In which Your Memorialist throws down a gauntlet to her Blue Dog Rep . . ..
My yella-bellied Blue Dog is Baron Hill (IN-09). After the recent McGovern bill, I began a correspondence with some of Hill's staff, asking for clarification on Hill's position on Iraq. They responded with a hash made of GOP talking points. Since the Capitulation Bill vote, I've seen that Hill's public position is to make no clear statement whatsoever. Behind the scenes, however, Hill has been working to create an economic underpinning for Indiana's economy by establishing a 'training triangle' in IN-09. This 'training triangle', although touted as a 'Homeland Security' measure, has been funded through 2012 and is meant to be a cannon-fodder factory, preparing large numbers of National Guardsmen quickly through specialized training for deployment to Iraq. (I hope to post more on this in the future, but you can google on: 'Muscatatuck', 'MUTC' with "Baron Hill" for a preview.)
After reading teacherken's beautiful diary (link below) on Al Gore's new book, I went into my email to send the link to Hill and his staffers. After sending it to Hill I wanted to share it publicly.
Email to Baron Hill --
You'll be hearing more from me on Iraq, on the Capitulation Bill vote, on future votes. Some of those writings will contain words like 'craven', 'pusillanimous', phrases like 'conflict of interest'.
But this weekend, for you, is about parades and gladhanding and the holy Hoosier ritual of racing in circles. So for now, I just want to remind you of something. Like, what America is actually ABOUT.
I titled this email 'In Memoriam', because I'm dedicating it to my Dad, who didn't have to serve but went anyway, sending the pre-arranged postcard from Manila to let Mom know hew was safe and MacArthur had taken the city. And to my Mom who served too, in civil service, as secretary to the Quartermaster at Ft Benjamin Harrison all through the war. And to all my Dad's people, all the way back, who fought in every war beginning with the attack on Draper's Meadows in 1755. The families who fought there (Montgomery/McFarland) had their feet on the ground in Indiana by 1811, when the older men, along with women and chidren, literally 'held down the fort' for Harrison as the young men travelled north to ambush Tecumseh's camp. Warrick County is named for my kinsman-in-law, the one American casualty of that battle. My Smith/Simpson line had opened Kentucky with Boone before crossing the river to Indiana by 1810. The Gibson county representative at the Indiana Constitutional Convention was another kinsman-in-law. If you read the original Indiana Constitution, you'll know something of the mettle of these people, my forebears.
To all my forebears, known and unknown, I dedicate this email, and the conviction it represents. And I mention these forebears to indicate to you that I come from people who know how to take a position, and hold it. Generations of men in my line have taken that oath to 'defend the Constitution from ALL enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC'.
My Dad didn't have time to teach me much, but he made sure to teach me that what makes America great is not its capitalism, not its wealth, not even its military might -- what makes Arerica great, he would boom, eyes shining, is the Constitution! The Rule of Law! The fact that the Constitution was designed to make the will of The People the Law of the Land, and no one is above it.
Yes, Iraq is beyond awful and needs to end. Now. But beneath that is the subversion of our Constitution and the Rule of Law by the current administration. Iraq is just a symptom of that -- and it is a symptom that is costing American blood and American lives.
And your mealy-mouthed acquiescence, Baron Hill, to GOP positions and talking points, your votes supporting the current administration make you (in my eyes) a collaborator in the subversion of America's Constitutional Democratic Republic.
In my eyes, Baron Hill, the blood of Americans is on your hands -- unncessary blood, a sacrifice dishonored by the lies that began, and sustain, the illegal and immoral occupation of Iraq. The fact that you appear to be using your position in Congress to build economic dependence on continued war into Indiana's future fills me with cold fury and determination. You will hear more from me.
I don't imagine that, as a basketball star, you paid much attention in your civics classes -- although perhaps I am mistaken. But the link below will take you to a beautiful reminder of what the Constitution and the Rule of Law mean -- it is also a beautiful reminder of what actual Democratcs sound like.
http://www.dailykos.com/...