"There Goes MY Citizenship!"

I received an interesting piece of mail today, a letter from Mr. Tim Morgan, the Treasurer of the Republican National Committee. I don't wish to bore my readers, but I think you need to see what it said:

Dear Mr. Baker,

I don't want to believe you've abandoned the Republican Party, but I have to ask . . . Have you given up?

Our records show we have not yet received your Republican National Committee membership renewal for the critical 2008 presidential election year.

As the Treasurer of the RNC, I know our Party's success depends directly on grassroots leaders like you.

So I am surprised and concerned especially because I know how generously you supported President Bush and the RNC in the past. You helped advance our vision for America and elect Republicans at all levels of government. Mr. Baker, I know other things come up, and perhaps you've just been delayed in renewing your membership. If that's the case, I understand.

But we've not heard from you this year -- and I hope you haven't deserted our Party.

Your generous financial assistance and active involvement are more important than ever as we work to elect a new Republican president and Congress.

There is so much at stake. The Democrats are determined to put a liberal like Barack Obama in the White House, expand their narrow majorities in the U.S. House and Senate, and push our country to the Left with their agenda of high taxes, big government and weakened national security.

Big Labor, radical liberal protest groups and Hollywood elites are planning to spend more than $500 million to defeat Republicans and aid the Democratic power grab.

That's why I urgently need you to renew your RNC membership for 2008 with a contribution of $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50 or even $25.

The men and women who will represent us in this year's elections are hard at work building strong campaigns.

And so is the RNC. We are doing our part to provide the research, staff support, voter registration, volunteer recruitment and training, and direct financial assistance our candidates need to win.

The RNC is the ONLY Republican organization permitted by federal law to directly support our presidential nominee.

If we fail to hold the White House and make gains in Congress, the Democrats have made clear they will overturn every reform you helped President Busyh achieve.

Democrat presidential candidates and the Reid/Pelosi-run-Congress have promised to repeal the Bush tax cuts, retreat from the War on Terror and increase the size of government through their one-size-fits-all health care plan.

We cannot allow them to succeed! That's why your renewed commitment is so important.

So if you have delayed in renewing your membership because you feel the RNC has let you down, or no longer needs you, please let me know. I want to hear from you.

Just include your comments and suggestions with the enclosed Membership Confirmation and return them with your 2008 membership renewal check. You can also renew by calling 1-800-XXX-YYYY or via our secure website at www. gop.com/gotohellyoustupidLOSERS.

But please don't turn your back on our Republican candidates running for office from the Courthouse to the White House; they are counting on your support. Renew your RNC membership today. Thank you.

P.S. The 2008 elections are critical to the future of our nation. We need the support of every Republican to retain the White House, regain Congress and elect GOP legislators at all levels. Please don't quit on our Party and our cause now. Renew your RNC membership today. Thank you.

Fascinating. Smells a bit of desperation, no? Especially since I've never been a member of the RNC.

So I took up Mr. Morgan's suggestion and decided to send him some comments. I wrote a nice, concise one page letter to stick in the little postage-paid envelope. When I read it to my wife (who is a Japanese national, though she's lived here since she was nine years old,) she said "There goes MY citizenship!" She decided this year that she would finally apply to become officially an American.

Below is my brief reply to Mr. Morgan:

Mr. Morgan:

I read with interest your recent missive to me (attached) beginning "I don't want to believe you've abandoned the Republican Party, but..."

Mr. Morgan, I've never been a member of the Republican Party. I changed my voter registration before the last Arizona presidential primary because I wanted to vote for Fred Thompson, but he withdrew before my vote even got counted. (I voted absentee for work reasons.)

Your letter continued: "So I am surprised and concerned especially because I know how generously you supported President Bush and the RNC in the past." Really? You know that? Because Fred Thompson is the only Republican candidate I think I've ever donated money to. I "supported" President Bush by voting against Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004, but he never saw a dime of my money.

Continuing on: "...I hope you haven't deserted our Party." No, you've deserted me. “The Democrats are determined to put a liberal like Barack Obama in the White House, expand their narrow majorities in the U.S. House and Senate, and push our country to the Left with their agenda of high taxes, big government and weakened national security.” Well, Tim, I have to tell you; the only difference I can see between what the Democrats want, in that description, and what the Republicans did over the last seven-plus years is taxes.

Here's a clue if you want any of my money: secure the borders, confirm the judges, CUT SPENDING, keep the Bush tax cut in place, DRILL FOR OIL ON OUR OWN SOIL, rein in the BATFE and get rid of the TSA. Oh, and implement a damned flat-tax while you're at it.

The next four to eight years look to suck like a Dyson vacuum cleaner, and personally I'm not certain the Republic can survive it. I'll hold my nose and vote for McCain, though, in the faint hope that more than half the (tiny) voting population isn't insane. I've enclosed one of the McCain campaign bumper stickers I'm selling to benefit my favorite charity, Soldier’s Angels. Sorry I had to fold it to get it in the envelope, but somehow I doubt seriously you’d actually put it on your vehicle.

Thanks for writing, and have a wonderful day.

It goes out in tomorrow's mail. With the McCain bumpersticker.