As our President says: you are either with us, or against us.

This is what we know: The hearing with the Foreign Relations Committee is Wednesday, November 14, 3:30 pm at the Dirksen Building, Room 419. All Democrats on the Foreign Relations Committee appear to be following Senator Dodd's lead on the Vasquez nomination (since Sen. Dodd is an RPCV and chairs the Peace Corps sub-committee.) We know that Senator Dodd is unlikely to try to block the nomination because he is also attempting to block the nomination of Otto Reich as Undersecretary of State for Latin America (Reich was involved in the Iran/Contra mess) . . . We know, too, that Senator Biden's staff submitted a long list of questions to Vasquez, who answered them comprehensively (including questions about the SEC investigation) Senator Biden has been "satisfied" with the responses.

It appears that the staffer of the Foreign Relations Committee met last Friday and they were comforting themselves with the fact that President Bush not only nominated Vasquez as Director, but also nominated a well-qualified woman RPCV as Deputy Director. They think "We know he's a figurehead, but we're hoping she'll make it work."

We can't let this happen.

Here is what we also know.

Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing is on Wednesday, November 14, 3:30 p.m. The hearing is in Senator Dirksen Building, Room 419. We do know that it will be a small room. Plan ahead if you are coming. We want to fill the room with RPCVs.

This is what we must do today

We can change the "hearts and minds" of people--even senators--with the influence of our voice and votes. All of you have hang in there (and thank you for reading read our many, many emails) so we go to the next step.

We need to keep calling. Now it is important to phone Senator Dodd--one RPCV to another.

His office phone in Washington is: 202.224.2823 and his Whetherfield, Connecticut number is: 860.258.6940.

It is especially important that all Connecticut RPCVs call the Whetherfield number and voice your opinion. If you know anyone in Connecticut get them to call and give their voting address. Tell whoever answers that if Dodd doesn't stop Gaddi Vasquez, they'll vote against him. Remember, as President Bush has been saying: you are either with us, or against us. Senator Dodd needs to get that message. He is either with us on nominating a quality director, or he is against us.

We have only until Wednesday to make our point.

Again, we need funding for our Ad in RollCall for Wednesday.

Send money to

Barbara Ferris

P. Box Box 32243

Washington, D.C. 20007

Here are website where you can get the names of your congressional delegation.

www.congress.org/

www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html

www.visi.com/juan/congress/

The Committee for the Future of the Peace Corps