Dialing for Democracy: Turning Back the Turn-Off of Medical Care

Remember when Republicans used to holler about "death panels" and putting a "bureaucrat" between you and your doctor?  Almost seems like the good ol' days in 2010 when the Affordable Care Act was widely debated and a discussed before being voted into law (and letting insurance companies stay between you and your doctor).

Do you want this man to decide if you go to the doctor?
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Now they are putting U.S. senators and representatives between you and your doctor, your pharmacy, your physical therapy, etc.

Dialing for Democracy

Phone lines to members of Congress often are busy – yeah, they know it’s you and just don’t want to answer.  (Crackerjack box: Little-known Lamar Alexander info below contacts)

Personal calls are powerful because a breathing person has to engage you.  But fax is an option.  I had faxed Leemar about Jeff-Beau Sessions and was surprised to get an email back, explaining how Sessions was his friend.  Surprise was that I got a reply, not that Alexander had his head up….  At least someone had to go to slight trouble. 

Sen. Lamar Alexander

DC office 202-224-4994

FAX 202-228-3398  

For phone calls, if you get tired of busy signal in DC, call Nashville office, even if you live in Memphis.  They don't believe Memphis qualifies as part of Tennessee.  Ask them to "log the call." 

Nashville office 615-736-5129   fax 615-269-4803 

Memphis office  901-544-4224  fax: 901-544-4227. 

Bonus: David Cleary, Alexander chief of staff, email  david_cleary@help.senate.gov

Sen. Bob Corker

DC office 202-224-3344

FAX 202-228-0566

Call to Chattanooga office would be second choice after DC.

Chattanooga office  423-756-2757  Fax 423-756-5313

Nashville office  615-279-8125  Fax 615-279-9488 

Memphis office  901-683-1910  Fax 901-575-3528 

ALEXANDER THE NIXON AIDE

Alexander learned dirty politics while he was a Nixon White House attorney under Haldeman and Ehrlichman.  Did you miss that one on his resume?  Yeah, he does not want people talking about that.

PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE JIM BEAM

Mr. Wholesome from Maryville, TN, in the 1970s Alexander used a church charter to get around local laws and serve liquor at a Ruby Tuesday’s restaurant he owned in Gatlinburg.

CITY SLICKER GOES COUNTRY

All you need to know about Alexander’s phony politician game is that he put on a red plaid shirt to act like a working man when he ran for governor in 1978.  When his crew got near a media or other event, they would plop Alexander behind the wheel of a pickup truck so he could “drive into town” in his pickup and plaid shirt.

AMERICAN GET-RICH SCHEME

Alexander gets rich using his government positions for personal gain.  No surprise, right?  But this 1996 Chicago Tribune story – while Alexander was a mere single-digit millionaire -- lays out some of his spurious land deals from the 20^th century and how he has leveraged his positions in office to personal wealth: 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-02-19/news/9602190118_1_blackberry-farm-tennessee-governor-lamar-alexander

Open Secrets compiled this listing of assets, updated as of 2014:

http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/assets.php?year=20100&cid=N00009888