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Pete McCloskey, the maverick Republican Congressman who stood up to Nixon and against the Vietnam War, came down last night to headline a Long Beach fundraiser for Debbie Cook, at the home of famed female surfing champion Jericho Poppler – I felt fortunate to be able to entertain on the piano! As I write, Pete is leading a big GOTV rally in Long Beach. Here is his letter to you:
Dear Republican:
Like you, I was proud to be a Republican until the advent of Bush and the Neocons. My family have been active California Republicans since l859, the year before Lincoln was elected. You may even remember a time when the GOP stood for honesty and ethics, balanced budgets, a reasonable balance between environmental protection and economic development, separation of church and state, and the least possible governmental intrusion into the choices of individuals.
All of this has been set aside under the leadership of the younger Bush, the Neocons and the corrupting influence of disgraced, jailed lobbyists like Jack Abramoff. In fact, your congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, was in the inner circle of Abramoff’s orbit. He actually wrote a letter to the Judge who sentenced Abramoff urging leniency in his sentencing, the only letter from a sitting Congressman so received by the judge. Such questionable associations are not uncommon for this Congressman, sadly, as anyone who has been watching him over the years knows all too well.
What is desperately needed in the next Congress are individuals of great integrity with fresh thoughts from outside the Beltway, and who also possess a willingness to set aside partisanship and rigid ideology to work for viable solutions that help fix our economy, intelligently regulate our banking system, reform Social Security and Medicare, and devise effective strategies to bring our troops back home from Iraq. Most importantly, we need leaders in the Congress who understand that this nation needs a real energy policy.
Debbie Cook is such a person. Unlike Rohrabacher, she understands these issues and sees the real threats to our economy and national security. Debbie also understands the reality of global warming, and is clearly smart, articulate, and capable. I am confident that she will help bring courtesy and thoughtful compromise back to Washington, and maybe even help restore some of the faith in our system of government that all of us have lost at least a little bit of over the last few years.
Dana Rohrabacher is a part of the problem. I hope you will vote for Debbie Cook next Tuesday.
Respectfully,
Paul N. “Pete” McCloskey, Democrat
Former Republican Member of Congress, 1967-1982
Excellent! He said what I have had to say, as a lifelong Republican. The party needs a complete overhaul. Good luck, Debbie!
Pete McCloskey has dedicated his life to honest, hard working public service like so many of of our elected officials who do not associate with convicted felons, and who do not use public service to benefit themselves personally or politically. I strongly believe that Debbie Cook is also this kind of public servant and that Dana Rohrabacher is not. The fact is Dana has to find it easy to associate with the likes of Abrahamov, he goes to bed with a convicted felon most nights.
“Famed”? LOL!
If any CD46 voters know who McCloskey is, it falls under the category “I thought he was dead.”
McCloskey was the original RINO.
E-mail from one of many faraway friends taking great interest in this race:
I note in the OC Register today that Orange County has been warmer than normal for six consecutive months. This raises a number of very serious questions:
– Is this happening because a dinosaur farted?
– or is it because Rohrabacher has been around the district so much that his hot air just naturally warmed everything?
– Does it mean that global warming is real?
– Will the OC Register see the light and endorse an environmentalist for Congress?
– Can Vern find a way to spin this for another bitch-slap of California’s most doofus Congressman?
McCloskey was the original RINO.
Meaning he should have stood behind Tricky Dick Nixon, and the Vietnam War, to the bitter end. Like you would have.
If you have any stones at all, Jubbie, then put McClosky’s letter up on your site and see what reaction it brings
All it requires is stones, and Hilary will lend you hers if needed
He won’t do that, Catholic Boy, but I like the idea of it being up there. Maybe I’ll put it up in the comments over there if there’s a relevant story.
Whatever, Vern.
The fact is McCloskey made a career out of antagonizing the GOP at every turn. The only mystery is why he stayed in the party all those years. Probably for all the media attention he got. It’s bigger news when you criticize the GOP when you have an R after your name.
Good luck spending what’s left of the campaign explaining to voters who Pete McCloskey is and why they should care.
As is the hallmark of Jubal’s style, he ignores all of McCloskey’s critique of today’s GOP, and his lengthy explanation of why he chose to remain in the Grand Old Party for the vast majority of his long life. Instead, Jubal faults him for the a Republican’s cardinal sins: lack of blind loyalty to the party’s leaders and lack of ideological orthodoxy.
LOL… The fact is McCloskey made a career out of antagonizing the GOP at every turn. The only mystery is why he stayed in the party all those years. Probably for all the media attention he got. It’s bigger news when you criticize the GOP when you have an R after your name.
I was just thinking how you could substitute the words Lieberman and Dems in that paragraph. Except Lieberman pisses us off because he’s a war-crazed neocon. Oh and PLUS all the stabbing Democrats in the back thing. Well… maybe it is similar from your point of view. I guess I’ll just wrap up by saying, Dems Rule.
Special note to the moderator: Please submit this version due to errors in the previous version.
I wish I had been there to ask Pete McCloskey the following:
1. Why, in a speech in 2000, would he would refer to the Holocaust as a “so-called Holocaust”.
2. Why would he even fly down to Orange County to speak to the IHR (the Holocaust denial group led by former American Nazi party member Mark Weber.)
3. Why would McCloskey end his speech to the IHR with “Good luck!”
4. Why would he say during his speech “I don’t know if you’re right or wrong about the Holocaust…”
5. Why would McCloskey then deny saying the above unless he needs to mask his anti-semitism?
Why on Earth would any decent person go out of his way to address Holocaust deniers and then wish them luck?
This is one dark man, pretending to be normal.
Dear Mr. McCloskey, Years ago, around 1974 I spoke with you about a problem concerning my son, Kerry N. Mock who was depolyed in Boelingen Germany. He wrote me a letter stating that he and his buddies were forced to eat tainted meat and to patrol unsafe territory without bullets in their guns. At that time I asked you to go over there and prove one way or the other to me and make the proper adjustment. I also said if you were not or could not go I would collect the media and go myself, as I could not see my son in that condition to protect our nation.
You indeed went there and determined that his accusations were true and the people in charge were relieved of duty from the top down, all that were involved. however, they reciprocated by making sure my son got an “undesirable ” discharge, which now prevents him from receiving any kind of benefits he is and should be entitled to. I have searched everywhere for his copy of your letter to him confirming the above and cannot find it, I know it’s a long shot, but since the situation is so dire, (Kerry is suffering terribly from ptsd and bi-polar) and needs the help I must ask you for help again.
Is there any way you can reseaerch your records to determine where you went and any actions taken in that year in Germany?
Anything you can find will be helpful at this time as I am presently applying for Social Security benefits so he can receive treatment. I am older now(73) and have had 4 heart attacks and 2 strokes and cannot fight as hard as I used to for my children or my country, but as long as I have a voice I will use it. I used it for you in many coffee meetings and forming ladies republican clubs in Whittier and La Habra Heights California, and was responsible for many votes. I’d do it again if I were in Ca. but have had to move home due to my health.
Mr. McCloskey, please, please, please do something to help me, I cannot care for my son any longer alone. I need help. Thank you for your compassion and committmetment to your country and your constituents.
Sincerely awaiting your reply,
Ms. Judy W. Lammers
Ms. Lammers, I think I can get this message to Mr. McCloskey (if he’s still well – he’s pretty old now too!) I’ll keep in touch…