Backstage w/Supak: organic, progressive, environmentalist

During the long, boring process called tech rehersals, my boss Jeff Bryan, Master Soundman at the Mark Taper Forum, and I sit in the backrow of the theater taking cues, and surfing the net on our laptops. Jeff took the time, perhaps inspired by the depressing factual events of the Bush administration in the play we're doing (Stuff Happens), wrote a great letter through the moveon.org site protesting the Frist Nuclear Option about to take place over Senate filibusters of extreme judegs.

Dear Senators,

As I am sure you must be aware, the consequences of the so called Nuclear
Option are far reaching and devastating to our country and our freedom.
For over two hundred years the Senate has fulfilled its constitutional
duty of advice and consent. This process has never been a rubber stamp
and nor should it become one. Both parties when they found themselves in
the minority have used the filibuster as a tool to promote full debate,
compromise, and consensus. This process minimizes the potential disaster
of courts filled with the ideological extremes, either from the far left
or far right. Unfortunately there are those of you who now would choose
to destroy that time tested process. I urge you to reconsider your
actions. Just as FDR was not allowed to "stack" the court to obtain short
term goals you should not change the rules to do like wise.

To those of you who insist upon this disastrous course I would
respectfully call your attention to the ancient roman tradition of the
triumphal march. In the same chariot with the triumphant general there
rode a slave who kept saying "Look Behind!" Meaning "Look to the
aftermath- look at all the years that remain. Do not be puffed up or
elated at your present good-fortune." A bell and a whip were fastened to
the chariot, and these signified that it was possible for him to meet with
misfortune even to the extent of being scourged or condemned to death.
Senators, history has taught us that no party stays in power forever and
what you seek today may come back to haunt you terribly in the future.

Well, said, Jeff. Sometimes I wish we could send the entire Republican party to a world history course. There is so much they seem destined to repeat.