I received the following example of a letter to responsible officials from Jersey Jeffersonian, a correspondent on this committee. I recommend it to you as inspiration. pl
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"(Senator or Congressman,)
The following is a letter I sent to the White House regarding the withdrawal of Ambassador Charles W. Freeman from his appointment by the DNI to the post of Chairman of the National Intelligence Council. I expect you also to carry the national security needs of the United States uppermost, and not those of other nations, something sagely advised by President George Washington in his Farewell Address. I don't have any use for fifth columnists such as AIPAC or JINSA, and neither should you if you truly care for your country. The text of the letter follows:
Sir,
I write to express my extreme displeasure with the way in which Ambassador Charles W. Freeman, DNI Dennis Blair's choice as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council has been forced to withdraw his candidacy. This victory for the scurrilous rumor-mongering of the "Israel First" crowd is intolerable. Your abject surrender to the disreputable tactics employed to undermine this eminently qualified, experienced, and patriotic public servant speaks volumes about your lack of commitment to the sort of truly diversified and clear-eyed assessment of our nation's national security that has been so sorely missing in the last administration. Platitudes about "bi-partisanship" are cheap; leadership demands sterner stuff. I am appalled by the failure to support your DNI by fighting for his choice for this crucial position.
In Disgust,
Jersey Jeffersonian"
Great idea: The address for the White House, just to help with impulse mailing:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Did you know that all letters to the WH are preserved for history? I'd add President Barack Obama as addressee.
Posted by: MRW. | 11 March 2009 at 02:10 PM
Read this email from Daniel Pipes crowing that it was Steve Rosen, charged with espionage against the USA whose trial comes up in late April 2009, who led the fight against Freeman.
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/daniel-pipes-takes-credit-for-freeman-takedown-.html
I am going to be including that in my letter to the WH, esp since my letter will be part of Obama's legacy for historians.
Colonel, do you have any info you can get those of us not near DC about how/where to write the Judge in that upcoming case?
Posted by: MRW. | 11 March 2009 at 02:18 PM
WOW! What a wonder! No "CHANGE" in yet another area--independent INTEL with first order thinking has no place in US Government. No wonder the big ones are always missed. Soviet Union collapse! Kuwait Invasion! Post-SADDAM chaos! Care to add to the list? Really scary to think of the box of steel already around OBAMA. Need for Out of the Box thinking by the Administration really does not seem likely. One term?
No reform?
Posted by: William R. Cumming | 11 March 2009 at 04:39 PM
Israel need another 9/11 methinks.
Posted by: Cloned Poster | 11 March 2009 at 04:40 PM
A call for action to the members of this Committee always heeded by yrs. truly.
Consider that letter (& two others) already written & sent. Freeman's being hounded out is nothing short of an outrage & should be pointed to/dealt with as such.
Posted by: Maureen Lang | 11 March 2009 at 07:08 PM
Great letter. The "Israel lobby" has managed to gain outsized influence mostly because they were the only ones willing to devote time, money, and votes to pressuring Congress on Israel and Palestine.
Let's change that.
Posted by: david | 12 March 2009 at 01:56 AM
See this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/11/AR2009031103384.html
And Pelosi's role here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/11/AR2009031103213.html
Is she the cause of Freeman's sudden withdrawal?
Blair's position is far more dangerous to these people than Freeman's. Is he next?
Posted by: G Hazeltine | 12 March 2009 at 10:12 AM
One hopes that “Born Fighting” is standing up for Freeman to the same degree that Schumer and Rosen took down the Great American. Don’t see it so far but maybe that will change.
Born Fighting. I have frequented many a Southern Scot Irish honky-tonk in my day and never seen anyone wearing a shirt that says “Born Fighting”. So I am assuming he is the man and will lead the way, not giving assent to royal prerogatives in the name of a King. You know what I mean, royal decrees like the FISA legislation.
And despite much Irish in a Scot Irish heritage, I have been to a Burns supper as well and more if I desire. So here’s to hoping one day we will hear an ode to “Ol’ Born Fighting”.
Posted by: Sidney O. Smith III | 12 March 2009 at 11:33 AM
Colonel Lang, i sent this last night...thanks for your excellent blog.
Honorable President Obama
I am most dis-heartened to hear that ambassador Charles Freeman, the DNI (Dennis Blair's) choice as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council has been hounded from his candidacy.
Because this man has intelligently criticized our foreign policy towards Israel and a lack of even handedness in dealing with the Palestinian Israeli conflict, he has been abandoned by your (our!) administration.
I am a supporter of Israel’s right to exist, I was partly raised in a Jewish family, i have great affection for the Jewish people.
But I say we will never resolve this conflict so long as people and governments in the middle east see us as a tool of the Israeli lobby.
The United States of America needs people like Charles Freeman to represent our interests and interests of peace in the Middle East.
Sincerely
M Savoca
Posted by: m savoca | 12 March 2009 at 01:34 PM