Roll-call ~ New GOP House now in Session—First Order of Business: Cancel the Mumbai trip!

As this document is being drafted with the intent of being delivered via e*mail to Senator Jim DeMint, I shall attempt brevity. Dear Senator, congratulations! I have personally campaigned in my limited capacity for you, each of the members of your Senate Conservatives group as well as Governor Palin; and will continue in my quest to right our nation for so long as is necessary to see her restored to that place revered by countries throughout the world when the United States was its most proud ~ as in the days of Jefferson and Reagan.

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Today, I come to you with urgent news of a catastrophe in the making. Barack Obama is heading to Mumbai on not only a mission to plunder literally hundreds and hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, but to also continue in his efforts to marginalize American jobs and businesses. Research into Obama's planned itinerary, as offered in a publicly available interview with Ron Somers, the President of the United States-India Business Council -- who will lead the Business and Entrepreneurship Summit, keynoted by Obama -- has revealed disturbing plans of action on the part of Obama to be revealed at the upcoming event. Briefly, please allow me to succinctly address a key issue. Ron Somers, when queried over Obama's positions and points of interest for the upcoming multi-day event in India, and I quote, had this to say, "We must not be retreating into the confines of protectionism". That answer was offered by Somers' in response to the interviewer's request for input concerning the GOP's very recent blocking of a Bill in Congress to raise visa fees on H1B and L1 visa holders. This Bill only applies to companies with a total amount of visa carrying employees (specifically the H1B and L1 visas) equaling or exceeding 50%. This Bill directly concerns the IT business, as the visas in question apply to software professionals. Additionally, the extra fees acquired if the Bill passes are slated to fund $600 million in spending for U.S. security at the border with Mexico. Officials in India have raised concerns over this Bill -- threatening to bring the U.S. before the World Trade Organization -- as they consider the issue one of discrimination. India, being highly populated by information technology engineers, feels their companies are being unfairly targeted. Let us review the facts. First, there exists within the general agreement on tariffs and trade agreement NO rule limiting the United States from imposing fees on visas. And while India may voice a strong concern over paying social security to our government for its employees earning salaries while working here, those are the laws as they pertain to workers in this country. But the most egregious issue being overlooked in all of this is the fact that India continues to refuse this country's demand to certify the facts as they pertain to forced or indentured child labor. The United States Labor Department clearly identified, and then published a list of, key commodities known to be the result of child labor. Internationally -- specifically from India -- these items include bricks, cottonseed, embroidered textiles, garments, rice, and stones. Our own companies must adhere to answering the Labor Department's demands to complete this survey. If India wants to do business in this country, they too must cooperate! This country has very serious positions when it comes to labor laws, Mr. Senator. And Obama needs to be made explicitly clear on these positions. Child labor, wages, indentured servitude and human rights are just some of the multiple issues requiring addressing before Obama boards a tax-payer supported aircraft to convene with India at a summit that will cost ME and YOU $200million dollars (and more) PER DAY! There was once another far away land where labor laws were trampled, Senators ignored the American citizenry, and lobbyists ran amuck ~ let us not forget the names Abramoff, Delay, and Saipan and the Northern Mariana Islands... We voted to restore American ideals and sanity back into the White House with you as our leader dear Senator. We respectfully demand that you and the rest of the GOP get to work! This MUST be your first order of business ~ CANCEL THE TRIP THE MUMBAI! Respectfully, honorably yours, Christopher Massie