An Open Letter To Senator Bob Casey
Published by BG on Friday, October 19, 2007 at 7:10 PM.Original letter to Senator Casey on 9/20/07
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[Senator Casey (more likely a staffer) responds]
Dear [BG]:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the September 10, 2007 MoveOn.org ad in the New York Times. I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about this important issue.
I met with General Petraeus when I traveled to Iraq in August and I listened carefully to his testimony in September before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which I am a member. I believe General Petraeus is an honorable man and appreciate that he has devoted his career to public service.
However, our Iraq policy is not the policy of General Petraeus; it is the policy of the President. It is unfortunate that a newspaper ad of questionable taste has shifted attention from the perilous state of affairs in Iraq and the need to change course to begin redeploying U.S. combat forces.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.
If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to frequently visit my web site,
http://casey.senate.gov. In the months ahead, I will continue to develop the site in order to allow you to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington. If you wish to e-mail me, you can do so on the web site.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator
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Senator Casey,
You stated, "our Iraq policy is not the policy of General Petraeus; it is the policy of the President. It is unfortunate that a newspaper ad of questionable taste has shifted attention from the perilous state of affairs in Iraq..."
You voted to censure political speech instead of insisting the sponsors of the resolution address the argument for General Petraeus' ties to the White House on the merits. There have been a number of generals who have disagreed with White House policy while in uniform who have been relieved of duty and passed over simply for their lack of allegiance. General Petraeus' testimony is not honorable enough to be accepted without the appropriate levels of skepticism and critical analysis.
I remain deeply disappointed that you would use the weight of your office to offer criticism towards the first amendment rights of a political organization with which you apparently disagree - whether that's MoveOn.org or an Appalachian white pride organization, it is not the business of the lawmakers of this country to endorse or condemn the constitutionally guaranteed political speech of any organization.
Please read the owners' manual for governance if you're interested in learning more. While I believe the National Archives has the original copy, I'm sure there's a gift shop somewhere in the Capitol from which you might purchase a copy.
Your constituent in Allentown,
BG
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[Senator Casey (more likely a staffer) responds]
Dear [BG]:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the September 10, 2007 MoveOn.org ad in the New York Times. I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about this important issue.
I met with General Petraeus when I traveled to Iraq in August and I listened carefully to his testimony in September before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which I am a member. I believe General Petraeus is an honorable man and appreciate that he has devoted his career to public service.
However, our Iraq policy is not the policy of General Petraeus; it is the policy of the President. It is unfortunate that a newspaper ad of questionable taste has shifted attention from the perilous state of affairs in Iraq and the need to change course to begin redeploying U.S. combat forces.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.
If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to frequently visit my web site,
http://casey.senate.gov. In the months ahead, I will continue to develop the site in order to allow you to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington. If you wish to e-mail me, you can do so on the web site.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator
--------------------------------------------
Senator Casey,
You stated, "our Iraq policy is not the policy of General Petraeus; it is the policy of the President. It is unfortunate that a newspaper ad of questionable taste has shifted attention from the perilous state of affairs in Iraq..."
You voted to censure political speech instead of insisting the sponsors of the resolution address the argument for General Petraeus' ties to the White House on the merits. There have been a number of generals who have disagreed with White House policy while in uniform who have been relieved of duty and passed over simply for their lack of allegiance. General Petraeus' testimony is not honorable enough to be accepted without the appropriate levels of skepticism and critical analysis.
I remain deeply disappointed that you would use the weight of your office to offer criticism towards the first amendment rights of a political organization with which you apparently disagree - whether that's MoveOn.org or an Appalachian white pride organization, it is not the business of the lawmakers of this country to endorse or condemn the constitutionally guaranteed political speech of any organization.
Please read the owners' manual for governance if you're interested in learning more. While I believe the National Archives has the original copy, I'm sure there's a gift shop somewhere in the Capitol from which you might purchase a copy.
Your constituent in Allentown,
BG
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