Response from my Rep. Tim Biship; "Country headed in Wrong Direction"

Dear Ms......,

Thank you for contacting me to express your concern with the Bush
Administration's policies. It is important for me to have the benefit of
your views, and I appreciate you taking the time to contact me.

I share your belief that this country is heading in the wrong direction,
and I am working hard to see that we return to a time of constructive
debate and responsible decision making. I share your concern that the
current leadership has enacted policies that are not in the best interests
of Americans. I find the ongoing efforts by the Administration to
undermine longstanding environmental policies to be particularly
troubling. I believe the environment highlights their overall strategy of
putting special interests ahead of the public interest. Protecting our
environment is one of my top priorities, which is why I have voted to
safeguard our environment at every single opportunity, and will continue
to do so.

I will also advocate for policies that help protect our civil liberties.
The USA PATRIOT Act, which was enacted after the terrible events of
September 11, 2001, is viewed by many as a threat to our Constitutionally
guaranteed rights. I have grave reservations about elements of the
PATRIOT Act, and I believe this Congress owes it to the American people to
resist the urge to reauthorize this legislation until we have thoroughly
examined the worrisome components of this bill. I think we can all agree
that we are living in a difficult time, where we have to balance new
security threats with our constitutionally guaranteed rights. In my
opinion, we must not strike this balance in haste, and where we have made
mistakes we must correct them. I will continue to demand that the
Administration allow a well-informed debate on these issues before we take
further action.

I have said that at the time it was considered, I would have supported
the resolution to make clear that Congress stood behind the President's
efforts to disarm Saddam Hussein. However, I too am troubled, both by the
virtually inescapable conclusion that the imminence of the threat posed by
Iraq was exaggerated by the Administration, and by the recognition that
the Administration's plan for securing and rebuilding post-war Iraq was
woefully inadequate. Even though the extraordinary men and women in our
armed services quickly toppled the Iraqi regime, establishing a new order
and building a peaceful society in Iraq has proven far more difficult than
overthrowing a tyrant. I believe the Administration must be more
accountable to the American people and provide us with a long-term plan
for restoring order in Iraq as soon as possible.

Thank you again for expressing your concerns. Please do not hesitate to
contact me again if I can be of further assistance. For more information
and to find out what I am working on in Congress, please visit my website
at http://www.house.gov/timbishop.

Sincerely,



Timothy Bishop
Member of Congress
TB/nh

he knocked off a Republican incumbent in 2000 I believe.

was a Professor and Provost at Southampton College. He beat the incumbent Conservative Republican Steve Forbes in 2000. Forbes was very outspoken in his views in support of Clinton's impeachment. It was a major issue in the campaign.

Rep. He is a really decent guy ~ Mike Forbes chose to ignore two thirds of his constituents telling him not to vote for impeachment and lost his seat in Congress.

Sometimes poetic justice occurs, as it did in the case of Mike Forbes. Mike betrayed his promise to his constituency, not to be influenced by Washington politics, and went ahead and voted for impeachment and then, the position he so craved, as 'Speaker' Livingston's righthand man, disappeared when Larry Flynt revealed Livingston, like Clinton, had his own extra-marital problems.

I like Tim Bishop ~ he's honest ~ and a pretty good rep. who does listen to his constituents.

I wish my rep was that out-spoken, but Bart Gordon (D-TN)tends to do more fence-sitting.

Mike Forbes (not Steve) was elected in 1994 as a Republican. In 1999 he switched to the Democratic Party, but lost the Democratic primary in 2000. The seat was won that year by a conservative Republican, Felix Grucci. Grucci lasted only one term, losing in 2002 to Democrat Tim Bishop, who was re-elected in 2004.

http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2004/house/?state=NY

It was Mike, not Steve.