As accustomed as I am to the familiar tone of these appeals from the parties — you know, the ones that are all about whipping you up and making you really, REALLY hate the opposition, so that you’ll be angry enough to give money — I was still taken aback when I looked at my Blackberry and saw that I had an e-mail from Nancy Pelosi beginning, “Brad, I’ve had enough…”
First, I didn’t know we were such intimates. Second, whatever did I do to upset her? That concerns me, seeing as how we’re so close. Apparently.
Anyway, here’s the message:
Brad —
Do you know what House Republicans have done to create jobs since claiming the Majority three months ago? Nothing.
However, they’ve found time for votes to restrict access to reproductive health care, take teachers out of our classrooms, nurses out of our hospitals, and even to defund NPR. All told, Republican cuts would destroy 700,000 jobs.
I’ve had enough of the Republicans’ extremist anti-jobs agenda and I think you have too.
On March 31st, we’ll hit the first FEC quarterly filing deadline since the outrageous GOP power play in Wisconsin and Republicans took the reins in the House. The eyes of the nation will be on our fundraising numbers to judge our grassroots determination to fight back against the radical Republican agenda. We must have a strong showing.
An extreme Republican majority has launched an all out assault on middle class America. It began in Wisconsin, but has spread to Congress and state houses across the country.
Secretive groups like Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS are already up on the air running vicious attack ads against House Democrats who are standing up against the Republican assault and fighting for middle class working families.
I’ve set a goal of $1 million before the March FEC deadline to show the world that we have the grassroots strength to fight radical Republican budget cuts and to stand up for middle class American families.
The DCCC counts on individual donors like you for 75% of their funding. Together, we can turn back this Republican attack on the middle class and move America forward. Please contribute today.
Thank you.
Nancy Pelosi
Democratic LeaderP.S. The first FEC quarterly deadline of the year is just 10 days from now. We must exceed our $1 Million grassroots goal to show the world that Democrats are strong, united and determined to fight back against the radical Republican agenda. Contribute Now.
The radical Republicans? What! Reconstruction is back? Has anyone told Wade Hampton?
These messages leave me really torn. On the one hand, I want to get off the mailing list, because I don’t want them thinking I’m the kind of sap to whom all this nasty partisan stuff would appeal (and really, is there anything more inimical to civil discourse in a free society than deliberately trying to get people angry so that they’ll give you money?). I’ve written about this before, quoting the sage Bugs Bunny. (“He don’t know me very well, do he?”)
But on the other hand, it’s kind of nice to know that Nancy thinks we’re such good friends.
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Rhetorical frothing aside, she has a point.
I see you only covered in passing DeMint’s ridiculous opposition to the kidney device his constituent is working on. Strom never would have done that….
Well, I DID call it to your attention and provide a link to it.
When I read that this morning, I was outraged. But then I thought, well, yeah, that’s what DeMint does. And I went looking for something a little more original to say. So I decided to call attention to the Nikki thing, so I could sorta kinda say something NICE (I have a “Say something nice” category, and I feel the obligation to populate it from time to time), while at the same time letting people know that we ARE preparing to act like grownups in SC and implement Obamacare. If we’re forced to. Seemed like a point more likely to go missed in the more obvious outrage about the DeMint thing — which I assumed, since I mentioned it, people would feel free to express their thoughts about as well.
About an hour ago, I got ANOTHER one of these, from Madeleine Albright. Hers was headlined, “The Whole World is Watching,” and began, “Brad — Once again, Republicans are on the wrong side of history…”
Which sounds vaguely Marxist, coming from an academic type…
As for having a point… it’s not one that rings particularly true with me…