Aha! Here’s what I was looking for! The Senators who, in good conscience, decided that a proven liar should not be our top diplomat:
U.S. Senate: Legislation & Records Home > Votes > Roll Call Vote:
NAYs – 13
Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Dayton (D-MN)
Durbin (D-IL)
Harkin (D-IA)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Levin (D-MI)
Reed (D-RI)Not Voting – 2
Burns (R-MT)
Gregg (R-NH)
Now to write a nasty letter to my senators, Wyden and Smith, for voting “Yea”. Here’s the text; feel free to cut and paste to your own Senators if you like:
Senator Wyden, I wish to register my personal disgust with your “Yea” vote on the confirmation of Dr. Condoleezza Rice as our next Secretary of State.
As Senator Boxer of California has so ably pointed out, Dr. Rice’s propensity for mendaciousness has been documented on a number of occasions. Dr. Rice’s exaggerations and lies helped the Bush Administration sell the idea of an unprovoked war with Iraq that is still claiming the lives of American and Oregonian servicemen and women, including 36 today, the worst one-day loss of life yet in this ill-conceived war.
I hope you can find your conscience and respect for truth, honor, and integrity when it comes time to vote against the nomination of Alberto Gonzalez — the architect of the policies of torture that led to Abu Ghraib — for Attorney General.
Sincerely,
Russ Belville
Beaverton, OregonP.S. Any money I was considering donating to your re-election campaign in 2011 will now be donated to the campaigns of Akaka (D-HI), Bayh (D-IN), Boxer (D-CA), Byrd (D-WV), Dayton (D-MN), Durbin (D-IL), Harkin (D-IA), Jeffords (I-VT), Kennedy (D-MA), Kerry (D-MA), Lautenberg (D-NJ), Levin (D-MI), and Reed (D-RI), unless you can soon convince me that you can be as strong a leader for the Democratic Party as they are.
Writing to Senators is fun! Here’s the one I sent to my Repugnican Senator:
Senator Smith, I wish to register my personal disgust with your “Yea” vote on the confirmation of Dr. Condoleezza Rice as our next Secretary of State.
As Senator Boxer of California has so ably pointed out, Dr. Rice’s propensity for mendaciousness has been documented on a number of occasions. Dr. Rice’s exaggerations and lies helped the Bush Administration sell the idea of an unprovoked war with Iraq that is still claiming the lives of American and Oregonian servicemen and women, including 36 today, the worst one-day loss of life yet in this ill-conceived war.
As I am a Democrat, I know that you and I are going to disagree on many political issues. However, can we not both agree that appointing a proven liar to the post 4th in line to the presidency is a great disservice to the American people? As Dr. Rice will be our diplomatic face to the world, is this not also an affront to the entire globe?
I hope you can find your conscience and respect for truth, honor, and integrity when it comes time to vote against the nomination of Alberto Gonzalez — the architect of the policies of torture that led to Abu Ghraib — for Attorney General. Surely, even a Republican like yourself wishing to advance the Bush Administration agenda must recoil at the world’s perception of Americans as torturers. Some issues transcend party politics, Senator Smith, and this is the most obvious example in decades. A vote for Gonzalez is a signal that we are no longer the beacon of moral values and huamn rights to the world.
Sincerely,
Russ Belville
Beaverton, Oregon
