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Weekly Agenda #3: Small Victories on Blackwater, Wiretapping and Torture
Last week 6,532 of you sent the Democrats.com Weekly Agenda to your Representatives - and we had a pretty good week in Congress as a result!
In response to Blackwater's September 16 massacre of 11 Iraqi civilians in Nisour Square, the House voted overwhelmingly (389-30) for Rep. David Price's bill to bring Blackwater and other contractors under U.S. law and FBI enforcement and take away Blackwater's license to kill. On 9/27, Sen. Barack Obama's similar amendment passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
And when "Bush Dog" Leader Steny Hoyer quietly tried to legalize the NSA's warrantless wiretapping of American citizens, 72 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus rose up in protest, and Hoyer suddenly cancelled the vote.
And when the NY Times revealed Alberto Gonzales secretly re-authorized torture in 2005, key Democrats demanded the war crimes memos written by Steve Bradbury.
But these victories were tenuous. The Blackwater bill must overcome a Bush veto. Warrantless wiretapping must be permanently ended without immunity for the telephone companies. Torture must be permanently ended without immunity for the torturers.
Together, we can and will change the Democratic Congress that we elected in 2006. So please send our Weekly Agenda for 10/8/07 to your Representatives:
http://democrats.com/weekly-agenda
You can track our full Agenda here:
http://democrats.com/agenda
Leading Americans Ask U.S. Military to Refuse Orders to Attack Iran
Country music legend Willie Nelson, literary icon Gore Vidal, Gold Star Mother Cindy Sheehan, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, former federal prosecutor Elizabeth de la Vega, author and radio host Thom Hartmann, Democrats.com's Bob Fertik and David Swanson, and dozens of other prominent Americans have signed a letter asking the Joint Chiefs of Staff and all U.S. military personnel to refuse illegal orders to launch an aggressive war on Iran.
The letter has been posted as a petition for everyone to sign:
http://www.dontattackiran.org
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10/21-23 No War No Warming
Join a global movement rising up against war and global warming by participating in a massive intervention in Washington DC or your own community. We need to take immediate action to:
- STOP the war in Iraq and future resource wars by ending our addiction to fossil fuels.
- SHIFT government funding to rebuild New Orleans and all communities suffering from racism and corporate greed.
- GO green and promote environmental justice with new jobs in a clean energy economy.
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10/27 National Mobilization to End the War in Iraq
70% of Americans want to end the U.S. Occupation of Iraq, but Bush wants to keep us there for decades - no matter how much it costs in U.S. or Iraqi lives and treasure.
Regional events are planned in 11 locations around the country on October 27th. Now is the time to start planning your busses, trains, and car pools.
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11/9 Warmup for 12/7 National Caucus
When it comes to choosing our Presidential candidates, 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:
http://www.nationalcaucus.com
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Buy an Impeach Bush and Cheney Bracelet
Help build the impeachment momentum by wearing and encouraging others to wear this symbol of commitment to restoring our Constitution.
Good quality silicone, comfortable and eye-catching. As low as 75¢ each. Fund-raise by selling for $1. or $2. each. They sell like hotcakes. In a test sale at a recent rally a team of two sold 600 in just three hours.
Shipped to U.S. zip codes only. $4 for shipping and handling will be added on quantities of fewer than 25. First orders will be filled from bracelets in stock, later orders may be delayed up to 3 weeks. The more you get, the cheaper they are.
See large image and buy:
http://afterdowningstreet.org/bracelet
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