Democrats force Senate vote on Iraq--make a phone call.

I called my Senators and thanked them for their votes Please call your Senators and let them know how you feel about their vote on the Levin amendment. Thanks........PEACE...............Scott




Dear MoveOn member,

Two weeks ago Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid shut down the Senate, insisting on an investigation into the lies and distortions that lead us to war. Today, Reid, joined by Senators Dick Durbin and Carl Levin, forced the Senate to vote on whether or not to change course in Iraq.

The Democratic legislation insists that the president put together a plan with timelines to start bringing troops home from Iraq, entirely transfer Iraqi sovereignty to the Iraqis in 2006 and promise that U.S. troops won't permanently be in Iraq.

Here is how your senators voted.

Sens. Murray and Cantwell voted right.

Senator Patty Murray
Phone: 202-224-2621

Senator Maria Cantwell
Phone: 202-224-3441


Will you call to urge your senators to keep fighting or tell them you disagreed with how they voted?

When you call make sure you specify that you are a constituent. Here are some important points to make when you call.


Thanks (or no thanks) for your vote on the Levin amendment to change course in Iraq.

It is about time the Senate started doing its job to insist on an exit plan with a timeline to get out of Iraq.

I want you to work hard to get U.S. troops out of Iraq. The Levin amendment was a good start.

I want an exit plan with a timeline that starts now to bring the troops home in 2006.

After you call please let us know the results by clicking on the link below.

http://political.moveon.org/call?tg=FSWA_1.FSWA_2&cp_id=140&id=6352-2890451-m6s9QzHs5jLGaJUuLV4kYQ&t=2

The call for a change of course in Iraq is a significant step forward. This is the first time the Senate has voted on an exit strategy from Iraq. It is also the first time Senate Democrats have been willing to force a vote on an Iraq-related amendment. Now Republicans are saying, "me too."

How? Senator John Warner (R-VA), chairman of the powerful Senate Armed took the exact language of the Democratic amendment, gutted out the parts about a timeline and permanently removing troops from Iraq and submitted an almost identical amendment—calling on President Bush to submit an exit plan to Congress. Democrats took four steps forward and the Republicans, running scared, took one step forward.

So, what's the difference between the Democrats and the Republicans? There are two big differences.

The first big difference is that the Democrats are insisting on a timeline in the president's exit plan. They believe that timelines are an important way to get results and bring the troops home. Timelines will also force the Iraqis to get serious about governing and securing their own country.

The second big difference is that the Democrats want to say unequivocally that the United States won't permanently have troops in Iraq. That is a huge difference because right now the U.S. troop presence is making the insurgency worse. In the words of General John Abizaid, Commander of the U.S. Central Command, "Too much of a presence in the region creates more resistance than people appreciate."

The biggest difference is that the Democrats took the initiative on the issue—writing and submitting their legislation because the Republican wouldn't do their job. We need to support them, so they do it more, on this and other issues.

It is critically important when they stick their neck out that they know people around the country will support them. Please do your part today.

Thank you.

–Tom, Wes, Joan, Matt and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Tuesday, November 15th, 2005

Resources:

1. United States Policy on Iraq Act
http://democrats.senate.gov/~dpc/press/05/2005B14813.html

2. Roll Call Vote in United States Senate
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1164

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