July 12, 2012

Attention: Michelle

Re: Ms. Tammy Duckworth and the Upcoming Election

Dear Sir:

I do not pretend to be so presumptuous as to tell you how to run your campaign for reelection. Because of superior campaigning skills you are now the Congressional representative for the 8^th CD. This letter is written in the spirit of collaboration. I want to share with you my foray into the rhetoric and political intolerance that permeates the campaign for your congressional seat.

You first need to know that I am a native New Yorker and make my home in the County of Queens. Like you I am a registered Republican. I vote in the 7th Congressional District, which is represented by the Hon. Joseph Crowley (D). He did not receive my vote in the last election and, it is fair to say, we disagree on most of the important issues. Representative Crowley is a competent politician and I personally like his style of representation.

Because of my interest in political and current affairs I have followed your hotly contested bid for reelection. Your opponent, Ms. Tammy Duckworth   is a decorated veteran who sustained horrific injuries while in the service of our country. I understand that she worked for the Department of Veteran Affairs and has unsuccessfully run for public office.

Many people believe her military record automatically makes her a credible candidate for your Congressional seat. Ms. Duckworth’s military career and injuries have been blogged about, discussed on television and written about in traditional press more times than anyone can count. Maybe she deserves all of the attention. Yet, there are highly decorated veterans who were injured in Iraq and Afghanistan that America has all but forgotten. What is Ms. Duckworth’s secret for staying in the news? There really is no secret; she is a woman of East Asian descent which gives her political marketability.  She is a viable commodity for the Democratic political machines. Simply put; Ms. Duckworth has a value that can be negotiated by any Democrat that is in office or running to get into office. She shared the podium with President Obama, who, we all know, never misses an opportunity to campaign. Is there any wonder that she is running in your redrawn district?

Because some of my work day is spent riding New York City’s subways I have time to read the news and anything else that catches my interest. I am partial to reading blogs.  Sometimes I leave a comment on the author’s analysis or conclusions. This practice, or, if you prefer pastime, keeps my analytical and writing skills sharp. By reading the comments already offered I get a glimpse of how people are thinking on a certain issue.

On July 7, 2012 I read a post at the webpage of the left leaning  – Liberal Democratic oriented Huffington Post – politics – which was entitled, “Joe Walsh is a Coward ,” by Andy Ostroy. I think the post was written in response to comments you allegedly made about Ms. Duckworth’s military service. You had stated that the election should not focus solely on Ms. Duckworth’s military career but on the issues. In a contemptuous and condescending manner Mr. Ostroy discredited your candidacy and your persona. The blog post can only be considered as a salute to Ms. Duckworth. If all of the comments about Ms. Duckworth’s military career were removed from the post it would collapse for lack of any credible reason why Ms. Duckworth deserves the public’s vote. There was no attempt to discuss her political platform. No where in Mr. Ostroy’s stream of consciousness against you and Republican politics did he mention Ms. Duckworth’s stellar educational accomplishments or her excellent family stock. The author made not pretense about his motive in writing the piece; Mr. Ostroy had set out to bash Joe Walsh and that’s what he would do.

I respect Mr. Ostroy’s right to express his opinion about the 8^th CD election. Yet, I read the post with the expectation that he would eventually rebut your contention that Ms. Duckworth’s candidacy was being run only on her military record. In my opinion Mr. Ostroy does not attempt to hide his support for her candidacy and his complete disdain for anything and everything connected to the Republican Party. Unwittingly Mr. Ostroy proved your point that Tammy Duckworth’s supporters only tout her service in the military.