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Sunday, October 28, 2007

Open Letters to Charles Schumer and Chris Van Hollen

Senator Charles Schumer (D - New York) is the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democrats to the U.S. Senate. Here's a copy of an e-mail message I sent to Senator Schumer:

Dear Chairman Schumer:

Every year I make contributions, totaling several hundred dollars, to various Democratic candidates and committees, including the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. However, I was extremely disappointed in the Democratic leadership's bringing the so-called "Protect America" Act to a vote, and Senate Democrats' failure to filibuster it, back in August.

The so-called "Protect America" Act will soon come up for renewal. If Congress sends President Bush a bill that either allows for warrantless wiretapping of Americans without individualized suspicion, or provides retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in Bush's illegal, warrantless wiretapping scheme, or both, then I will not contribute to the DSCC for the 2008 election cycle. Furthermore, I will withhold all contributions from congressional Democrats in general election campaigns, and instead contribute to primary challengers who run against Democrats who vote to gut FISA.

There aren't many issues that are absolutely non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned, but this is one of them. If you want me to continue to contribute to your effort to elect a Democratic Senate, then you will make sure that Congress does not capitulate to Bush on either of these two points.

Sincerely,
Jason Sonenshein

cc:
The Honorable Harry Reid, Majority Leader
Mr. J. B. Poersch, Executive Director

Senator Schumer's counterpart in the U.S. House is Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Here's a copy of an e-mail I sent to Rep. Van Hollen
Dear Chairman Van Hollen:

Every year I make contributions, totaling several hundred dollars, to various Democratic candidates and committees, including the Democratic Congressionial Campaign Committee. However, I was extremely disappointed in the Democratic leadership's bringing the so-called "Protect America" Act to a vote, and House Democrats' failure to defeat it, back in August.

The so-called "Protect America" Act will soon come up for renewal. If Congress sends President Bush a bill that either allows for warrantless wiretapping of Americans without individualized suspicion, or provides retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in Bush's illegal, warrantless wiretapping scheme, or both, then I will not contribute to the DCCC for the 2008 election cycle. Furthermore, I will withhold all contributions from congressional Democrats in general election campaigns, and instead contribute to primary challengers who run against Democrats who vote to gut FISA.

There aren't many issues that are absolutely non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned, but this is one of them. If you want me to continue to contribute to your effort to elect a Democratic House, then you will make sure that Congress does not capitulate to Bush on either of these two points.

Sincerely,
Jason Sonenshein

cc:
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker
Mr. Brian Wolff, Executive Director

My contributions alone won't matter much to the DCCC and the DSCC. However, there probably are others who believe as I do. If you're a Democratic contributor, or a potential Democratic contributor, and you agree that another FISA cave-in would be a deal breaker, please let Senator Schumer and Representative Van Hollen know.

3 Comments:

Blogger libhom said...

I went to tonight's protest in Brooklyn against Schumer's vote for torture via voting for Mukasey. Schumer is an arrogant fool who doesn't realize how disgusted New York Democrats are with him.

10:51 PM, November 06, 2007  
Blogger Stacy Cane said...

Schumer has no spine.

3:54 PM, November 11, 2007  
Blogger Stacy Cane said...

And boo to the Senate Democrats for not filibustering Mukasey's confirmation vote.

3:55 PM, November 11, 2007  

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