June 10, 2009

Dear Senator Cornyn

By Larrey Anderson

Dear Senator Cornyn:

I received your urgent letter today from the National Republican Senatorial Committee. You said that you needed to hear from "our Party's most trusted supporters, like you, as these important debates get underway in Washington." Thanks. It feels good to be needed and trusted.

And thanks for enclosing the Republican Strategy Survey for me to fill out so that I can (according to the letter): "help our Republican Senators in Congress identify the priorities and concerns of our Party's core supporters...."

But after reading the letter and studying the survey, I discovered that there is some sort of disconnect or miscommunication going on between us. I didn't realize that Republicans were so suddenly concerned with "the Democrat Senators' catering to special interests...."

Let me see if I remember this correctly. You, Senator Cornyn, voted for the first TARP bailout. That was a 700 billion dollar catering to special interests, if there ever was one. I guess you even got into a bit of trouble for that vote. As CNN put it:

Texas Republican John Cornyn told CNN he got pounded in his re-election bid for voting yes on the Wall Street bailout.

Oh, and remember that important vote on cloture for Obama's trillion dollar stimulus package? You missed it. You were the only Senator that missed it. Politico said you were

"at a New York gathering of prominent media conservatives and Wall Street Republican donors called the Monday Meeting, held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

Though not a fundraiser, the meeting is a hub of conservative money and buzz, a good place for Cornyn to tap into resources in his role as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee."

So please understand when I tell you that I am not going to bother you by answering all 34 questions in the survey. Like Question #6: "The Federal government is too wasteful. Agree Strongly, Agree Moderately, Disagree Moderately, Disagree Strongly, Uncertain."

It doesn't seem to matter much to you what my answer, or anyone else's answer, to that question is. You certainly haven't done much to stop the Federal government's wasteful spending. You have either voted for it - or missed the vote to stop it when it mattered most.

Rather than fill out another survey (just like the dozens of surveys the Republican Party has sent to me), let me make a suggestion: Why don't you - and every other Republican who voted for the first TARP bailout that started this avalanche to socialism - admit you were wrong, retire from public office, and field candidates who actually believe (as you say in your letter):

"In addition, your support will help us rebuild our Party and reenergize our base of support as we battle to stave off the Democrats' efforts to rush through policies the American people, like you, reject."

This part of your letter is dead on. I do reject the policies that have been rushed through the Congress in the last several months.

The problem, sir, is that you do not.

Sincerely,

Larrey Anderson

Hat tip: my wife

Larrey Anderson is a writer, a philosopher, and submissions editor for American Thinker. He served three terms as an Idaho state senator. He is the author of The Order of the Beloved, and the memoir, Underground: Life and Survival in the Russian Black Market.