October 19, 2007
-
Chris Dodd and Me
I'm not quite sure how it happened, but Senator Christopher Dodd and I are on a first-name basis, and he writes to me. A lot. So I took the liberty of composing and sending this little reply to one of his more intimate missives.
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:54:00 -0400 (EDT)
From: Chris Dodd
<chris_dodd@chrisdodd.com>
Reply-To:
chris_dodd@chrisdodd.com
Subject: Holding the
line on the rule of lawJohn,
It's been a busy day, but I wanted take a moment and let you know that I have decided to place a "hold" on legislation in the Senate that includes amnesty for telecommunications companies that enabled the President's assault on the Constitution by providing personal information on their customers without judicial authorization.
I said that I would do everything I could to stop this bill from passing, and I have.
It's about delivering results -- and as I've said before, the FIRST thing I will do after being sworn into office is restore the Constitution.
But we shouldn't have to wait until then to prevent the further erosion of our country's most treasured document.
That's why I am stopping this bill today.
I've gotta run, but please visit my campaign website for more details.
Chris
Chris, I'm not sure how you and I got to be on a first-name basis, but I like it. I like it a lot. I'm very flattered, actually. I'm hoping that you'll invite me over to your house sometime, and maybe help me qualify for things like Medicare, Section 8 housing, etc.
Meanwhile, I'm going to go out on a limb here. I'm going to presume on our budding friendship to remind you, just between you and me, that there really is no such thing as the "rule of law". It's a myth. It's kind of like that alternative version of the Golden Rule: "Them that has the gold makes the rules." The rule of law, properly stated, is this: "Them that has the power declare what the 'rule of law' is at any given moment in time."
I studied law for four years, and tears used to roll down my cheeks as I learned in detail just how politicized and ideological the Supreme Court actually is, how profoundly unjust our "justice" system is, how greatly the scales of justice and mercy are weighted against the poor and disenfranchised. When America's greatest Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Marshall, can invoke the "law of discovery" and the "law of conquest" as ex post facto rationales for flagrantly stealing land from Native Americans, as he did in a famous early case, one realizes with a crashing vengeance just how hollow the "rule of law" really is.
And Chris...the Constitution doesn't merely need to be restored. It needs to be revisited, revamped, revitalized, to account for the profound changes in American life over the past 218 years. Our Founding Fathers, the "Framers" as they're called, apparently didn't anticipate the Industrial Revolution and the rise of multinational corporations. Until the corporations - and those whose unquestioning loyalty they're able to purchase at the highest levels in the federal government - are brought under some measure of control and accountability, the Constitution will be constitutionally unable (if you'll pardon the pun) to establish Justice, promote the general Welfare, and do those other things that it declares as its purpose in the Preamble.
"Accountability" is a key word here, Chris. We've misplaced it in America. We've somehow lost sight of the notion that a government's sole legitimate purpose is to enhance the quality of life for ALL of its citizens AND their posterity, not just the top 1% in the short term. Until our elected representatives recognize and reclaim that notion of genuine accountability, America will continue to rot from the inside out just as every other Empire throughout history has done.
The U.S. doesn't have far to go before it collapses like an empty suit of clothes with no body inside, Chris. I know this with absolute certainty, and deep in your heart you know it too. It's all up to you. I hope you respect my intelligence and integrity enough to do what you have to do to make America the great country it COULD be.
Your new friend,
John
Comments (22)
You need to get on a first name basis with President Giuliani...and alas, missed the show yesterday, but the P-Funk version is STILL third world---look at all the trouble Nagel got into when he paraphrased it and the white media didn't know where he got it from
I wonder if it's realy the Senator you're exchanging e-mails with? Either way, I find it way cool! Damn brother, you have balls. If I said some shit like that, I'd have the FBI up my ass seconds after sending the e-mail.
Joe Lieberman called me by my first name too when I volunteered to help out with his campaign. I am sure the letter I got was a form letter from a staffer. I had a friend who worked in the Kerry campaign and she just helped separate the letters into different sections. She said the majority of them were never read but they tried to separate them into categories and someone would send out the form letter that went with it.
I agree. The intention was to let people speak their minds and make rules based basically on the majority vote... Unfortunately, that's defined by majority of dollars - not opinions of humans.
Hey John,
2 things:
1. What I've heard of Meshell Ndegeocello is phenomenal. Good choice!
2. It may be a form letter that Chris sent you, but I sure hope he reads the letter you wrote to him. It is solid. Well done.
> didn't anticipate the Industrial Revolution and the rise of multinational corporations.
Not too surprising, that. But of course, corporations became a radically different creature after Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad.
Only a liberal would want to rewrite the Constitution. The problem isn't the document, but corrupt politicians, and you'll NEVER get rid of corrupt politicians.
GREAT letter John! ::APPLAUDS::
BRAVO!!! I have a brother who will soon receive this and join me in the applause.
Hey, that's awesome on your new friend! Once, when I was the CFO for a family of companies, got a letter from a material supplier addressed, "Dear Barbie" I was impressed.
Ok. So, you know I don't buy the idea that "corporations" are responsible for all the evils in the nation. Until the justice system can protect the little guy who's managed to scrape together, through work and wise investment, enough acorns to build a one-man company through which he feeds his family (which is what the VAST majority of corporations in this nation are) from the mega-lottery system that is tort in this litigious society of ours, the protection of the corporation is the only thing standing between us and anarchy.
But other than that...yeah, it's all about accountability.
You have a voice....an opinion
I applaud you for making the effort....someone read the letter
and there was a response...If we all sent out letter and let it be known
that we are sick and tired...who knows
something might give huh?
hey,,, we got something in common,,,, my senator who im on a first name basis with tho dont answer my emails, nor write any to me,,,, or regular mail,,,,,
i of course tell him he is the idiot he is,,,,,
i try to be nice,,,, hes just a state senator,,, his last name is the same as mine,,,, so no need to be too formal.
hes one of 4 first cousins i have that i am aware of.
im sure i have a lot more first cousins,,,, but i dont really have a clue,,,,
mine is proud of a bill he got passed for some kind of tax credit for buying a new car to get the old junk cars off the road,,,,
whoop te do,,,,,,,,, hahahahahahahahahahaha
who can afford a new car?
i prefer to stay on a last name basis with jr,,,,, ill call him jr,,, and he can call me,,, your majesty.
Talk about SYNCHRONICITY...just turned on your show and guess what's playing
Wonder how you're gonna play on MySpace
That Dube dude rocked
alas, he'll rock no more
we've about reached the point the great roman empire had when it collapsed. seems its just a matter of time. maybe it will be after our day at least.....
Thanks for dropping by today, sorry I haven't been around much of late.
Tim
ryc- You are so right. My father is my best friend in the world! We've known each other for 26 years... no one in the world knows me like he does lol. We have the best time together. I'm sorry to hear about what your ex did to you and your daughter
i dunno,,,,, they somehow switched videos on me,,,,, the video as depicted on the thumbnail and was in fact there at one time was how to make mountain dew glow in the dark.
step by step instructions with simple ingrediants found in the kitchen,,,, and demonstrated to work on video,,,, it was however a hoax,,,,
i wouldnt be surprised if this one is not a hoax as well. hot air does rise,,,, whether the heat from 4 candles can carry the weight of 4 candles,,,, well ,,,, 2 cut in half,,,, and a couple of pieces of wood in a container that size of hot air,,, i have my doubts,,,, and as far as the ufo statement,,, i suspect a glow in the dark ballon and helium.
haahahahaha,,,, if they had stopped at making the bag rise to the ceiling,,,,, maybe, better use really light sticks as the weight of the tape holding it together would be a real strain on the project,,, never mind the candles.
my guess is the whole thing is a hoax,,,,, you could try it if you wanted to.
dont catch nothing on fire.
wow,,, i hope that video isnt responsible for setting california ablaze.
if so,,,,, disclaimer: thats not the video i posted,,, i posted a video about soda pop,,,,, some iranian virus got in it and altered the video.
Ryc: I try to live a good life and be a good father. I think that I drink too much though. Not around my children, as they are usually asleep. But suppose something were to happen to them and I had to drive them to the hospital or something? And I just think that I could do much better. I do keep guns and ammo away from them. I have a gun safe. The truth is John, that guilt and remorse for past sins depress me on occason and I find forgetfullness or at least indifference when under th influence. Wrong...but that's how I deal with it. The problem is that I don't want my kids to see that side, and if I keep it up, they will eventually.
RYC---Word of mouth takes a while...and as JG shows...sometimes forever. i got a big mouth, so sooner or later you'll need a bigger server to handle the traffic
Boo! hehe, Happy Halloween!!
Comments are closed.