important:
all of this was copied verbatum from a post on the john kerry '04 blog:
John Kerry's ad in USA Today -- please sign
As most people here probably know, the Republicans are threatening to invoke "the nuclear option": ending the possibility of filibuster on Congressional approval of judges. Bush has nominated some extreme right-wing judges, whom the Democrats voted down, so now the Republicans want to change the rules of the Senate so that they can rubberstamp any extremist Bush appoints and the Democrats can't stop them.
John Kerry is placing an ad in USA Today tomorrow opposing this, and he wants to report how many people have signed in support (the names won't appear, just the number). But I suspect a lot of people don't understand what is at stake: whether the Senate will be able to keep Bush from packing the judiciary with Fundamentalists and extremists, or whether even more unbridled power will be concentrated in the hands of Bush and his supporters. So Kerry needs more signatures. Kerry's letter to supporters is below the cut:
Last week, thanks to people like you, thousands of Americans across the country spoke out against efforts by Republican leaders to silence their voices in Washington. Tomorrow morning, when our vitally important johnkerry.com ad appears in USA Today, I will send a copy to every one of my Republican colleagues. When I do, I want to tell them that the number of people standing behind the ad's powerful message now stands at over 200,000. Help us get there.
See the ad - and count yourself among those personally supporting its message.
http://www.johnkerry.com/usatoday
Tens of thousands of johnkerry.com activists have already called their Republican Senators opposing GOP leaders' efforts to invoke the so-called "nuclear option" on the confirmation of federal judges. This Republican plan is part of a disturbing pattern in which a handful of Republican leaders seek the ability to do whatever they want, whenever they want, without regard to principle.
We have to act because America can't afford to go where they're trying to take us.
http://www.johnkerry.com/usatoday
The Republican drive to silence our voices in Washington is in high gear. House Leader Tom DeLay has led a no-holds-barred drive to silence all opposing voices in Congress. He also engineered a highly partisan effort to force the redrawing of congressional districts in Texas - funded by heavy-handed tactics that led to the indictment of three close DeLay associates. And last week, DeLay issued an ominous threat that federal judges (appointed by both Democratic and Republican Presidents) who dared to defy his wishes in the Terry Schiavo case will have to "answer for their behavior."
Making President Bush's judicial nominations immune to a Senate filibuster is the next step in the GOP's arrogant, out-of-control grab for power. If Senator Frist, the Senate Majority Leader, can convince enough Republican Senators to go along, the nomination and confirmation of judges will become a tightly-controlled, one-party affair.
We're calling on Republican Senators to persuade their party's leaders not to pursue this reckless course.
If you haven't done so already, please act to personally support our call for an end to the wide-ranging Republican assault on constitutional principles.
http://www.johnkerry.com/usatoday
Thanks for helping with this vital and time-sensitive effort.
Sincerely,
John Kerry
P.S. Remember, when I send our USA Today ad to my Republican colleagues tomorrow morning, I want to tell them that its message has been personally backed by over 200,000 people. You can help us reach that goal. Please sign now - and, after you do, please forward this e-mail to your friends, neighbors, and family.
thanks y'all. ♥
ps: I hope all of you understand the importance of this: it's not only about republicans vs. democrats; it's about the preserving of our democracy. (yay!)
pps: my life now = oooh baby. daylight savings BLOWS.
John Kerry's ad in USA Today -- please sign
As most people here probably know, the Republicans are threatening to invoke "the nuclear option": ending the possibility of filibuster on Congressional approval of judges. Bush has nominated some extreme right-wing judges, whom the Democrats voted down, so now the Republicans want to change the rules of the Senate so that they can rubberstamp any extremist Bush appoints and the Democrats can't stop them.
John Kerry is placing an ad in USA Today tomorrow opposing this, and he wants to report how many people have signed in support (the names won't appear, just the number). But I suspect a lot of people don't understand what is at stake: whether the Senate will be able to keep Bush from packing the judiciary with Fundamentalists and extremists, or whether even more unbridled power will be concentrated in the hands of Bush and his supporters. So Kerry needs more signatures. Kerry's letter to supporters is below the cut:
Last week, thanks to people like you, thousands of Americans across the country spoke out against efforts by Republican leaders to silence their voices in Washington. Tomorrow morning, when our vitally important johnkerry.com ad appears in USA Today, I will send a copy to every one of my Republican colleagues. When I do, I want to tell them that the number of people standing behind the ad's powerful message now stands at over 200,000. Help us get there.
See the ad - and count yourself among those personally supporting its message.
http://www.johnkerry.com/usatoday
Tens of thousands of johnkerry.com activists have already called their Republican Senators opposing GOP leaders' efforts to invoke the so-called "nuclear option" on the confirmation of federal judges. This Republican plan is part of a disturbing pattern in which a handful of Republican leaders seek the ability to do whatever they want, whenever they want, without regard to principle.
We have to act because America can't afford to go where they're trying to take us.
http://www.johnkerry.com/usatoday
The Republican drive to silence our voices in Washington is in high gear. House Leader Tom DeLay has led a no-holds-barred drive to silence all opposing voices in Congress. He also engineered a highly partisan effort to force the redrawing of congressional districts in Texas - funded by heavy-handed tactics that led to the indictment of three close DeLay associates. And last week, DeLay issued an ominous threat that federal judges (appointed by both Democratic and Republican Presidents) who dared to defy his wishes in the Terry Schiavo case will have to "answer for their behavior."
Making President Bush's judicial nominations immune to a Senate filibuster is the next step in the GOP's arrogant, out-of-control grab for power. If Senator Frist, the Senate Majority Leader, can convince enough Republican Senators to go along, the nomination and confirmation of judges will become a tightly-controlled, one-party affair.
We're calling on Republican Senators to persuade their party's leaders not to pursue this reckless course.
If you haven't done so already, please act to personally support our call for an end to the wide-ranging Republican assault on constitutional principles.
http://www.johnkerry.com/usatoday
Thanks for helping with this vital and time-sensitive effort.
Sincerely,
John Kerry
P.S. Remember, when I send our USA Today ad to my Republican colleagues tomorrow morning, I want to tell them that its message has been personally backed by over 200,000 people. You can help us reach that goal. Please sign now - and, after you do, please forward this e-mail to your friends, neighbors, and family.
thanks y'all. ♥
ps: I hope all of you understand the importance of this: it's not only about republicans vs. democrats; it's about the preserving of our democracy. (yay!)
pps: my life now = oooh baby. daylight savings BLOWS.