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Steny Hoyer, I'm embarrassed to admit, is my representative. I've been sending him an email every day since Glenn made me aware of his "compromise" bill. This is my latest:
Dear Mr. Hoyer:
The one time the Democrats in the House stood up to Mr. Bush, and now you are flushing it down the toilet.
The Republicans are laughing at you. I guess they are laughing at Democratic voters too, for thinking that electing a Democratic majority would actually make a difference. But they are definitely laughing at you and your cravenly, spineless colleagues. They expected you to cave in, but even they didn't expect you to capitulate so completely.
"I think the White House got a better deal than even they had hoped to get," said Senator Christopher Bond. That says it all.
Words can't express how furious and betrayed I feel. The fact that you struck this deal secretly and lied about it shows that you know what you are doing is wrong. This bill betrays everything you said when voting against the previous bill.
I can only assume that besides having your face nestled in Mr. Bush's posterior, you have your hands in the telecom companies' pocket. While this would make an interesting picture, it's no position for a Democratic Congressman to be in. You are disgracing yourself and your office.
Sincerely,
John H. Gillette
