I just got off the phone with a telemarketer for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He had the audacity to ask me to donate to the Democrats to help them take back congress this year. He actually said to me, I shit you not, that given the war in Iraq and the Republican response to Katrina, that it is vital that Democrats win back congress. He actually used an in-progress horror show involving millions of Americans on American soil to solicit money for politicians.
Though my first instinct was to reach down the phone line and strangle him, I calmed down just enough to tell him that I think it’s obscene to ask for political contributions while this cataclysm is still going on. Any cash that I have to donate, I told him, is going to the relief effort. This guy actually argued with me. He argued that it’s vitally important that Democrats take back congress to prevent these things from happening again. I raised my voice and argued back and so did he! I was amazed at the balls on this guy. If they want to call back in a month or two, fine. But it’s inhuman to call me for money while people are trapped and drowning in their attics.
I’m a Democrat and I do believe that control of congress is a good goal for the party but not right now. Not when decades of divisive partisan politics has resulted in the unbearable horror that’s playing out on the Gulf Coast. Whatever happened to bringing in the best and the brightest? Whatever happened to public service? They’ve given way to new levels of political cronyism that have handed over our vital public agencies to idiots like Michael Brown (link and link) and Michael Chertoff (link).
If you agree with me, feel free to contact the Dems here.
tags: democrats| hurricanekatrina| hurricanerelief| katrina| politicalcontributions| politics| redcross
Probably not the best time to ask for donations but the man is right. We have to stick together or we’re doomed.
marie
I have to agree with Marie on this one. I’ve never been more afraid of my own government than I am tonight.
I like a lively discussion and I am right in there with you in my levels of outrage at the handling of this disaster. As I understand it, Bush actually reversed/cancelled Clinton-era funding for preventive work on the levee system in New Orleans, and the “who could have jknown” crap is apalling sincejust this New Orleans flood was predicted to be the #2 most likely distaster. I can’t be too mad at the Dems for wanting, in whatever way, to wrest a little power from the reprobates in office who failed to work to prevent and failed to care about this catastrophe, but I also feel your outrage at the idea of giving to anything besides relief right now is appropriate.