceRiley
bringing up from 2 posts down: @donk_enby on twitter has, with much help, hoovered up a LOT of Parler and is going to publish. The data includes date/time/lat/long and a lot of Perlerites(?) are (rightly) hunkered scared.
Mary G
Furious emojis go here
Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman has just announced that she has tested positive for covid after sheltering from the insurrection at the Capitol with Republicans who refused to mask up. More who need to be expelled
ETA: She says she has symptoms, but they are mild.
jl
@jl: OK, take some of that back. Eisenhower’s party was happy to break the law in foreign affairs, but could restrain itself when it came to overthrowing elections. Not great, but better.
Poe Larity
Well look what the cat dragged in. Not sure if it’s the ghost of Christmas past or future.
Just Chuck
It’s not enough for the GOP to simply stop repeating the Big Lie: they need to publicly disavow it, every one of the rioters, and their colleagues who supported them. I’m not asking for sackcloth-and-ashes and kissing the ring, but I demand that they get their own house in order before having the gall to tell any of us what to do.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Cathie from Canada:This is like 911; before it happened it was hard to imagine people using airliners in suicide attacks against landmarks like the WTC. Before the Beer Belly Coup it was hard to imagine some group trying something so utterly hopeless. It’s really hard to wrap one’s mind around they expected to murder a bunch of powerful people, hop of the plane back home the next day like nothing had happened
Kent
We compromised with White Supremacists in the design of the Senate and Electoral College and the 3/5ths Compromise. And again with the Missouri Compromise. And again with the Kansas-Nebraska Act. And again with Dredd Scott and the Fugitive Slave Act. And it made absolutely no difference, they still set the country on fire and plunged us into the civil war. We compromised again after the war by failing to hold all the traitors to account, and again with the Compromise of 1877 which plunged the country (not just the south, but the whole country) into a century of white supremacist Jim Crow. We compromised again with the continual delay of the Civil Rights act and enforcement of desegregation to accommodate “white sensibilities” and look where it got us.
And NOW they want to compromise and conciliate about this latest white supremacist effort to overthrow a duly elected government and disenfranchise people of color? If our history has taught us anything, is that white supremacists need to simply be defeated and ground into the dust as Sherman knew so well. Accommodation and compromise and conciliation never works. Never once in our history has it ever worked.
Fair Economist
@Chetan Murthy:
The general scuttlebutt is that she had to push the 25th first to get enough Blue Doggies and Republicans to get over 217. The 25th resolution does nothing to push Pence to invoke. Actual impeachment does, a little, but if Pence hasn’t invoked yet he’s not going to unless there’s a significant change in the situation.
Mary G
Michigan has decided to ban guns in the state capitol all of a sudden. Plots to kidnap and kill the female governor – no biggie. Chance I might get hurt – protect us. So many assholes.
Spanky
@Mary G:
Two points about Ms. Coleman: She’s 75 and she’s a cancer survivor.
Rick Taylor
Ah! The George W. Bush years. Back when I was sure we had hit Peak Wingnut, and that I would never see another President so awful in my lifetime. I was so naive then.
Kent
What makes you think we have hit peak wingnut now?
chopper
TIIIIIIIIIMMMMM
sab
@bemused senior: This post is timely. Usually there are a couple of live threads running simultaneously.
sab
@ballerat: I like these mew categories: Trumpers, Never Trumpers, (secretly) outrage Old Guard, and then the Eunuchs.
I like the new label for spineless Rob Portman, and it is not secretly outraged Old Guard.
Salty Sam
Good to hear your voice again Tim!
Now, can you (or any other of the jackalatariat) tell me how calling Ted Cruz’s office moves the needle at all?
geg6
TIM, I AM SOOOOOOOO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!
J R in WV
Hey, Tim F~!~ Great to see you drop in again, don’t be such a stranger!
Seriously, when you have a platform from which to work to improve society, don’t give it up, keep coming back to work with it.
And thanks for this thread, which give us all a chance to put our own $0.02 in on this evolving tragedy. The only (nearly) Democratic rep I have in Sen. Joe Manchin…
My other reps are Shelly Moore Capito, mostly representing Wells Fargo where Mr. Capito works as a bribe for her vote against stricter regulation of banking, and Carol Miller, who is as invisible as any congressperson ever has been. But I’ll try to get in touch with them, call for them to denounce insurrection and live up to their oath of office. Fat chance!!
geg6
@Cathie from Canada:
I’ve see you say it twice now and it’s still bullshit. I don’t know what Dems were saying what you say they were saying. The only people saying that shit were media and the GOP. Quit blaming the only responsible people in government for something they never did. It’s bullshit GOP talking points. Fuck that.
geg6
@geg6:
Oh, and I called all of mine Friday. Lamb, to thank him for his wonderful speech on the House floor during the certification vote. Casey I thanked for being the mensch that he is. And i got a staffer at Toomey’s office who said the senator did NOT approve of the president’s actions and, while not sure about impeachment, was pretty open to it as a last resort.
Arclite
This guy put together a list of all companies that rent from Trump properties. Someone should get them to divest.
https://imgur.com/gallery/XnRTpv6
mali muso
Been calling mine since Thursday, although they are all on the side of good. In fact my Representative, Jennifer Wexton, was calling for impeachment pretty much immediately following the attack. Kaine and Warner are solid. But I’m gonna keep calling just to encourage them and their staff that I’ve got their backs.
sheila in nc
My craven senators have never had a live person answer their phone in all the years I’ve been calling.
Chetan Murthy
@Salty Sam: Shame his staffers into quitting. When I call Sedition Caucus legislators like [spit] Kevin McCarthy’s Bakersfield office [spit again] I don’t bother to urge him to vote to impeach; I ask the staffer how they can work for a traitor.
Just Chuck
@Fair Economist: Not just scuttlebutt, she explicitly laid out that plan this weekend to invoke the 25th, give Pence 24 hours, and start impeachment if he didn’t respond by then.
Captain C
@Mary G: Reason number X why I am not prosecutor/judge/dictator: I would charge any unmasked Republican in that room with her with attempted murder with whatever depraved indifference aggravating factor was available, and when found guilty, would sentence them to a SuperMax.
dww44
@sheila in nc: Pity poor me as I don’t actually have any Senators right now. But that’s okay. I’m actually delighted to be in limbo for a few days.
NotMax
Uh huh. Sample log of calls in R offices.
Calls of support: 133
Crank calls: 5662
jl
Weird, senseless and sick. Apparently the late officer Sicknick supported Trump. Which is OK, if he obeyed the law and did his duty, which he apparently did, and paid the ultimate price for it.
But some of the Trumpster insurrectionist are saying his death is a big own of the libs.
So, they are like ‘See, we murdered someone who supported our hero, ha ha, you libs are really stupid and in a dilemma, why are always hitting yourselves?’, or something. I don’t get it.
WaterGirl
@Chetan Murthy: @Salty Sam:
Along the lines of shaming staffers, check the sidebar for the text of Albatrossity’s letter. A thing of beauty.
Buskertype
My congressman (Alex Mooney WV-2) is the guy who objected to the motion for unanimous consent on impeachment, so I’m guessing he’s made up his mind, but I called and left a message for him to get his shit together anyway
edit: not impeachment, to urge Pence to pull a 25th
Evap
@dww44: if you’re in GA, you have one senator, Loeffler
Feckless
@Cathie from Canada: Nancy sat the traitors in spite of the 14th amendment and their followers got the green light and went ahead with the coup attempt
Miss Bianca
@Cathie from Canada: You were full of shit the first time you posted this, and you thought your shit smelled so good you posted it twice? Fuck you and the moose you rode in on. You never post except to sound off about how bad we suck over here in the US. We don’t actually need your help to figure that out, thanks. How ’bout you hug yourself up there in Canada, where there are no white supremacists or shitbirds, apparently, give silent hosannas that you were lucky enough to be born there, and STFU.
Yutsano
@CaseyL:
JEALLLOUSSSSS!!! I really love her.