Friday, November 06, 2009

My Congressperson’s Staff ‘At Work’

A less than satisfactory encounter with MY elected official.

It’s kind of ‘odd’ being hung up on when trying to explain to my Congressperson’s staff that they’re behaving in a manner that they acuse Fox News of behaving. To wit….

....S——- stated that Fox News was not the most reliable source of information when I mentioned Fox News had an article claiming that the Democrats were NOT going to release details of changes they were making to their proposed health care reform bill—for all of US to read—BEFORE the vote.

S——- kept telling me the information would be released. And I kept asking “When? Before or after the vote?” Or words to that effect. At which point, when we got to the third iteration of that cycle, she hung up.

This is NOT the way to run a public relations/interface-with-your-constituents, in my personal opinion.

To tell the truth….I’m getting rather tired of hearing that my Congressperson hasn’t made a decision with regards to a bill. Especially when it’s this LATE in the ‘game’.

Next entry: As If.... Previous entry: Pueblo Alliance of Neighborhoods(PAN) membership meeting

1. What a sad little man you are Chuck

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/06  at  12:23 PM

2. TO: Veronica
   RE: Sad? Little? Man?

   What a sad little man you are Chuck.—Veronica

   How very ‘odd’.

   I’m neither ‘sad’....as I’m more ‘annoyed’.

   Nor am I ‘little’, based on my last step on the scales in my shower room. That is if you meant ‘physically’. But if you meant mentally, show me your Mensa membership ID number.

   As for being a ‘man’....you betcha. Much more so than you are, dear lady.

   But getting onto the topic….

   ....why should you consider being disappointed with the way my elected official in Congress staffs their office as being ‘sad’ or ‘little’?

   Tell US….

   ....how did YOU feel during the previous eight years of the Bush administration?

   Regards,

   Chuck(le)
   [Politicians and diapers have one thing in common.  They should both be changed regularly and for the same reason.]

   P.S. What is your relationship to/with our Congressperson?

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/06  at  01:17 PM

3. P.P.S. Thanks for the ‘ad hom’ approach to open discussion…..

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/06  at  01:18 PM

4. You are sad for the fact that the Congressman posted approximately a week ago on his web page that he was supporting the health bill. I’m not saying I support the bill, but I investigate before I attack. I’m also commenting on the little because of your past attacks and uneducated blogs. Example, the recycling coalition. As for my relationship with congress i’m related by vote. I am a republican, I did vote for John Salazar in this last election. But I did vote for Bush and it is the one vote I regrettably can’t change. Your mindless rambling and attacks on anyone who do not share your views make you sad. Do your dew diligence before making our Republican party look even worse.

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/06  at  02:07 PM

5. P.S. Spelling error, due diligence.

   P.P.S. I’ve called all his offices before and have always been treated respectfully. But I never was rude to them. Maybe they hung up on you because you acted inappropriately.

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/06  at  02:13 PM

6. TO: Veronica
   RE: In Reply

   You are sad for the fact that the Congressman posted approximately a week ago on his web page that he was supporting the health bill.—Veronica

   Interesting report, that. I’ve yet to hear one of our Congressperson’s staffers say he is for or against it. And that after asking on numerous occasions since early August.

   Thanks for the information confirming my suspicions that he’s afraid for people who call his office to get a straight answer. They have to go to the web, eh.

   I’m not saying I support the bill….—Veronica

   You don’t have to say it. Your presence here, after my e-mailing the url to this comment speaks volumes.

   ....but I investigate before I attack.—Veronica

   Yeah….Sure….

   Just like your ad hom attack.

   You STILL haven’t told me your Mensa membership ID number.

   I’m also commenting on the little because of your past attacks and uneducated blogs.—Veronica

   Heh….

   ‘Uneducated’. And what leads you to that opinion? Something to do with the fact that I point out unpleasant facts about our Congressperson? Next you’ll be claiming I’m a ‘liar’. But I’m reminded of Ambrose Bierce’s definition from his infamous Devil’s Dictionary of the 19th Century….

   Liar, n., One who tells an unpleasant truth.

   Then again—not to be ‘rude’—allow me to ask you what your masters degree is in. Or what US Army command-level courses you’ve graduated. Anything like the Command and General Staff or Logistics Management colleges?
   Please excuse my rudeness for asking point-blank questions like that. But I’ve found that being ‘blunt’ can be effective at times. And THIS has become one of those ‘times’.

   Be advised. I’ve noticed a tendency on your part to avoid answering straight forward questions. Furthermore, I suspect you are ‘projecting’ when you accuse those who disagree with you of being “sad” and “little”. Just as you accused me of being such. In Truth, it is a common tactic of so-called ‘liberals’, to attempt marginalizing people who disagree with them by doing such. This, as opposed to addressing the key issues of a situation….such as our Congressperson’s staffers behavior.

   Example, the recycling coalition. .—Veronica

   
How so? Praytell. Where have I attacked the Pueblo Recycling Coalition? Specifics, please.

   As for my relationship with congress i’m related by vote.—Veronica

   Interesting obfuscation, that. I voted for Congress too. What’s the difference between me and you? Perhaps who we voted for? And why?

   I am a republican, I did vote for John Salazar in this last election.—Veronica

   I highly doubt the claim. Albeit I understand that some people registered with the County Clerk as being ‘Republicans’ work for our good Congressperson. But tell me….

   ....can someone who works for such REALLY be ‘Republican’? Especially in light of your report that he is ‘for’ this health care Obamanation? Why is it that the rest of US cannot see this legislation in order to provide our honest opinion to our Congressperson?

Personally? I have serious doubts as to your claim of being a ‘Republican’. After all, what did some Wag say around 2000 years ago?

A tree is known by its fruit.

   Or words to that effect.

   But I did vote for Bush and it is the one vote I regrettably can’t change.—Veronica

   Again. You ‘convict’ yourself.

   Your mindless rambling and attacks on anyone who do not share your views make you sad.—Veronica

   Again. You ‘convict’ yourself. You are, indeed, no more and nothing less than a RINO.

   Do your dew diligence before making our Republican party look even worse.—Veronica

   Based on our exchange here, your use of the phrase “our Republican party” is classic disinformation.

   I’ve called all his offices before and have always been treated respectfully. But I never was rude to them. Maybe they hung up on you because you acted inappropriately.—Veronica

   I’ve been treated respectfully too. However, disinformation and possibly worse, does not deserve respect after three tries. Indeed, in that situation sometimes it is useful to try a different form of ‘tact’.

   I’ve seen corporate officers take on that form of ‘tact’.

   I’ve seen senior military officers take on that form of ‘tact’.

   I’ve seen politicians take on that form of ‘tact’.

   Why do you think that we ‘little’ people should not be allowed to take on that form of ‘tact’? Is ‘tact’ only for ‘little people’, such as you think of myself?

   How VERY ‘odd’.
   As some wag, long ago wrote….

   For every thing. There is a season.

   Indeed. The Byrds wrote a song about it back in the 1960s.
   Where were YOU then?

   The bottom line is that whenever someone calls their duly elected public official, I—and I suspect everyone else—would expect to get an honest, up-front and forthright answer to the questions being asked. Not the sort of evasions that I’ve heard from my Congressperson’s staffers.
   As someone once said….

   A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.—President James Madison

   Think upon it.

   As an old Army colonel told this then young captain….

   There are two ways to exercise power.

   The first is to make decisions for people who would be better off making them for themselves. The second is to withhold information from people that would allow them to make better decisions for themselves.—

   It seems to me that my Congressperson, via his ‘uninformed’ staffers in Pueblo, is exercising option #2.

   What say you?

   Back ‘on-topic’....

   .....why is it that if our good Congressperson has made his support of this health care ‘reform’ obvious on his web-site….if that is, in truth, as you stated….his staff in his Pueblo office seem to me to be avoiding saying that to people who call them?

   Furthermore, why is it that they become evasive over the matter of letting the rest of US in on what the legislation looks like?

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/07  at  06:29 AM

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