Dear Congressman Cohen,The Democrats are practically salivating over their chances to retake the House and possibly the Senate in November, especially since the treasonous antics of this aberration of a President in Finland with his handler, Vlad the Impaler. However, there are still some major obstacles. I believe that among the reasons that so many people sat out the last election rather than vote for Hillary was their reluctance to return Bill Clinton to the White House. Similarly, I sense that the same voters who mistrusted the Clintons, do not want to see the Speaker's gavel returned to Nancy Pelosi. You know me, Congressman. I have no special insights or inside sources to assist me in formulating an opinion. I'm like a Will Rogers for the electronic age. All I know is what I see, hear, and read from multi-platforms and trusted sources, so when I say the Democrats have problems, that's just my perception of things, backed up with a generous knowledge of history and politics. I believe that this will be a generational election, much like 1960 when the torch was passed to JFK. When the torch was passed to our generation, we unfortunately passed it back. Now is the season to rectify old mistakes. Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean said, "Nancy (Pelosi) is probably the greatest speaker since Tip O'Neill," but in the next breath said it was, "time for (his) generation to get the hell out of the way." Ms. Pelosi has been in the party's top spot for fifteen years. That's five years longer than Tip O'Neill. She has been a familiar face since she was elected to Congress in 1987, representing most of San Francisco. That was the same year Michael Jackson released "Bad," and the number one movie was "Dirty Dancing." As effective a leader as I believe Ms. Pelosi has been, I fear she has stayed too long at the ball.
We both know that a great deal of politics is perception. For instance, the Republicans are perceived as the Neo-Know Nothing Party, thoroughly corrupted and devoid of any social conscience, while the Democrats are perceived as either whimpering simps or simpering wimps, who have allowed the word "liberal" to become a filthy epithet, and have no true compass for the future of the nation. We also know that the Democrats could fuck up a mayonnaise sandwich, and are entirely capable of doing it again. People are clamoring for fresh voices and new leadership, but I only hear crickets from the Dems. Currently, the ages of the House Democratic leadership are respectively: Ms. Pelosi-78, Party Whip Steny Hoyer-79, and Assistant Minority Leader Jim Clyburn-78. I'm not sure if these are politicians or the cast of "Cocoon." During a brief discussion, you told me that Nancy Pelosi accomplished more in a day than others did in a month and that she had the energy of others "half her age." Therein lies the problem. Representatives half her age should already be rising into positions of influence in the party. At least twenty current Democratic candidates have said they will not vote for Ms. Pelosi as Speaker, causing the party leadership elections to be postponed until Thanksgiving. Matt Fuller of the "Huffington Post" wrote, "Pelosi was able to save face, delaying the elections herself instead of actually letting the group force her into moving the date."
Speaking of perception, it's not all about age. We know Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker in history, a champion of women's rights, and perhaps the greatest fundraiser in party history. She also Blocked George Bush's plan to privatize Social Security and helped shepherd Obamacare through Congress when others had given up. Conversely, after the Bush regime misled the American people about Weapons of Mass Destruction and took the country into an unnecessary war, Pelosi said impeachment was "off the table." Concerning Trump, Ms. Pelosi said that impeachment would be "a gift to the Republicans," that could alienate voters. She concluded, "this is not the path (the Party) should go on." She has advocated not poking the bear. Don't talk about impeachment? I want that lying, ill-tempered, conniving, money-laundering, puffed-up Putin's punk not just impeached but arrested and jailed. Our Democracy is burning. If there were ever a time to discuss impeachment, it's now. I don't care if it motivates the Trump cultists, the Democrats' job is to turn out more voters than they do. The Republicans are actively involved in their favorite activity; suppressing the vote. Of course, the right-wing perception of Nancy Pelosi is a "Demon, blood-sucking San Fransisco liberal," who wants to raise your taxes and give it all to MS-13 gang members and abortion clinics. The GOP spent sixty-five million dollars on anti-Pelosi ads in 2010 and are gearing up to spend even more this outing. The Trumpsters need an enemy and now that Hillary's gone, Nancy Pelosi is the best they have. Republican ad men believe "her face on the screen stokes fear and anger." Retiring abject failure Paul Ryan claimed, "The Democratic candidates are tied to Nancy Pelosi and her toxic liberal agenda, no matter what they say."
We know that Chuck Schumer has been called "The Senator From Wall Street," but that's not your purview. Trump is fond of labeling the Democratic leadership "Chuck n' Nancy," more in derision than anything else. But if "Chuck n' Nancy" were a Broadway show, it would have been cancelled on November 9th, 2016. Since Nancy Pelosi took the gavel in 2007, Democrats have lost thirty-nine House seats, yet she still claims impeachment is a "distraction." Former CIA Chief John Brennan tweeted, "Donald Trump's press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of 'high crimes and misdemeanors.' It was nothing short of treasonous." The "Need to Impeach" campaign of billionaire Tom Steyer has accumulated over 5.4 signatures, sixty percent of which are "registered voters who don't vote." Steyer said, "We believe fighting against a reckless and lawless president is not something that will turn off voters. I have immense respect for Nancy Pelosi..I love her, but I disagree with her on this." One Representative has said, "The time has come to make clear to the American people and to this president that his train of injuries to our Constitution must be brought to an end through impeachment," That was you Congressman Cohen, and I respect and admire you for your courageous stance. It is imperative that the Democrats succeed in washing the poisonous Tea Party, aka the "Freedom Caucus," from the body politic in November. There are excellent chances this may happen but not while Pelosi's amped-up, hysterical backbiters blame her for everything from the wildfires in California to trapping a Thai soccer team in an underwater cave. No one should have to tell Ms. Pelosi that she is an impediment to the chances of a Democratic victory. She could gracefully withdraw her nomination for Speaker before the fall election and drive the rabid opposition insane. We should honor Nancy Pelosi's long and brilliant service as party leader, but as Near-President Al Gore once famously said, "It's time for them to go."
Respectfully, your loyal constituent of TN District 9,
Randy Haspel
