FWIW I went to Russ Carnahan’s (D-Mo) office in St. Louis this morning and gave them a letter telling Mr. Carnahan that if he votes to reduce any benefits in SS/Med?Medicaid that I would not support him. I also told the receptionist that I was a member of FDL and that if any cuts were supported by Mr. Carnahan I would do everything I could to get that message out. Sadly I was the only one there at 9 am this morning. Maybe others will come later in the day. I did what I could do.

Good for you! Even one person taking the time to come in is going to make an impression!

Done!

I’m in – at DeGette’s office at 11:30 Mountain.

America’s social safety net is one of the most spectacular achievements of our society. It’s a program that provides unparalleled assistance to our country’s most vulnerable citizens and says a lot about our values and beliefs as a nation.

This statement makes SS sound rather charitable, rather than being a forced savings plan. A few “vulnerable citizens” get help without having paid in, but for the vast majority, SS is a take-away during our working years, and a give-back during our retirement years. It seems that our “values and beliefs” is a belief that most Americans won’t earn enough, or save enough to support themselves in retirement.

That’s really great, popeye99. Did you get any kind of response from them?

Thanks, Tom!

You rock, Kelly — let us know how it goes

I just got done on the Hill. Visited about 40 offices, including Pelosi, Hoyer, Van Hollen & Israel. Gave them the flyer and told them people will be visiting offices across the country today and that 50,000 people signed a petition pledging not to support anyone who supports cuts to social security or Medicare benefits in the 2012 election — and that includes voting for any commission with the power to bypass congressional procedure (no Catfood 2).

Video to come.

You’re a MACHINE! YAY!

If I could, I would (unemployed with no transportation right now).

Interesting note: expect the teabaggers to try to imitate this is some way, which will fail in a comical way;-)

Oh boy I CANNOT WAIT to see the video!

That’s okay, John. You could always give them a call today if you wanted :P http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/safetynet-calls

well, i was more speaking in reference to minority communities, women, the sick and elderly who especially depend on these programs for their survival, and therefore stand to lose more than others. it is forced savings, but those savings can mean a lot more to some people than others.

The lady’s face change significantly when i told her I was disabled and depended on SS for me and my daughter. She said she would forward the letter to Rep. Carnahan and he would reply by mail. I really think if more people do this it will make an impact. If they see the faces of regular people it hits home with them. Then we are not just a voter.

I’m not able to go today but I’ve called Davis’ office to convey the same message – and will visit when I am able.

Bravo to everyone who’s been out there – this is superb!

Thanks, Siun!

The lady’s face change significantly when i told her I was disabled and depended on SS for me and my daughter.

That’s exactly what we’re going for with these Congressional visits. We want them to see the faces of the people they’re hurting so they have something to think about when they eventually cast their votes. We’re going to make this as painful as possible for anyone who wants to cut benefits.

This needs to be done and I commend those who do it. I cannot get ready transportation to my wiingnut representative (R outhouse) or I would have gone.

But this effort will run up against the fact that the oligarchs literally pay good money to generate an artificial reality, a bubble of delusion, around “our” pols and when the day is done the pols will count the calls and letters and the poll crosstabs for and against and will find that unreal Americans want to cut their own throats by an overwhelming margin… again.

And again, this is not to denigrate the personal visits. Indeed they may be the only thing we have… just don’t be surprised when the pols in question say that while they appreciate your efforts in visiting them they have proof that public opinion is overwhelmingly in favor of catfood for grandma, mom and you.

I visited Rep. Maloney’s Queens office @ 10 AM & spoke to her rep. I not only passed along the Social Security material & mentioned that I was on SSDI, but also passed along the URLs to the “Obama’s Last Lecture” video + the responsive article URLs. He said that not only would he vet the video & articles himself for confirmation as well as making sure that the Congresswoman would receive the materials as well. I stressed that the point was NOT compromise, but a record of capitulation.

I also emailed the materials to Sens. Schumer & Gillibrand last night. Next target – the DNC – to find out if they want to support the candidate that the primaries produce, even if it is NOT Pres. Obama.

I hope other Queens residents have visited their Reps. offices. The workers really appreciate visitors!

A great day for visits.

The cuts currently on the table could spell disaster for senior citizens and put the retirement hopes of future generations of Americans at risk.

the cuts on the table spell disaster for ALL of us, in ways i don’t think most of us or our representatives fathom.

cutting, instead of expanding, the federal deficit is bat-shit-crazy. cutting the safety net is beyond the pale.

please read, from yesterday at naked capitalism, marshall auerback’s post, There is No Progressive Case for Deficit Cutting – The Myth of the “Virtuous” Clinton Surpluses

A huge part of any “recovery” (how not to use quotes for this sellout…)
is that the people BELIEVE that the measures taken will work to help them, and not just the top-end trickler-downers. I don’t see a goddamn thing in any of the Kabuki-measures that Obama and the other republicans are cobbling up to help the fatcats get fatter, that is going to convince people that we’ve turned some kind of corner.

Way to go NYer11! Great job. Pat yourself on the back a little (along with everyone who went today) what you did today was a deeply patriotic act!

You got it, Selise: socialism for the rich and dog-eat-dog capitalism for the poor and working class.

And it’s being promulgated and presided over by a man who, less than three years ago, doubled John McCain’s electoral vote and came in with more political clout than anyone since FDR.

Everyone who wants to reward him for doing this, raise your hands.

Thank you. I didn’t think so. :o)

brian, for those of us not in deecee, they aren’t going to see our faces. we can do our best to educate some of their staff (even if only an intern) and we can begin to show we mean business.

begging for compassion is a losers game.

we are on the side of what is right — not just for ourselves, but also for our country. ultimately, even in dictatorships, legitimacy and power resides with the people. it’s about time we, and they, understand that.

further reading: Power and Struggle (Politics of Nonviolent Action, Part 1) by Gene Sharp

p.s. i’m off to make my own visit…. and i didn’t even rsvp (maybe the number is even bigger than the official list? here’s hoping).

mad THANKS! to all participating in today’s action

it is the only thing the Founders asked of us

Thanks for the reply, it seems to me something needs to be done.

The simple fact is that members of Congress on both sides of the aisle want to cut benefits to some degree and have for a long time.

If this is true, the question is why? Are members of Congress on both sides of the aisle mean and hate minority communities, women, the sick and elderly, or do they want to cut benefits to some degree because they think it’s one way to extend the programs solvency?

If Congress wants benefit cuts, the easiest way to do that is to do what you’re suggesting. Do nothing. From what I understand, in 2036 (projected) the trust fund will have run dry and payments will automatically be slashed by 25% without Congress lifting a finger.

not just the poor and the working class. the economic policy coming out of deecee is more about something less than 0.1% vs the rest of us.

I went to my Congressman’s office, today, for the first time in my life. Turns out a) he wasn’t there and b) you need an appointment to see him.

Well, his building is nice….

I couldn’t get to my rep’s office in his district or in NJ, so I called. The aide will give him my comments. I did the same with my senators, and, again, the aides will pass on my comments. I included that I didn’t want a fast track approach either. Fat lot of good the whole try is. My rep, frelinghuysen, is a dyed-in-the-wool repug who supports the leadership instead of his constituents except Picatinny Arsenal. The two sens will probably follow docilely behind obumble.

Thanks so much, Selise. I am writing it up now, video later, but I didn’t see any members of Congress. I spoke to their staff. But when people take the time to go to the office, they know that someone who cares enough to make that effort represents a lot of other people. They are also being flooded with calls by people who are freaked out because Social Security is telling them they don’t know if they’ll get their checks or not when people call.

It’s completely unconscionable. Jon Walker is writing a post now about how the 14th Amendment, at the very least, applies to Social Security. But between the phone calls that they’re getting, and the people who are coming into their offices, they know that going down this road has serious political consequences.

Thanks to all who are going to their reps today! (40 offices, Jane? WOW!)

Just got back from Rep C W “Bill” Young’s office. Receptionist was the only person there. Wore my war suit, no pix since I was solo and wasn’t about to ask the nice lady to take one *g*, gave her a letter and told her I was a 67yo Viet Nam combat vet, that I was still working but the day will come when I’m no longer able to do that and I’d have to rely on SS, Medicare and the VA. She said she’d make sure Rep Young got my letter, thanked me for my service and agreed that these programs are very important for seniors. Mayhaps an exercise in futility but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Jane, I am afraid that you are in error.

Thusly:

They are also being flooded with calls by people who are freaked out because Social Security is telling them they don’t know if they’ll get their checks or not when people call.

I’m afraid that’s actually bad news and that is the reason why Obama pulled that stunt.

The way that outrage and fear will be portrayed to the pols by those who manage the bubble of delusion is that the people will be frightened enough by the prospect of their payments stopping that they will fall into line for anything that promises to “save” SS and to keep the payments coming… even if the process actually sets the stage for gutting SS and draining the trust fund money into the coffers of the plutocrats.

In other words Obama’s stunt was just another way of defining SS as welfare.

I will walk over and see all of my guys today, starting after lunch hour with my rep and then on to the 2 Senator’s offices in my neighborhood. Will report later.

When I get my reply in the mail I will scan it and send it to you to post if you so desire. Where do I send it when I get a reply. If I a m going down i am going down fighting.

I knew I wasn’t able to make a visit today, so I wrote to my rep, Joe Donnelly (a Blue Dog DINO), via his contact form on his web site. I got the following talking points in response (edited to remove blather):

“On May 31, 2011, I voted against raising the federal government’s debt limit by over $2.6 trillion. [...] I did not vote for this increase because the measure was not tied to strong deficit reduction tools that are available to Congress.”

“Last year, President Obama signed an executive order creating a bipartisan debt commission to look at ways to rein in the nation’s deficit and recommend solutions to the long-term fiscal problems facing the U.S. The commission’s report was released late last year and at the very least can serve to start the important conversation about our long-term fiscal situation.” NOTE: There WAS no report from the Catfood Commission.

“I believe that government should be required to pay its bills just like Hoosier families must make budget decisions about how to pay their bills. [...] I remain committed to smart investments in our national economy, but Congress needs to trim costs just like the hard-working families in northern Indiana have already done.”

He goes on to say he voted against the Paul Ryan plan, but we sent him to Washington to seek bipartisan solutions to bipartisan problems, yada yada…” And a lot more blather. He is worthless. And when I replied to the email, it bounced — have to use the web form.

The more people that write and visit shows them there will be a political price to pay. I still say touch the 3rd. rail and die. These people in Washington are clueless. I am sure that will be the same response I get being in Missouri. But I am going to be a pain in their ass. Sorry this is a reference to #37.

A few days after Obama won he had a lttle press conference, during which he said something very strange to me then. It was I will do one thing that will make a lot of people angry, and now I understand. We are screwed blue kids..

I went to Jared Polis (CO CD-2) office today at 11:30. There were 5 staffers in the loby and they asked me why so many people were visiting today. I said my peace and we all shook hands and smiled. I think this thing may work.

Brian I posted the response from Russ Carnahan on the appropriate response page. Use it how you see fit.