It's a form letter...
God Almighty, he couldn't even have a staffer write something up that sounded like it comes for a real person. It's talking points that you can read on his site, or hear from his office staff.
Dear John:
Thank you for contacting me about one of the most important issues facing our country -- the war in Iraq. As we enter the fifth year of this war, it is past time for a change in course. It is painfully clear that the current strategy is not working and is costing America too much in both lives and dollars. I am doing everything in my power as a U.S. Senator to end the war in Iraq, but I will not cast any vote that I believe compromises the safety and security of our troops on the ground.
I strongly support our troops. Montana has sent more than 1,500 soldiers into battle in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last five years and at least twenty-one will never come home. Montanans on active duty and in the guard and reserve have served us proudly overseas. Many are on their third tour of duty. They have given more than what has been asked of them.
Since coming to Washington, I have cosponsored and supported legislation calling for funding for our troops while providing a timeline for their return such as redeploying forces beginning four months after passage of the resolution with the goal of redeploying all forces by April 2008. Although the President vetoed our most recent effort to pass this legislation, I will continue to support measures that begin the process of bringing our troops home and will put a stop to the President's blank-check spending spree and insistence on ignoring the will of the American people.
As we move forward, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find a solution that will keep our troops safe, quickly reduce and eventually eliminate our combat presence in Iraq, and continue to train Iraqi forces so that Iraqis, not Montanans are disarming bombs and guarding bridges.
When this important issue comes before the Senate, I will keep your thoughts in mind. Please do not hesitate to contact me again in the future if I can be of further assistance.
What I keep thinking is: If he thinks that continued funding, without any benchmarks, is keeping the troops safe, does it mean that Feingold wants them unsafe? Sounds like verbiage right out of The Center for a New American Century to me.
Out of curiosity, I checked here:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/... to see who Jon's biggest fundraisers are.
and No. 2 is this place:
http://www.fortressinv.com/
A private equity firm based in New York City
Once you start to see that maybe it is isn't "thousand of ordinary net-based supporters" but actually private equity firms who are ruling the roost, it's a little less heartening to be part of this progressive revolution.
Guess What? we aren't Crashing The Gates - we're just putting out the red carpet to private equity firms to help finance our Blue Dogs.
It's so...80's!