On learning of the support of my own and another Congressman (Don Beyer) whom I’d supported for gutting the Dodd-Frank Act, I called their offices to express my dismay. Then I wrote two friends who’d also supported both. The result was expressions of dissatisfaction from them. My reply to them:
"I appreciate your comments. The budget bill was a considerable disappointment, but it could be explained however inadequately. Yes, Baracko caved...I fear that we may well have a future of him caving to poison pills. But this is not that. This is naked, and yes, I expect it to be vetoed. Still, we must recall that Baracko is a conservative and that black conservatism simply looks different from white conservatism.
I called Beyer's office as I did Connolly's and expressed in the strongest terms my dismay. I stated that I'd admired and supported Beyer despite not being a constituent and that I'd no longer support him as a result of that vote."
Much later I received a pile of fertilizer from Gerry Connolly, my Congressman, himself a severely mixed bag. My reply to Connolly: Sir, You have lost my support. This vote was unconscionable, and I will not tolerate it. On reflection I must add that the garbage response was contemptible and insulting.
Damn those people. I am a liberal; I am not a Democrat, and until the Democrats begin to represent people who matter to me and their issues, I no longer will support them in any goddamned fashion.
While I have no real expectation of having any impact, at least this bleat helps me.