Jared Woodfill Chairman

Dear Harris County Republicans,

Last week, our friend Congressman John Culberson, from the 7th Congressional District of Texas, sent out an “SOS” message through the Social Networking sites “Twitter” and “Facebook” to issue a call to action to contact Nancy Pelosi’s office due to censorship of constituent communication. Apparently the Democrats are censoring Republicans who wish to use their “franking” privilege, the practice of sending out correspondence to constituents using the U.S. Postal Service, forcing them to remove any words or ideas that do not support the Democrat agenda.

For those that have not yet become involved with Social Networking, Twitter and Facebook are web-based applications that allow communication to a network of “friends”, individuals who subscribe to each other’s message. The Twitter website limits each individual message or “Tweet”, to a limit of 140 characters.  If you are interested in learning more about Facebook, please access our website at harriscountygop.com or join us at our next Facebook 101 training session.

Many today are using these Social Networks to communicate with a vast number of individuals quickly, often from cell phones or PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistants). Congressman Culberson has quite a wide following on these Social Networks and implemented them last week to issue a call to action to bombard Nancy Pelosi’s office with phone calls, emails, and letters to stop this censorship and allow our congressmen to communicate freely with their constituents.

The gist of John’s “Tweets” last week went like this:

• Did you know that Nancy Pelosi forbids representatives from saying “government run health care” and I can’t quote Obama who said “cap and trade” will make the cost of electricity skyrocket?
• Congressmen are forbidden to call Democrats “liberal”; cannot call cap & trade “cap & tax” and that means that I can’t speak my mind in my own newsletter to CD7. Does this remind you of the book 1984?
• I hope Nancy Pelosi tries to silence me on social media as they have shut out opposition voices/debate/sunlight on the House floor; it won’t work here!
• Pelosi regularly turns off the microphone on the House floor, shuts off amendments, and debate, shuts out all public sunlight, and gets away with it!
• She has no control over my voice here; I work for Texas & District 7 & I will not be silenced or intimidated!
• Pelosi made me change my newsletter headline from “cap and tax” to “cap and trade” or I would be personally liable for all postage/printing!
• Pelosi also made me delete Obama’s own words “Under my cap & trade plan, electricity prices would necessarily skyrocket” from my newsletter!
• This is a test of Twitter community’s devotion to sunlight vs. liberalism: will my Social Network contacts rise up against censorship by top US government leaders?
• Ignore political party; oppression of a minority’s right to speak/debate/and make amendments, censorship and media manipulation are unacceptable in the United States!
• I am literally conducting a test of the Twitter community tonight: here it is - a stark and very real choice….. Are you more devoted to sunlight/freedom of speech/debate, or to liberalism? Will you rise up against censorship by top US government leaders?

John’s Call to Action:

Bombard Pelosi and House leadership; let the sun shine in; post all bills online for 72 hrs before they are voted on, open debate/amendments and end censorship!

We accept Congressman Culberson’s  challenge - we are devoted to freedom of speech, and support him in this endeavor! Please call Nancy Pelosi’s office, bombard her with emails, and contact the House leadership and let them know that you will not accept this censorship! Remind them that the First Amendment trumps any of their efforts to stifle free speech and that we will not stand for this partisan behavior!

Please contact the following:

Nancy Pelosi’s phone and contact information:
(415) 556-4862 - (202) 225-0100
http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

Steny Hoyer’s phone and contact information:
(301) 474-0119 - (202) 225-4131
http://www.majorityleader.gov/email_and_rss/email_the_leader/

James Clyburn’s phone and contact information:
(803) 854-4700 - (202) 225-3315
http://majoritywhip.house.gov/index.cfm?p=SendAnEmail

Democratic Caucus – House of Representatives information:
http://www.dems.gov/index.asp?Type=B_LIST&SEC={9E0AD65A-6D82-4770-8C40-6F28845D5660}