Thoughts on the movement, and a wake up call to anti-war Democrats

I guess many of us are anxiously awaiting to see the results of the Senate and the House's joint conference on the supplelemental bill for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Bush asked for approximately $99 billion, the Democrats newly installed in power, turned around and are willing to give him more than $120 billion. At this point approximately $500 billion has been spent on these disastrous and immoral invasions (November 2001 and March 2003 respectively). The Senate's version has a March 2008 timetable for withdrawal, while the House has an August 2008 date (two months before the Presidential election which the Dems are now expected to win).

Anything smell political here? Sure! Not only are these timetables for withdrawal timed to gain the Dems as much political power as possible, there's nothing about them that can be enforceable when dealing with a reckless and completely morally empty commander-in-chief. Then throw in this weekend's interview of Sen. Carl Levin by George Stephanopolous: Levin says there's no way the Dems will ever cut off funding. Remember the New York Times interview of Sen. Hillary Clinton about three weeks ago? She said when she's president in '09 she will definitely be keeping troops in Iraq. It's time for true progressive and anti-war Dems to begin to leave the party.

March was an extremely busy month, with the Occupation Project across the country and Code Pink doing daily actions on Capitol Hill. What's next? Well, now that we are in the 5th year of the Iraq quagmire I keep hoping more will contnue to visit their senators and representatives and say that the gig is up! My friend Tina Richards is calling for tens of thousands of citizen lobbyists to join her in the halls of Congress!

At the end of '04 I left the Dems, but it's now time for the rest of the good people at PDA to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The Dems have the majority on The Hill, and now with passing the supplemental, officially own the Iraq quagmire and the mess in Afghanistan (which has still not produced a stable society). Carl Levin and Hillary Clinton don't speak for my friends in PDA and other anti-war progressives -- and I think many of them will now vote with their feet!

Carl Levin's offices:
WASHINGTON
269 Russell Office Building
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510-2202
Phone (202) 224-6221
Fax (202) 224-1388
8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

TRAVERSE CITY
107 Cass Street
Suite E
Traverse City, MI 49684-2602
Phone: (231) 947-9569
Fax: (231) 947-9518
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

GRAND RAPIDS
110 Michigan Street, NW
Suite 720
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2313
Phone: (616) 456-2531
Fax: (616) 456-5147
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

SAGINAW
515 N. Washington
Suite 402
Saginaw, MI 48607-1370
Phone (989) 754-2494
Fax (989) 754-2920
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

LANSING OFFICE
124 West Allegan
Suite 1810
Lansing, MI 48933-1716
Phone: (517) 377-1508
Fax: (517) 377-1506
9:00a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

WARREN
30500 Van Dyke Ave
Suite 206
Warren, MI 48093-2109
Phone: (586) 573-9145
Fax: (586) 573-8260
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

DETROIT
Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building
477 Michigan Avenue
Room 1860
Detroit, MI 48226-2576
Phone: (313) 226-6020
Fax: (313) 226-6948
TTY: (800) 851-0030
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

ESCANABA - UPPER PENINSULA
524 Ludington Street
Suite LL-103
Escanaba, MI 49829-3949
Phone (906) 789-0052
Fax (906) 789-0015
9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Guantanamo put on trial -- May 27th

In eight days, Eve Tetaz, a 76-year old retired D.C. public schoolteacher, will enter a courthouse in Washington, D.C. and engage in the legal debate over the fate of America's detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The name of Noor Muhammad has never appeared in an American criminal court. On May 27th, Tetaz will change that. On that day, she will appear at the Washington, D.C. Superior Court as Noor Muhammad. Tetaz was arrested, along with 78 others, at the U.S. Supreme Court on January 11, 2008, protesting the denial of habeas rights to and the torture of inmates at Guantanamo. Like her fellow protestors, Tetaz took the name of an inmate during her arrest. ( See the January 13 Washington Post article "Activists Pose as Guantanamo Prisoners" ) Tetaz says she felt compelled to participate in the protest at the Supreme Court because detainees are being tortured at Guantanamo. "Torture is a terrible crime and sin against humanity," she said. Thirty-four

Sheehan to challenge Pelosi

I was there the day about three weeks ago when Cindy announced she was running against Pelosi. It was outside of Rep. John Conyers'office. I think change is in the air, and all politics is local. The San Fran area is perhaps the most staunchly progressive in the whole country. Tomorrow morning I will be dropping a check for Cindy's campaign in the mail. Peace activist seeks SF-area House seat Associated Press report Citing her son as inspiration, a tearful Cindy Sheehan announced her candidacy Thursday for the U.S. House of Representatives. The anti-war activist, a former resident of Vacaville, said she will run as an independent against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco in Congress since 1987. "The country is ripe for a change," said Sheehan, who spoke at a news conference in San Francisco, with her slain son's photograph attached to the podium. "It's going to start right here and right now." Sheehan's 24-year-old son

William Thomas Dies

William Thomas, dedicated peace and anti-nuke activist, passed away Friday morning at home. He was co-pilot of the 24-hour seven-day a week vigil at the White House for 27 years. He is survived by his wife Ellen and vigil co-pilot Concepcion. I remember Thomas from my high school years years early in on his vigil. Millions of people from hundred of countries visited Thomas as he kept vigiling, warning them of the dangers of nuclear holocaust and the ravages of war. He will be greatly missed by the peace and justice movement. An excerpt from an article in The Washington Post by David Montgomery, published a couple years ago: WASHINGTON — William Thomas first introduced fanny to brick on the White House sidewalk on June 3, 1981. His sign said, "Wanted: Wisdom and Honesty." He's been there ever since, still squatting, still wanting. A few months after he began, he was joined by Concepcion Picciotto, who has remained similarly steadfast. War is not over, but the peace protest

Inside the Belly of the Beltway Beast

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