Bust Bauer!

A Statesman or a Politician?

from Walls in Our Minds by Red Beckman

1. A Statesman loves the Constitution.

- A Politician hates the Constitution.

2. A Statesman enforces the Constitution

- A Politician violates the Constitution.

3. A Statesman uses truth to keep power in the hands of the people.

- A Politician uses lies to gain power over the people.

4. A Statesman's primary concern is to secure freedom for future generations.

- A Politician's primary concern is to get elected or re-elected.

5. A Statesman will not play politics with the people's money.

- A Politician will buy votes with tax money.

6. A Statesman knows the people must control government.

- A Politician believes that government should control people.

7. A Statesman knows the people must limit government's power to tax.

- A Politician believes government should have unlimited power to tax.

8. A Statesman gives his allegiance to the people and country.

- A Politician gives his allegiance to government.

9. A Statesman will demand a balanced Budget.

- A Politician will spend money stolen from future generations (deficit spending).

10. A Statesman will cause peace.

- A Politician will cause wars.

The Campaign to Clean the House

Speaker Pat Bauer has overstayed his welcome and grown too big for his britches. His actions of partisan politics must end!!

Our job here is to inform Speaker Bauer that we have had enough of his 'machine' politics and its time to start acting professional in his representation to, of and for, the people of Indiana or be replaced.

Phase 1. Educating Speaker Bauer's constituents.

1. Letters to the editor. Ten people will write one letter (making 9 copies) per week for five weeks to send to ten newspapers in Speaker Bauer's surrounding area and major newspapers around the state.

2. Use Constitutional reasoning when applicable in your letters when addressing Speaker Bauers actions and misdirections.

3. Tools will be provided here on ICRC website as the Campaign unfolds.

Issue topic suggestions will be posted here, on the ICRC website -- one issue per week.

Those ten letters each week will then be posted on ICRC website for others to be inspired.

Depending on topic, you may be addressing "Is this Constitutional?" and / or his integrity each week (this could be exciting).

We will have resources as the weeks progress.

Phase 2. Causing awareness in his party.

Fellow Hoosiers who have a Democrat Representative in Indiana should contact him/her and ask for explanation of why they continue to support Speaker Bauer.

Holding them accountable at the same time we hold Speaker Bauer accountable.

Phase 3 Money and Boot Action

Ads in his District - money

Boots on the ground canvassing in his district throughout spring of 2010.

Also, if you would like to drop Speaker Bauer a line via his General Assembly webpage, you can by clicking here.

Newspapers

South Bend South Bend Tribune (A) (C)

Indiana Newspaper Editor's Email Addresses

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More media contacts: newspaper email addresses:

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Week 1

Week 1

Laying foundational work for the five weeks series (if necessary we will add an additional five weeks) refer to the Statesman vs Politician by Red Beckman, write your letters using the examples from Red's chart. Please be precise, factual, and be clear on the Speakers offenses this session.

Week 2

Tools

Below are a number of excellent references (in recommended reading order).

Remember to keep written correspondance to under 1500 characters for effectiveness.

Communicating with Elected Officials - Congress.org
Letters to Leaders at Congress.org - Actual letters processed at congress.org. Wide variety.
Hints for communicating with congress - Congress Merge
How to Write Letters to Elected Officials - About.com
Letters to Congress - About.com
Writing Letters to Elected Officals - Community Toolbox - Kansas University
Community toolbox - ***** excellent.
Enhance Your Political Voice - 2020vision.org
Tips on writing your elected officials - ACLU - ugh!

Google: writing letters to politicians

From: http://politicalactivistsonline.homestead.com/

Political Activism - The American Tradition

Ways to make your views known:

1. Call members of congress.
2. Write letters to congress and letters to the editor in your local newspapers.
3. Online activism, in chat rooms and forums. Start your own web site.E-mail articles to friends. Use of the web has made a major impact on politics and has greatly helped the conservative cause.
4. Help conservative groups and campaigns.
5. Call radio talk shows.

Conservative's debating tactics:

1. Pace yourself, be patient but consistent and firm.
2. Never state facts without sources. Use credible sources.
3. Never exaggerate or misrepresent facts.
4. Never resort to the sleazy tactics used by the opposition.
5. Never start or enter a debate without knowledge of the issue.
6. Never retreat when you know you are right. Finish with a firm statement and display confidence.
8. Never allow the opposition to draw you off subject.
9. Never under estimate the power of a lie or propaganda; don't let it go unanswered. Don't assume people won't believe it.
10.Never act, talk or conduct yourself in a manner that diminishes or brings disrespect to the conservative cause.

Activism fundamentals

To a elected official you can be a pleasure or a pain.

Pick and focus on one. A thorn in the side, or their best friend. You catch more flys with honey than you do vinegar.

Pleasure for politicians: money or votes. Pain for politicians: Angry voters, bad press, no money, loss of party support, challenged in primary, public humiliation.

Effective method of moving politicians:
Write letters, insist on a reply.
Share and track replys.
Write follow-ups.

Get the word out.

Find like minded individuals to aid in the campaign, make sure they stay informed.
Study the issue, become knowlegable and persuade associates, friends and family.
Prepare questions in advance, and seek out opportunities to question politicians on the issue whenever possible.
Follow the money.
Boycott financial supporters of mal-illed politicians.

Be prepared for a long fight.

Notes from Real Politics Seminar with Mike Rothfeld, August 31, 2008, Brooklyn Center, Mn.

Politicians suborn humanity for ambition.

They are ruled by ambition which reduces their behavior to the mechanical.

They are predictable and understandable

Are manipulatable

Politicians have a Pavlovian Response. Two forms of stimuli:

Pain and Pleasure.

PLEASURE
#1: money.
#2 Good press, praise, public endorsements.
#3 Getting others to attack their opponents for them.

Can't handle real time actions, or losing. Best way of pressuring them is with these two items.

Easiest way to get votes, is to buy them, hence entitlements. Of all sorts.

PAIN

#1 ANGRY VOTERS
No money.

Bad Press

Public humiliation (getting common, less effective of late)

Loss of party support.

Getting challenged in primary as an incumbent

Greatest force in politics - Inertia. Easiest, safest thing for a politician to do, is nothing. To move, need to mobilize and confront, apply force vectors to move the status quo box.

Morton Blackwell, Founder of the Leadership Institute. "Political Success is determined by the effectiveness and number of the activists on either side."

Politicians responses to Mobilization and Confrontation:

Ignore

Respond

Responses: Threaten, many direct and indirect ways..... powerful people with the ‘law' on their side. May approach you to 'Explain' the facts' or reply with: "If I don't follow the crowd something worse will happen". May try to buy you off with prestige, privilege or entitlement. Can be very good at sucking you in and then pigeon holeing you. (hence sugar is better -jt)

Articles on the same subject on the web by Mr. Rothfeld (same material as above):

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2078859/posts

http://www.nationalgunrights.org/realnatureofpolitics.shtml

MORE ACTIVISM RESOURCES

SPREAD THE WORD - FURTHER ACTIVISM

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