Deregister the Democrats! 

The House Democratic leadership’s bill to end the war is a cruel hoax.

  • It will keep the war going well into 2008.
  • It omits Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s amendment which would have fully funded withdrawal by the end of 2007.
  • It gives the President the right to waive requirements that troops sent to Iraq be properly trained, equipped and rested.
  • There is no prohibition on using the money to attack Iraq.
  • Troops can stay in Iraq beyond the deadline to “capture or kill” Al Qaeda or other terrorists, or to train Iraqi troops–effectively giving Bush a loophole big enough to do as he wishes.

Conscientious anti-war Democrats came under relentless pressure to abandon their principles.

Authors of the appropriation had to resort to illogical and false arguments: they did not have the votes to cut off funding (how many votes does it take not to pass a bill?)  The bill would outlaw the war after a certain  date (but has so many loopholes that it is totally ineffective.)  The bill would require that the troops be properly trained and equipped (unless Bush certified the need for them.)

Democrats selling a plan that it no better than the administration’s and they are being nearly as disingenuous in doing so.  We cannot survive having two war parties run our government.

Individuals have few tools with which to change Congress’ course.  The most powerful–the vote-is two years away.  We have called and written our legislators and occupied their offices and not yet been successful.  It is time to send the Democrats a message that we will not support a policy that continues this disastrous war. Change your registration, leave the party, and let your representatives know that if they don’t defund the war, you will not be back.

Here are links to state boards of elections with registration forms you can download.  Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming.

“The time has come when silence is betrayal.” -Martin Luther King