Then I write something like SHAME ON YOU for doing this!

I think postcards are really good because they educate more than just the staff.

“Integrity matters.” Then I add a line or two re: the issue at hand and either thank the senator/rep for their support or chastise them for not following their constituent’s views.

I wish I’d have saved some of the blistering emails I sent to my reps and senators when they killed habeas corpus….

Steven

I email a lot and call periodically. Here’s what happens on the emails:

1) Durbin: Receive an email or snail mail stating his position on the issue.

2) Obama: No response. Ever. (Guess who I’m not supporting for President….)

3) Melissa Bean: Email acknowledgment that she received my email. Used to receive phone calls telling me when she was going to be in the area, probably because I was a campaign contributor. Now that I don’t contribute to her campaign, I receive no news about her appearances.

One woman’s experience with democracy.

I have to email Bob Casey and Joe Pitts — maybe I’ll send postcards from now on — but Arlen Specter, of all people, actually responds: first with an auto-generated acknowledgment and then, later, with an actual (staff-written) email about the subject. His website is actually quite well constructed for voters who wish to communicate their views.

Arlen Specter. The scumbag. Is the best of the lot. Go figure.

Contacting my elected reps has been a source of frustration for me for some time now. I write, call and email often, but since I am dealing with Bobby Jindal and David Vitter, the frustration level is pretty high. NOLA is a blue island in a red state, and sadly many of us have been focused so much on local and personal crises for the last 2 years it is easy to let the big picture slide. I guess it’s mostly a feeling of how often can I bang my head against a brick wall before I become concussed?

Short FISA : while Dems may believe there are no terrorists, Reps believe *we* (as in you, too) are the terrorists.

I do so enjoy terrorizing them!

Thanks! Glad to be here.

1st-time poster/long-time lurker (well a few days anyway).

Another note of encouragement for those in the red lands: there are many republican citizens of the libertarian sort out there who are actually our allies on constitutional issues like this. So send in your cards/letters/emails. I sent a note to Dan Lungren. I stressed the constitutional aspects. It actually sounded a lot like some of my old libertarian friends from Colorado.

Ardens–

Welcome to the lake! Glad to have you around.

Now that you have jumped in, stay with us please and share your ideas.

KLynn @ 40

KLynn, it sounds like you were quite effective with that issue. In the long run this type of “lobbying” is what works and what is needed, the problem is that it costs money to do this or have someone do it on all the relevant issues.

I like your idea. However, I would like to see the citizen lobby happen with many individual communications -it is more effective. But somehow it needs to be organized on a daily basis. Instead of “generated letters” you sign and add a few comments to like at MoveOn, I would like to see a sight that has daily issue posts with fact paragraphs that people can cut and paste from to create a personalized letter printed on one’s own letterhead. Then one can add their own story or concern on how something will personally affect them. Avoiding the appearance of a generated letter. Bloggers could send in letter snippets which could be used by fellow bloggers as well.

I would also like to see such a group fund “citizen” visit groups to congressional offices to back up concerns on legislation and try to provide “mini lessons” to reps on an issue (many are not as informed as one would think). I think if it is from people instead of lobbiest on behalf of people, it has the potential of carrying a new kind of weight that Karl likes to call the numbers game.

We need to organize in a big way…Check out the link at 14 to read stats on the effectiveness of citizen action.