My friend the anonymous New York Jewish Liberal who voted for Bush (whose previous essays you can read here and here) has some words for her Congressman (who represents the district which includes the World Trade Center).
-- Judith Weiss

Dear Jerry,

Now that the people have spoken, I'd like to offer my wholly unsolicited advice.

The first step for the Democratic Party is to prove to the American people that it is serious about winning the war.

The first step in proving you are serious is to treat the Commander in Chief with respect.

That means no more seating Michael Moore in the Presidential Box at the convention, no more diatribes from Ted Kennedy that the war "is a fraud cooked up in Texas", no more gleefully jumping on every military setback with an unseemly joy that sickens Americans everywhere.

Your attitude should be that of the firefighters and police who showed up on 9/11: We're here on the people's business. How can we help?

The constant search for apocalyptic Republican evil-doings must end. Therefore, drop your relentless attacks on the Patriot Act and other such legislation that may arise. The people believe, with good reason, that these laws protect us, and the more you demonize and belittle them, the more Congressional seats you will continue to shed.

Vow among yourselves that you will return to the time-honored tradition that partisanship stops at the water's edge.

By all means, offer constructive criticism and launch new ideas and iniatives that will contribute to the cause of securing our safety at home and spreading freedom abroad.

But offer it in the spirit of a loyal opposition.

The reason that four million more Americans trusted the President is because the Democratic Party gave them all too many reasons to doubt its loyalty.

In the process, many people who were life-long proud Democrats have fled from the party, including myself.

We will never consider returning until the Democratic Party successfully takes this first step.

Once you have established yourself as a vigorous, creative, constructive loyal opposition, you also need to develop a new set of ideas on the domestic front.

Try to promote programs that relate to people's real lives and liberate their inborn energies and ambitions, not programs that pander to their sense of angry victimhood.

Finally, respect the fact that this country cherishes its religious traditions. Judicial and legislative assaults on marriage and family life will continue to erode support and will inevitably lead nowhere but bitter defeat.

Respectfully,
Your Constituent