Possible Federalist Society discussion with the candidates

[This email was written in response to an invitation from Marc Ayers, the President of the Birmingham Federalist Society, for a possible panel discussion of the Society with the candidates.]

From: Rob Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, May 7, 2014 at 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: Possible Federalist Society discussion with the candidates
To: "Ayers, Marc J." 
Cc:

Thank you very much, Marc.

I have endeavored engagement with the Federalist Society in the past, and I think the 6th Congressional district race should be of very significant interest for you.

As you may know, my campaign has been charging that, in Washington DC, there is NOT government of the people, by the people, and for the people, and further that the causes of that condition are also causes of Congress being dysfunctional and not able to do its job properly for the American people.

I have been linking this to a "money monster" in politics. I have, borrowing someone else's terminology, referred to our government in Washington as having been "hijacked" by the lobbyists. That government has immense control over the country through its powers of taxation, spending, and regulation. I have talked about an iron triangle (maybe a quadrangle) of lawmakers (both Republicans and Democrats, and including regulators), lobbyists, leaders of special interest organizations, and big funders, which iron triangle I contend has put their personal interests ahead of the interests of the American people to an inappropriate extent.

I say that this iron triangle has been doing a "big time number" on the American people, and a chief tool that is utilized is to keep the electorate divided and polarized, so that the electorate will never unite temporarily and do what is necessary to restore to Washington a government of, by and for the people, and a Congress that is properly functioning for the American people.

The roots of The Federalist Society, I believe, are in federalism and separation of powers. If there has been a "hijacking" of the government in Washington, and its immense power is being inappropriately used to help advance personal interests, and there is subjugation of the rest of the country, federalism is greatly denigrated, not to mention the perversion of the Federal government irrespective of federalism.

My campaign has started to speak in extreme, and even dire, ways. 

I am not alone in my concerns. The most outspoken person of note at this time I think is Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig. You may find his views forcefully articulated in his Ted book Lesterland: The Corruption of Congress And How To End It, a 20 minute companion video, which can be found here, and a recent Atlantic article (with an embedded new video), which can be found here.  On May 1, Lessig launched his MayOne citizens superPAC.

The other candidates, unfortunately, refuse to discuss any of this.

I wholeheartedly encourage the Birmingham Federalist Society to dive deeply into this Congressional race.

Although it may change, currently I have a conflict for Monday, May 19th, and I cannot make a commitment to attend. I have plenty of availability to explore this matter in other ways with the Birmingham Federalist Society. I hope you will forward this email to the members. For any member who wants to have discussion with me, they should feel free to email me, or call me at 205-967-5586.

I am taking the liberty of copying the other candidates' campaigns on this email.

Thank you very, very much for your interest in this Congressional race.

Sincerely,

Rob Shattuck

Candidate, AL 6th Congressional district