Congressperson Raskin used one of my absolute favorite ways of saying “Fuck You.” Having received a thank-you letter from Representative George Santos for being one of the 31 Democrats who voted against kicking him out of Congress, Raskin did Santos the favor of correcting and sending it back.
Inserting missing words, replacing mischosen words with their correct spelling, and simply fixing a misstatement are all a part of Raskin’s pro-bono proofreading. Raskin also includes a brief note back to Santos, reminding him that resigning is still an option.
Raskin said he thought it would set “a terrible precedent” to expel a member who has not been convicted of a crime nor found guilty of ethics offenses by the House. If and when Santos is convicted of the “serious criminal offenses or ethics charges, I will certainly vote to expel him,” Raskin said.
After the vote, Santos sent thank you notes to the members who voted against his expulsion, including Raskin. But Santos’ note was so sloppy that Raskin couldn’t seem to resist copy-editing it and returning, along with the suggestion that Santos resign.
First, Raskin corrected Santos’ spelling and grammar. Among other errors, Santos offered gratitude to colleagues for standing up for “principals,” which should have read “principles.”
Raskin circled that error, corrected two grammatical errors in large, blue writing, then added comments that Santos will surely not be grateful for. “I appreciate your note and only wish someone had proofread it first,” Raskin began.