Early House Report Card

[TheEngineer]

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We still have 100 D or F rated Senators.

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How do you know that? Do you have data?

Six months ago, it seemed like we had 340 (out of 440) D or F rated Representatives. That wasn't the case. I hope you're not proposing that we give up, because we're not done yet. Thanks for sharing your opinion, though.

[Legislurker]

Senator's have statewide races, not gerrymandered cakewalks. You have one senator vocally supporting us? You're handing out As and A-s for cosponsoring? Im not saying give up, I am saying nothing has been accomplished yet by us. What I don't really like is cheerleading nothing. Anything that happens this year happens because of the WTO, the banks, or the domestic B&M industry. We don't and won't accomplish [censored] till we scare or unseat some Representative, and show we can do it again in 2010. Ron Paul supporters send 10x the mail we do and he can't even get equal air time in a debate. Instead of patting ourselves on the back, we should be upping the sense of urgency. We should be preparing to get votes and money ready for 08. Grades are for advocacy groups who have clout, we don't have that yet.

[TheEngineer]

What the [censored] is your problem? You have a better idea? Ratings are done by all advocacy organziations (NRA, Christian Coalition, etc). We need to know where we stand...ratings do that. Someone needs to crunch some numbers, and you sure as [censored] aren't. If you don't want to cheerlead, why are you here?

By the way, we've accomplished a lot. Leach lost his seat, we have bills working through the House. We're as active as we can be for a group our size. Where are your letters? What are you doing? I've not seen it posted. Go ahead and do something, rather than bitching about what others aree doing. We'll be waiting.

[Legislurker]

I call and write as much and more than the next person. Im sorry if you are taking this as hostile, but I hate spin, and this comes off as spin. I may not live in the beltway, and know lobbyists, editors and staffers but I have an idea of what goes on. My statement was this.......All we are doing now is just making noise. Grades are given for results, votes, and committments. We haven't gotten those.
We haven't gotten anything. If we beat Leach, we beat Leach, but no one else outside of here thinks we beat him.
Why you are cussing me out is beyond me, but I don't want a fight here. Yes, keep making noise, but Im just against patting ourselves on the back yet. Im sorry if I've offended you, Im trying to be constructivem but objective.

[TheEngineer]

It came across hostile as hell, to be frank. I have no idea what you mean by spin in this case. Quite frankly, I've never heard of someone getting bad about someone doing an analysis to see where we stand.

I decided to evaluate where we are relative to our support in the House. Seems we should know. Everyone else seems interested. If that angers you so, you can skip the thread, you know. I rated EXACTLY the same as NRA does. A+ for leading action. A and A- for cosponsoring friendly legislation, B for voting against a bad bill that passed 4-1, and an F for actively working against us. Again, if you don't like it, you really don't have to read it.

[Legislurker]

Hostile isn't intended. My opinion is just that no one is on our side. Frank is on the banking indutry's side. I think most of the rest are lukewarm, and following the lead of a committee chairman. The difference is the NRA actually gets good bills passed for them, and bad ones squashed. I don't have a different idea, I like, support, and participate in what we do here. I just politely, and respectfully, think we haven't gotten far yet.

[Uglyowl]

What's wrong with celebrating successes even if they are just steps towards the ultimate goal? Yes, as poker players, we are nowhere we need to be, but in a much better spot than 9 months ago as a group and the political landscape.

Yes the PPA has to be better, I just don't get why they aren't trying to motivate us to do what we need to do.

[TheEngineer]

Edit: Removed per Engineer

[TheEngineer]

[ QUOTE ]
Hostile isn't intended. My opinion is just that no one is on our side. Frank is on the banking indutry's side. I think most of the rest are lukewarm, and following the lead of a committee chairman. The difference is the NRA actually gets good bills passed for them, and bad ones squashed. I don't have a different idea, I like, support, and participate in what we do here. I just politely, and respectfully, think we haven't gotten far yet.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm impressed that you felt the handful of active Legislation forum posters here could deliver veto-proof House and Senate majorities in the two months you've been posting here if we'd only have a sense of urgency. The reality is that we lost a House vote 317-93 within the last 12 months. The progress we've made in such a short amount of time is something we can all take a little pride in. I don't know why you expected Congress to jump on our bandwagon a few months after that, but you're right in that this is a long-term fight. We're just getting started. If you're going to get upset every day we don't get an up-or-down Senate vote, you're in for a long ride.

[Teemoney]

The Engineer,

I have been a long time lurker and finally decided to post in support of your efforts.

Gillibrand, Kirsten E., New York, 20th [D], is in my district in NY. A little background...

She is from a heavily republican district in upstate NY. The theory is that she won her seat because the incumbant (Sweeny (R)) was involved in a scandal right before the election, a cover-up over his wife reporting domestic abuse by him.

The leading opinion is that she will face STRONG opposition in re-election. She knows this as she is already showing commercials for her 'reelection' and is raising money like crazy (was the leading rookie House member in fund raising a few weeks ago)

This district is pro-gambling. Anyone that follows horse racing has heard of Saratoga Race Track. We also have Saratoga Racing and Gaming in this district (harness track with slot machines, including video poker). There is a push to get table games at the raceways.

Gillibrand is very pro-family as well so I don't know how pro-gambling would influence her vote. But without a doubt, she needs support.

I plan on writing a letter to her once I get the time. If you have any suggestions let me know. Knowing her, if she thinks supporting internet gambling will get her some votes I would bet that she would jump on board, considering that a lot of the House members from NY are already supporting.