Thursday, November 15, 2007

Sink Sullivan Now

A week ago, Ryan Horsley put out yet another call to oppose the confirmation of Michael J. Sullivan to the top slot at BATFU. I've also raised that flag, once in September and again last month.

I have no idea when the full Senate will take up the vote, but the bottom line is, this guy is very bad news. Follow the links Ryan and I have provided and see for yourself. Actually, this link should give you all the reason--and motivation--you need to understand how dangerous this enforcement freak will be to our right to keep and bear arms.

I'm asking all gun bloggers to join me in spreading the word and asking their readers to contact their senators with the message to VOTE NO ON SULLIVAN'S CONFIRMATION. I'm asking WarOnGuns visitors to do the same, and to spread the word to your gun-owning friends through forums, emails, clubs, ranges, shops, you name it.

Here's how you can contact your senators--please pass this link along, too:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC

Now I know some of you will say "My senators are gun haters, so it will be no use." Do it anyway--just let them see that numbers of voters are against Sullivan. Find a reason besides guns (see this link) if you think it will help: He's attacked health care companies; A dozen US attorneys quit on his watch; He's done patronage hires with his buddies; He's alienated federal judges with his heavy-handedness; Ah, here's one--his policies single out minorities for the most extreme punishment. You get the idea.

The other common objection I see is based on pride: people tell me they are done pleading with servants who act like masters. So don't plead. Act like the boss and demand.

Last week I asked people to send a simple email on behalf of Red's, and was just astounded at the level of resistance and vitriol asking for such a simple, easy thing generated. There were 81 comments alone on KABA Newslinks, each one taking as much or more time and effort than just doing what was asked would have taken. I'm afraid I don't put too much stock in big talk of "Molon Labe" from people who won't even send an email.

Anyway, that's it-- do it or not. But if you're going to do it, do it now.

UPDATE: Neither of my senators give a damn about gun rights, so I took a different tack with each one based on their predispositions:

With democrat gungrabber Sherrod Brown, I talked like a fellow collectivist:
Oppose Michael Sullivan as head of ATF. His track record of heavy-handed prosecution of minorities should concern all Americans who champion social justice.

I am going to urge Rev. Jackson to decry any and all senators who turn Sullivan loose on the nation's urban communities.

Actually, siccing Jesse on this ain't a bad idea. Any chair in a bar fight...

I put on the fellow fascist mask to approach RINO (GOA "D"-rated) George Voinovich:
I strongly oppose nomination of Michael Sullivan to head ATF. His disturbing record of cronyism with questionable hiring practices of friends and fellow land owners will turn out to be an embarrassment to all who support him. Likewise, his mismanagement caused a dozen career US attorneys to quit, and he has alienated federal judges with his heavy-handed unprofessionalism--that's no way to achieve effective law enforcement.

As a lifelong Republican, including campaign volunteer, I am counting on you to oppose his confirmation, and will be extremely disappointed and disillusioned if you fail your constituents in this important matter.

25 comments:

Clay said...

I think I hit it all:

Good morning Mr. Martinez,

I'm writing to ask you that when Michael Sullivan's confirmation for Director of the Bureau of Tobacco Alcohol Firearms and Explosives is to be voted on that you would vote "No."
Mr. Sullivan is not the ideal candidate to direct an institution that is already considered far too heavy handed and is in fact unconstitutional on many grounds.

Mr. Sullivan's heavy-handedness has alienated many federal judges, he's been found so intolerable by his coworkers that more than a few US attorneys have quit during his tenure as a US attorney. Mr. Sullivan has also singled out minorities for the most extreme punishment on a number of occasions.

Finally, Mr. Sullivan's smug demeanor is not one of a public servant, but of a man who believes that he is "in charge" of the American Public. Mr. Martinez, I'm quite tired of public servants acting like they are "public masters." I don't feel like Mr. Sullivan will approach this job as a public servant.

Mr. Martinez, please do *your* duty as a public servant and vote "No." to confirm Michael Sullivan as director of BATFE.


Best I could do in 15 minutes.

David Codrea said...

Thanks Clay--don't forget, your OTHER FL senator is Bill Nelson, so the same email ought to work fine with him, too.

Clay said...

Yeah, I sent essentially the same thing to both.

Anonymous said...

David, I hope you don't mind that I basically ripped off your language in writing to my Minnesota senators. You made it so convenient by providing (so called) conservative language for Coleman and (so called) liberal language for Klobuchar.

I have done my part. It was easy, thanks to you!

David Codrea said...

Ripoff away with my thanks.

Anonymous said...

Calls made. Emails to follow. Thanks for the suggestions.

PS: I do suggest that folks make the calls as well.

Sean said...

Nyaoow don't get all riled up, David, Ah done sent the emails, both Senators and called. Here's hopin' he don't single me out for the most extreme punishment. My minority status? I love my country.

Anonymous said...

Excellent Clay!

I'll 'borrow' this, change a word or two and send it. You and I share Senators, so perhaps we can share letters, too.

David: invoking Jesse, brilliant!

Kurt '45superman' Hofmann said...

I just wrote to my senators (Durbin and Obama), and worded it as if to appear concerned that Sullivan is part of the "vast, right-wing conspiracy." Figure that would go down a whole lot better with those two than pointing out the guy's obvious hostility to private ownership of guns.

Anonymous said...

McConnell and Bunning - Done.

chris horton said...

Casey and Specter done,letters to both.

Anonymous said...

Hutchison & Cornyn both done. Forwarded WOG link to all even remotely interested in my mailing list.
AgPilot60

Anonymous said...

Indiana's Bayh and Lugar have been contacted.

Called the state offices and faxed the D.C. offices. I will flip-flop the process and do it again tomorrow. It was only a few minutes.

Anonymous said...

Just sent my messages to Hutchinson and Cornyn. As Fred says, "Better to fight the soft war now than the hard one later."

http://www.fredsm14stocks.com/article.asp?ITEM=12

SamenoKami said...

Just sent email to both GA. senators. I used purloined (David this word alone will bump you into the college level blogspot) sections of Clay's letter. And spotted an error just as I pressed 'send.' Oh well.

Anonymous said...

Just emailed Texas Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. Thanks David.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the heads up. E-mailed Texas Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. Thanks to David and JR from www.akeyboardanda45.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I just sent the following to my Senators in Texas.

Say NO to Michael J. Sullivan

Please vote NO, and do NOT confirm Michael J. Sullivan as the Director of the Bureau of Tobacco Alcohol Firearms and Explosives. His confirmation should be opposed because he will bring controversy, divisiveness, and low morale to an already troubled agency. Here are some details:

First, he made dubious patronage hires while a U.S. attorney in the District of Massachusetts that have caused noted controversy.

Second, he ruthlessly applied maximum sentences in ALL cases without taking into account all available facts or special circumstances, alienating his own employees, constituents, and federal judges. His inflexible positions and relentless unwillingness to meet others half-way portends a tumultuous and divisive tenure at BATFE. The last thing that BATFE needs is more divisiveness and internal turmoil. We need a leader who can work WITH people and make compromises when necessary and not someone who rules by fiat and dictatorial decrees. Sullivan's confirmation would not bode well for an agency that has historically struggled with distrust of management, lack of internal unity, and low employee morale.

Third, his historical focus as a U.S. attorney has been on the quantity of cases, rather than on quality. As an attorney, his primary obligation is to protect the innocent and ensure that justice is rendered in all cases, and this can only be accomplished with a thorough and relentless obsession with QUALITY, NOT quantity. U.S. District Court Judge William Young held back no punches when he said that Sullivan's office operated under “a moral code more suited to the alleys of Baghdad than the streets of Boston” and adopting a mindset that “reveals such callous indifference to innocent human life as would gag any fair-minded observer.”

Fourth, his obsessive compulsion to micromanage the work of experienced attorneys has hindered the pursuit of justice and crushed the morale of those who serve under him. In one 12 month period, his office had an attrition rate that averaged one attorney every single month.

Thank you for your time, and remember, say NO to Michael J. Sullivan.

Ken said...

I didn't get to it yesterday, but I wrote senators Brown and Voinovich this morning. I used (again) the "corroding the domestic tranquility in wartime is teh stoopid" message, and cited F Troop's actions against Red's and Historic Arms as direct examples.

NotClauswitz said...

I'm sending my objections to Feinstein and Boxer.

Anonymous said...

Letters sent in Ohio.

Fûz said...

Emailed Enzi and Barrasso.

Anonymous said...

I added my $0.02 (borrowed from Clay) in wasted letters to Obama and Durbin.

BobG said...

Done.

Anonymous said...

I sent mine, we'll probably get BF'ed by our senators. (What?! I meant Boxer/Feinsteined....)

-In California