03.19.05
Posted in faith, politics at 12:02 pm by
So, I get two emails from Debbie Stabenow today. One from the mass email petition organized by Sojourners, and one from the email that I sent to her earlier this week.
I’m VERY disappointed in the lack of thought, and people pandering present in her replies. I’ve pasted them below so you can have a look. In the email response to the Sojourners email Senator Stabenow’s aids clearly figured out that I was, in fact, a liberal. This was her response:
Thank you . . .
. . for contacting me regarding our budget priorities. I share your
belief that the budget should provide funding for important social
programs.
As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I believe that the
budget must reflect the values and priorities of the American
people. We must have a balanced approach to our budget, one that
pays down the national debt and makes key investments in
education, health care, and tax relief for middle-income families.
As this year’s budget cycle moves forward, I will be fighting for
these priorities.
Thank you again for contacting my office. Please feel free to do so
again in the future whenever I can be of assistance to you and your
family.
Sincerely,
Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator
Then, I get this (form) letter in response to my carefully crafted personal email–a letter that didn’t really address the central concern of my correspondence at all. It seems that someone in the senator’s office read the word, “Christian” in my email and decided that I deserved this reply:
Thank you . . .
. . for contacting my office regarding wasteful government
spending. I share your views that we should strike unnecessary
projects and programs from the budget.
Like you, I am committed to setting the right priorities in our
nation’s budget. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I
will work for a budget that includes provisions for national defense
and domestic security, while at the same time preserving Social
Security and Medicare for the future. In this time of economic
uncertainty, it is more important that ever for the U.S. government
to exercise fiscal responsibility, and that means cutting
unnecessary and wasteful spending. Please rest assured that I will
keep your thoughts in mind as the budget process gets underway.
Thank you again for contacting my office. Please feel free to
contact me in the future whenever I can be of assistance to you and
your family.
Sincerely,
Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator
What a poignant support for my first email. Senator Stabenow’s staff read the word ‘Christian’ and saw nothing beyond that. They infered that because I, without apology, am a Christian, that I must also oppose ‘wasteful government spending.’ I can think of no other reason that whoever read my letter would have responded with such a message. They clearly cannot have read the part of my letter that said:
My desire to see social justice done, though, supersedes my desire to not have to spend the time required to draft a letter to my Senator. I am deeply and gravely concerned with the proposed budget for the next fiscal year.
The current President talks about moral values, and frankly, that sickens me as he’s recently proposed a budget that cuts benefits to the poor, pours even more money into the military, and offers tax cuts to the wealthiest of Americans–of these facts you are indubitably aware. Honestly, Ms. Stabenow, as a Christian I am deeply dismayed at the President’s manipulation of the tenets of my faith in order to win re-election. Now these questionable morals are being used to foist a neo-conservative agenda onto the American people.
Jim Wallis was right. The left really doesn’t get it.
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Posted in faith, politics at 12:02 pm by
So, I get two emails from Debbie Stabenow today. One from the mass email petition organized by Sojourners, and one from the email that I sent to her earlier this week.
I’m VERY disappointed in the lack of thought, and people pandering present in her replies. I’ve pasted them below so you can have a look. In the email response to the Sojourners email Senator Stabenow’s aids clearly figured out that I was, in fact, a liberal. This was her response:
Thank you . . .
. . for contacting me regarding our budget priorities. I share your
belief that the budget should provide funding for important social
programs.
As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I believe that the
budget must reflect the values and priorities of the American
people. We must have a balanced approach to our budget, one that
pays down the national debt and makes key investments in
education, health care, and tax relief for middle-income families.
As this year’s budget cycle moves forward, I will be fighting for
these priorities.
Thank you again for contacting my office. Please feel free to do so
again in the future whenever I can be of assistance to you and your
family.
Sincerely,
Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator
Then, I get this (form) letter in response to my carefully crafted personal email–a letter that didn’t really address the central concern of my correspondence at all. It seems that someone in the senator’s office read the word, “Christian” in my email and decided that I deserved this reply:
Thank you . . .
. . for contacting my office regarding wasteful government
spending. I share your views that we should strike unnecessary
projects and programs from the budget.
Like you, I am committed to setting the right priorities in our
nation’s budget. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I
will work for a budget that includes provisions for national defense
and domestic security, while at the same time preserving Social
Security and Medicare for the future. In this time of economic
uncertainty, it is more important that ever for the U.S. government
to exercise fiscal responsibility, and that means cutting
unnecessary and wasteful spending. Please rest assured that I will
keep your thoughts in mind as the budget process gets underway.
Thank you again for contacting my office. Please feel free to
contact me in the future whenever I can be of assistance to you and
your family.
Sincerely,
Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator
What a poignant support for my first email. Senator Stabenow’s staff read the word ‘Christian’ and saw nothing beyond that. They infered that because I, without apology, am a Christian, that I must also oppose ‘wasteful government spending.’ I can think of no other reason that whoever read my letter would have responded with such a message. They clearly cannot have read the part of my letter that said:
My desire to see social justice done, though, supersedes my desire to not have to spend the time required to draft a letter to my Senator. I am deeply and gravely concerned with the proposed budget for the next fiscal year.
The current President talks about moral values, and frankly, that sickens me as he’s recently proposed a budget that cuts benefits to the poor, pours even more money into the military, and offers tax cuts to the wealthiest of Americans–of these facts you are indubitably aware. Honestly, Ms. Stabenow, as a Christian I am deeply dismayed at the President’s manipulation of the tenets of my faith in order to win re-election. Now these questionable morals are being used to foist a neo-conservative agenda onto the American people.
Jim Wallis was right. The left really doesn’t get it.
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James said,
March 19, 2005 at 2:59 pm
It’s all too rare that politicians reply in person, or even have staff reply personally to messages. I wonder if the opportunity for mass emails has made impersonal replies more likely, even to personal messages.
This week I emailed quite a number of British MPs and MEPs. I was very, very impressed to get rapid responses from two MEPs, one within an hour and the other within 24.
Brandon said,
March 19, 2005 at 3:09 pm
I think you’re right, James. I wouldn’t really even mind having gotten two form/mass email responses, had they not been both clearly sent to the same person AND both written in a manner that panders to a specific audiences (liberal on one hand, and conservative on the other.)
The thing that still vexes me is that I sent my personal email from my Michigan State email address, the reply was sent to brandon@badchristian.com. The only info that links these two addresses was my home address. Somebody went through a lot of work…all to look stupid.
Joan said,
March 19, 2005 at 3:14 pm
I had a similar experience with one of my California senators.
Brandon said,
March 19, 2005 at 3:53 pm
You’re right, Joan. Very similar situation. Frustrating, no?
Ol Cranky said,
March 19, 2005 at 9:45 pm
Brandon:
It’s not about the left making an assumption about what you, as a Christian, want to hear. It’s about politicians who respond to polls not constituents. I get the same canned repsonses from Spector & Santorum any time I mail them regardless of whether it’s a form email I send them or a detailed personally written one. Their lackeys look at what the subject matter and send a canned reply.
Black Sheep said,
March 20, 2005 at 3:01 pm
I too have had the form letter responses from both Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow. Citing the comments above, it doesn’t suprise me to recieve such a response from email. Have you tried snail mail or phone calls? I’m thinking about phoning my opinions to my senators, hopefully I’ll get a human on the other end.
ol cranky said,
March 21, 2005 at 11:31 am
phoning senators and get a human on the other end. . .there’s something very funny about those words used in the same sentence
Laryn said,
March 21, 2005 at 11:52 am
you can call if you want, but from what some of my friends who work on the hill say…it won’t make much difference. the staffer you get on the phone will still have a canned response to read to you. (i guess you could try to get them off message, though)
Angie said,
April 8, 2005 at 7:38 pm
The difference between the two letters, which really questions honesty, among other things, and which illustrates the double-speak of most politicians, is PRICELESS. Nothing like a true contradictory confession straight from the source.