My letter to Sen. Gordon Smith from Oregon, a Republican and so generally my political adversary, but one who seems a cut above the general GOP horde, which I think says something nice about good ol' OR:

Though I often find myself at odds with your politics, I have come to understand and respect the manner in which you conduct yourself in the Senate as a worthy representation of the independent and high-minded traditions which my beloved home state of Oregon holds dear.

And so, to keep it short and sweet, I sincerely hope that if this business with filibusters comes to a head in the next days, you will find the courage to stand apart from the dictates of your party leaders and their thirst for absolute majority rule. It seems clear to me that such a historic change in Senate rules should be conducted as normal (with a 67-vote requirement) and not as a 51-vote "point of order." It also seems clear to me that Sen. Frist is engaging in this first and foremost to further his own presidential ambitions, and not out of any sincere desire to better govern our country.

I trust you know the issues, and I'm sympathetic to the pressure you must be under from GOP leaders and some of your most passionate constituents. This is a miniscule gesture on my part -- writing you this e-communique -- but I hope it may in some small way embolden you to stand up for the long-term health of our government and political process.

If you need it, here's some backstory on the filibuster issue. States with Republicans who might stick up for the integrity of the political process over Bill Frist's presidential ambitions (he's doing all this to curry favor with the fundimentalist hardliners like Jim Dobson in preparation for a 2008 run) are Maine (Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe), Nebraska (Ben Nelson), Ohio (Mike DeWine), Oregon (Gordo), Pennsylvania (Specter), Rhode Island (Lincoln Chafee), Virginia (John Warner). If they represent you, take five minutes to reach out and lobby.