I can't help but laugh when I hear Republicans whining about the process used to pass health care reform. Backroom deals? Using the reconciliation process to bypass the filibuster rule? Sounds like one of the cleaner months of the Bush era.
Letters to lawmakers and newspaper editors are more influential than most people realize. The Oregonian prints about 1 out of every 10 received, so the odds really aren't too bad. Every letter is counted, and unpublished letters still help tilt the balance of what does get published.. So please wright your own letters too!