I contacted my Senator regarding the drones. You should too.

For all my blogging and op-ed writing, I have stayed away from contacting my Congress-members regarding any issue. I figured that after electing them, I can go about my work while they do theirs.  After all, if unhappy with them, I can always vote for somebody else later on.

But, I broke that trend.

On the issue of drones.

The following is the message:

Dear Senator Wyden: 

I thank you for pressing for clarity on the CIA's usage of drones.   

It troubles me that President Obama and his nominee to head the CIA, John Brennan, continue to refuse to offer any details other than to say "trust us" while pursuing a very twisted interpretation of the Constitution and the war powers.  

It is utterly discouraging that the nominee would flatly refuse to answer a very direct question that your colleague, Rand Paul, asked: "Do you believe that the President has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a US citizen on US soil, and without trial?” 

As difficult it might be for a Democratic senator to confront a Democratic President who has just been re-elected, you continuing to ask the right questions is encouraging against a very disappointing, and a tad frightening, backdrop.  I am counting on you to fight this good fight. 

Thanks again.

Reviewing my posts on drones, I realized that my oldest one is from January 25, 2009.  In that, I quoted Juan Cole, whose writings now seem even more weighty than ever:

The Bush administration launched 30 air attacks on targets in Pakistan in 2008, killing 220 persons. The strikes seem to have started in the summer, during the presidential campaign, about a year after candidate Obama began urging this policy. Bush may have instituted the aerial attacks to deny Obama a campaign talking point and to prevent him from out-hawking John McCain. That is, Obama may have pushed Bush -- who had earlier been wary of alienating Pakistan -- to the right. 

I am glad I contacted my state's senior senator who is asking a whole lot of questions.  I hope Senators Wyden and Paul will insist on denying a vote on Brennan's nomination unless and until he answers that question.