In Case You Don't Have the Time or the Inclination to Write to Senator McCain

My only reason for posting the body of the letter that I sent to Senator John McCain is to encourage group members to write to McCain (and Lindsey Graham, to whom I wrote a similar letter).  In case you don't want to compose letters to these Senators, I'm providing material that you may use -- in part or in toto.  Please write to Senators who seem to be on "our side."

Body of Letter

Although I reside in a state that is, unfortunately, not represented by you, I am writing to you because, more than any current US Senator, you have shown that serving America, promoting its values, and protecting our republic come before serving yourself.  Until recently, I did not believe the government of the United States of America, with its checks-and-balances system, was at risk of becoming an autocracy.  Nor did I fear that America's allies would be treated less respectfully than America's adversaries.  But this country now has a President who lacks the knowledge, the experience, the honesty, and the moral compass to do what he swore to do on the day of his inauguration.  The risks of having a Chief Executive whose primary concerns are maintaining a positive self-image, expanding his authority, increasing his abundant wealth, and punishing his opponents are compounded by the fact that most Republican leaders are willing to tolerate and make excuses for his alarming words and conduct.

I am among the many Americans who are counting on you, Senator McCain, to impress upon your colleagues the absolute necessity of discovering what underlies the President's respect for Putin, his inclination to allow Russia to victimize sovereign nations, his dismissal of Russia's interference in our country's elections, and his distrust of the intelligence community.  I am among the many Americans who are appalled by Congress's failure to pass legislation requiring anyone holding the office of the President of the United States to make public at least three years of his/her most recent tax returns and to completely separate himself/herself from holdings and businesses (i.e., create a blind trust, not an arrangement that allows a POTUS to profit from his/her position).  I am among the many Americans who wonder if our checks-and-balances system can survive a President who respects only judges whose decisions match his wishes.

Your commitment to America's laws, values, and interests has been demonstrated throughout your years in the military and in Congress.  And so I am urging you to do all that you can -- as a Senator, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, ex officio member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and admired public figure -- to protect our country and our planet from the irreparable harm that may result from having an irresponsible, uninformed, unfit Commander in Chief.