The Federationist "movement" is a nice feel good thing for those of us on the forum that are involved. But, obviously, it has to go WAY beyond this forum to have an impact of any appreciable amount. That said... we need to do something to get some media attention, and make it clear that the elected idiots in DC know we exist and have been contacted. We have to do something that will put them on the spot if they're asked about the movement.

Everyone remembers how the "Tea Party" movement started getting MSM attention (good or bad). That was a simple matter of sending tea bags to CONgress. While effective, it also led to major ridicule in the MSM, and it was an easy target for several convenient reasons. (For example, the "Tea Baggers" references.) We need to do something along the same lines, but we have to do it better, with less chance for ridicule.

Here's my idea:
Send 545 Pocket Constitutions/BoR/Amendments with an individually addressed and hand signed letter with each, drafted for consistency.
Send them to:
435 to House Members
100 to Seanators
9 to SCOTUS
1 to POTUS

In the letter spell out clearly but respectfully the importance of the enclosed Constitution. Remind the recipient of their OATH to uphold and defend the same. And, advise them that we, as well as many other American Citizens, are watching, and getting impatient with the actions ocuring that are clearly NOT in accordance with these documents. The letter should also directly reference www.Federationist.org as the sending group in the footer.
At the same time the packages go out, e-mail or fax a copy of the letter to every major news agency (print, radio and broadcast) as well as the usual suspects in the blogosphere (HuffPo, Dredge, ZH, WND, etc...).

We have members in all 50 States, right? How about we draft and agree on a letter, then have donors/volunteers in each State send them to their "reps", so it becomes clear that this involves people in ALL the States. (Shows a broader reach.)
For example: NV has 3 member in the HoR, plus, of course, 2 Senators. I would be willing to buy the book, print the doc, sign it and FedEx it out to the Senators. Now, if 2 other members from NV would split up the other 3 Reps, then my State is covered.
Cost is minimal for the media that could be gained I believe. I looked, and Amazon has a paperback copy for $5.55. So, even with shipping to me, and then FedEx back out with a specific delivery date, it won't cost more than $20 or so per Rep. Times are tight, but I'm willing to throw in my $40-$50 bucks, if we can get enough people on board to handle their State's.
Surely someone can pick up SCOTUS and POTUS. Or, maybe those should come directly from Gen?

Have them ALL deliver on the same day, and ship them all by the same method. We have to make sure they arrive on a day that they're IN SESSION. Maybe the first or second day after the Memorial Day recess? Or, if that's too soon, how about the a day during the week right before the July 4 Holiday recess?
(Right before July 4 would work well from a publicity standpoint, as we could reference something in the letter to the effect of "While you celebrate the birth of our great Nation, please take some thime to review the attached as a reminder of what this Nation is all about as well".)

Now, with 545 Constitutions arriving, all on the same day, all hand prepared by constituents of each State, and telling all of the MSM in advance (the day before or the morning of?), surely SOMEBODY will cover it.
Ideally, one of the reps (Bachmann, Rand or Ron Paul, McCotter, etc...) would acknowledge the event in an interview.

Let's but the idiots in DC on the spot, and get some coverage doing it.

OK, that's my idea, for what it's worth, anyone else have any ideas?

I like it.

Me too. I'm in.

Anyone have any contacts within Rand Paul's office? I think his office would be very supportive of this and lend us a hand. I can get a hold of Justin Amash's office and I KNOW he will be very supportive.

I also happen to have 75 or so pocket Constitutions (beautifully done, I might add). You can order 100 of them from NCCS for $30.00. http://www.nccs.net

Cool.
Then to get this started we have to sort some items/needs out:

- Agreement on a draft of the letter, and a letterhead for it.
- List of DC office addresses for all recipients.
- List of MSM recipients of the letter with e-mail, fax and physical addresses.
- Agreement on a date for them to arrive. We all have to hit the SAME DAY for this to be effective. Something like “June XX AM delivery”.
- Agreement on a carrier to deliver. (Best impact is to show a coordinated effort by constituents in all the States. Having them all deliver on the same day & time, and by the same method, enhances that.) I’m partial to FedEx mainly because I get screamin’ rates (like ridiculous compared to walk-in), but any carrier would do, so long as they all come at the same time, same way.
- Agreement on “which” published copy of the Constitution to use. (Pika: the one you list is very reasonably priced, is it fairly nice?) Maybe we all chip in to fund a leather bound copy for POTUS and SCOTUS. Not that we want to “suck up” at all, but presentation is everything. Maybe a nice one will actually get TO the person’s physical hands? Particularly the one's to SCOTUS I think. POTUS probably has them sent to him all the time already, by like minded people that are aggravated I'm sure, so a "nice" one would make a bigger statement than what he probably already gets.

VERY IMPORTANT:
We also need to make damn sure that the transmittal we make to the MSM with the letter specifically clarifies that this is a "grass roots" effort by members of the Federationist forum, and that it was paid for BY forum members only, no other interests were involved. Hell, we can refer them right to this thread for verification if need be.
We have to prevent it from being "co-opted" right up front coming out of the gate, or it will be an issue if the MSM does pick up on it. The key is CONSTITUENTS from each State sending them, from their home addresses in the States. We absolutely MUST make it clear that regular people did this, not some PAC or conglomerate.
Let's learn from the mistakes made in the Tea Party infancy and try to head off these issues.

Thoughts?

Rough draft of the letter below.
Note that I specifically tried to make it non-partisan, kept it respectful but firm, and didn't mention the 3-G's in any way. The focus needs to be on the Constitution, their oath to protect it, and the fact that we are watching them.
I'm sure that someone here can clean it up and make it better, but it's a starting point for what I have in mind:

Dear XXXXXXXXXXXXX,

I hope that this letter finds you well.

Enclosed with this document you will find a copy of what is, arguably, the most important set of documents in modern history. More specifically, I would like to present you with a pocket version of The U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Amendments. I have provided these documents for your personal use both as a courtesy to thank you for your service, as well as a reminder of what your service is supposed to entail.

When you were sworn into the office you now hold you swore an oath to defend this very set of documents. You did not agree to an idea, a theory, or a “living, breathing document”. You swore to uphold black letter law as detailed therein. Sadly, myself and many others like me are now of the impression that our representative in Washington D.C. have forgotten their oath. As such, I am taking this opportunity to remind you of that oath, and to also point out that we, your constituents, are watching and mindful of whether you have taken that oath seriously.

It matters not if you are a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent. Further, whether you consider yourself a Progressive, a Socialist, or a Tea Party member is immaterial as well. The bottom line is that you were elected to the position you hold to represent your constituents. And, with regards to that duty, first and foremost, you promised to defend the Constitution of the United States, regardless of your political party or personal ideals.

I, and many others like myself, feel that a reminder is necessary at this time. Please accept this gift, and heed the words that accompany it in this letter accordingly. And, please be advised that we who are watching will not return you to your seat in the next election cycle if you are unable to take your oath seriously, regardless of your party affiliation.

Thank you for taking the time to review this, and feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this transmittal further.

Respectfully,

XXXXXXXXXX
Address………

Quote:

Agreement on “which” published copy of the Constitution to use. (Pika: the one you list is very reasonably priced, is it fairly nice?)

It's beautiful. NCCS is THE place to get them. Check out their website and you'll see why.

Well, we haven't had any other responses yet, but I'm going to press forward here in Nevada regardless.

Pika-steph:
How long did it take to get your copies of the Constitution delivered from that site?
I just ordered 100, and I'm curious how long it will take to receive. If it's going to be "prolonged", would you consider sending some to me, at my shipping expense, and then I'll replenish when my order arrives? I can PM you my FedEx account info if you're willing to drop them off.
I just want to get this moving, and if nobody else is interested, then I want to get started NOW.

I've already got letters prepared for all 4 NV Reps/Senators. (Heller was appointed to Senate from HoR, so no official addy for his replacement yet in the HoR, or it would be 5.)

Anyone else in NV:
Either from the website listed, or from Pika, I will shortly have a small supply if anyone else wants to jump in and send some as well. If you'll pay to FedEx them out to the Reps/Sen's, then I'll give you the copies I have for free until I run out. Hell, I'll even print your letters for you if you're willing to sign them and get them in the mail.

Let's swamp them with this. The more I think about it, the more I'm of the opinion that the Senators/Reps getting multiple copies from "in State" may be a good thing anyway.

It was ridiculously fast. Like, I figured it was going to take over a week, but if I remember correctly, they came in about 3 days. UPS, I believe, all boxed and divided into groups of 25 with nice little binders. They also sent me some other goodies, one of which was an amazing CD. NCCS is THE BEST.

If anyone wants a single copy, it will cost 61 cents to mail it. It will also fit in a standard size #10 envelope. I will send mine for free as well.

While this is a big enough project for right now, I'm thinking an extension of this would be for a group of people in each state to target their State Legislators as well - perhaps highlighting the pertinent parts in the Constitution that pertain to STATES' RIGHTS. (The ones that are left anyway...)

I have most of a 100 left I will participate with.

*edit 74, to be exact.

Count me in...from NC. I'll order my copies from NCCS today. Did we ever decide on a target date/time for delivery?

Steph4liberty:

My 100 copies arrived on Tuesday evening.
I'm going to send to all of NV's U.S. Rep's and Senators. Any I have left over that others from here haven't taken will be going to our Governor and State Legislators in a separate mailing.

There hasn't been any decision on date yet. We need to get a look at the session schedule for CONgress, but I think the target date should be one or two days before recess for July 4th.
Frankly, you, Txin, Gen & Pika are the only people that have even expressed an interest yet, I wish more would get on with us, but I'm pushing forward regardless. Glad to know you will be too.

Do you have a FedEx account? I think that is the best way to do this. We need to time it so they all show up the same day, and delivery by the same mechanism would be preferred as well. I'd rather not use USPS, would prefer to support a private entity as much as possible.

Would be nice if we could get some others on board, but either people don't realize this idea is out there, or they're apathetic, perhaps a combination of the two.

Gen & Pika:
I haven't mentioned this on the forum outside of this post as it would be contrary to posting guidelines of the site I think, and I'm trying to play by the rules. But, if either or both of you could give this a spike elsewhere it would probably help to make other members aware that it's out there. Can you throw a mention in Ticker and/or Fed-Up?

Phantom, I have access to a FedEx account. If I decide not to use it (since it's a company account and they may not want it used for this type of purpose), then I'll just foot the bill to pay retail FedEx prices. To me, it's worth it if our CONgress critters and others wake up and realize we're watching them.

As for others, I will be sending a link to this forum entry to some people who I am SURE would be interested in helping. They are as fed up with all the stuff going on as I am.

Steph4liberty:

Just spoke to FedEx, and priority overnight 10:30 AM delivery from here is $8.83 each, 3-day is $8.32 using my discount account. (Obviously the overnight with 10:30 delivery is the way to go.)

Just saw this thread today, Phantom. I think the idea is FANTASTIC.

I've just ordered the 100 books from Steph's contact and will prepare letters (thanks for your excellent draft) for all of the representatives from Oregon.

I still like your idea of coordination, time-wise. Is it practical to recruit others into this effort and still have the mailings land before the July hiatus?

Truthseeker:

The coordinated delivery to ALL of the members of CONgress is a key thing.
We need to send info to the MSM the day before, and if they are advised that ALL of the rep's will be receiving on the "morning of X day", it adds legitimacy to the effort. We don't want them trickling in over a period of days or weeks, we want to hit them with them all at once.

So far it looks like what's covered is:
Nevada (me)
Michigan (Pika-steph)
North Carolina (Steph4liberty)
Texas (Txin1880)
Oregon (you)
That's 10% of the States so far, so it's a good start. Now if we could get the other 45 States covered we'll be golden.
Gen's response at thread top was a little vague, so I'm not sure if he's taking Florida, or POTUS/SCOTUS, or both, but it sounds like he's in as well.

If we have to I suppose we could each handle more than one State, but a big part of the idea is for every rep to be contacted by a constituent IN their State, so I'd really rather have all the States represented by forum members accordingly if we can.

As for date... I haven't looked up the session schedule and deciphered it yet, but I believe CONgress is still in session for a couple weeks yet. Will have to find out.

In any case, thanks for your support of the effort!

I've been linking the Webpage to half the planet on FB, Twitter, patriot boards, whatever.

Bo:
Are you willing to cover part of CA?
(I know there are a LOT of reps in CA, so that shouldn't have to fall all on one person's shoulders/wallet if we can avoid it.)

I've just sent a couple of PMs with links to this thread to folks I think might be interested in this effort. Let's see if they are able to help.

Not to be a wet blanket, but my Congressman (Sam Johnson TX-3) carries around a pocket Constitution and regularly hands them out to constituents. I suspect a sizable number of other Congress members do too.


Disclosure: I know Congressman Johnson personally as he's a member of the same VFW and AL posts that I am and he's very involved in Veteran's issues.

That may well be true, Bigsapper. But doesn't dilute the potency of this kind of DIRECT message to them. They probably know that the overwhelming % of their constituency doesn't have a facile working knowledge of the documents. Hearing from those of us who DO will still get their attention, IMO.

Bigsapper:
If he has it pointed out to him that some of his constituents DO care about the Constitution as much as he does, then it will also help embolden his defense of it in the future. So, bottom line, it's a positive to get them to every member whether they already carry them and hand them out or not.

Plus, the only way we have any chance of it getting any press (thus "getting the word out") is if they ALL get hit with them at the same time. If we start whittling the list down, then the impact gets lost.

Fair enough.




How do I help?



Edited to add: One of the points I wanted to make was why pay for a bunch of this when all these people already have cases of them paid for on our dime?

Just got a pm from Ads215. He's anxious to help out and will manage the Ohio contingent! Let's see who else we can get on this to get the other states covered.

Quote:

Bo:
Are you willing to cover part of CA?
(I know there are a LOT of reps in CA, so that shouldn't have to fall all on one person's shoulders/wallet if we can avoid it.)

Sure. Knowing my state, no one here will sign off on it, but I'll send the e-mails. Do we have one done? A base e-mail? Suggest just making one Karl approves of and using that template.

Bo: Here's Phantom's suggested letter from up the thread. I'm using this with very little modification. But in letters delivered with the physical books, not emails.

Quote:

Dear XXXXXXXXXXXXX,

I hope that this letter finds you well.

Enclosed with this document you will find a copy of what is, arguably, the most important set of documents in modern history. More specifically, I would like to present you with a pocket version of The U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Amendments. I have provided these documents for your personal use both as a courtesy to thank you for your service, as well as a reminder of what your service is supposed to entail.

When you were sworn into the office you now hold you swore an oath to defend this very set of documents. You did not agree to an idea, a theory, or a “living, breathing document”. You swore to uphold black letter law as detailed therein. Sadly, myself and many others like me are now of the impression that our representative in Washington D.C. have forgotten their oath. As such, I am taking this opportunity to remind you of that oath, and to also point out that we, your constituents, are watching and mindful of whether you have taken that oath seriously.

It matters not if you are a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent. Further, whether you consider yourself a Progressive, a Socialist, or a Tea Party member is immaterial as well. The bottom line is that you were elected to the position you hold to represent your constituents. And, with regards to that duty, first and foremost, you promised to defend the Constitution of the United States, regardless of your political party or personal ideals.

I, and many others like myself, feel that a reminder is necessary at this time. Please accept this gift, and heed the words that accompany it in this letter accordingly. And, please be advised that we who are watching will not return you to your seat in the next election cycle if you are unable to take your oath seriously, regardless of your party affiliation.

Thank you for taking the time to review this, and feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this transmittal further.

Respectfully,

XXXXXXXXXX