Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Letter from a Congressman

Back before the FISA vote disaster I, like many of my progressive pals, made some phone calls and sent emails to my local representatives begging them to vote against the new FISA because of the section granting telecoms immunity from lawsuits. This morning, I got a return email from Sen. Bob Casey, a typical bend-over-for-the-repugs democrat who --at least there's this-- beat Rick "Gays=Man-on-Dog-Sex!" Santorum for senator.

Remember Old Rick?

I can't help myself; this pic always makes me giggle. I know, I'm mean.

And here's Bob Casey:

"Who, me? You want me to suck Cheney's dick? Again? Okay! Anything for a buck!"

I have never liked Casey; back in 2006, I voted for a true progressive dem named Chuck Penacchio but, as a true progressive, he never got the backing of the Big Money in PA, of course, and he lost out to Casey.

So anyway, I got the following generic email reply from Casey this morning:
Dear Ms. Guzman:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding debate on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about this important issue.

After careful deliberation, on July 9, 2008, I voted in favor of legislation to revise and update the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act of 1978. This bill is not perfect, but it does improve on the legislation hurried into law last summer by the White House when it comes to strengthening civil liberties protections for Americans, enhancing judicial oversight, and providing the intelligence community with the necessary tools and legal authorities to target terrorists who would do harm to the American people.

Despite these improvements, I also believe the bill had some significant shortcomings. For that reason, I proudly voted for the Feingold-Dodd amendment that would have stripped immunity for telecommunication firms that may have cooperated with the President's warrantless surveillance program from the bill. Additionally, I have cosponsored and spoke on the Senate floor in support of the Bingaman amendment that would have delayed these limited immunity provisions until the Congress receives a final report on the President's warrantless surveillance program. Unfortunately, both of these amendments failed to gain the necessary support for passage.

However, I was pleased that the legislation enshrines the principle that the FISA statute is the exclusive authority for electronic surveillance and that the President must obey the FISA statute. It also restores the principle of basic judicial oversight over all surveillance activities and re-establishes the principal of accountability by requiring a comprehensive Inspector General's report on the President's warrantless surveillance program within a year. It is for these reasons I ultimately chose to vote in favor of the final bill.

I have been gratified to hear from so many of my constituents on this issue. Please be assured that I kept your concerns in mind as I deliberated and cast my vote. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to visit my web site, http://casey.senate.gov. I invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator

Well whaddya know about that? He "proudly voted" for that Feingold-Dodd amendment, yet he turned around and voted for the bill even though the amendment was gone. Way to stick to your guns, Bob.

I think my favorite line is this one:

This bill is not perfect, but it does improve on the legislation hurried into law last summer by the White House when it comes to strengthening civil liberties protections for Americans, enhancing judicial oversight, and providing the intelligence community with the necessary tools and legal authorities to target terrorists who would do harm to the American people.

First of all, Bob, the Bush White House has never done ANYTHING to "[strengthen] civil liberties protections for Americans," and yet you list that item first. Nice touch; in fact, I'm sure Cheney felt that touch on his ass as you were kissing it while he listened to our phone calls.

Another of Casey's justifications is this so-called "comprehensive Inspector General's report on the President's warrantless surveillance program [due] within a year." Let's see; the bill passed the other day, so his deadline is July of 2009, seven months AFTER Bush has left the White House. I'm sure BushCo will be deliverying that report right into Congress's waiting hands, just like they turned over those minutes from Darth Cheney's little pow-wows with the Big Oil/Energy folks, lost emails, Rove's ass, Harriet Myers and Josh Bolton, and all the other shit that Congress has asked for.

Don't hold your breath, Bob. But then I suspect you already knew that.

Oh--and thanks for NOTHING.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dude, you should read the horseshit replies I get from (TX R) Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Regardless of the topic, their replies are always oblivious to my concerns, always towing the Bush line and always infuriating.
Arrgghh!

dguzman said...

Oh god, the TX repugs' replies must've been fucking hilarious.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

let's try this again with fewer typos...shall we?

DG - I didn't hear word one from Clinton or Schumer on this bill. But then again, they both voted against the measure, so I guess they're saving their Congressional postal pennies for when they really piss of their NY constituency.

Loved your deconstruction of Sen. Casey's letter. He probably wiped his chin of goo as he wrote it.

Karen Zipdrive said...

One more question- why did Rick Santorum kidnap that girl from the Mormon fundamentalists and make her cry?
That's just wrong.

Claire said...

That reminds me of the response I got from Chris Van Hollen (MD-8th, another alleged Democrat) re how impeachment would stand in the way of other more important matters facing the Congress blah blah. As this was about one week after the Roger Clemens hearings, I immediately responded that I didn't see how impeachment was less pressing a concern than what Clemens did or didn't put into his body. His response? Crickets. Still, keep reminding them that you're paying attention!

Life As I Know It Now said...

they don't give a rat's ass what we think. I've gotten the brush off more times than I can count, but they're always glad to hear from me on this important issue. they should just STFU! ok, yes I'm a tad bit angry there...

Fran said...

Bob Casey- managing to make himself sound even more screwed up every day.

"I don't believe in f*cking over the American people, but we are doing it in a way that will f*ck you more but hurt less."

That is if you are the f*cker and not the f*ckee.

You should be paid to write. This piece was at once hilarious and yet heart stopping in its clarity.

It also illustrates a big problem- Rick Santorum is so screwed up that Bob Case looks good to many people by comparison.

The bar keeps getting lower and standards sink ever deeper into the muck.

dguzman said...

Spartacus--actually, I think he swallows.

Zipdrive--he was trying to save her! lol

CDP--oh man, I think I would've had to slap that a-hole if I'd gotten that letter. Wow. Mindboggling.

Lib--yeah, "but they're always glad to hear from me on this important issue"--why don't they just admit they stopped caring what we think once we elected them?

Fran--you're sweet. Indeed, compared to Santorum, Casey's a real gem, although he is pro-life, against gay marriage, and probably thinks the surge is working.

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

They all sell us out every chance they get. I hate most every one of them.

Randal Graves said...

If I start having nightmares about Democrat-on-Cheney deviant sex orgies, I'm suing.

GETkristiLOVE said...

Good for you for writing to him, despite the response. And no, you're not mean because that picture is hilarious!

Elizabeth said...

Disappointing to say the least.

dguzman said...

Dr. Monkey--I'm right there with ya, buddy. They're useless, sponging off our tax money to insulate them from reality.

Randal--sue for what? I'm broke too!

GKL--thanks, and yes--that photo will always be funny. I like the zombie son on the right--"This is not happening. This is not happening. I'm not here" etc. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.

Enc--truly disappointing, but apparently par for the course. Ridiculous.

no_slappz said...

dguzman, it is one of the remarkable aspects of the debate over gender issues that no men object to female competitors.

But females -- feminists -- are always incensed by the fact that men are usually better at everything.

Whether we're discussing professional or amateur pursuits, the results are the same.

I hope you are not naive enough to claim that women can compete with men in physical sports.

Here's a question for you: Where's the female Warren Buffett?

Where are the female billionaires? The female founders of companies like Microsoft or Oracle?

Where are the female patent holders? The female chess masters?

While women do okay on the Jeopardy TV show, men do better.

Why are there so few female mathematicians? If there are any female mathematicians who have theorems named for them, I do not know their names.

Where are the female Einsteins? There are many well known and highly creative male physists. But no females.

If we lived in an islamic country it would be easy to say that islam itself prevents women from participating in the world. But we live in a free country and still there are virtually no women in the higher reaches of math and science.

Dean Wormer said...

What a weasel but typical.

My senator - Wyden - voted right on these bills.

My other Senator - Smith - will be fired in November.

Distributorcap said...

oh dg

slappz is really a "sweetie" isnt he

i remember the back and forth i had with him on black writers

he just loves to argue for arguements sake because no one can really be that much of an ass

then again