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You can send one to him at http://change.gov/page/s/contactI just did, since the appointment of Rahm has put a serious damper on my hopegasm. Here's the text of my letter, please feel free to use it in its whole or parts of it if you like: To whom it may concern,
Like many other Americans, I wept with relief and joy when Mr. Obama was declared president early in the morning of November 5th. The honeymoon didn't last long, however. When I heard that Rahm Emanuel had been appointed as chief of staff I was terribly disappointed. I will provide you with a short laundry list of why below.
I am truly disappointed that you have chosen a man who was not only extremely hawkish on the Iraq war himself, but while he was head of the DCCC actively promoted pro-war Democrats and left those with more dovish views behind.
I don't like how he and Howard Dean butt heads-- I much prefer Dean's vision. Emanuel argued against the 50 state strategy in 2006, which is funny since it worked then and won you NC and other traditionally red states this time around. When you compare the results from 2006, I would argue that Dean's vision was the clearer one. I am worried that Emanuel will be using his clout to finally get rid of Dean, a man who I deeply respect, just because he considers him to be a rival.
I also do not at all like how closely linked he is with Israel, nor do I like his policies on the matter. I was hoping that the new administration would promote a more balanced and nuanced view of the incredibly complex situation in that region. This sends a clear signal to the Arab and Muslim worlds that nothing is fundamentally different in DC. It's business as usual. Just a few days after being elected, you're already slamming doors on potential avenues towards peace, both between Israel and the Palestinians and for America in terms of our seemingly eternal conflicts.
On another note, it strikes me as very very odd that he would relinquish his post as Clinton's campaign finance adviser in order to volunteer with a foriegn army (in his case, the IDF). I would cast a slanted eye on ANYONE who would make that choice. Where are his priorities? Just imagine what the blowback would have been if Obama had joined his Luo brethren in the recent civil unrest in Kenya! He would have been laughed and jeered into obscurity. Why is it any different for Emanuel to do such a thing simply because the state in question is Israel?
I also strongly dislike that he was one of the chief architects of NAFTA. I do believe that free trade is a necessity, but I think that the specific form it has taken on in that particular agreement is odius.
I abhor that he was the brains behind the Schuler immigration act, which proposed the privatization of the boarder and that illegal immigrants should be forever disallowed the possibility of citizenship.
I do not trust his economic judgment. He was on the board of directors at Freddie Mac during the 2000-2002 period wherein the company was plagued by scandal. I've read that some analysts believe that this was the beginning of our current economic maelstrom. During this crucial time of deep economic distress, the last thing I want to see is one of the people who had a hand in its making steering the ship further into the storm.
I could go on further, but this covers most of my main problems with him. Honestly, if his policies were not so insanely horrible, I would probably adore his harsh interpersonal manner. It's been I could do this whole mail to restrain myself from exploding into profanity, so I empathize with that aspect of his character. But we're not talking about who we want to have a beer with now, are we? Despite what anyone might try to say about using his strong arm talents and leaving his ideology behind, I'm not buying it.
Sirs, this is not change I can believe in. Rather I think that Mr. Emanuel is what has gone wrong with the Democratic Party in the recent era. He has cynically stated that the party has no base. Well, sirs, I and millions like me AM that base and we don't like what he stands for. We're the ones that sent you to 1600 Pennsylvania last Tuesday and if we continue to see this pattern of behavior, we won't send you back in 2012. I have never written to a president before, and I doubt if you'll bother listening now that you've gotten your win, but I thought I'd send this off just in case.
Also, on another note, if it's at all possible to incorporate Al Gore into either an existing cabinet position or to create a new role for him (be it cabinet level or special adviser or whatever), for the love of god, please do it! Just thought I'd throw that out there while I had your ear.
Sincerely,
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