Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Time to Call our Senators!

On Wednesday, your Senators will vote on an amendment by Senators Feingold and Reid to begin redeployment of troops out of Iraq by October 1, completing withdrawal and cutting funds for the war by March 21, 2008. Call your Senators today and tell them to support the Feingold-Reid amendment!

Next week, the Senate will vote on a new version of the supplemental war funding bill. We don't know the details yet, but it looks like the Senate leadership will surrender to White House pressure by giving the President $95 billion for the war without any fixed timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Call you Senator today. And next week call your Senator again (we'll remind you) to tell them to vote against the supplemental war funding bill!

Your calls do make a difference. Last week, 171 members of the House of Representatives voted for an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq when they voted in support of the McGovern Amendment. This was a major step forward for the peace movement - we did not expect more than 125 votes! We need a similar showing in the Senate on the Feingold-Reid amendment.

Call the Congressional Switchboard to be connected to your Senators: 202-224-3121 .
Tell Both your Senators:
1. Vote Yes on the Feingold-Reid amendment (amendment no. 1098).
2. Vote No on the supplemental war funding bill next week.

Make it clear to your Senator that a yes vote on Feingold-Reid is not a substitute for using the power of the purse to end the war - they must vote against any more money for the war by voting no on the supplemental.

Your calls today are important! BUT - your calls next week are also vital! The bills that fund the war are the most crucial votes because that's where our leverage lies. Of the 171 House Members who voted for the McGovern bill, 159 of them turned around and voted to fund the war. Let's do better in the Senate!

More Information:

Senate Plays Charades on Iraq, by Bob Fertik:
http://democrats.com/senate-plays-charades-on-iraq

They're Not Benchmarks, by David Swanson:
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/22389

Live blogging of last week's House votes by David Swanson:
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/22334


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We can do this, together we can change the direction of this country. Together we can end this illegal occupation. Together we can move mountains. For now, well work on moving Senators!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I often hear you all speaking about fighting for your democracy. That usually is kind of a short hand for going overseas to shoot somebody who doesn't like you and whom you detest.

This time, however, call for democracy enables you to stop being shooters as well as being shot at. In the light, that four years of intense shooting hasn't made any sense or brought any redeeming results, surely, it is not too much to ask you to use your rights as members of a democracy to make an extra effort to ensure your Senators will know that enough is enough. If you don't, then the whole idea of democracy was wasted on you. I hate to lecture like this, but that's the score for you.

sumo said...

I guess you know by now it fell rather short.

Undeniable Liberal said...

They are just plain ignoring the will of WE THE PEOPLE! God Bless Amerikka.

FunkyTown Fighter said...

Well it was worth a try at any rate! I swear I'm going to have to kick Shrub & Co ass, it will be THE only way to rid ourselve's of this nuisance! How soon can you be ready Ziem? I need you with me in case I need some help! : - )