Reaching out to Sen. Murkowski

President Trump’s first 100 days clearly demonstrate how corrupt, autocratic, and self-serving he and his Republican lackeys are. But there is at least one Republican senator who’s not on board Trump’s train to infamy.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the four-term Republican from Alaska, recently admitted that “we are all afraid” of retaliation from President Trump if we, i.e. Republican officials, don’t go along with him. At the same time, the senator said she did not plan to stop speaking out. In fact, she explained that “I have to figure out how I can do my best to help the many who are so anxious and are so afraid.”

I’m thinking we should all help her do just that. If she received a ton of letters from Americans all over the country suggesting how she could support her Republican colleagues who don’t like Trump’s efforts to destroy our democracy but are afraid to cross him. The letter might go something like this:

Dear Sen. Murkowski,

         I want to thank you for speaking out regarding the fear that most everyone, including yourself, is feeling. The fear of retaliation from President Trump for criticizing or opposing him and his administration is widespread. I applaud your courage in refusing to back down in the face of the president’s threats. You have proven to be a true American patriot in your efforts to thwart the president’s autocratic conduct.

         As president, Mr. Trump is violating Americans’ constitutional rights to free speech and assembly as well as our right to due process, among others. If we allow President Trump to continue his attacks on the rule of law and numerous other rights, the United States will soon become an autocratic state where no one will be safe from the president’s wrath.

         Sen. Murkowski, as an independent-minded Republican senator willing to speak your truth, you are in a unique position to help save American democracy. But, it will require other Republicans willing to risk their positions, and perhaps their safety, to overcome the president’s autocratic efforts to destroy our democracy. So, here are a few things I hope you will consider:

1.    Talk to your Republican colleagues in the Senate who feel as you do and urge them to speak out as well.

2.    Meet with senators of both parties who you believe would be willing to work in a bipartisan way to deter President Trump’s authoritarian policies.

3.    Organize a bipartisan caucus of Senate and House members to create a national campaign to save our democracy.

Time is running out to stop President Trump and his MAGA cohorts from overthrowing our democracy and creating an autocracy. I urge you to act quickly and do whatever you can to stop President Trump and save our democracy. I guarantee that the vast majority of Americans will have your back, and many of them will want to work with you.

Respectfully yours,

(Your name)

You can get an electronic copy of my blog which includes this letter to Sen. Murkowski at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog/. Once you have the copy, go to https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/contact/email to email Sen. Murkowski the letter, or your own version of this letter urging her to help save our democracy.

Please let me know whether you are willing to write to Sen. Murkowski and work with me to help build a national letter-writing campaign to the Senator.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.