Aaarrrggghhh!!!!

[Alan]

LOL good one! What's up with the government losing such things? I can remember all the way back to the Nixon years when technology wasn't what it is today - remember the Watergate tapes and how they just mysteriously went missing? It would seem as if both sides of the aisle have problems with losing evidence......Rob

I guess the major difference is that when 18.5 minutes of an audio tape disappeared, a President resigned in disgrace after articles of impeachment were drawn up including the charge of possibly using the IRS to target the administrations political enemies. When 2.5 years of emails possibly showing another administrations use of the IRS to target its political enemies disappear, nothing happens. Other than that, they're just alike.

If President Nixon had simply told us "There's not a smidgen of corruption", I'm sure that whole episode would have turned out differently.

[Florence]

I just wanted them to know how I felt on one issue. Maybe someone put a tally mark in the opposition to remaining in Afghanistan column...but probably not.,,

[gimmethesimplelife]

I guess the major difference is that when 18.5 minutes of an audio tape disappeared, a President resigned in disgrace after articles of impeachment were drawn up including the charge of possibly using the IRS to target the administrations political enemies. When 2.5 years of emails possibly showing another administrations use of the IRS to target its political enemies disappear, nothing happens. Other than that, they're just alike.

If President Nixon had simply told us "There's not a smidgen of corruption", I'm sure that whole episode would have turned out differently.

I don't disagree with you, Alan. My point here was that both sides of the aisle have issues holding on to damning evidence.....I'm not taking my usual pro-Democrat stance on this one. I'm less than pleased with both sides on this one. Rob

[Alan]

I don't disagree with you, Alan. My point here was that both sides of the aisle have issues holding on to damning evidence.....I'm not taking my usual pro-Democrat stance on this one. I'm less than pleased with both sides on this one. Rob

I understand Rob. Just pointing out the most glaring difference between the two incidents you referenced. One President went down in flames, another one (according to many) is being unfairly targeted by the opposition party. Politics is so confusing.

[Rogar]

I just wanted them to know how I felt on one issue. Maybe someone put a tally mark in the opposition to remaining in Afghanistan column...but probably not.,,

It's actually a little disconcerting since you are always hearing about how you should let your congressman know if you have a strong opinion on something. Here is what a little Google searching said. Although I'm not sure how credible it is, it does make sense.

"And in case you needed reason not to write, call, or email your representative: You will almost never be able to get her on the line. An office staffer will answer the phone (or sometimes just a voicemail box), sort the letters, and go through emails, responding with a form reply, if anything.

What those staffers will hand your legislator, likely, is a tally of how many notes and calls they received from X number of constituents on Y different issues. That summation, however, is what's powerful. In a legislator's very busy day, these briefs are easy to digest and send the most black-and-white picture of what his voters believe."

Maybe it would be interesting to write your congressman and ask if writing you congressman ever has any effect on things? I suppose if they get a deluge of personal letters or calls on something it might carry some weight. Or say you are an eight year old and write in crayon on a Big Chief tablet. They always seem to be reading those letters on the news. Sending money to a special interest group aligned to your way of thinking might go farther, but it just doesn't seem like the way things should work.

[ApatheticNoMore]

"And in case you needed reason not to write, call, or email your representative: You will almost never be able to get her on the line. An office staffer will answer the phone (or sometimes just a voicemail box), sort the letters, and go through emails, responding with a form reply, if anything.

What those staffers will hand your legislator, likely, is a tally of how many notes and calls they received from X number of constituents on Y different issues. That summation, however, is what's powerful. In a legislator's very busy day, these briefs are easy to digest and send the most black-and-white picture of what his voters believe."

But why is that a reason not to call (or email or write) your representative? That's not a good reason at all. So you call and they produce a tally on something but if your opinion is clearly expressed so they could get a clear "yea" or "nay" or an issue, then at least it registered (whether or not they then disregard popular opinion is another matter).

[iris lilies]

I just wanted them to know how I felt on one issue. Maybe someone put a tally mark in the opposition to remaining in Afghanistan column...but probably not.,,

I'm sure they tally correspondence in some fashion. And with Eric Cantor's surprising defeat, I think the pols may be watching tallies and reading letters from their constituents more carefully.

[iris lilies]

I really can't read about the "lost" IRS emails, it makes me too crazy. I have always assumed that because my emails are work are kept forever that's true everywhere. I guess not, but then, maybe the lying and deception is a bigger factor in their loss than actual techno fail.

[ApatheticNoMore]

So they lose the emails, but that's why you build redundancy into a system ... as in surely the NSA has those emails somewhere ...

[Rogar]

But why is that a reason not to call (or email or write) your representative? That's not a good reason at all. So you call and they produce a tally on something but if your opinion is clearly expressed so they could get a clear "yea" or "nay" or an issue, then at least it registered (whether or not they then disregard popular opinion is another matter).

Probably not a decent reason not to write at all, but it also seems to make a letter of any time consuming length, waxing and waning about the whys, ifs and and why nots, an impractical use of time. It seems to fall more into the realm of voting, where you are one of the masses and all that matters is a simple selection or a yes or no. At least that is my take until I hear otherwise.

The old adage, think global act local, fits my use of efforts a little better.