Sent to Sen. Byrd's Office by email Aug. 1, 2007 10AM EST
Feel free to send something of your own - it can only help.
www.senate.gov
Dear Senator Byrd,
First of all I would like to thank you for your prophetic, courageous, inspired and judicious positions on Iraq since 2002.
Other Senators have also been wise, but you are the standard-bearer of wisdom.
I am flabbergasted that some politicians are still able to get away with the claim that they had bad information, as if you and your esteemed colleagues didn't even exist then.
You had the same information, and you made the obvious right choice. Thank Goodness we have senior statesmen like you who are not blinded by the politics of the moment.
You have truly earned the title "Dean of the Congress."
Second, I would like to ask you to advise where I can go to make a contribution to your re-election campaign over the Internet.
Third, I would like to ask you to make a public endorsement of, and to actively campaign for Senator Obama.
Your active support of his campaign will make all the difference in the world. Your sturdy presence in front of the camera with Senator Obama will be a monument to the power of recollection, reconciliation, courage and hope on many levels.
I strongly believe that our next president should have minimal executive experience. The imperial presidency has gone too far already.
Al Gore is right to focus on our departure from civilized rational interpersonal discourse as a core problem of our rapidly transforming information-age society. We need to return prominence to the core institution of our democracy, the legislature, the glorious institution which is the true mother of our nation.
While Senator Obama's experience pales in comparison to yours, it seems clear to me that he has more real legislative depth than any of the other front-runners. His attitude seems to me "How are we going to really get this done?" rather than "How am I going to get you to vote on this."
Prevailing this fall will not require long speeches, even from gifted orators like you and Sen. Obama.
A photo of you and hin, with any or all of the following 4 captions or sound tracks will be truly powerful and persuasive:
1. "We had all the information we needed to avoid this tragedy."
[OOPS! I just realized that one could be horribly misinterpreted. LOL ;)]
1. "We had all the information we needed to avoid the tragedy in Iraq."
2. "We can't just blame Bush"
[not in ltr - we need to redefine what this phrase means in people's head's: it means "We need to blame Hillary and Edwards, too"]
3. "We made a terrible mistake when our justified anger led us to let our country lash out irrationally."
4. "Support us now as we try and put our country back on the path of truth and righteousness"
No. 2 actually might spark the most discussion. Much needed discussion.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my gratitude to you and my desire to support your vital work.
I sincerely hope that an endorsement of Sen. Obama by you in September or early October will be the hallmark event which shifts the Fall campaign.
We need your help. As you know, Sen. Obama has been attacked for supporting you, and has almost certainly lost votes from one of his core constituencies as a result (we all know which one).
We've almost all lost our conscious racism, but we also know that it has been proven that when a black and a white walk in to apply for a job, we just "feel" the white is more competent. Your assistance in laying this "competence" bug-a-boo to rest will be invaluable.
I sincerely hope by joining the forces of your campaign with Sen. Obama's, all progressives will make serious advances in both executive and legislative elections.
In 1978, America was "liberal," then Reagan won by a landslide. I believe we can hope for the same in 2008 as the pendulum swings back left.
With heartfelt thanks and sincere respect,
Tom Fennell
7421 Valley
Omaha, NE 68124
(away from home until August 20)
Comments are closed for this post.
