May 12, 2023·edited May 12, 2023Liked by Chad Nagle
I enjoyed this conversation immensely. I have a suggestion about a Democrat you guys should consider approaching to get some bi-partisan backing: long-time House Rep Shelia Jackson-Lee D-Houston.
Jackson-Lee has been representing Barbara Jordan’s old district which became Mickey Leland’s — a person very much in the mold of JFK. A charismatic leader with a broad vision who died in his prime. Leland and 15 others were killed in “just one of those strange plane crashes” in Africa. Jackson-Lee is featured in a 2017 documentary on Leland.
Maybe your efforts would be of interest to Jackson-Lee as winning this battle over the JFK document release might also throw much needed light on “other assassinations and deaths” of interest to her constituents.
[I was in her district for many years. Oddly we moved our family a few years back to a very different part of town, but when TX redrew districts we found ourselves one again represented by her!]
Perhaps most interestingly, Lee has recently thrown her hat into the ring for the (theoretically non-partisan) office of Houston mayor. Lee may be well placed to act as a maverick within her own party on an appealingly bi-partisan issue. Nice legacy issue a la both Jordan and Leland.
(If this suggestion interests JFK FACTS, I’d be happy to help.)
I personally think that’s a very good idea. I don’t know why Jamie Raskin or Steve Cohen hasn’t volunteered to co-sponsor, frankly. Does it have anything to do with Jan. 6? How did Schweikert position himself when all that was going on? I don’t even know, but maybe that’s what this is all about. Toxic polarization.
any readers who are constituents of Raskin or Cohen should ask them to co-sponsor the Schweikert bill. it needs to be sponsored by a member of a committee to move.
I’ve started making inquiries about Don Beyer, my congressman, who is on Ways & Means. Unfortunately I don’t know anyone active in Democratic politics.
Just a follow-up on my own offer. Sheila J-L is in Houston this weekend so I simply mailed a personal, hand-written note to her home: a sort of "put it on the radar screen" gesture. I don't know if there is a "vetting process/delay" for personal mail to a Congressperson, but if not, it could reach her even today. Here is the gist:
Dear Shelia, You know my husband's work well [note: this is an understatement] and we have been long time 18th District voters... [note: almost since she took office] You're very busy, so here is my simple question:
What would Barbara (Jordan) do?
67% of African Americans polled favor the release of the JFK documents being unlawfully held by the government. Is it any wonder that they want the truth, when so many of the Black community's own leaders have "a cloud over their deaths" -- including your own predecessor, Mickey Leland?
I think you have a real opportunity to be a stateswoman by co-sponsoring HR 637.
...considering your future [plans to run for non-partisan office] it might interest you to know that 79% of Republicans also favor the release...
Unfortunately our CIA is proposing a "Transparency Plan" that will leave us all in the dark about JFK and arguably many other deaths. [Barbara] would support HR 637, I think.
Respectfully [etc]
I plan to follow up (with a fellow named Woods in her D.C. office) with a more formal & informational letter (sans 'certain rhetorical appeals' made to SJL.)
I enjoyed this conversation immensely. I have a suggestion about a Democrat you guys should consider approaching to get some bi-partisan backing: long-time House Rep Shelia Jackson-Lee D-Houston.
Jackson-Lee has been representing Barbara Jordan’s old district which became Mickey Leland’s — a person very much in the mold of JFK. A charismatic leader with a broad vision who died in his prime. Leland and 15 others were killed in “just one of those strange plane crashes” in Africa. Jackson-Lee is featured in a 2017 documentary on Leland.
Maybe your efforts would be of interest to Jackson-Lee as winning this battle over the JFK document release might also throw much needed light on “other assassinations and deaths” of interest to her constituents.
[I was in her district for many years. Oddly we moved our family a few years back to a very different part of town, but when TX redrew districts we found ourselves one again represented by her!]
Perhaps most interestingly, Lee has recently thrown her hat into the ring for the (theoretically non-partisan) office of Houston mayor. Lee may be well placed to act as a maverick within her own party on an appealingly bi-partisan issue. Nice legacy issue a la both Jordan and Leland.
(If this suggestion interests JFK FACTS, I’d be happy to help.)
I personally think that’s a very good idea. I don’t know why Jamie Raskin or Steve Cohen hasn’t volunteered to co-sponsor, frankly. Does it have anything to do with Jan. 6? How did Schweikert position himself when all that was going on? I don’t even know, but maybe that’s what this is all about. Toxic polarization.
any readers who are constituents of Raskin or Cohen should ask them to co-sponsor the Schweikert bill. it needs to be sponsored by a member of a committee to move.
I’ve started making inquiries about Don Beyer, my congressman, who is on Ways & Means. Unfortunately I don’t know anyone active in Democratic politics.
Just a follow-up on my own offer. Sheila J-L is in Houston this weekend so I simply mailed a personal, hand-written note to her home: a sort of "put it on the radar screen" gesture. I don't know if there is a "vetting process/delay" for personal mail to a Congressperson, but if not, it could reach her even today. Here is the gist:
Dear Shelia, You know my husband's work well [note: this is an understatement] and we have been long time 18th District voters... [note: almost since she took office] You're very busy, so here is my simple question:
What would Barbara (Jordan) do?
67% of African Americans polled favor the release of the JFK documents being unlawfully held by the government. Is it any wonder that they want the truth, when so many of the Black community's own leaders have "a cloud over their deaths" -- including your own predecessor, Mickey Leland?
I think you have a real opportunity to be a stateswoman by co-sponsoring HR 637.
...considering your future [plans to run for non-partisan office] it might interest you to know that 79% of Republicans also favor the release...
Unfortunately our CIA is proposing a "Transparency Plan" that will leave us all in the dark about JFK and arguably many other deaths. [Barbara] would support HR 637, I think.
Respectfully [etc]
I plan to follow up (with a fellow named Woods in her D.C. office) with a more formal & informational letter (sans 'certain rhetorical appeals' made to SJL.)
fabulous. anything you can do is great. we are trying to build a grassroots effort to get this done!
I would like to ask the entire Black Caucus, "What would Barbara do?" ; )