No more excuses, people.
No more "They're Republicans, my call won't matter." Or "They're Democrats, I don't have to call." Yes, you do.
Since this session of Congress started, I have made at least two calls a day to my senators and congressman.
I call to complain, I call to urge them on, I call to oppose. I do this because they count those calls, and they report them to their caucus.
I don't just call, I urge my Twitter and Facebook followers to call, too.
Yesterday morning, an activist on an email list was upset because a progressive Democratic senator in a blue state told a colleague he "wasn't sure" he would vote against Betsy DeVos. By the time everyone on that list had called his office, the official statement was "We don't know where that rumor came from, the senator is opposing her nomination."
See how that works?
We call Democrats to let them know someone's watching, to say we oppose the Trump nominees. We call to stiffen their spines, or to say "Good job!" when they stand up to the Republicans. (Like when my Sen. Bob Casey opposed the Bush nominees.)
We call Republicans to oppose their agenda, to remind them they don't have a mandate, to ask why they're not holding town halls on the ACA repeal when they held weeks of public meetings to listen to Tea Party opposition. (As I said to a staffer for Sen. Pat Toomey, the giant turd who's announced he's now going to defund Dodd-Frank -- and Elizabeth Warren's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.)
I also pointed out that while Toomey may not be up for reelection, I'll be happy to take it out on every single House Republican, because they're all up in 2018.
Don't think this isn't helping, because Hill staffers are freaking out over all the calls they're getting.
If you can't get someone to answer at their D.C. or state office, call their satellite offices. Someone will answer eventually. Assholes like Paul Ryan have simply shut off the phone, and even refused to accept boxes of petitions. He even shut off his fax -- and his voice mailbox is full.
I am so over the bonehead "there's no point" talk. A drop of water can't move much, but a flood can. Be the flood.
Quit your bitching, and get to work.
