as if the elf of indecision had hijacked Bush's typewriter and is answering in his stead

The elf of indecision is probably some intern who got the short straw for the week.

Couple of points...

thus killing the bill before it ever was voted upon

Voting against cloture does not kill a bill, technically. It continues debate. The bill is still alive until it is voted down.

New England (D) to ever vote for a protection of marriage amendment

Maryland is not part of New England. Never has been, never will be.

As for why your getting the same letter--it's a system, like LW said. No one on staff has time to individually respond to letters--everyone wish they did, but no one does. Some offices get thousands of letters a day--Senators would be able to do nothing else but read mail. Therefore, certain words and phrases in a letter will trigger certain language to respond to it. A more orgnanized office would have caught that your letter was a follow on and you would have gotten a different response.

If you really want to get heard--call the office and TALK to someone on staff.

The feeling I came away with (because I can't make heads or tails of this) is that he patted me on the head and went about his own agenda.

Welcome to My World

Seriously, you understand correctly, and that is precisely what happened to you, and has happened to me on every issue I ever bother to communicate to the (Dis)Honorable Senators from Maryland about. They completely ignore my requests, go on with their own agenda and screw over the people they are supposed to be representing, in the name of serving the people.

It's enough to make one puke, and it's been going in Maryland for as long as Democrats have ruled the politics in the state. Thankfully, there's a chance, slim though it may be, that the soon to be retired and former senior Senator from the State, Sarbanes, will be replaced with a member of the GOP, but don't count on it. Dead men do tell tales, or at least vote, if needed in Maryland politics, and way too many idiots in the state are plenty prepared to vote for the Ass-hat candidate of the party of the Donkey just because he has a (D) after his name on the ballot.

Oh, I could also add that calling Mikulski wouldn't change things either, as she and her staff know she is a "safe" candidate for as long as she continues to run and is registered as a Democrat. She's not even been close to losing an election yet...

Doesn't that mean that people like what she's doing?

No, it doesn't mean that at all. It means that people in this most blue state will vote for an admitted murdering rapist if that individual has a (D) behind their name, and will excuse any abuse or sins as long as that (D) continues to promise that they have the answers, feel their pain, and are just being stymied by the mean old nasty republicans otherwise they'd really be making improvements.

To be fair, there are some things that Mikulski has done that are positive, but for the most part she has been ineffectual for many years (especially during the time in the minority party) and gets stuff done only by making deals on issues that add to the pork we keep seeing our government dole out.

Welcome to My World Seriously, you understand correctly, and that is precisely what happened to you, and has happened to me on every issue I ever bother to communicate to the (Dis)Honorable Senators from Maryland about. They completely ignore my requests, go on with their own agenda and screw over the people they are supposed to be representing, in the name of serving the people.

Welcome to Maryland? Thanks, Congress and Senate for receiving me with a warm embrace.
Seriously, though, I think this is indicative of the congressional detachment they have with the rest of society. If their responsiveness to correspondence is just a nice, patronizing form letter (that references the wrong legislation in the first place) then they have a serious problem.

Hopefully if change is in the wind, another asshat... I mean, bunghole... I mean, sloth... I mean, oh what was I saying in the first place?

Actually it does, you just don't happen to be one of those people. If everyone hated her they wouldn't vote for her. The Dems in your state like her/her policies. You unfortunately do not, but you and singerdave are two among many--and two that never voted for her in the first place. You aren't the constituents she's concerned about.

Actually you are wrong about not voting for her. I have at times crossed party lines and voted my conscience in voting for her.

As I've said, on some issues she has been somewhat effective, but for the vast majority of issues she's delivered nothing but empty promises and blocking tactics to prevent any policies put forward by the republicans that control the House and Senate. On many of those very same issues she has absolutely and completely sold her constitutents up the river and absolutely and completely ignored the MAJORITY BY POLLING results that show that even her party feels her approach is wrong.

The same with Sarbanes, who again, I'm glad to see retiring. He has been effective in some areas, but for a long time now he's been nothing more than someone that has "worked with" his co-conspirators in the minority party in the congress to obstruct any and all things that come from the majority. To be fair, I think that is part of why he wants to retire, because deep down he's a relatively good man that doesn't like playing such politics. He knows that there is a good chance his seat could be going to a Republican this time, and he's still giving it up and moving on. For that I somewhat /salute him.

BTW, I should also say that what these people at the top really believe and may want to work for really doesn't matter as it all comes down to what their handlers and staff decide for them anyway. They are really no more than mere puppets any more, doing what the party machinery tells them to do and ignoring completely or obstructing at all costs any thing that comes from the other side.

And that idea (on the Senator's part) is despicable.

It may be despicable, but it's reality. A senator can't vote both ways on an issue--so chances are, he/she is going to vote the way that their voting based wants them to vote. If you aren't voting for her then it's not a loss if you are upset. However, the offices will still work on constituent issues for you--ie, rushed passport, flag requests, need someone to check with some agency about something. They are still working for you--but their policies don't have to line up with yours (and they can't possibly line up with everyones).

There's no disconnect between my two statements. Your concerns are applicable and will be heard, but chances are wont' sway the Senator (and for the record, they will only be able to guess whether or not you voted for them by the things you say).

What I am saying (because I don't think that I have been clear) is that if a Senator is voting on something and you support side A, but the majority of your state supports side B--of course the Senator is going to vote side B. Their job is to get re-elected.