A million thank yous to James for putting these things together. I have added to the site, in WORD format, the work James has done on both the House and Senate Version of this bill. Please look it over. I am printing it out to send to Thelma and one to carry around with me for when I am speaking with people about Iran who aren't aware of the truth. Please check them out on the home page of our site on the left at the top. I think the addresses are
http://www.patriotstoolbox.org/codepink/docs/SenRes580--IRAN,w-CORRECTIVE.doc
-and-
http://www.patriotstoolbox.org/codepink/docs/H.Con.Res362,detailed.FINAL-1.doc
Enjoy!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Press Release for Saturday's Event at Little Creek
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Hampton Roads Peace and Justice Coalition
PO Box 5533
Virginia Beach, VA 23471
Media Contact: Tom Palumbo 757-470-9797
Email Address: NorfolkOffBase@Gmail.com
A member of Virginia Antiwar Network / Http://WWW. VAWN. Org
Norfolk VA; July 31, 2008: Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk will be the sight of a local demonstration this Saturday, August 2, 2008 12PM – 1:30 PM.
The protest will be calling for More Diplomacy! Less Deployments! to "Stop The Next War Now! No War on Iran!"
Organized by the Hampton Roads Peace and Justice Coalition, the group plans to rally to bring the troops home now, as well as provide support and alternatives to Servicemembers and their families.
This colorful and informative gathering intends to call upon policy makers to use dialogue and diplomacy to avert escalation of the tensions in the Middle East, with particular emphasis on avoiding armed conflict with Iran.
Said Retired Navy Commander and Portsmouth resident Dave Timm: "We
support our troops, and call upon President Bush and Congress to seek a peaceful compromise with Iran. As Admiral Fox Fallon has stated the use the threat of force towards Iran is not the answer and will only complicate an already volatile situation in that region.
"
The Hampton Roads Code Pink Coordinator, Miranda Barker of Norfolk has told HRPJC: "I am going to be there because once again we are beating the drums of war on the assumption that another country has weapons that our own intelligence has shown they do not have".
This gathering has been endorsed by several local, regional and national organizations and is being held in conjunction with 70 local actions held around the country to oppose a preemptive strike on Iran.
Virginia groups that have endorsed the event include: Code Pink! Hampton Roads Chapter; Veterans For Peace; Norfolk Catholic Worker; Norfolk based Navy Petty Officer Jonathan Hutto, Co-Founder Appeal For Redress / Author of "Anti War Soldier"; Augusta Coalition for Peace & Justice (Augusta County); Blacksburg Coalition For Justice; Charlottesville Center for Peace & Justice' CodePINK Charlottesville; Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality (Richmond); Little Flower Catholic Worker (Louisa); Northern Virginians for Peace and Justice; People United; Virginia AntiWar Network (WWW. VAWN. Org); Progressive Democrats of America, Virginia Chapter; Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged (R.I.H.D.) (Richmond); Richmond Peace Education Center - RVA4Peace (Richmond); and labor union UE Local 160. The action has been coordinated with the national Stop War On Iran! group.
http://stopwaroniran. org
Rally 12:00PM -1:30 PM; Saturday August 2, 2008, Corner E.
Little Creek and Shore Drive;
Numerous photo opportunities and spokespeople will be available for extended interviews
###
Contact: Hampton Roads Peace and Justice Coalition
PO Box 5533
Virginia Beach, VA 23471
Media Contact: Tom Palumbo 757-470-9797
Email Address: NorfolkOffBase@Gmail.com
A member of Virginia Antiwar Network / Http://WWW. VAWN. Org
Norfolk VA; July 31, 2008: Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk will be the sight of a local demonstration this Saturday, August 2, 2008 12PM – 1:30 PM.
The protest will be calling for More Diplomacy! Less Deployments! to "Stop The Next War Now! No War on Iran!"
Organized by the Hampton Roads Peace and Justice Coalition, the group plans to rally to bring the troops home now, as well as provide support and alternatives to Servicemembers and their families.
This colorful and informative gathering intends to call upon policy makers to use dialogue and diplomacy to avert escalation of the tensions in the Middle East, with particular emphasis on avoiding armed conflict with Iran.
Said Retired Navy Commander and Portsmouth resident Dave Timm: "We
support our troops, and call upon President Bush and Congress to seek a peaceful compromise with Iran. As Admiral Fox Fallon has stated the use the threat of force towards Iran is not the answer and will only complicate an already volatile situation in that region.
"
The Hampton Roads Code Pink Coordinator, Miranda Barker of Norfolk has told HRPJC: "I am going to be there because once again we are beating the drums of war on the assumption that another country has weapons that our own intelligence has shown they do not have".
This gathering has been endorsed by several local, regional and national organizations and is being held in conjunction with 70 local actions held around the country to oppose a preemptive strike on Iran.
Virginia groups that have endorsed the event include: Code Pink! Hampton Roads Chapter; Veterans For Peace; Norfolk Catholic Worker; Norfolk based Navy Petty Officer Jonathan Hutto, Co-Founder Appeal For Redress / Author of "Anti War Soldier"; Augusta Coalition for Peace & Justice (Augusta County); Blacksburg Coalition For Justice; Charlottesville Center for Peace & Justice' CodePINK Charlottesville; Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality (Richmond); Little Flower Catholic Worker (Louisa); Northern Virginians for Peace and Justice; People United; Virginia AntiWar Network (WWW. VAWN. Org); Progressive Democrats of America, Virginia Chapter; Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged (R.I.H.D.) (Richmond); Richmond Peace Education Center - RVA4Peace (Richmond); and labor union UE Local 160. The action has been coordinated with the national Stop War On Iran! group.
http://stopwaroniran. org
Rally 12:00PM -1:30 PM; Saturday August 2, 2008, Corner E.
Little Creek and Shore Drive;
Numerous photo opportunities and spokespeople will be available for extended interviews
###
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Iran is a LIE too! H. Con. Res 362 Action Part 1
James at the PINK house has done an excellent job of putting together some information on Iran and H. Con. Res. 362. We know that Thelma Drake is a Co-Sponsor of the bill and we are now working to get her to withdraw her support. You can follow the bill here and check to see if your representative is supporting the bill for sanctions (an act of war) on Iran.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HC00362:@@@P
Please review the information below for talking points, or go to the national site and print out the document and give it to your representative here:
http://codepinkalert.org/article.php?list=type&type=135#iranblockade
H. CON. RES. 362
FALSE ASSERTIONS:
1) The Resolution's introductory paragraph refers to “Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
This claim is not supported by the current National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), the joint conclusion of America's 16 intelligence agencies. To the contrary, the NIE states that the U.S. has no evidence that Iran has had such a program for at least five years.
2) “Whereas” (No. 3) states that “the IAEA has confirmed... importation of designs to convert highly enriched uranium gas into metal and shape it into the core of a nuclear weapon.”
This assertion is FALSE. H. Con. Res. 362 falsely attributes this claim to the IAEA. It is actually from the 18 electronic documents (not original documents) supplied to the IAEA by various states favoring strong action against Iran. The IAEA's June 2008 report refers to such documents as “alleged” and “purported,” stating explicitly that they have not been authenticated.
Of Iran's nuclear enrichment program, the IAEA report states: “The Agency currently has no information... on the actual design or manufacture by Iran of nuclear material components, or of other key components, of a nuclear weapon. Likewise, the Agency has not seen indications of the actual use of nuclear material in connection with the alleged studies.”
Regarding the alleged documents, the IAEA was not provided with original copies of the documents, but only electronic versions which they were not authorized to share with the Iranians in order that Tehran could respond to the alleged evidence.
3) “Whereas” (No. 9) states that “Iran's leaders have repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel...”
This assertion is FALSE and based on a false translation. According to University of Michigan Professor of Middle Eastern Studies Juan Cole (and numerous other Middle East experts):
"Ahmadinejad did not say he was going to 'wipe Israel off the map' because no such idiom exists in Persian... the proper translation is that Ahmadinejad “hoped its regime, i.e., a Jewish-Zionist state occupying Jerusalem, would collapse... The actual quote, which comes from an old speech of Khomeini, does not imply military action, or killing anyone at all.”
4) “Whereas” (No. 13) refers to the “rapid development” of Iran's nuclear capabilities:
This characterization is wildly off the mark. According to The New York Times, “...the centrifuges that Iran is running appear to be inefficient... While the cascade worked, 'It didn't operate well,' Mr. (David) Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security said in an interview, echoing his May 17 Congressional testimony.” (NYT, 5/29/06)
Also: “Western nuclear analysts... called (Iranian) claims exaggerated (and) said nothing had
changed to alter current estimates of when Iran might be able to make a single nuclear weapon... 5 to 10 years, and some analysts have said it could come as late as 2020.” (NYT, 4/13/06)
5) “Whereas” (No. 16) alleges that Hamas “illegally (seized) control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority...”
This characterization is 180 degrees wrong. An article appearing in the April 2008 issue of Vanity Fair reveals “how (the Bush administration) backed an armed force under Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan, touching off a bloody civil war in Gaza and leaving Hamas stronger than ever.”
The article by David Rose cites “confidential documents, corroborated by outraged former and current U.S. officials” including David Wurmser, one of the founding NeoCons, who served as Cheney’s Middle East adviser until he resigned in July of 2007. Wurmser said, “There is a stunning disconnect between the President’s call for Middle East democracy and this policy. It directly contradicts it.” (DemocracyNow!, 3/5/08)
6) H. Con. Res. 362's final “Whereas” avers that “nothing in this resolution shall be construed as an authorization of the use of force against Iran.”
However, the same resolution “demands” that the President take action to prohibit: “the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program”
As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's June 24, 2008 article concludes “such a unilateral blockade constitutes an act of war" under international law.
Additional Information:
• The allegation that Iran supports terrorist groups is misleading. Only a handful of countries consider Hamas and Hezbollah “terrorist groups,” and the U.N. does not so designate either group. Both groups are very popular in the Middle East, especially among the local populace. Both have offered long-term peace deals with Israel and been rebuffed. Neither kills anywhere near the number of civilians the Israeli Defense Forces do (the 2006 war with Lebanon provides a stark example of this phenomenon).
• Ironically, Congressman Ackerman, H. Con. Res. 362's sponsor, is on record as supporting a State Department-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, the MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq), despite their history of killing American civilian and military personnel.
• The Ford administration encouraged Tehran to seek nuclear power on the grounds that their oil would one day run out.
• Prior to his ouster the Shah of Iran, a U.S. ally, working with Israel planned to fit nuclear warheads onto Iranian missiles in clear contravention of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
• H. Con. Res. 362 hypes the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran by citing the worst case scenario presented in the 2007 NIE – that Iran could have enough enriched uranium for a weapon “as soon as late 2009,” neglecting to mention that the same NIE concludes that “this is very unlikely,” pointing to 2013 as a more reasonable estimate.
• America has scant evidence that Iran is supporting terrorism against the U.S. The New York Times reported in February of this year that American officials are “perplexed in recent years over whether Iran had decided not to use terrorism as a weapon against the United States.”
• H. Con. Res. 362 exaggerates the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran by suggesting that their ballistic missiles are “almost exclusively” suited to nuclear weapons – which the NIE disputes.
• H. Con. Res. 362 suggests that the Bush administration has pursued diplomacy. The truth is that this administration has consistently rejected diplomatic overtures from Iran, including the 2003 “grand bargain,” in which Tehran offered to put EVERYTHING on the table: nuclear enrichment, support for Hamas and Hezbollah, recognition of Israel, cooperation in Iraq... The administration would not even respond to Tehran's offer and rebuked the Swiss ambassador for relaying the offer in the first place.
• H. Con. Res. 362, echoing Bush administration propaganda, puts a disproportionate emphasis on the role played by Iran in the wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. American allies Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have had a far greater detrimental role in those two countries, respectively: Saudi Arabia providing most of the suicide bombers and funding for the insurgency in Iraq; Pakistan being the chief protector – and source – of the Taliban, releasing from their prisons dozens of Taliban implicated in suicide bombings and using the vast majority of the U.S. $5 billion for defense against India rather than against militants/jihadis.
• Ironically, the Bush administration has allied itself with SCIRI (The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq), the Iranian-created/controlled Shi'ite faction in Iraq, rather than the far more popular, indigenous Sadrists. The difference: The Sadrists want the occupation to end; the Iranian faction, like the Bush administration, is willing to see the occupation continue and the country split into 3 semi-autonomous regions.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HC00362:@@@P
Please review the information below for talking points, or go to the national site and print out the document and give it to your representative here:
http://codepinkalert.org/article.php?list=type&type=135#iranblockade
H. CON. RES. 362
FALSE ASSERTIONS:
1) The Resolution's introductory paragraph refers to “Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
This claim is not supported by the current National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), the joint conclusion of America's 16 intelligence agencies. To the contrary, the NIE states that the U.S. has no evidence that Iran has had such a program for at least five years.
2) “Whereas” (No. 3) states that “the IAEA has confirmed... importation of designs to convert highly enriched uranium gas into metal and shape it into the core of a nuclear weapon.”
This assertion is FALSE. H. Con. Res. 362 falsely attributes this claim to the IAEA. It is actually from the 18 electronic documents (not original documents) supplied to the IAEA by various states favoring strong action against Iran. The IAEA's June 2008 report refers to such documents as “alleged” and “purported,” stating explicitly that they have not been authenticated.
Of Iran's nuclear enrichment program, the IAEA report states: “The Agency currently has no information... on the actual design or manufacture by Iran of nuclear material components, or of other key components, of a nuclear weapon. Likewise, the Agency has not seen indications of the actual use of nuclear material in connection with the alleged studies.”
Regarding the alleged documents, the IAEA was not provided with original copies of the documents, but only electronic versions which they were not authorized to share with the Iranians in order that Tehran could respond to the alleged evidence.
3) “Whereas” (No. 9) states that “Iran's leaders have repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel...”
This assertion is FALSE and based on a false translation. According to University of Michigan Professor of Middle Eastern Studies Juan Cole (and numerous other Middle East experts):
"Ahmadinejad did not say he was going to 'wipe Israel off the map' because no such idiom exists in Persian... the proper translation is that Ahmadinejad “hoped its regime, i.e., a Jewish-Zionist state occupying Jerusalem, would collapse... The actual quote, which comes from an old speech of Khomeini, does not imply military action, or killing anyone at all.”
4) “Whereas” (No. 13) refers to the “rapid development” of Iran's nuclear capabilities:
This characterization is wildly off the mark. According to The New York Times, “...the centrifuges that Iran is running appear to be inefficient... While the cascade worked, 'It didn't operate well,' Mr. (David) Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security said in an interview, echoing his May 17 Congressional testimony.” (NYT, 5/29/06)
Also: “Western nuclear analysts... called (Iranian) claims exaggerated (and) said nothing had
changed to alter current estimates of when Iran might be able to make a single nuclear weapon... 5 to 10 years, and some analysts have said it could come as late as 2020.” (NYT, 4/13/06)
5) “Whereas” (No. 16) alleges that Hamas “illegally (seized) control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority...”
This characterization is 180 degrees wrong. An article appearing in the April 2008 issue of Vanity Fair reveals “how (the Bush administration) backed an armed force under Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan, touching off a bloody civil war in Gaza and leaving Hamas stronger than ever.”
The article by David Rose cites “confidential documents, corroborated by outraged former and current U.S. officials” including David Wurmser, one of the founding NeoCons, who served as Cheney’s Middle East adviser until he resigned in July of 2007. Wurmser said, “There is a stunning disconnect between the President’s call for Middle East democracy and this policy. It directly contradicts it.” (DemocracyNow!, 3/5/08)
6) H. Con. Res. 362's final “Whereas” avers that “nothing in this resolution shall be construed as an authorization of the use of force against Iran.”
However, the same resolution “demands” that the President take action to prohibit: “the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program”
As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's June 24, 2008 article concludes “such a unilateral blockade constitutes an act of war" under international law.
Additional Information:
• The allegation that Iran supports terrorist groups is misleading. Only a handful of countries consider Hamas and Hezbollah “terrorist groups,” and the U.N. does not so designate either group. Both groups are very popular in the Middle East, especially among the local populace. Both have offered long-term peace deals with Israel and been rebuffed. Neither kills anywhere near the number of civilians the Israeli Defense Forces do (the 2006 war with Lebanon provides a stark example of this phenomenon).
• Ironically, Congressman Ackerman, H. Con. Res. 362's sponsor, is on record as supporting a State Department-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, the MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq), despite their history of killing American civilian and military personnel.
• The Ford administration encouraged Tehran to seek nuclear power on the grounds that their oil would one day run out.
• Prior to his ouster the Shah of Iran, a U.S. ally, working with Israel planned to fit nuclear warheads onto Iranian missiles in clear contravention of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
• H. Con. Res. 362 hypes the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran by citing the worst case scenario presented in the 2007 NIE – that Iran could have enough enriched uranium for a weapon “as soon as late 2009,” neglecting to mention that the same NIE concludes that “this is very unlikely,” pointing to 2013 as a more reasonable estimate.
• America has scant evidence that Iran is supporting terrorism against the U.S. The New York Times reported in February of this year that American officials are “perplexed in recent years over whether Iran had decided not to use terrorism as a weapon against the United States.”
• H. Con. Res. 362 exaggerates the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran by suggesting that their ballistic missiles are “almost exclusively” suited to nuclear weapons – which the NIE disputes.
• H. Con. Res. 362 suggests that the Bush administration has pursued diplomacy. The truth is that this administration has consistently rejected diplomatic overtures from Iran, including the 2003 “grand bargain,” in which Tehran offered to put EVERYTHING on the table: nuclear enrichment, support for Hamas and Hezbollah, recognition of Israel, cooperation in Iraq... The administration would not even respond to Tehran's offer and rebuked the Swiss ambassador for relaying the offer in the first place.
• H. Con. Res. 362, echoing Bush administration propaganda, puts a disproportionate emphasis on the role played by Iran in the wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. American allies Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have had a far greater detrimental role in those two countries, respectively: Saudi Arabia providing most of the suicide bombers and funding for the insurgency in Iraq; Pakistan being the chief protector – and source – of the Taliban, releasing from their prisons dozens of Taliban implicated in suicide bombings and using the vast majority of the U.S. $5 billion for defense against India rather than against militants/jihadis.
• Ironically, the Bush administration has allied itself with SCIRI (The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq), the Iranian-created/controlled Shi'ite faction in Iraq, rather than the far more popular, indigenous Sadrists. The difference: The Sadrists want the occupation to end; the Iranian faction, like the Bush administration, is willing to see the occupation continue and the country split into 3 semi-autonomous regions.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Impeachment Hearings NOW
Hooray for Lisa!! One of our Pinkers is one of only 17 people who made it into the actual hearings!!
Please call your local TV and Newspapers and ask that they cover the Impeachment hearings. The numbers are below. Let them know that it is being covered right now Live on CSPAN 1
ASK FOR THE NEWS ROOM!!
WTKR 446-1000
WAVY 757-393-1010
WVEC 757.628.6200
Virginian Pilot 757-446-2010
Please call your local TV and Newspapers and ask that they cover the Impeachment hearings. The numbers are below. Let them know that it is being covered right now Live on CSPAN 1
ASK FOR THE NEWS ROOM!!
WTKR 446-1000
WAVY 757-393-1010
WVEC 757.628.6200
Virginian Pilot 757-446-2010
Saturday, July 19, 2008
How it really isin Iraq, from an Iraqi Woman
I will be commenting on this, but I wanted to get it up while I had it. More to come!
More on Mock Trial Yesterday
From the Daily Press:
Rove protested at Drake fundraiser
The GOP representative hosts the former presidential adviser.
BY KIMBALL PAYNE | 247-4765
July 19, 2008
VIRGNIA BEACH - Protesters appeared Friday outside a sold-out fundraiser for Rep. Thelma Drake that featured Karl Rove, calling for the arrest of the lightning-rod Republican guru.
Democrats had been calling for Drake's re-election campaign to cancel the luncheon at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in the Virginia Beach Town Center. Rove arrived early Friday afternoon, and about 40 protesters spent more than three hours picketing — even staging a mock trial, complete with robes and wigs.
"It's a shame that Thelma Drake decided it was OK to spend time with Karl Rove when she may very well be voting on him for contempt of Congress in a couple of weeks," said Jared Leopold, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party. "I guess we know where her vote will lie."
Rove defended his decision not to answer a subpoena to testify before Congress last week about the firings of U.S. attorneys. The former top White House adviser and current Fox News political analyst said talking publicly about those matters was up to President Bush because it would break the separation between the judicial and executive branches of the government — a core tenet of the U.S. Constitution.
Rove also described Drake, whom Democrats have derided as a lock-step Bush supporter, as a "independent-minded" politician.
"It was a highly successful event. People were excited to hear Karl Rove speak," Drake said of the fundraiser, where plates went as high as $1,000. "He gave everyone good insight into (presumptive GOP presidential nominee) John McCain and the presidential race."
Drake is in a re-election campaign against first-time candidate Glenn Nye, a former Foreign Service officer. Drake's district includes Virginia Beach and parts of Hampton, Norfolk and the Eastern Shore. The race has been on the national radar for political insiders, despite that Drake has survived spirited challenges before.
Nye's campaign and national Democrats have been railing against Drake for staging a fundraiser with Rove so soon after he defied a congressional subpoena. Democrat Leopold said Rove represented the Washington-style partisan gridlock and wrangling that voters were tired of watching.
Drake's campaign shot back, questioning why Nye would accept $4,000 from Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., now in hot water because of fundraising using official letterhead.
Rove protested at Drake fundraiser
The GOP representative hosts the former presidential adviser.
BY KIMBALL PAYNE | 247-4765
July 19, 2008
VIRGNIA BEACH - Protesters appeared Friday outside a sold-out fundraiser for Rep. Thelma Drake that featured Karl Rove, calling for the arrest of the lightning-rod Republican guru.
Democrats had been calling for Drake's re-election campaign to cancel the luncheon at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in the Virginia Beach Town Center. Rove arrived early Friday afternoon, and about 40 protesters spent more than three hours picketing — even staging a mock trial, complete with robes and wigs.
"It's a shame that Thelma Drake decided it was OK to spend time with Karl Rove when she may very well be voting on him for contempt of Congress in a couple of weeks," said Jared Leopold, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party. "I guess we know where her vote will lie."
Rove defended his decision not to answer a subpoena to testify before Congress last week about the firings of U.S. attorneys. The former top White House adviser and current Fox News political analyst said talking publicly about those matters was up to President Bush because it would break the separation between the judicial and executive branches of the government — a core tenet of the U.S. Constitution.
Rove also described Drake, whom Democrats have derided as a lock-step Bush supporter, as a "independent-minded" politician.
"It was a highly successful event. People were excited to hear Karl Rove speak," Drake said of the fundraiser, where plates went as high as $1,000. "He gave everyone good insight into (presumptive GOP presidential nominee) John McCain and the presidential race."
Drake is in a re-election campaign against first-time candidate Glenn Nye, a former Foreign Service officer. Drake's district includes Virginia Beach and parts of Hampton, Norfolk and the Eastern Shore. The race has been on the national radar for political insiders, despite that Drake has survived spirited challenges before.
Nye's campaign and national Democrats have been railing against Drake for staging a fundraiser with Rove so soon after he defied a congressional subpoena. Democrat Leopold said Rove represented the Washington-style partisan gridlock and wrangling that voters were tired of watching.
Drake's campaign shot back, questioning why Nye would accept $4,000 from Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., now in hot water because of fundraising using official letterhead.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Mock Trial of Karl Rove Today!! UPDATED
The Mock Trial of Karl Rove yesterday at the Virginia Beach Town Center Fountain was a success! The news reported between 30 and 40 people having been there. Rove said he was coming out for an interview, and to my knowledge he never ended up doing so. They snuck him in and out of the Sally Port of the Restaurant. Thelma Drake was reported as being none too pleased over the days events and neither were the supporters of Rove and Drake who had to walk through us to attend the $2300 dollar a plate lunch.
We got good coverage on all three news channels and in the Pilot. I haven't checked the Daily Press yet. Here is what I found on Channel 3. By 11PM all of the news channels and the paper had us linked on their home page. We all had a great time! Thanks to everyone who made it out! Here is the News coverage:
From Channel 10:
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY.com) -- The shouts of protesters turned an area of Town Center in Virginia Beach into an outdoor courtroom.
"Arrest Karl Rove! Arrest Karl Rove!" they yelled.
A man wearing devil's horns and a Karl Rove mask made of paper stood as the accused in a mock trial. The jury of protesters charge him with several crimes including exposing a CIA operative... and most recently refusing to testify before Congress after being subpoenaed. Each accusation received the same verdict.
"What is your verdict? Guilty!"
The demonstration near the fountain was to counter, an event inside the Ruth's Criss Steak House. President Bush's former adviser, Karl Rove spoke to a crowd of Republicans on behalf of 2nd District Congresswoman Thelma Drake. After the fundraiser, Rove explained to reporters why he did not testify.
"A President has a right to counsel and advice from senior aids without being called up to Congress on the whim of Congress."
Rove says his attorneys offered 5 times to meet with the House Judiciary Committee and answer questions. As for how his controversies might impact Drake's campaign...
"I am a controversial figure. James Carville is a controversial figure. That's just the way politics is today."
But the protesters and some 2nd District voters disagree. Donna Digati of Virginia Beach told Virginiapolitics.tv, "It's shocking that Thelma Drake would have him as her honored guest at a 25-hundred dollar plate luncheon and the man is in contempt of Congress." Digati held a sign accusing Rove and Drake of being liars.
Drake's Democratic opponent Glenn Nye was not available for comment - but his supporters like Democratic State Delegate Ward Armstrong spoke with Virginiapolitics.tv "Why not say, I disagree with what he's done, she may very well have to vote on it in a few weeks in a contempt of Congress. Why in the world would you say that and continue to associate yourself with his administration," Armstrong said.
The Virginia House Minority leader also said re-electing Drake was "to elect a 3rd term of George Bush."
Drake responded to such comments with, "Karl Rove and I, George Bush and I, are republicans. Our philosophy of life is very similar. So it's not unusual to agree in a lot of areas. But there are a lot of areas where I disagree with President Bush."
From the Pilot:
Video:
http://hamptonroads.tv/index.cfm?locvid=140499
By Aaron Applegate
The Virginian-Pilot
© July 18, 2008
VIRGINIA BEACH
How do you react to 40 protesters waving signs and screaming "Shame on you!" while you walk into a steakhouse?
That was the question faced by almost everyone who attended the sold-out Thelma Drake fundraiser Friday with former White House adviser Karl Rove.
Edie Wombolt of Virginia Beach decided to shout "Freedom of speech!" back at protesters.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion," she explained before entering Ruth's Chris Steak House in Town Center to see Rove.
Less understanding were two men who extended obscene gestures at protesters.
When protester Lisa Petry yelled "Shame on you!" at a woman entering the restaurant, she set off this exchange:
The woman: "Get a life!"
Petry: "I have a life! This is it!"
The woman: "What a shame!"
Petry: "It's a shame Karl Rove is your hero!"
The woman: "I feel sorry for you!"
Petry: "I feel sorry for you!
And so went the clash between about 100 Drake supporters who paid $500 to $1,000 for lunch and a photo with Rove, and a loose-knit group of chanting protesters toting signs such as, "How is it that you have time to eat steak but not to testify?"
Drake is seeking her third term representing the 2nd District, which covers Virginia Beach and parts of Norfolk, Hampton and the Eastern Shore. She faces Democratic challenger Glenn Nye on Nov. 4.
While Drake supporters dined, protesters put on a mock trial in which Rove was found "guilty" of a variety of crimes, from treason to helping expose the identity of a CIA agent to defying a congressional subpoena to testify last week.
Speaking to reporters after the function, which was closed to the press, Rove said he didn't appear before Congress because White House lawyers advised him that executive privilege bars Congress from compelling staffers to testify under oath.
Asked about the protest, Rove called it "anemic."
"I was sort of upset," he said. "There should have been more people."
Drake said the protest was "misguided" and that it didn't bother her.
"It's not unusual," she said. "I've been protested all over the place."
Sharon Bivens, a public school art teacher who played the role of exposed CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson during the mock trial, said of Rove's dismissal: "Even if he didn't find us large in numbers, he still won't answer to the people. If we were subpoenaed, we'd have to testify. He's not above the law."
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
From Channel 3:
(Separated so it fits in Blogger. Just cut and paste all four lines in order.)
http://www.wtkr.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=2707288&h1=
Protestors%20%26quot%3BGreet%26quot%3B%20Karl%20Rove&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=69933&
LaunchPageAdTag=Search%20Results&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http%3A//
www.wtkr.com/Global/SearchResults.asp%3Fvendor%3Dwss%26qu%3Drove&rnd=45685566
The AP:
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - Karl Rove's appearance at a fundraiser for Congresswoman Thelma Drake drew protesters to the Virginia Beach event.
The former White House adviser attended the fundraiser Friday at a local steakhouse while about 40 people gathered outside. Some carried signs reading "Arrest Karl Rove" and "Shame on Thelma Drake."
Earlier this week Democrats called on Drake to cancel the sold-out fund-raiser. They cited Rove's defiance of a congressional subpoena last week.
Drake is a Republican who represents Virginia Beach and parts of Norfolk, Hampton and the Eastern Shore.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
From Channel 13:
http://www.wvec.com/video/topvideo-index.html?nvid=264764
I am making a Flickr for our CODEPINK today and will add pics. Any one who was there and has good pictures, please send them to me hrcodepink@yahoo.com I will add them to the new flickr account and if anyone has video I will add it to our YouTube Channel.
Summary from DemocraticUndergroud.com:
Concerned citizens from across Eastern Virginia rallied today at Town Center in Virginia Beach to object to criminal, Karl Rove, and his fund raiser for Bushbot congresswoman, Thelma Drake.
In addition to representatives from across the political spectrum turning out in protest, Sharon Bivens and Chris Jaramillo, long-time local activists, staged a Mock Trial of Karl Rove (see the text below).
After the mock trial ended, many of the activists stayed with our signs and anger to await the exit of Karl Rove and Thelma Drake. Standing with about 15 other activists at the back door from Ruth's Chris Steak House (where the $200-$2300 a plate luncheon was served), I was positioned so that as Rove's car passed, he was within inches of my large sign noting that he was a criminal and a traitor and my right hand which was giving him the "bird." I am also sure that he heard me yelling "criminal" at the top of my lungs as I can not hear out of either ear at the moment!
Rove's reaction: Turdblossom sat in the passenger seat, smiling smugly and waving at us through the darkened glass (was the glass naturally dark or did it darken in the presence of Rove???)
My reaction: How can a criminal who ignores a Congressional subpoena--Karl Rove--not be under arrest???!!!! Can we the people arrest our congressional representatives for NOT upholding their oaths of office? Why is no one in political life held accountable any more?
Fellow activists' reactions: Perhaps I should not have given Rove the "bird."
My reaction: But wasn't he giving it to us with his smug, I-am-above-the-law smile and wave? Wasn't he giving the finger to Congress and the American people by ignoring the subpoena?
After Rove drove off in a cloud of sulfur, we went back to the front near the fountain at Town Center where we were able to catch Thelma Drake leaving. She was not too happy as we ran after her with our large signs, calling her a criminal and a traitor.
Thelma's reaction: A look that said, "Oh, shit, I think that even trying to steal the election by having one machine at each precinct way off in my favor is not going to work this time."
Reaction of some guy "guarding" Thelma: Snapping our pictures.
Our reaction: "Thelma is a criminal and a traitor." Big smile for the camera.
Yes, it was a great day for over 40 political activists: Nader people, Code Pink, MoveOn.org, Obama people, Ron Paul people, Iraq Veterans against the War, 9-11 Truthers, Veterans against the War, etc., etc., etc. We may not agree on who is the best candidate, but we sure agree on who IS NOT!!!!!
We plan to post the video of the "trial" on YouTube. There was great press coverage for a change for our event!
And the Actual Trial:
We got good coverage on all three news channels and in the Pilot. I haven't checked the Daily Press yet. Here is what I found on Channel 3. By 11PM all of the news channels and the paper had us linked on their home page. We all had a great time! Thanks to everyone who made it out! Here is the News coverage:
From Channel 10:
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY.com) -- The shouts of protesters turned an area of Town Center in Virginia Beach into an outdoor courtroom.
"Arrest Karl Rove! Arrest Karl Rove!" they yelled.
A man wearing devil's horns and a Karl Rove mask made of paper stood as the accused in a mock trial. The jury of protesters charge him with several crimes including exposing a CIA operative... and most recently refusing to testify before Congress after being subpoenaed. Each accusation received the same verdict.
"What is your verdict? Guilty!"
The demonstration near the fountain was to counter, an event inside the Ruth's Criss Steak House. President Bush's former adviser, Karl Rove spoke to a crowd of Republicans on behalf of 2nd District Congresswoman Thelma Drake. After the fundraiser, Rove explained to reporters why he did not testify.
"A President has a right to counsel and advice from senior aids without being called up to Congress on the whim of Congress."
Rove says his attorneys offered 5 times to meet with the House Judiciary Committee and answer questions. As for how his controversies might impact Drake's campaign...
"I am a controversial figure. James Carville is a controversial figure. That's just the way politics is today."
But the protesters and some 2nd District voters disagree. Donna Digati of Virginia Beach told Virginiapolitics.tv, "It's shocking that Thelma Drake would have him as her honored guest at a 25-hundred dollar plate luncheon and the man is in contempt of Congress." Digati held a sign accusing Rove and Drake of being liars.
Drake's Democratic opponent Glenn Nye was not available for comment - but his supporters like Democratic State Delegate Ward Armstrong spoke with Virginiapolitics.tv "Why not say, I disagree with what he's done, she may very well have to vote on it in a few weeks in a contempt of Congress. Why in the world would you say that and continue to associate yourself with his administration," Armstrong said.
The Virginia House Minority leader also said re-electing Drake was "to elect a 3rd term of George Bush."
Drake responded to such comments with, "Karl Rove and I, George Bush and I, are republicans. Our philosophy of life is very similar. So it's not unusual to agree in a lot of areas. But there are a lot of areas where I disagree with President Bush."
From the Pilot:
Video:
http://hamptonroads.tv/index.cfm?locvid=140499
By Aaron Applegate
The Virginian-Pilot
© July 18, 2008
VIRGINIA BEACH
How do you react to 40 protesters waving signs and screaming "Shame on you!" while you walk into a steakhouse?
That was the question faced by almost everyone who attended the sold-out Thelma Drake fundraiser Friday with former White House adviser Karl Rove.
Edie Wombolt of Virginia Beach decided to shout "Freedom of speech!" back at protesters.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion," she explained before entering Ruth's Chris Steak House in Town Center to see Rove.
Less understanding were two men who extended obscene gestures at protesters.
When protester Lisa Petry yelled "Shame on you!" at a woman entering the restaurant, she set off this exchange:
The woman: "Get a life!"
Petry: "I have a life! This is it!"
The woman: "What a shame!"
Petry: "It's a shame Karl Rove is your hero!"
The woman: "I feel sorry for you!"
Petry: "I feel sorry for you!
And so went the clash between about 100 Drake supporters who paid $500 to $1,000 for lunch and a photo with Rove, and a loose-knit group of chanting protesters toting signs such as, "How is it that you have time to eat steak but not to testify?"
Drake is seeking her third term representing the 2nd District, which covers Virginia Beach and parts of Norfolk, Hampton and the Eastern Shore. She faces Democratic challenger Glenn Nye on Nov. 4.
While Drake supporters dined, protesters put on a mock trial in which Rove was found "guilty" of a variety of crimes, from treason to helping expose the identity of a CIA agent to defying a congressional subpoena to testify last week.
Speaking to reporters after the function, which was closed to the press, Rove said he didn't appear before Congress because White House lawyers advised him that executive privilege bars Congress from compelling staffers to testify under oath.
Asked about the protest, Rove called it "anemic."
"I was sort of upset," he said. "There should have been more people."
Drake said the protest was "misguided" and that it didn't bother her.
"It's not unusual," she said. "I've been protested all over the place."
Sharon Bivens, a public school art teacher who played the role of exposed CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson during the mock trial, said of Rove's dismissal: "Even if he didn't find us large in numbers, he still won't answer to the people. If we were subpoenaed, we'd have to testify. He's not above the law."
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
From Channel 3:
(Separated so it fits in Blogger. Just cut and paste all four lines in order.)
http://www.wtkr.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=2707288&h1=
Protestors%20%26quot%3BGreet%26quot%3B%20Karl%20Rove&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=69933&
LaunchPageAdTag=Search%20Results&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http%3A//
www.wtkr.com/Global/SearchResults.asp%3Fvendor%3Dwss%26qu%3Drove&rnd=45685566
The AP:
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - Karl Rove's appearance at a fundraiser for Congresswoman Thelma Drake drew protesters to the Virginia Beach event.
The former White House adviser attended the fundraiser Friday at a local steakhouse while about 40 people gathered outside. Some carried signs reading "Arrest Karl Rove" and "Shame on Thelma Drake."
Earlier this week Democrats called on Drake to cancel the sold-out fund-raiser. They cited Rove's defiance of a congressional subpoena last week.
Drake is a Republican who represents Virginia Beach and parts of Norfolk, Hampton and the Eastern Shore.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
From Channel 13:
http://www.wvec.com/video/topvideo-index.html?nvid=264764
I am making a Flickr for our CODEPINK today and will add pics. Any one who was there and has good pictures, please send them to me hrcodepink@yahoo.com I will add them to the new flickr account and if anyone has video I will add it to our YouTube Channel.
Summary from DemocraticUndergroud.com:
Concerned citizens from across Eastern Virginia rallied today at Town Center in Virginia Beach to object to criminal, Karl Rove, and his fund raiser for Bushbot congresswoman, Thelma Drake.
In addition to representatives from across the political spectrum turning out in protest, Sharon Bivens and Chris Jaramillo, long-time local activists, staged a Mock Trial of Karl Rove (see the text below).
After the mock trial ended, many of the activists stayed with our signs and anger to await the exit of Karl Rove and Thelma Drake. Standing with about 15 other activists at the back door from Ruth's Chris Steak House (where the $200-$2300 a plate luncheon was served), I was positioned so that as Rove's car passed, he was within inches of my large sign noting that he was a criminal and a traitor and my right hand which was giving him the "bird." I am also sure that he heard me yelling "criminal" at the top of my lungs as I can not hear out of either ear at the moment!
Rove's reaction: Turdblossom sat in the passenger seat, smiling smugly and waving at us through the darkened glass (was the glass naturally dark or did it darken in the presence of Rove???)
My reaction: How can a criminal who ignores a Congressional subpoena--Karl Rove--not be under arrest???!!!! Can we the people arrest our congressional representatives for NOT upholding their oaths of office? Why is no one in political life held accountable any more?
Fellow activists' reactions: Perhaps I should not have given Rove the "bird."
My reaction: But wasn't he giving it to us with his smug, I-am-above-the-law smile and wave? Wasn't he giving the finger to Congress and the American people by ignoring the subpoena?
After Rove drove off in a cloud of sulfur, we went back to the front near the fountain at Town Center where we were able to catch Thelma Drake leaving. She was not too happy as we ran after her with our large signs, calling her a criminal and a traitor.
Thelma's reaction: A look that said, "Oh, shit, I think that even trying to steal the election by having one machine at each precinct way off in my favor is not going to work this time."
Reaction of some guy "guarding" Thelma: Snapping our pictures.
Our reaction: "Thelma is a criminal and a traitor." Big smile for the camera.
Yes, it was a great day for over 40 political activists: Nader people, Code Pink, MoveOn.org, Obama people, Ron Paul people, Iraq Veterans against the War, 9-11 Truthers, Veterans against the War, etc., etc., etc. We may not agree on who is the best candidate, but we sure agree on who IS NOT!!!!!
We plan to post the video of the "trial" on YouTube. There was great press coverage for a change for our event!
And the Actual Trial:
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Our Meeting with Conyers on 7/9/08
As most of you know, we were invited by the Veterans for Peace to go with them to meet with Rep. Conyers about impeachment. We went thinking that we were going to be given some idea of what his plans were, but apparently he wanted to listen to us. He has promised that he will give his answer at high noon on Friday, July 25th, 2008. Hence, we have canceled our organizational meeting to be in DC. Regardless, below is the two part video of our entire meeting with Rep. Conyers. We will be posting a new blog tomorrow with the rest of the news from this week, as we are trying to catch us and get the site updated from our trip. Enjoy!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Is Nancy Pelosi guilty of something that might come out if they DO THEIR JOB??? Time to get to work!!
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/34610 :
By Pam Miles
I have firm confirmation that Nancy Pelosi is urging the Judiciary committee NOT to go forward with contempt against Rove.
Congressman John Conyers and the Judiciary staff are battling for it but this has become an infight among dems.
Time to burn up the phone lines.
800-828-0498, 800-459-1887 or 800-614-2803 toll free to congressional switchboard
PLEASE CALL. House Judiciary Committee:
Here are the direct phone #'s of the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee.
They're all democrats, and they're all congressmen:
All their phone numbers begin with 202, next three digits are 225. I will list only the last four digits, to save time:
John Conyers, Michigan - 1-202-225-5126
Howard Berman, California - 4695
Rick Boucher, Virginia - 3861
Jerrold Nadler, New York - 5635
Bobby Scott, Virginia - 8351
Melvin Watt, North Carolina - 1510
Zoe Lofgren, California - 3072
Sheila Jackson, Texas - 3816
Maxine Waters, California - 2201
Bill Delahunt, Massachusetts - 3111
Robert Wexler, Florida - 3001
Linda Sanchez, California - 6676
Steve Cohen, Tennessee - 3265
Hank Johnson, Georgia - 1605
Betty Sutton, Ohio - 3401
Luis Gutierrez, Illinois - 8203
Brad Sherman, California - 5911
Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin - 2906
Anthony Weiner, New York - 6616
Adam Schiff, California - 4176
Artur Davis, Alabama - 2665
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida - 7931
Keith Ellison, Minnesota - 4755
By Pam Miles
I have firm confirmation that Nancy Pelosi is urging the Judiciary committee NOT to go forward with contempt against Rove.
Congressman John Conyers and the Judiciary staff are battling for it but this has become an infight among dems.
Time to burn up the phone lines.
800-828-0498, 800-459-1887 or 800-614-2803 toll free to congressional switchboard
PLEASE CALL. House Judiciary Committee:
Here are the direct phone #'s of the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee.
They're all democrats, and they're all congressmen:
All their phone numbers begin with 202, next three digits are 225. I will list only the last four digits, to save time:
John Conyers, Michigan - 1-202-225-5126
Howard Berman, California - 4695
Rick Boucher, Virginia - 3861
Jerrold Nadler, New York - 5635
Bobby Scott, Virginia - 8351
Melvin Watt, North Carolina - 1510
Zoe Lofgren, California - 3072
Sheila Jackson, Texas - 3816
Maxine Waters, California - 2201
Bill Delahunt, Massachusetts - 3111
Robert Wexler, Florida - 3001
Linda Sanchez, California - 6676
Steve Cohen, Tennessee - 3265
Hank Johnson, Georgia - 1605
Betty Sutton, Ohio - 3401
Luis Gutierrez, Illinois - 8203
Brad Sherman, California - 5911
Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin - 2906
Anthony Weiner, New York - 6616
Adam Schiff, California - 4176
Artur Davis, Alabama - 2665
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida - 7931
Keith Ellison, Minnesota - 4755
Even Iraq doesn't want us there!! Time to go!!
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and SEBASTIAN ABBOT, Associated Press Writers Mon Jul 7, 3:11 PM ET
BAGHDAD - Iraq's prime minister said Monday his country wants some type of timetable for a withdrawal of American troops included in the deal the two countries are negotiating.
It was the first time that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has explicitly and publicly called for a withdrawal timetable — an idea opposed by President Bush.
He offered no details. But his national security adviser, Mouwaffak al-Rubaie, told The Associated Press that the government is proposing a timetable conditioned on the ability of Iraqi forces to provide security.
In Washington, the State Department declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations and said officials in Washington were not yet entirely sure what al-Maliki had said.
"This falls in the category of ongoing negotiations, and I'm not going to talk about every single development, every single development in the negotiations," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
Al-Maliki said in a meeting with Arab diplomats in Abu Dhabi that his country also has proposed a short-term interim memorandum of agreement rather than the more formal status of forces agreement the two sides have been negotiating.
The memorandum "now on the table" includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, he said.
"The goal is to end the presence (of foreign troops)," al-Maliki said.
Some type of agreement is needed to keep U.S. troops in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires at year's end. But many Iraqi lawmakers had criticized the government's attempt to negotiate a formal status of forces agreement, worried that U.S. demands would threaten the country's sovereignty.
U.S. officials have said little publicly about the negotiations. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not comment directly on the specifics when asked about it on a trip to Baghdad.
"We'd all like to see U.S. troops get out of here at some point in time," Mullen said. "However, from a military perspective I need the laws and the regulations and the agreements from the government of Iraq in order to continue operations beyond the 31st of December of this year."
With the latest moves, Iraq's government appeared to be trying to blunt opposition in parliament to any deal.
Al-Maliki also could be trying to avoid parliament altogether. He has promised in the past to submit a formal agreement with the U.S. to the legislative body.
But his spokesman indicated Monday that the government might feel no need to get approval from parliament for a shorter-term interim deal.
"It is up to the Cabinet whether to approve it or sign on it, without going back to the parliament," said spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.
Legal experts said the form of the deal was less significant than its substance.
"You could theoretically include everything in a memorandum of understanding that you could in a formal status of forces agreement," said Michael Matheson, an expert on international law at George Washington University Law School.
The Bush administration has said it doesn't need congressional approval even for a full status of forces agreement — a position criticized by some U.S. lawmakers.
The contentious issues have been U.S. authority to carry out military operations in Iraq and arrest the country's citizens, along with legal immunity for private contractors and control of Iraqi air space.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said last week after a visit to Washington that the U.S. had agreed to drop immunity for private contractors and give up control of Iraqi air space if Iraq guaranteed it could protect the country's skies.
But those concessions, never confirmed by the U.S. side, were apparently not enough to cement a formal agreement, leading Iraq instead to pursue the memorandum.
Iraq's government has felt increasingly confident in recent weeks about its authority and the country's improved stability.
Violence in Iraq has fallen to its lowest level in four years. The change has been driven by the 2007 buildup of American forces, the Sunni tribal revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and crackdowns against Shiite militias and Sunni extremists.
Despite the gains, frequent attacks continue.
A roadside bomb killed four people and injured three others Monday close to the Iranian border near Khanaqin, 90 miles northeast of Baghdad, said border guard Capt. Sarchel Abdul-Karim.
Another bomb near a dress shop in Baqouba killed one woman Monday and wounded 14 other people, police said. Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, and the surrounding Diyala province remain one of the country's most violent regions.
Also Monday, gunmen killed a member of the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party in Tal Afar, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad, said police, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
BAGHDAD - Iraq's prime minister said Monday his country wants some type of timetable for a withdrawal of American troops included in the deal the two countries are negotiating.
It was the first time that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has explicitly and publicly called for a withdrawal timetable — an idea opposed by President Bush.
He offered no details. But his national security adviser, Mouwaffak al-Rubaie, told The Associated Press that the government is proposing a timetable conditioned on the ability of Iraqi forces to provide security.
In Washington, the State Department declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations and said officials in Washington were not yet entirely sure what al-Maliki had said.
"This falls in the category of ongoing negotiations, and I'm not going to talk about every single development, every single development in the negotiations," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
Al-Maliki said in a meeting with Arab diplomats in Abu Dhabi that his country also has proposed a short-term interim memorandum of agreement rather than the more formal status of forces agreement the two sides have been negotiating.
The memorandum "now on the table" includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, he said.
"The goal is to end the presence (of foreign troops)," al-Maliki said.
Some type of agreement is needed to keep U.S. troops in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires at year's end. But many Iraqi lawmakers had criticized the government's attempt to negotiate a formal status of forces agreement, worried that U.S. demands would threaten the country's sovereignty.
U.S. officials have said little publicly about the negotiations. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not comment directly on the specifics when asked about it on a trip to Baghdad.
"We'd all like to see U.S. troops get out of here at some point in time," Mullen said. "However, from a military perspective I need the laws and the regulations and the agreements from the government of Iraq in order to continue operations beyond the 31st of December of this year."
With the latest moves, Iraq's government appeared to be trying to blunt opposition in parliament to any deal.
Al-Maliki also could be trying to avoid parliament altogether. He has promised in the past to submit a formal agreement with the U.S. to the legislative body.
But his spokesman indicated Monday that the government might feel no need to get approval from parliament for a shorter-term interim deal.
"It is up to the Cabinet whether to approve it or sign on it, without going back to the parliament," said spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.
Legal experts said the form of the deal was less significant than its substance.
"You could theoretically include everything in a memorandum of understanding that you could in a formal status of forces agreement," said Michael Matheson, an expert on international law at George Washington University Law School.
The Bush administration has said it doesn't need congressional approval even for a full status of forces agreement — a position criticized by some U.S. lawmakers.
The contentious issues have been U.S. authority to carry out military operations in Iraq and arrest the country's citizens, along with legal immunity for private contractors and control of Iraqi air space.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said last week after a visit to Washington that the U.S. had agreed to drop immunity for private contractors and give up control of Iraqi air space if Iraq guaranteed it could protect the country's skies.
But those concessions, never confirmed by the U.S. side, were apparently not enough to cement a formal agreement, leading Iraq instead to pursue the memorandum.
Iraq's government has felt increasingly confident in recent weeks about its authority and the country's improved stability.
Violence in Iraq has fallen to its lowest level in four years. The change has been driven by the 2007 buildup of American forces, the Sunni tribal revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and crackdowns against Shiite militias and Sunni extremists.
Despite the gains, frequent attacks continue.
A roadside bomb killed four people and injured three others Monday close to the Iranian border near Khanaqin, 90 miles northeast of Baghdad, said border guard Capt. Sarchel Abdul-Karim.
Another bomb near a dress shop in Baqouba killed one woman Monday and wounded 14 other people, police said. Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, and the surrounding Diyala province remain one of the country's most violent regions.
Also Monday, gunmen killed a member of the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party in Tal Afar, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad, said police, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Time for Impeachment
This kind of behavior must be stopped! Please Google "35 Articles of Impeachment" and read the full text of the articles, then call your representatives and all of the members of the Judiciary Committee, especially John Conyers and demand that hearing commence against both Bush and Cheney. Specifically these three:
Article XXI
Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government
Article XVIII
Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy
Article XX
Imprisoning Children
Article XXVII
Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply
Article XXI
Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government
Article XVIII
Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy
Article XX
Imprisoning Children
Article XXVII
Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy Independence Day!
Today we will celebrate our Independence all over the country. I ask today that while you are celebrating you all remember the brave men and women of our armed forces, who are scattered all over the world protecting that independence. I ask you to remember the soldiers tangled up in an illegal occupation who went without question because they were told by their commander-in-chief that the very independence and freedom you celebrate today was in danger. I ask you to remember the fallen soldiers over the history of our country who have given their lives for us to retain that independence, including the 4113 we have lost in Iraq. And finally, I ask that you all remember YOUR duty, not only to your constitution but also to those brave men and women who put their lives on the line so we can go to our barbecues and celebrate our freedom. Please take a moment today to sign a petition for impeachment and read our Declaration of Independence and you continue to work for peace and truth and to bring these soldiers home. While reading that declaration, remember the members of Congress on July 4th break, enjoying their parties while leaving our soldiers in harms way for the profits of a few greedy companies and individuals. Remind yourself that when the government oversteps it's bound, it is the place of every citizen to ask questions and ensure that those elected officials follow the will of the people or face the consequences. I leave you with that Declaration.
Have a good fourth everyone! Keep up the good work!
The Declaration of Independence
WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.
WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security. Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the present King of Great- Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.
HE has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good.
HE has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
HE has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts of People, unless those People would relinquish the Right of Representation in the Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only.
HE has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the Depository of their public Records, for the sole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his Measures.
HE has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People.
HE has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of the Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers of Invasion from without, and the Convulsions within.
HE has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
HE has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
HE has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and the Amount and Payment of their Salaries.
HE has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harrass our People, and eat out their Substance.
HE has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislatures.
HE has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
HE has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
FOR quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us;
FOR protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
FOR cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:
FOR imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
FOR depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:
FOR transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences:
FOR abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundaries, so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rules into these Colonies:
FOR taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
FOR suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Power to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.
HE has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
HE has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.
HE is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.
HE has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
HE has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.
IN every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.
NOR have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native Justice and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of Consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends.
WE, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which INDEPENDENT STATES may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Have a good fourth everyone! Keep up the good work!
The Declaration of Independence
WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.
WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security. Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the present King of Great- Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.
HE has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good.
HE has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
HE has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts of People, unless those People would relinquish the Right of Representation in the Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only.
HE has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the Depository of their public Records, for the sole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his Measures.
HE has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People.
HE has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of the Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers of Invasion from without, and the Convulsions within.
HE has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
HE has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
HE has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and the Amount and Payment of their Salaries.
HE has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harrass our People, and eat out their Substance.
HE has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislatures.
HE has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
HE has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
FOR quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us;
FOR protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
FOR cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:
FOR imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
FOR depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:
FOR transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences:
FOR abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundaries, so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rules into these Colonies:
FOR taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
FOR suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Power to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.
HE has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
HE has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.
HE is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.
HE has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
HE has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.
IN every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.
NOR have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native Justice and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of Consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends.
WE, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which INDEPENDENT STATES may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
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