Conservatives and Republicans have got to throw the Democrats off their game of destroying the United States as a meritocratic, capitalistic democratic republic.
Here’s our game-changer: we must recall the Democratic and independent U.S. senators who will be running for re-election in 2012 and 2014.
It’s not enough to focus on the 2010 elections, assuming they will be held, which I do not regard as a 100 percent certainty.
We have to let every Democrat in the Senate know that there will be no delay at all in bringing them to the ballot box for the destruction they are wreaking on the American economy. And we can do that by recalling the Democratic senators who smugly think their seats are safe for another election cycle or two.
Right now conservatives and Republicans are fighting piecemeal what is clearly a well-planned onslaught of initiatives to overwhelm voters with so many attacks on our economic system and national security that we just can’t fight them all.
That is why it is necessary to strike at the root of the problem. A Democratic-majority Congress is not going to find any reason to impeach a Democratic president, let alone remove him from office, even if he commits treason on live television, so Obama is safe. Members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years, so the threat of a recall is not a potent one for them. But senators serve six years and start to feel secure and smug and only a third of them are up for re-election in any given federal election cycle.
So let’s start recall campaigns for all the Democratic senators who do not have to run for re-election until 2012 and 2014.
They are not expecting it.
It strikes at the root of the problem.
It will throw them off their game.
And it energizes people to focus their energies on a single goal that solves a myriad of problems. Conservatives and Republicans and Tea Partiers who are getting worn out with protesting need this as a positive goal: our game-changer.
Let me know what you think and if you like this idea, please make it viral.
Update, 12/22/2009, Tues.: A piece at E-How says that only 18 states can recall their U.S. senators and provides an overview of instructions for the ones that can here. I think that’s enough to change the game. The 18 states that permit a recall of a U.S. senator are as follows: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.
Wikipedia has the list of current U.S. senators here.
The National Conference of State Legislatures explains the detailed requirements for recalls state-by-state here. Unfortunately, Minnesota is one of the states that sets the bar rather high, so Sen. Al Franken may keep his seat. Interestingly, Democratic Underground was recently discussing recall as a way to get rid of Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, but his state does not allow recalls.
The targets for recall from the 18 states that permit recalls are as follows:
Alaska: Mark Begich, Democrat, running for re-election in 2014.
California: Dianne Feinstein, Democrat, running for re-election in 2012. (Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer is running for re-election in 2010.)
Colorado: Mark Udall, Democrat, running for re-election in 2014. (Democratic Sen. Michael Bennett is running for re-election in 2010.)
Louisiana: Mary Landrieu, Democrat, running for re-election in 2014.
Michigan: Carl Levin, Democrat, running for re-election in 2014; Debbie Stabenow, Democrat, running for re-election in 2012.
Minnesota: Al Franken, Democratic-Farmer-Labor, running for re-election in 2014; Amy Klobuchar, Democratic-Farmer-Labor, running for re-election in 2012.
Montana: Max Baucus, Democrat, running for re-election in 2015; Jon Tester, Democrat, running for re-election in 2012.
Nevada: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid faces re-election in 2010, so no recall is needed, just the electoral process.
New Jersey: Frank Lautenberg, Democrat, running for re-election in 2014; Bob Menendez, Democrat, running for re-election in 2012.
North Dakota: Kent Conrad, Democratic-NPL, running for re-election in 2012. (Democratic-NPL Sen. Byron Dorgan faces re-election in 2010.)
Oregon: Jeff Merkley, Democrat, running for re-election in 2014. (Democrat Ron Wyden is running for re-election in 2010.)
Rhode Island: Jack Reed, Democrat, running for re-election in 2014; and Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat, running for re-election in 2012.
Washington: Maria Cantwell, Democrat, running for re-election in 2012. (Democrat Patty Murray is running for re-election in 2010.)
Wisconsin: Herb Kohl, Democrat, running for re-election in 2012. (Democrat Russ Feingold is running for re-election in 2010.)
Update, 3/17/2010, Wed.:
Ace has a thorough discussion of the legal issues involved in recalling members of Congress, prompted by the Tea Party seeking the recall of Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). Sample:
Well! If that’s the objection — that the right to elect (and not elect) federal officials lies with the people, not the state itself — well, a recall petition certainly is by the people, eh?
Cynthia, what’s not to love about it? But is it legally possible? Voters can’t just “recall” a Senator or Congressperson simply because we change our minds, can we? That sort of thing is possible where it’s specifically provisioned, such as California’s gubernatorial recall. I don’t know of any Constitutional process to recall federal elected officials — but I’m no expert.
.-= arhooley´s last blog .."I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this Earth doing the things I have always done." =-.
We should revisit this idea.
Anybody contact you?
Jason Becker,
Thanks. No. We’re under a well-coordinated attack but since it is so unthinkable that this time the Left really DOES aim to destroy the U.S. as a capitalist democratic republic AND pretty far along in doing so, I think people are worried about being called conspiracy kooks for calling attention to it, let alone suggesting a well-coordinated counter-attack. But — imagine the expression on the faces of all those senators who thought their seats were safe for two-to-four years!
Cynthia
I’m back.
I found this on Big Government about recalls:
http://biggovernment.com/pferrara/2010/02/09/the-right-of-recall/#idc-cover
– http://www.recallcongressnow.org/index.php
Seems to be picking up a tiny bit of steam.
A recall has a very high hurdle – 25% of previous vote total within 60 days. I still like the idea. But not yet getting much traction.
Just getting it on the ballot would rattle them – plus drain the coffer.
JB,
Thanks for the link to the Big Government post! It’s something to keep in mind — you’ve reminded me to mention it this week at CPAC. With the Tea Party demonstrations and e-mail campaigns and the big increase in conservative activism, poll numbers for Democrats are falling. This seems to be reminding a surprising number of them how much they need a career change so they can spend more time with their families.
Cynthia