No - I won't play this stupid game

I keep getting emails from the DCCC, asking for money. This of course is no surprise; every day I am bombarded with requests for money from presidential candidates, environmental groups, independent progressive newsletters and advocacy campaigns.

The DCCC can get in line; because frankly their reasons for asking simply underlined everything that is wrong with both the money-based election system, and the Democratic party itself.

Yesterday's email was supposedly from Rahm Emanuel, and entitled 'Dick Cheney':

According to Dick Cheney, everything we learned in school is wrong. Instead of three branches of government, there are now four – the legislative, the executive, the judicial, and Dick Cheney.

In an attempt to obstruct meaningful oversight and avoid being held accountable, the Vice President said he did not consider himself part of the executive branch.

We both know the power to hold Dick Cheney accountable belongs to Congress. Could you possibly think of a better reason to have a stronger Democratic Majority?

My reply?

"You begin the impeachment process, and I will donate."

In other words: pay me what you owe me, before you come asking me for more money.

The DCCC obviously thinks that I am really stupid. Fool me once, shame on you... but you will never fool me twice.

By the time Rahm's fellow minions are elected, in theory, Dick will be out of office. I say 'in theory' because of course, we cannot bank on that. Our Constitution has been turned on it's ear -- and the Democratic majority is refusing to lift a finger to save it. We daily read about these amazing breaches of government and Constitution, and still impeachment is 'off the table' with these guys. So NO, I won't give you any more money for not representing me or honoring your oaths of office, sorry guys. I like some payout on my investment. I'm sure the lobbyists got theirs, now I want mine.

I think what irritated me the most was that Rahm (or someone pretending to be Rahm) thinks he only has to mention the word 'Dick Cheney' and I will immediately pull out my checkbook - even though he doesn't plan to actually do anything about Dick Cheney and his rampant abuse of power. Dick Cheney is the DCCC's bestest-buddy fundraiser-helper.

Or so the DCCC thinks. I refuse to play.

Saturday's email was entitled 'Bush's 15 million':

Midnight tonight is the deadline. We are just $65,000 away and just hours from our Million Dollar Challenge before the critical June 30th FEC deadline where we report our fundraising totals and the media and pundits will use them to judge our chances for success in 2008.

What the hell...? Now I am supposed you give you money because you are cowering about what the 'media pundits' will say? Like hell.

You don't care about protecting the rule of law and democracy - you just want us to help keep the media off your backs. Could you not - perhaps - have taken a different tack, and requested our help so that you wouldn't have to go crawling to big business for cash?

No - of course you didn't say that, because you plan to go crawling to big business anyway. You always do. And you represent them quite well, I might add. Tell them about Bush's millions. Don't talk to me until you plan to represent me.

It's this poll thing - this fear of the bully media, that motives you guys, not the interests of your base. The media is now nothing more than a giant, corporate bully club; used by big business and their lobbyists to beat you, intimidate you, and keep you all in line. And keep you from actually doing anything on my behalf.

And still you have the temerity to ask for money. Sorry, I won't play.

I don't give a flying @&$*% what the media pundits say. Because you don't give a flying @(*$*% what I am saying right now. Damn it: FIX MY GOVERNMENT. Fix it right now, and get your eyes off the damn 2008 calendar. How the hell do you even know we won't be at war with Iran by 2008? You don't know: because you can't even cut funding for the Iraq war - which is your job - and you did nothing to demand your lawful oversight for any planned attacks on Iran. You totally caved. Sure Bush was going to say 'no' anyway, but you could at least have stood your ground!

This president has one of the lowest approval ratings in history, and is breaking laws and issuing signing statements at a rate that puts Nixon to shame -- and you refuse to hold him accountable. Cheney is outright lawless... and you can't even support one of your own, Dennis Kucinich, who had the courage to move forward with impeachment. Dennis gives a damn about this country. You obviously care more about your own party's interests to even take a chance that maybe, just maybe, we want some justice out here!

Frankly you're worth neither my vote or my money without action.

As they say in business, and this is something you should understand: it's all about results. I'll pay you when I see a return on my last investment.

Right now, I'm losing - and losing big. I'm losing my Constitution, my Bill of Rights, my country's troops are still in Iraq, my Federal agencies of oversight have all been outsourced, my food - and my pets' food - is tainted, my planet is heating up, our jobs have been outsourced, our Federal coffers are being looted (and that's my Social Security money you're blowing, or should I say 'handing off to Halliburton.')

We gave you a majority just last November, because you said that you were going to fix all of this, and you haven't done jack with it -- you have capitulated the entire way. Leahy, Feingold, Conyers and Waxman are the exceptions, and Dennis Kucinich is a hero.

And do you intend to back them up as they deal with this 'larger-than-Watergate' scandal in the Executive Branch? Fat chance. You wring your hands and you cower and secretly you think you can just leave Bush and Cheney there to draw our ire so that we will magically re-elect you with an even greater majority - all for doing NOTHING. You haven't even reigned in the war profiteers, and you gutted your own oil-gouging legislation. And you wonder why you're all polling so low?





My own 'Blue Dog' representative is a total disgrace; simply a lump in the system, clogging up the workings of democracy. He's not a Republican - and he certainly isn't a Democrat. He's a lump. Slightly better than a Joe Lieberman, and slightly better than the Republican he replaced. But that's about all.

That dog won't hunt; and both the DCCC and Moveon.org actually asked me to spend hours calling voters on his behalf, insisting he was part of this 'great and glorious Democratic majority' that would change the world (or at least reign in the Bush Administration.)

I'm quite sure - especially given the letter I received from him concerning impeachment of Dick Cheney - that he is one of the reasons impeachment is 'off the table.' He doesn't want to 'rile his Republican friends.' I'd recall him for failure to honor his oath of office if I could. He is no representative of mine, and as far as I am concerned -- he is an oath-breaker.

I will give what little money I can spare to progressive candidates, even if they're other people's representatives (I obviously can't get any decent representation of my own.) I will give to the online, independent media that keeps me informed while the corporate media talks about Paris. I will support the environmental causes that are fighting to save the places that I love, and I will do whatever I can to make a difference with my money. But I no longer trust Moveon or the DCCC to spend my money wisely.

And a word of warning to this Democratic Majority: I'm not the only one that feels this way. You'd better wise up and start acting on those campaign promises, or you're going to be very unhappy when the 2008 elections finally do roll around. Paybacks are a mother. All it will take is one credible Independent candidate... you think it can't be done, but as usual, you have completely underestimated the wrath of the Democrat and Republican masses that are entirely unrepresented out here. We're pissed, and we want results. We want our Constitution protected, this Executive Branch reigned in, and we want our government back.

WE THE PEOPLE. You may have forgotten, but I'll be damned if we have.