Posted on 04/05/2005 1:53:49 PM PDT by kristinn
Congressman Billybob has been kind enough to write a draft of three versions of letters to deliver to Senators after Thursday's March for Justice.
His comments: The most effective action in dealing with Senators (or Representatives) is personal visits. Second to that are personal letters.
You who come to the March should bring with you letters on your OWN letterhead. Feel free to use this draft, but REVISE IT in your own words, so the letters will NOT be completely identical.
Date
The Honorable _________
Senator from ___________
BY HAND DELIVERY
Dear Senator _______,
I carried this letter with me to the March for Justice II, a gathering held in Washington today, April 7. The march was held for the purposes outlined in this letter.
I have two concerns about upcoming Senate actions regarding the federal courts, including the Supreme Court.
First, I urge you to vote to confirm to any of the federal courts only men and women whom you believe will obey and enforce the Constitution, as written on behalf of the people by Congress and the State legislatures from 1789 through 1992 (when it was last lawfully amended.)
The Constitution as amended is the distilled will of the American people. It is, as it says in its text, the "supreme Law." All should obey it, especially federal judges and Justices.
The need for appointment of such judges and Justices became more clear with the recent decision of the Missouri juvenile death penalty case by the Supreme Court. In that case, a majority of the Court admitted, in public, that it was revising the meaning of the Eighth Amendment. The Court has no legitimate right to amend the Constitution. That right belongs only to the people, acting through their elected representatives.
My second concern is how the Senate will conduct its business in confirming judges and Justices. Some in the Senate, and many in the media, have argued recently that the use of the filibuster (Senate Rule XXII) is part of the "ancient traditions of the Senate," especially with regard to judicial nominations.
This statement is not accurate. It is based either on ignorance of the history of the Senate, or on deliberate misrepresentation of that history. General use of the filibuster on judicial nominations with clear majority support is NOT two centuries old. It is only a few years old.
For two hundred years, since the Judiciary Act of 1789 which authorized the members of the Supreme Court and created the lower federal courts, the Senate has consistently followed the practice that judicial confirmations require only what the Constitution dictates: a simple majority vote.
Paragraph #1 for solid Republican Senators:
I understand that you support the confirmation of judges and Justices who will respect and obey the Constitution. I also understand that you will support a return to the constitutional practice of a majority vote to confirm them to their respective courts. I thank you for those positions. However, I urge you to use your best efforts to pursuade your colleagues who have not declared themselves on these issues, to commit to constitutional judicial appointments, and to the constitutional method of confirming them.
Paragraph #2 for undecided Republican Senators:
I understand that you have not committed to supporting the constitutional option for confirming judges and Justices. I urge you to listen with care to your colleagues in the Senate who will tell you that contrary to what some say, the constitutional option restores the traditions of the Senate by providing for an up or down vote for nominees on the floor of the Senate.
Paragraph #3 for Democrats and Jim Jeffords:
I understand that so far you are committed to not supporting judges and Justices who will avoid amending the Constitution by the vote of five Justices. I also understand that so far you are committed to continuing the very new practice of forcing votes of 60 Senators to confirm judges and Justices , rather than the simple majority required by the Advice and Consent Clause. I urge you to listen to your colleagues, who understand that the constitutional option restores the traditions of the Senate as it pertains to judicial nominations.
Closing paragraphs for all Senators:
The issues of judges amending the Constitution from the bench and the abuse of the filibuster to block judicial nominees with clear majority support are critical to this country. The future of the Constitution, and the future of our constitutional Republic, are both on the line. I and all other Americans who respect the Constitution will be paying close attention concerning how the Senate deals with these issues. We take the subject very seriously, and our opinion of your service in the Senate will be strongly influenced by what you choose to do on these two issues.
We urge you to respect the Constitution, and to follow the long history of the Senate itself, on these two issues.
Thank you for your attention to these matters.
Sincerely,
[name, address]
March for Justice ping list ping!
Congressman Billybob does have a way with the lexicon.
Yes he does. We'll able to see him in action on Thursday.
You can either just drop in on your two senators' offices, or you can schedule an appointment for the afternoon. Your choice.
Thanks for all the upfront work!
Would it be okay if we adopt your letters and just reformat them slightly (because we're not going to be at the March), and send them separately - maybe on Friday or the following week - just to add more support to the message ..??
ping
Thank you.
I was advised to stay off my leg and take my meds until the problem is solved.
I'm so sorry!
Sorry to hear that. I was looking forward to seeing you again.
Please do so. They need to hear from all of us.
This is important. It can make a difference.
GREAT, thanks!
Whether you can come or not, please write letters and participate in the manner described in the present thread and the second quoted and indented thread below.
Please make plans to attend. At the very least, and if it is impossible for you to come to this, please contribute to the cost of the event. Per Jim Robinson's announcement above, please designate your state and indicate that your contribution is for the March for Justice II when contributing.
Kay R. Daly has asked me to maintain and use this list started by her as she is running Coalition for a Fair Judiciary, and now battling to get judicial nominees a vote on the Senate floor.
Please ping me or FReepmail me to get on or off the list.
Don't be just a spectator, join the list and join the fight to get President Bush's nominees approved.
Some related threads, including the top three, which were not previously pinged to the list:
March for Justice II Travel, Parking and Dining Update
March for Justice II Announcement ^ | Friday, April 1, 2005 | Kristinn
Posted on 04/01/2005 9:17:21 AM PST by kristinn
Mapquest link to rally location at Upper Senate Park.
Travel: Upper Senate Park is located between the Capitol and Union Station.
Union Station is accessible via Amtrak, Metro and Marc trains. There is also a large public parking lot at Union Station.
Union Station is located along the Red Line on the Metro subway system. Link to Metro here. If you plan on using the outlying suburban Metro parking lots, please be aware that they fill up early in the morning because of commuters.
The parking garage directly behind Union Station charges $14 for all day parking. Street parking on Capitol Hill is restricted to Senate staff. There is limited street parking available, but most of those spaces are two-hour metered spaces.
Wednesday evening's pre-rally dinner will be held at Tom Sarris' Orleans House restaurant in Rosslyn, Virginia at 7 p.m. Take the Orange or Blue lines on Metro to the Rosslyn Station. The restaurant is a two story white brick building across Moore St. from the station. Limited street parking is available. There is a parking garage on Moore St. at Wilson Blvd. that charges $6 after 6 p.m. The street address for the restaurant is 1213 Wilson Blvd.
Please RSVP for the Wednesday night dinner to me either on this thread or by freepmail.
Thursday's after rally dinner will be held at the Cap City Brewing Co. located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, right next to Union Station in the Postal Museum building. This dinner is unreserved, but I told the restaurant we would be arriving between 4 and 5 p.m., after we finish visiting the Senate offices.
For both dinners, even if you are unable to attend the rally, you are invited to dine and socialize with your fellow FReepers.
The rally itself is finally coming together. We'll be ready to announce speakers and co-sponsors starting Monday. The weather forecast for Thursday (click for updates) is for highs in the 50s or 60s with a slight chance of rain.
CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THAT THREAD
Time to Shake up the Senate and the Judiciary? March for Justice April 7!!
FR March For Justice II Grassroots Activism Toolkit
self & other FReeper help | 3/31/2005 | BlurbloggerPosted on 03/31/2005 6:20:55 AM PST by Blurblogger
Join FR's Virtual March For Justice at your Desk!
Join the Local March For Justice in your Town!
Local Grassroots Activism Toolkit
If you CAN'T get to D.C. (and even if you CAN!) --
To ALL who stand for the American Republic,
One Nation, Under God, Subject to the Rule of Law,
which requires the execution of justice;
and the confirmation of judges for its execution:
Join FreeRepublic's VIRTUAL MARCH FOR JUSTICE II
April 6, 7 & 8 right in your community!
CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THAT THREAD
Calling all Chapters: Raise the funds to get your delegates to the March for Justice on this thread!
Free Republic ^ | March 30, 2005 | Jim Robinson
Posted on 03/30/2005 3:29:27 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Calling ALL Chapters!
We need you in DC!
Please select one or more delegates from your chapter or state and even if you have to pass the hat among your members, please raise the money and get them there. We need every chapter and every state represented! We need to petition each and every senator. We'd like to have a minimum of two to four people present from each state. We hope to be able to hand deliver our letters and materials to all 100 senators. If you are tired of judicial activism and Democrat obstructionism, please make an effort to be there!
You may use this thread to raise the money if necessary.
Thanks,
Jim
P.S. Donors: If you donate for this effort please specify which state you are sending money for. We need to get delegates from ALL 50 states to DC. Even if they fly in on the redeye, stay for the march and then go home the same day. It must be done!
CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THAT THREAD
Time to Shake up the Senate and the Judiciary? March for Justice April 7!!
Click for March for Justice Announcement Thread ^ | 03/30/05 | Jim Robinson
Posted on 03/30/2005 12:32:36 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Time to Shake up the Senate and the Judiciary? March for Justice April 7!!
CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THAT THREAD
Attention FReepers, Chapters, Chapter Leaders: Chime in re: The March for Justice!! (April 7)
The March for Justice! ^ | March 24, 2005 | Jim Robinson
Posted on 03/24/2005 4:56:10 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Ok, what's it going to take to get you to the point of total disgust with our judiciary?
CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THAT THREAD
Calling all FReepers, Lurkers, Chapters, FR Allies and Conservative Groups Re: March for Justice!
March for Justice Thread I ^ | March 21, 2005 | Jim Robinson
Posted on 03/21/2005 11:09:54 PM PST by Jim Robinson
CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THAT THREAD
Announcing Free Republic's MARCH for JUSTICE II, April 7, 2005, Washington, D.C.!!
Free Republic | March 15, 2005 | Kristinn, Jim Robinson
Posted on 03/15/2005 10:03:13 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Question: When you call a senator's phone number as shown on the web site, is it answered by a central switchboard or by the senator's staff member?
A letter extremely well done! Excellent!
Brit Hume's panel just agreed that the GOP senators will not change the rules to allow the judicial nominations to get to the Senate floor for a vote. I think Frist inherited Lott's microscopic 'nads.
They sure do - because on Brit's program the panel was saying the repubs are now backing off - and the repubs want to use the issue in 2006 - forcing dems to defend why a well-qualified person cannot be allowed to have an up or down vote. Using obstruction against the dems.
And .. they're going to wait until June - when it is expected Renquist will resign - Scalia will be nominated - and someone else will be nominated to fill Scalia's seat - and the repubs will push the issue for the USSC nominees.
This is so frustrating.
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