Cheyenne

Here's a guy who definitely wants to be known as the "party" guy:

Letter from the office of Mike Enzi-

Dear Nathan:

I appreciate your thoughts on a number of issues, including the Terrorist Surveillance Act, habeus corpus, and the actions of Senator McCain.

As reported, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and several other senators met with federal banking regulators in 1987 regarding an investigation into Lincoln Savings and Loan, a thrift owned by an Arizona developer and constituent, Charles Keating. The United States Senate Ethics Committee initiated an investigation in November 1990 related to the meeting between senators and industry regulators. In the early months of 1991, the Senate Ethics Committee found Senator McCain guilty of "poor judgment", but stated that his actions were "not improper, nor attended with gross negligence." Although Senator McCain met with regulators, the committee determined his actions did not interfere with the regulators investigation.

My previous statements regarding Senator McCain's work on the Military Commissions Act of 2006 in no way stated that his judgment was unquestionable. However, his experience as a naval aviator and a prisoner of war in Vietnam, affords him greater insight into this particular matter.

I also noted your concerns about the Terrorist Surveillance program. On August 17, 2006, District Court Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ruled that the Terrorist Surveillance Program, which was authorized by President Bush in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001, was unconstitutional and must stop immediately. In her decision, Judge Diggs Taylor asserted that the National Security Agency's (NSA) use of wiretapping violated the Administrative Procedures Act, the Separation of Powers, and the First and Fourth Amendments to the United States Constitution. The Department of Justice has appealed this ruling in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, where a stay of ruling was granted on October 4, 2006 so that the program can continue until the Court has had the opportunity to agree with or to overturn Judge Diggs Taylor's decision.

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 taught us that oceans cannot protect our nation from radical ideologies that want to destroy our way of life. The enemy changed the way they plotted attacks on the United States, and because of that, it was necessary to adapt and change our method of gathering intelligence. Were the Terrorist Surveillance Program non-existent, it is possible that plots and attacks would never be uncovered, let alone stopped. However, there are valid concerns regarding the Terrorist Surveillance Program and the protection of the civil liberties of American citizens. We must not allow the federal government to overstep its boundaries by intruding into the private lives of citizens. This is the delicate balance that we must achieve.

A number of bills were introduced by members of both parties in the Senate concerning the Terrorist Surveillance Program. Debate on the actual legislation was focused in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Because I do not serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, I did not have the opportunity to debate these bills with my colleagues. On December 9, 2006, the Senate adjourned, which signaled the conclusion of business in the 109th Congress. As that is the case, we did not have the opportunity to finish work on these pieces of legislation. If similar legislation is introduced in the 110th Congress, I will keep your thoughts in mind. I will continue to analyze the various issues in this debate and will support a proper balance of protecting our nation from terrorist attacks and preserving our civil liberties.

I also continually review the federal response to Hurricanes Katrina and agree that there were considerable failures on the local, state and federal level. However when reviewing the devastating destruction of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we cannot underscore the scope of these hurricanes. Hurricane Katrina devastated a 90,000 square-mile area, which is roughly the size of Great Britain. The storm also resulted in the largest displacement of Americans in our nation's history, forcing more than 270,000 Americans to evacuate. Disruption and devastation requires coordination on all levels of the response and recovery efforts. It also underscores the need to have greater access to military resources to assist in this magnitude of a disaster.

Finally, I appreciate your continued thoughts on the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-366). This is an area where we must continue to agree to disagree. I continue to oppose the use of torture and the United States prohibits the use of torture.

Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts and comments. I respect your views, and while we may disagree on these issues, I appreciate the opportunity to explain my position.

I want my constituents to have access to a more complete view of Congress and my activities so I have started a monthly e-newsletter. It is a brief summary of important issues and happenings. I encourage you to sign up on my web page at enzi.senate.gov. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

Sincerely,

Michael Enzi, U.S. Senator

Chairman: Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Nate- We agree to disagree, the torture has been proven, Enzi was aware of it. Boo!

New Orleans is still a mess, as well as the whole Gulf, but Halliburton and KBR AND MERCENARIES got no bid contracts.

The "oceans" comment is GOP talking points meme, google it and Bush and look at the number of entries.

So folks, either our Senator is ignorant or playing games. You decide.

Mike Enzi represents the worst in government. I don't care if you write in Mickey Mouse, do not waste your time and tax dollars on this snake oil salesman!

So let me get this straight…

The legislative delegation from Wyoming to Washington found the improvements the the CHIP program “over the top” and voted against it. The CHIP program helps insure hundreds if not thousands of children in the state whose parents make to much to qualify for Title 19 funds, but can’t afford regular health insurance.

Oh sure, some of the GOP partyliners jump on the meme “HilaryCare” or “nationalized” health care programs, but here’s the cold hard facts: It’s “WalMart” insurance or “Big Box” insurance if you will. I think Congress might have coined the phrase “scut labor” in the 80’s. You know the drill, employees get paid slightly over minimum wage with minimal health benefits, company makes millions and thanks to relaxed standards at the Dept. of Labor, company can enforce mandatory overtime, reducing number of employees.

Places the responsibility of providing healthcare squarely on the backs of taxpayers. The insiders of the GOP refer to this kind of situation as “bleeding the monster”, the ultimate goal is to bankrupt our government so the rich can get richer. Cut and dried.

Didn’t Cubin work in a dentist’s office? Isn’t she familiar with the constituents in this state who owned small businesses or had to work a couple jobs to feed a family?

Didn’t Barrasso earn his living as a surgeon? Didn’t he spend weeks of his life eating fajitas provided by a pharm reps to hock items to uninsured patients? Surely Barrasso understands the plight of the working family in Wyoming, as long as it never interfered with golf.

And Enzi, well, Enzi’s just Cheney-lite. Fishing with corrupt officials in Alaska to get a chance at Big Energy Campaign bucks, no time to worry about the little people. Hell, he helped remove Habeas Corpus and Posse Comitatus, along with the 4th and 5th Amendments with his votes. No skin off his wallet.

Boo to Enzi, Barrasso, and Cubin for turning their back on the working people of this state. The whole lot needs to be replaced!