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11/03/2004: "Letter to Specter after election day"
Senator Specter:
Congratulations on winning re-election. I was one of many West Philadelphians who did not pull the Democratic lever in order to vote for you.
I think it's a dark day for our country, the re-election of George W. Bush, and I fear the consequences for my four month old son.
I am writing to ask you one thing: please continue to be a voice of moderation. You are a Republican but I have never seen you as an ideologue.
In many ways, you represent what politics can be, a place where thoughtful folks can disagree but still forge compromise. Even if we start from different places, I feel as though you will at least listen to another perspective.
As President Bush continues to consolidate power in the executive branch, I ask that you be a voice in congress that:
1. refuses to allow activist, ideologically motivated judges. There are plenty of thoughtful conservative justices out there- don't allow the wingnuts to rule.
2. seeks out real economic security. Our country and our children cannot afford continued, monstrous deficits. The American people don't seem to believe
or understand that the deficit is back to alarming levels.
3. protects the environment. The executive branch will no longer be active in controlling polluters or in conserving wilderness. Please take a stand in the Senate and ensure that four years from now our National Parks are not filled with Oil Rigs and that my child will still have a chance of seeing unspoiled land.
4. embraces the truth about America's role in the world. At present, we are recruiting an army for al-Qaeda while our own military grows increasingly disillusioned. Do not allow more young men and women to be sacrificed without an honest appraisal of our actual goals.
I thank you for your consideration.
God bless you and your family,
Michael Clapper