Waiting for my hard work and $$$ to produce Actual Results

In the last election cycle I gave lots of $$$ to Democratic candidates and Committees. The Central Ohio Air America affiliate kept me informed as to the need for change in Washington and I stepped up, giving both money and time. I knocked on 500 doors. I walked in parades. I wrote weekly newsletters.

Now the payoff: Democrats are the majority in the US House and Senate, and have closed the gap in the Ohio House. The Ohio and Federal Minimum Wage has been raised (I think), yet I feel strangely unsatisfied.

My feelings became more concrete and well-defined today, after receiving an email from the DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) asking for money to fund US Senate races in 2008. I wrote back a terse note:

---start terse note---

You guys give the impression that running for office is all you are about. Don't you take time out to Legislate?

Please contact me after you have done two things:

1) Submit legislation which will remove our troops from Iraq, and

2) Start investigating (a) the faulty intelligence which led us to war with Iraq, and (b) the illegal wiretapping.

Thank you

---end terse note---

Am I cutting off my nose to spite my face, or should I be happily writing checks?

Oh, and another thing. Did you catch Carl Levin on Meet the Press yesterday? He said that he did not favor cutting off funding for the troops because that would demoralize them and would be just like Vietnam. He also said that we would leave troops in Iraq to take care of 5,000 Al Queda which are there. He also said he would leave troops in there to do the work the Commanders think is necessary.

Looks like Carl Levin is confused. Cutting off funds would force a withdrawal of the troops ... it wouldn't leave them stranded in Iraq without bullets and helmets. There may be 5,000 Al Queda in Iraq now, but that's because the Occupation has drawn them there. We must hammer that point home every chance we get. Lastly, the Commanders have changed recently because the old ones were not telling Bush/Cheney what they wanted to hear. Which Commanders are you referring to, Senator Levin?

Levin should have brought up Murtha's proposal to send only properly-trained and equipped troops to Iraq. It is sad that in order to "Git 'er done" you need to send poorly-trained and equipped troops as a part of Bush's "give me just one more last chance" Plan for Victory.