Pledge for Peace: 79 Congress Members and Growing
We have outstanding news from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:
"[Reid] said he will call for a vote this month on several anti-war proposals, including one by Sen. Carl Levin that would insist President Bush end U.S. combat next summer. The proposals would be mandatory and not leave Bush wiggle room, said Reid."
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not made a similar declaration.
In July, 70 House Members led by anti-war heroes Barbara Lee (D-CA), Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) signed a letter to President Bush that begins: "We are writing to inform you that we will only support appropriating additional funds for U.S. military operations in Iraq during Fiscal Year 2008 and beyond for the protection and safe redeployment of all our troops out of Iraq before you leave office."
Last week we asked you to email your Representative and over 20,000 of you responded. And this week we added 9 more Members to the letter, bringing us to 79!
This letter does not bar its signers from pushing for an earlier deadline, but it does commit them to vote against any bill that funds the occupation without a deadline of January 2009. If we can add even more Congress Members to this letter, the Progressive Caucus will give Speaker Pelosi the backbone she needs to end the war.
Please ask your Congress Member and Senators to make the commitment:
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/115
Please urge Speaker Pelosi herself to support the Peace Pledge:
http://tinyurl.com/ypyyzg
If you have a website, here's the code to publish a graphic link to the Peace Pledge:
http://afterdowningstreet.org/peacecode
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September Activism Is Being Felt
We have seen a "surge" in peace and impeachment activism already this month. In particular, Saturday, September 15th witnessed marches and rallies all over the country, including a march of tens of thousands in Washington D.C. that culminated in massive civil disobedience. About 200 citizens were arrested at the U.S. Capitol, and many more were willing, but the police couldn't handle any more. During the march, gold star father Carlos Arredondo was attacked and beaten by members of a group called "Gathering of Eagles." Here are their photos and an account of what they did.
"We love our country, and we are willing to die to save it," impeachment activist Joanne O'Neill explained to a police officer on Saturday. O'Neill reports that a Vietnam Veteran had a heart attack at the Capitol and died after police smashed his pacemaker.
Separately this past weekend, we lost the longtime leader of Veterans for Peace, David Cline. He set an example for us all and will be badly missed.
Also on Saturday, 1,200 Californians spelled IMPEACH with their bodies. See the helicopter photos.
Our own David Swanson spoke at an impeachment rally in Miami, Florida. A video of this speech will be posted tomorrow at http://afterdowningstreet.org/possible
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Iraq Moratorium / International Day of Peace
September 21st is the International Day of Peace and the first day of the Iraq Moratorium, which calls for local, decentralized, personal action or statements against the ongoing war and occupation of Iraq on the 3rd Friday of every month. Everyone, wherever you are, should try to do something that publicly says, "I am against this war -- and I want it to end now!"
1) Wear an antiwar button or sticker to work or school.
2) Wear a black armband to let people know you mourn the overwhelming loss of life in this war.
3) Hang an antiwar sign in your window, or put one on your lawn.
4) Call a local radio talk show and explain why you want this war to end.
5) Today, or tomorrow, write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper and let people know about the Iraq Moratorium and how they can get involved.
6) With just a few people, you can make a large antiwar sign or banner and hang it from a busy overpass where people traveling to or from work will see it, or from some other highly visible location.
7) Put together a small group to stand vigil in front of a military recruiting station, your local federal building, or the office of your senator or representative in Congress.
8) Call the Washington, DC, offices of your senators and your representative.
http://www.iraqmoratorium.org/
National Caucus on December 7
When it comes to choosing our Presidential cancidates, why does Iowa take priority over the rest of the country?
The National Presidential Caucus was created to give citizens across the country - Democrats, Republicans, and Independents - a chance to gather in small groups (up to 50 people) to discuss the candidates and vote.
Of course this vote is informal and will not choose any delegates for the convention. But it will get a lot of media coverage and will be a lot more meaningful than the polls - particularly for longer-shot candidates whose lower poll rankings reflects the Corporate Media's bias against them.
The full Caucus will be held on Friday December 7, using Meetup-style tools to help citizens connect. There will also be a Preliminary Straw Poll & Caucus Warmup on Friday, November 9, 2007
Democrats.com is a co-sponsor of the National Presidential Caucus. For more details visit:
http://www.nationalcaucus.com
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