[Vision2020] Craig's official statement

[Sunil Ramalingam]

Kai,

You are describing one way for a representative to behave.  It is not the 
Right Way or the Only Way.

I think someone running for office should let people know both their 
positions on specific issues as well as their philosophies on issues.  If 
the voters don't like how they vote, they can express their will and vote 
them out, as they did in Rankin's case.

In 2002, if our Congress had been populated with more principled people and 
fewer weathervanes, we might not be in this war.  The White House sent out 
propoganda, gladly and uncritically regurgitated by the mainstream media, 
and Congress went along.

Sunil


>From: "Kai Eiselein, editor" <editor at lataheagle.com>
>To: "Joe Campbell" <joekc at adelphia.net>, <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Craig's official statement
>Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:47:48 -0700
>
>Joe,
>So why do representatives change they way they vote when their phone lines 
>are lit up with angry constituents?
>Because they realize they are going against will of their constiuents.
>Lets say congressman X is a non-hunting vegan. X represents a constiuency 
>with a large number of hunters. A piece of legislation comes about to ban 
>hunting.
>What will congressman X do when it comes time to vote?
>In a real-life version, lets go back to Montana's Jeanette(sp) Rankin.
>Rankin voted to stay out of WW I, which most Montanans at the time agreed 
>with.
>Rankin was the lone vote to stay out of WW II and suffered the 
>consequences. She was elected, in part, because she believed in neutrality. 
>After the attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor, the attitude of those she 
>represented changed, dramaticaly. She did not obey the will of her 
>constiuency, instead chose to stay with her own ideal and paid for it.
>Although history has cast a warmer glow on her, Rankin was still wrong to 
>go against what her state wanted. History bears this out. (We Montanans 
>admire her chutzpa, though)
>I understand there are times when representatives will not and should not 
>go with what their constituency wants. The majority of voters in Idaho 
>(again pointing out that Moscow does not represent the political 
>demographic of the state) oppose gay marriage. Had he supported it, I 
>believe he- A: Would not have been elected or B: Would have been recalled.
>"The will of the people... is the only legitimate foundation of any 
>government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object." 
>--Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Waring, 1801. ME 10:236
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Joe Campbell" <joekc at adelphia.net>
>To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 7:08 AM
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Craig's official statement
>
>