Lost my cool with a member of Congress yesterday

wmheel1287 said:
Yeah, it has to suck. I mostly just thank them and say ill help to whatever extent I can. The only one really worth having much of a conversation with is Jeff Jackson.

Coop doesn't call and never has. Weirdly I appreciate that.
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Have been to maybe a half a dozen fund-raisers for Jeff Jackson over the years. I never do more than say hello. I am certain he has no idea who I am or even recognizes me from prior fund-raisers. But . . ., I did have an e-mail conversation with one of his staffers back when he was a US Representative. I had replied to one of Jackson's constituency newsletters asking if Jackson could please do something about eliminating either Standard Time or Daylight-Saving Time. I got back an email, that if it had been a written letter would have been dripping with spit from how angry the staffer was when he wrote it. It basically said that at a minimum 99% of both the House and the Senate are in favor of doing exactly what I proposed and no one really cares which one gets eliminated. But he went on saying Congress is too full of people performing to create sound bites for TV to create time to do something everyone is in favor of and everyone wants. He further stated the Standard/Daylight Saving Time inaction is an exemplar of why Congress never gets anything done.
 
wmheel1287 said:
Yeah, it has to suck. I mostly just thank them and say ill help to whatever extent I can. The only one really worth having much of a conversation with is Jeff Jackson.

Coop doesn't call and never has. Weirdly I appreciate that.
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Maybe you're not quite high enough on the pecking order. I had an acquaintance who made close to a billion trading bonds. Maybe a billion, who knows. Anyway, he would get calls from Pelosi. George Clooney gets calls from Barack.

Getting any call at all is something. Most people just get annoying texts or emails.
 
Deborah Ross doesn't really need to raise money this year - she doesn't have to worry about reelection this year - she's my congressperson as well and she's going to coast to victory - now she should be raising money for other Democrats so we can get the majority
 
GoHeelsweeeehoooo said:
Deborah Ross doesn't really need to raise money this year - she doesn't have to worry about reelection this year - she's my congressperson as well and she's going to coast to victory - now she should be raising money for other Democrats so we can get the majority
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That was my point above. These calls are largely about moving up in the hierarchy. It is not about reelection for themselves.
 
Kingpin said:
Can someone describe the type of congressional Leadership they envision by the minority party in these times? What are they not doing that you think they should be doing?
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I'm not talking about right now, I'm saying I hope that they regain control and have a plan.

But, right now I would love to see more than Chuck Schumer's strongly worded letter.
 
Calheel said:
The article I linked suggested that reps make these calls because they need money to win their own re-election battles. In truth, fundraising numbers control who moves into party leadership. The best fundraisers get the best committee assignments. So if you want any power in the House, you have to hone your fundraising chops.
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Such a messed up system.
 
HandsonFire said:
I had no idea that was necessary. Truly a game I never could play.
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Been that way since at least the ‘80’s.

Maybe since time immemorial.

Congressmen/women complained in the ‘80’s that they’re elected and have to immediately start campaigning for re-election. No respite.

They complained then and complain now. They complain it’s a 7 days a week job. Monday/Tuesday-Thursday/Friday in DC;Thursday/Friday thru Monday/Tuesday in the District. Most evenings mean a fundraiser or worse - worse is a town hall - takes a lot of time, raises no money, offers opportunities to say something stupid and detrimental.

I think many in the House and Senate think election to the House or Senate means they’re important and consequential people. It generally means 60/100 senators and 350/435 representatives are unimportant….it’s likely closer to 80/100 (in the McConnell era, 99/100) and 410/435.
 
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In 1988, I worked for incumbent Democratic Congressman Steve Neal (Winston-Salem and surrounding non-Guilford counties).

Steve was a Watergate Baby first elected in 1974 in a Republican-leaning district. Early in his career, Steve worked. Good environmentalist and progressive for North Carolina. By 1986 and 1988 he was coasting.

Jim Flow, of Flow Motors (large Piedmont auto dealer group), was Steve Neal’s single biggest contributor. $100,000 of bundling***** an election. All Flow wanted was for Steve Neal to accompany him to the biggest auto dealers convention of the year and be “on Flow’s arm” as “his Congressman;” and, Flow wanted Steve to call him 6-8 Saturdays/Sundays a year at 6 or 7 in the morning and wake him up.

Why? Not to talk policy or tax breaks.

Flow wanted to yawn and bitch during his golf game that “their god-damned Congressman” had woken him up early that morning. Flow wanted to appear to be a BIG MAN.

Steve called me one day in July. Asking about Flow’s donations. Flow hadn’t sent a penny.

Stupid me, I call Flow. Flow responds, “Tell Steve to go eff himself. He blew me off at the auto convention. He can eff himself.” Click.

A little back-and-forth results in Flow saying if Steve apologizes, Flow will donate his bundle.*****

Steve tells me to tell Flow to fuck himself.

Eventually, we get it sorted and Flow sends his $100k bundle.

Flow never wanted anything other than to be rich and appear important.

*****For those that don’t know, bundling was big when $1,000 per election was a max donation. Guys like Flow “gave” each person they controlled $1,000. That person “donated” $1,000 to a specific campaign. Anyone remember the Cliff Benson Highway in the Raleigh area? Mr. Benson and Carolina Building Supply bundled well.

A $100K bundle was HUGE. HUGE.
 
Zoo_View said:
In 1988, I worked for incumbent Democratic Congressman Steve Neal (Winston-Salem and surrounding non-Guilford counties).

Steve was a Watergate Baby first elected in 1974 in a Republican-leaning district. Early in his career, Steve worked. Good environmentalist and progressive for North Carolina. By 1986 and 1988 he was coasting.

Jim Flow, of Flow Motors (large Piedmont auto dealer group), was Steve Neal’s single biggest contributor. $100,000 of bundling***** an election. All Flow wanted was for Steve Neal to accompany him to the biggest auto dealers convention of the year and be “on Flow’s arm” as “his Congressman;” and, Flow wanted Steve to call him 6-8 Saturdays/Sundays a year at 6 or 7 in the morning and wake him up.

Why? Not to talk policy or tax breaks.

Flow wanted to yawn and bitch during his golf game that “their god-damned Congressman” had woken him up early that morning. Flow wanted to appear to be a BIG MAN.

Steve called me one day in July. Asking about Flow’s donations. Flow hadn’t sent a penny.

Stupid me, I call Flow. Flow responds, “Tell Steve to go eff himself. He blew me off at the auto convention. He can eff himself.” Click.

A little back-and-forth results in Flow saying if Steve apologizes, Flow will donate his bundle.*****

Steve tells me to tell Flow to fuck himself.

Eventually, we get it sorted and Flow sends his $100k bundle.

Flow never wanted anything other than to be rich and appear important.

*****For those that don’t know, bundling was big when $1,000 per election was a max donation. Guys like Flow “gave” each person they controlled $1,000. That person “donated” $1,000 to a specific campaign. Anyone remember the Cliff Benson Highway in the Raleigh area? Mr. Benson and Carolina Building Supply bundled well.

A $100K bundle was HUGE. HUGE.
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Such a shady business is politics. It honestly makes me believe our entire system of government needs to be trashed.
 
GoHeelsweeeehoooo said:
Deborah Ross doesn't really need to raise money this year - she doesn't have to worry about reelection this year - she's my congressperson as well and she's going to coast to victory - now she should be raising money for other Democrats so we can get the majority
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A lot of the job is that. You have to get money in the general funds; you have to tithe to leadership to get committee spots etc.
 
Zoo_View said:
In 1988, I worked for incumbent Democratic Congressman Steve Neal (Winston-Salem and surrounding non-Guilford counties).

Steve was a Watergate Baby first elected in 1974 in a Republican-leaning district. Early in his career, Steve worked. Good environmentalist and progressive for North Carolina. By 1986 and 1988 he was coasting.

Jim Flow, of Flow Motors (large Piedmont auto dealer group), was Steve Neal’s single biggest contributor. $100,000 of bundling***** an election. All Flow wanted was for Steve Neal to accompany him to the biggest auto dealers convention of the year and be “on Flow’s arm” as “his Congressman;” and, Flow wanted Steve to call him 6-8 Saturdays/Sundays a year at 6 or 7 in the morning and wake him up.

Why? Not to talk policy or tax breaks.

Flow wanted to yawn and bitch during his golf game that “their god-damned Congressman” had woken him up early that morning. Flow wanted to appear to be a BIG MAN.

Steve called me one day in July. Asking about Flow’s donations. Flow hadn’t sent a penny.

Stupid me, I call Flow. Flow responds, “Tell Steve to go eff himself. He blew me off at the auto convention. He can eff himself.” Click.

A little back-and-forth results in Flow saying if Steve apologizes, Flow will donate his bundle.*****

Steve tells me to tell Flow to fuck himself.

Eventually, we get it sorted and Flow sends his $100k bundle.

Flow never wanted anything other than to be rich and appear important.

*****For those that don’t know, bundling was big when $1,000 per election was a max donation. Guys like Flow “gave” each person they controlled $1,000. That person “donated” $1,000 to a specific campaign. Anyone remember the Cliff Benson Highway in the Raleigh area? Mr. Benson and Carolina Building Supply bundled well.

A $100K bundle was HUGE. HUGE.
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That's wild! Steve's nephew was one of my best friends from from elementary school through highschool. Haven't seen my friend in a few years but his wife was (and may still be) mayor of Hillsborough. Also, my daughter in law's grandfather was briefly a NC state senator and worked for Steve years ago.
 
I worked State Govt all my life The nature of my work had me convinced day one to NOT be involved in politics-to not even be a small donor. It was odd because many in my greater Dept (HR) ran the crooked patronage machine-no matter which party was in control. Occasionally I had to be part of their " prostitution ring" to implement stuff
At least I felt morally superior lol
I admire those of you that worked on Campaigns
 
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