Constituents always can make a difference.
If we can change someone's position, that's the best we can hope for, to send the signal that this is not worth bloodying your hands for. Opponents of CPB funding in Congress complain they're swamped with calls and some charge that pubcasters, because they get federal funds, can't legally lobby. Stations argue that they are within their rights as long as they don't use federal money to lobby. People for the American Way's direct-mail campaign to save federal funding of public broadcasting took in 10,000 postcards, since delivered to the House of Representatives. But from Capitol Hill are coming mixed signals about the volume of constituents' calls and letters.