Monday, March 22, 2010

Donating

This morning, I gave money to two women about whom I know almost nothing. Their names are Ann McLane Kuster and Krystal Ball.

The reason is this: yesterday, every single Republican voted against the health care bill. Not a single one of them -- I'm sorry, I can't finish that sentence. It sickens me.

But along with them, marching in solidarity, were 34 Democrats. Now, Democrats like diversity, sometimes to the point of dementia, so I wouldn't have been too surprised to find that five or ten voted with the heathens. But 34? That's over ten percent of the House Democrats. WTF?

So this morning, when I got one of the mailings I occasionally get from one or two organizations who want a more aggressive, more Big D Democratic attitude toward politics -- I was primed.

I'm not looking for bomb-throwers, and I do know that this organization -- ActBlue, also known as BoldProgressives -- is likely to support exactly that sort of person. But clearly, the official Democratic Party seems to have lost the ability to promote its cause effectively. Well, there are one or two... though Al Franken's the only one that comes to mind. As for the others -- this mailing called them 'corporate Democrats'. I agree. There's more than a few of them out there, and maybe it's time to get them out of there.

So I gave money to Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02) and Krystal Ball (VA-01). Two women about whom I know almost nothing.

The President doesn't hold a grudge. That's what he has me for.

-- Josh Lyman
..The West Wing
..Five Votes Down

7 comments:

Tabor said...

I was going to email some of the Congresspersons to thank them for standing their courage, but was not able since they are so bogged with emails from their voters! I also thought about money and you are right. So I will do that this week!

Cerulean Bill said...

It would be nice to be able to do that routinely. Most of us don't have enough money for that. Big Pharma (and others) do, so when they call, the politician picks up the phone. But for us, the third assistant gofer answers while chewing on a slice of pizza, says yeah, okay, and hangs up.

I don't really believe it's that bad. But I do think its in that ballpark. The trick is finding decent people to give what little money we have, to. I haven't mastered that. Perhaps its like investing: go for what (or whom) you know. Do the legwork. Look for details.

And sometimes, go with the timing.

STAG said...

Its only a foot in the door.

Now you know who big business got to.

STAG said...

Its only a foot in the door.

Cerulean Bill said...

True. As in, all of them.

I was musing about this today. I guess its untrue to say that they always get access, to the exclusion of all others. But disproportionately, yes, I believe that. Of course, now that the Supremes say that corporates can be people, that nulls out.

Wendster said...

... ummm .... I feel like such an idiot when I don't understand what people are talking about when they talk about politics.

Siiigggghhhhhhh.

Cerulean Bill said...

It's not that hard. You start with the vague feelings of this is how it ought to be that most people have, then see who sounds reasonably in tune with your attitudes.

Unless it's Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, or Ann Coulter, in which case you just go get drunk.