"Pink Slips for Congress" Campaign Hits Dem and GOP Offices

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Congress

(CBS/AP)

A conservative Web site announced yesterday it has sent millions of "pink slips" to members of Congress, conveying citizens' dissatisfaction with certain legislative activity and the country's current anti-incumbent mood.

Conservative site WorldNetDaily is running a campaign to send members of Congress a "pink slip" warning that if they vote for "government health care," "cap and trade," "hate crimes," or "any more spending," their "real pink slip will be issued in the next election." Since September, WorldNetDaily has offered to send pink slips to all 535 members of Congress on behalf of readers for a price of $29.95.

The organizers of the campaign held a press conference on Tuesday to announce that it had sent out 5 million pink slips. The press conference, held on Capitol Hill, was attended by Republican politicians including Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Steve King (R-Iowa) and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.).

"This is part of the reason... why we haven't seen this legislation on health care come through earlier," said Bachmann, who received the pink slips along with all other congressmen. "People are shocked that 5 million people have taken the time and the money ... to send these pink slips."

WorldNetDaily editor Joseph Farah has effectively run other conservative campaigns, such as the "birther" movement questioning whether President Obama was born in the United States, which appears to ignore the evidence that the president was born in Hawaii.

A number of surveys have shown the public is unhappy with how Congress is performing. Yesterday's CBS News poll showed that even though most people are in favor of certain ideas for health care reform like a "public option," voters still disapprove of the Democrats' overall reform package. The dissatisfaction crossed party lines: both Democrats and Republicans received very low marks for their handling of the issue of health care.

In a recent Pew Research Center poll, only 34 percent of respondents said most current members of Congress should be re-elected.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by joepast1 November 19, 2009 3:10 PM EST: comment ...CBS KNOWINGLY LIES WHEN IT maintains that the president submitted his legal BC from hawaii.. apparently he has not submitted a long form BC and we all wonder why the president who is the most powerful& suppoasedly most honorable person in land will not produce a certified long form birth. cert .. its totally bizarre that he repotedly chooses to spend huge sums of money to hide his personal documentation.. doesnt it make ANYONE WONDER WHY ON EARTH WOULD THE PRESIDENT DO THIS TO THE PUBLIC...??????????????????????????????; Reply to this comment

by livinginlalaland November 19, 2009 3:20 AM EST

I'm disgusted with both parties...I have, however realized that I am a Reagan Conservative...I have a pink slip that I will be delivering from the voting booth for Rep. Alan Grayson. I took out our new phone book to call his local office to "weigh in" on the healthcare situation...the phone # had been disconnected! (Issued 3 weeks ago !?!) So, I called his DC office, were I was rudely told "I don't know anything about what they do in Orlando" but he reluctantly agreed to give me the new Fl. #. Grayson "announced" his 2 town halls the same day they were held; amusingly, already booked up; even more bizarre was that they were held in an SEIU Union Hall that only holds 250 people...I firmly believe that we need real health care reform; but to be shut out of the process if you don't agree in lockstep with the ruling party is nothing less than a travesty. I've lived many years in Germany...we paid 14% sales taxes on EVERYTHING, even houses, & the care was a 1/4th of the quality we've become accustomed to in this country. I plan to vote my conscience in the next election...so keep an eye on the soon to be gone Mr. Grayson...because I seriously doubt if he'll keep from getting his real pink-slip from Florida voters.

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by velma179 November 19, 2009 9:58 AM EST: You are upset and your vote does count... but please, it is only ONE vote. According to reports I have seen (from across the country) -- there are many people in Grayson's district that DO want him to keep his job -- so we will see.
Since he has been very vocal, I imagine his race will be followed by many news sources, locally and nationally.

By the way -- looking for the number in the phone book leads me to believe you are perhaps, a senior. I say that because my mother is the only person I know that uses the phone book these days.... I'm not sure how you know the local office phone number was "issued 3 weeks ago"? I think you are mistaking the phone BOOK issue date with the phone NUMBER install date.

Next time -- if you go on the internet and look up your Representative OR your District, you will likely find more up to date information.

I hope this helps.

Having our disagreements with our Reps is as American as apple pie -- but it is really unfortunate that your experience was so frustrating. You may feel better to consider -- in America we do not have a "ruling" party, we have a "majority" party... which represents the will of the majority of voters.

Best to you

by velma179 November 18, 2009 8:33 PM EST

"... said Bachmann, who received the pink slips along with all other congressmen. "People are shocked that 5 million people have taken the time and the money ... to send these pink slips."

********

This woman is in our American Congress...? Dang! WE should be very concerned. A basic education should be a requirement, I'd hope...

WorldNet Daily sold a PACKAGE of these Pink Slips for $29.95.

Each Package sent a pink slip to ALL 535 Reps in Congress (as the article says).

They said they "sent out 5 million" pink slips -- not 5 million packages.

That means about 93 THOUSAND people bought the package --- NOT 5 million like Bachmann says.

Facts are irrelevant to this woman, I guess so is math and HONESTY!

(she couldn't count the people at her last little "press conference/rally" stunt either... sheesh!)

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by PFMinTN November 19, 2009 10:09 AM EST: Have you done any research on this?
Before you disparage, take the time to research this further - http://www.sendcongressapinkslip.com/

When you see the background photo, know that I was in that crowd somewhere!!!
We were moving from Freedom Plaza to the Capitol. The local police made us move to the Capitol more than one hour early because we were blocking traffic there were so many of us.
Mind you - this is just from one side - we're not to the Capitol yet.
I don't know how many were there - but as you can see from just this small sampling of the throng - there were hundreds of thousands who came on Sept 12th.

So - please do look into this further...

Regardless, the message my family is TRYING to get through to all of our representatives in Congress is: STOP SPENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are broke with the Chinese and Saudis holding our debt paper. We cannot AFFORD all these programs.

Look at the fiasco on recovery.gov right now - what's up with $18,000,000 to UPDATE that site, rife with fictitious districts and MILLIONS of dollars unaccounted for.

And some still think they can run our health care system? Reform yes - what is being proposed in over 2000 pages EACH (House and Senate) is unconscionable as it puts a burden on our families, with the debt pushed off onto our kids and grandkids - that will never be paid.

Name ONE gov't program that came in anywhere near budget.

by ll2owt November 18, 2009 4:54 PM EST

my rep in the house(a republicker) sent me a copy of the republicker health care bill, both pages.

page 1. I HAVE MINE

page 2. SCREW YOU!

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by sparkyth67 November 18, 2009 7:58 PM EST: Oh give me a break why don't you try growing up moron.have you never heard the saying better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you're an idiot than to open it and remove all doubt.


by mycommentspg November 18, 2009 4:45 PM EST: This action has been called for in the past at mycommentspage.blogspot.com along with listing plenty of reasons for the American public to wake up. The public has been allowing Congress and the President to do nothing for many years. The time is now for real change and this is not a Republican or Democratic problem, it is both!; Reply to this comment

by willie920 November 18, 2009 4:43 PM EST

why is that all the big mouths are Left wing loons. Its always a good laugh to see their comments. They said it last night that Sarah has more common sense in her little finger than Obama has in his entire body . Boy is that true.
Too bad he can't get off the campaign trail and take care if business at home.Take Illinois strong arm tatics back to Chicago with Obama

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by ll2owt November 18, 2009 5:02 PM EST: what planet you from willie???

by cbs4me3 November 18, 2009 4:27 PM EST

Amen, Liberals must go. To get a sense of why, read Sarah's book on her principles of fiscal conservatism, less government, promoting private sector enterprise, less taxes, reduced government spending and programs. Liberals have gone nuts with spending, deficits, printing money. And, we have dug a big hole for ourselves.

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by Bonniejk November 18, 2009 4:51 PM EST: This so smacks of McCarthism. Someday we will look back and be so ashamed of the hate that has been generated by this Health Care Reform debate. The longer it goes on the more people are turned off on it. That is human nature. But it is right and it has to happen. Why does the right feel they have to rant and rave and scream , they lost an election and some day will have thier turn, right now it is our turn, and we will do what is right, send out your pink slips vote out all your long term rightwing nut jobs, PLEASE! And do try to run Ms Palin I so want you to, please do just what you are doing it will make for intersting history.


by quapawsix November 18, 2009 4:26 PM EST: If we are going to throw someone out of Washington can we throw THE BENEDICT ARNOLD LIEBERMAN OUT; Reply to this comment


by quapawsix November 18, 2009 4:22 PM EST: Complain all you want and vote against them if it makes you feel better to vote for the other guy neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are listening to us so, if We the People don't put an end to this Gov/Corp love affair nothing is going to get fixed.; Reply to this comment

by rightbehind November 18, 2009 4:19 PM EST

Where were they when republican controlled government was beating up on the middle class? Republicans have been thrown out of office as fast as the election process will allow. 18 more republican senate seats on the ballot in 2010. They'll be lucky to hold 10 of those seats. The only look that voters give republican ideology is from the rear view mirror these days. The economics of dung are over.

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by sparkyth67 November 18, 2009 8:04 PM EST: I happen to be in the middle class moron and the democrats are the ones raping us.Why don't you try and get a clue idiot,New Jersey even voted in a Republican Governor