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• Tuesday, November 6, 2007 02:44 PM

  I'm ashamed to be a New York resident

  I was greatly saddened by Schumer's vote. Though I suppose I should not expect anything more from the Democrats, it seemed to put a nail in the coffin of Democratic integrity. As a party they can't hold together, and don't (in their actions as a body) seem to stand for anything. Sad, indeed.

  Isolated Democrats, like Christopher Dodd, have bravely worked to take a stand, but they are thwarted by their peers. And worse, thwarted by a senator who has nothing to lose in taking a stand. Schumer has a solid base in New York; he is in no danger of losing his office, and yet he is acting in the most cowardly manner and is being disrespectful and disdainful to the voters who screamed for change in 2006 and to the few Democrats who are trying to make change.

  As a New York resident, I'm not quite sure what to do. Schumer faces no threat of losing his office, so my vote does not seem to matter. Indeed, he could "pull a Lieberman" easily to solidify a dubious power.

  I toy with the idea of switching to the Republican Party so I can 1) vote for Ron Paul and 2) send a message to Schumer that his actions do matter. Besides, what in hell has changed since the 2006 election? Joan, it's really sad, but I can't think of a thing. It's as if we had a Republican Congress. So why not become a Republican?

  However, some Democrats still defend the constitution. I’d count Dodd, Leahy and my own terrific congressman, Maurice Hinchey, among those will integrity. (Hinchey exemplifies the word.) However, I don’t think I will be going to the polls to vote for Schumer again, not unless he rethinks his choices and takes the moral and rational stand that he, as one of the most powerful Senators, can take.

  Also, I must point out that Schumer and Clinton both voted in favor of the Kyle-Liebermann Amendment that basically gave the president another pretext for war, this time with Iran. That vote alone should horrify us. It is just not acceptable to allow war, torture and the abrogation of the Constitution in the name of compromise.

  I’m ashamed to be a New York resident today, and sick of these stand-for-nothing, doormats we call our leaders.

  —LBS Read LBS's other letters
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