Elton Gallegly Asks for Your Opinion

Elton Gallegly is asking for your opinion.

On his website at the House of Representatives, he has posted a poll (http://www.house.gov/gallegly/forms/survey2009/survey2009-1.htm).

Here is what he asks:

1) In general, do you agree or disagree that the government bailout of Wall Street banks helped the economy and Main Street businesses?

Agree. Disagree. Don’t Know.

2) In general, do you agree or disagree that government investment in General Motors and Chrysler and government removal of CEOs will bring the industry back to profitability?

Agree. Disagree. Don’t Know.

3) Do you support or oppose relocating terrorists now based at Guantanamo Bay at prisons on U.S. soil?

Support. Oppose. Don’t Know.

4) Do you support or oppose providing a path for the approximately 20 million illegal immigrants now in the United States to eventually become U.S. citizens without having to return to their home countries?

Support. Oppose. Don’t Know.

5) Do you support or oppose extracting oil and gas from the Outer Continental Shelf off California’s coast?

Support.

Oppose. Don’t Know.

6) Please prioritize the three (3) issues of most concern to you:

Afghanistan/Iraq.

Agriculture.

Crime.

Economy.

Education.

Energy.

Environment.

Health Care.

Illegal Immigration.

Retirement/Social Security.

Small Business.

Terrorism.

Veterans Benefits.

Other.

7) Do you find this newsletter helpful?

Yes. No.

8. Please share any other thoughts you have on the above questions or any other issues of concern to you.

I urge all Democrats to log on today and give him a piece of your mind.

As for Item number 8: this is what I originally wanted to say:

With all due respect, Congressman Gallegly, I think you are on the wrong side of most issues. You recently voted against funding for the troops based on a trivial objection to the IMF; you opposed removing our troops from Iraq and were a steadfast supporter of the war, despite its being waged on false pretenses; you trumpet most conservative talking points at every given opportunity. I’m sure that I cannot change your core political beliefs, but I urge you to retire soon from the Congress. Thanks for your service, but we’ve had enough.

But I deleted this reply in favor of a less emotional approach expressing my opinons on the specific issues he asked about. Instead, this is what I wrote:

1. The bailout, as frustrating as it is, has been widely credited for avoiding a depression. You should support the bailout and vote to tighten regulation on banks and financial firms. You should also vote to strengthen the powers of a few regulatory bodies and reduce the numbers.

2. The two companies in question may still not survive, but the government did the right thing by trying to save the firms.

3. Not all of the people housed at Guantanamo are terrorists. Many have been released; some have been cleared of wrongdoing; some are terrorists. Those remaining should be removed to the United States. Trials should occur for those who can be tried. Others should face something like a properly constituted military tribunal.

4. Some illegal immigrants should be allowed to gain citizenship; others should qualify for a guest worker program; those who have committed felonies should be returned home. Families should not be split up.

5. Attempts to drill for oil off California’s coast are a bad idea for two reasons (1) drilling for oil will not lower gas prices and (2) drilling for oil will harm the environment and contribute to global warming instead of reducing it. You should focus your efforts on weaning our nation from fossil fuels.

Thanks for asking! Please do more of these surveys in the future.

Let’s hope he does give us more chances to communicate directly with him. He hasn’t been the most responsive of legislators. He never debates opponents during elections. He never responds to emails.

I would ask all my readers to visit Gallegly’s site and let him know what you think. If you’d like, you can post your response to him as a comment to this blog post. I’d like to know what you think, too.

Three Political Podcasts You Should Be Listening To

I am a big fan of podcasts. This is partially because I am primarily an auditory learner. But I also relentlessly multitask, and listening to a podcast provides a good way of accomplishing something intellectually, like learning about Judge Sotomayor, while doing something mindless and physical, like painting the hallway.

So here are my top three political podcasts, in order of preference.

1. The Slate Political Gabfest. Intelligent, informed, snarky, and left of center, this weekly podcast is hosted by John Dickerson, Emily Bazelon, and David Plotz. All three are experienced reporters. Dickerson covers the White House for Slate, Bazelon reports on the judiciary, and Plotz is editor of Slate. The style of the podcast is conversational and witty. John is straightlaced and knowledgeable about the political machine, Emily is the legal expert and provides the feminine, and often feminist, counterpunch  to David’s assertive, skeptical pronouncements and pointed wit. Each episode is generally devoted to three political subjects in the news that week and concludes with Cocktail Chatter: one thing you can talk about at your cocktail party this weekend. The podcast generally comes out on a Thursday. Subscribe through iTunes.
2. It’s All Politics. This NPR podcast is hosted by reporters Ron Elving and Ken Rudin. It is fast-paced, humorous, and clever. The hosts finish each other’s sentences and always have a running joke. Each episode is brief, about 20 minutes, and is a good place to go to get the backstory on all that Beltway intrigue. Subscribe through iTunes or with the RSS feed.
3. Capitol Notes. The best podcast for the inside scoop on what is going on in Sacramento. Hosted by John Myers, Sacramento bureau chief for the California Report and Capitol Weekly’s Anthony York. Like hosts of any of the best podcasts, John and Anthony play off each other and work well together. Both are on-the-ground reporters who know a great deal about state politics. Listening to Capitol Notes is a quick and enjoyable way to catch up on what’s going on in the state capitol. They often share information it would take you weeks to learn through the newspaper or any local blogs. This is where, for example, I learned that Peter Foy might run for governor months before the Ventura County Star bothered to report it. Subscribe through iTunes or with the RSS feed.

What are your favorite political podcasts? I’d like to know.