Fight the Veto
[Cross-posted at Daily Kos and Huffington Post]
I came here last week to ask you to join me in defending Harry Reid from the attacks of the right. And it’s important to do that because our party needs us to stick up for each other.
But it’s not enough to defend. I used to always say that I was tired of life in the minority in the Senate because I was tired of just stopping bad things from happening, I wanted to make things happen that reflected the hopes and aspirations of the people I cared about.
So now we have this Democratic Majority which a lot of folks fought and scrapped and gave their all to build – so I know I’m not alone here when I say: it’s time to go on offense—not just fight back but lead the fight for what’s important.
We are not going on offense for petty political reasons, not partisanship for politics’ sake, but because there are lives at stake here and a failed policy in Iraq to turn into something that makes sense morally and militarily.
<!-more->
But something stands in the way, and I don’t mean President Bush. To no one’s surprise, he vetoed the money for our soldiers and a new course in Iraq. Long ago he doubled down with the Wolfowitzes and the Perles and the Cheneys and the Rumsfelds of the neoconservative movement. Yes, the Congress voted to set a deadline to change course in Iraq, hold squabbling Iraqi politicians accountable, and give our troops the money they need. And yes, the American people are clamoring for this change. The President vetoed it, anyway.
But the President couldn’t remain in his ideological bunker without a whole host of enablers. It is Republican Senators who are blocking a change in course in Iraq and enabling the President; many who claim to be “independent” are in fact acting as a big roadblock to a real change of course.
But just as last year you defeated the Rubber Stamp Republicans, now it’s time to take on these Roadblock Republicans and show them the pressure a committed American public can put on them. And maybe, if we put enough pressure on the right places, they’ll rethink supporting the President over the change of course our troops deserve.
So, we’re announcing a new kind of activism campaign, one not easily done without the new progressive infrastructure provided by our friends and partners at ActBlue. It’s a combined fundraising/email campaign, where you can already contribute to the defeat of some key Republicans, and then let them know what you are doing and why. When you speak in the language of grassroots pressure, I assure you they will hear what you say.
We’re targeting four Senators with this at first. The first three I’ll mention are already top races for 2006. Those are Senators Coleman, Sununu, and Collins, all from states that voted for me in 2004 and want change in Iraq today. But our fourth might be the most important of all: Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The other three are great targets, but going after McConnell is getting to the heart of the matter. McConnell has been a bulwark of the GOP leadership and if we can distract, or even defeat him, with a tough electoral challenge in 2008, we’ll send a clear message that – just as Jim Webb defeated the supposedly undefeatable George Allen—no Senator is safe if they defend a broken policy rather than stand for change.
So go to this page we set up with ActBlue and contribute to ActBlue’s Democratic Nominee fund in those four states. Then—and this might be the most important part—follow the link to a page we set up where you can type in a message to be delivered to each Senator you contributed against with a subject line designed to get their attention: “I just contributed against you.” And, since it’s for whoever the Democratic nominee may be, it can help recruit the best candidates in a race, like Kentucky, where a Democrat may have felt like they’d be at too much of a financial disadvantage.
The time for the Democratic Party to play defense is over; it’s time to go on offense and force the change of course that America needs. This President continues to be stubborn and wrong; we must stubbornly remain in this fight because we are right—and we’re not about to sit around and let others dictate our future anymore.
So go here to contribute, and then here to send them a message.
And let them know that this is only the beginning. We’re going to fight this fight as long as necessary to get our country back on track.
11 Comments
New comments for this entry are closed.
I want to report back that when I went to the ActBlue screen, I immediately received an Internet Explorer Script Error message that is blocking me from viewing the screen. It’s a script error at Line 1536, Char. 5, with the Error being “Object required.” Code 0.
This is typical for me in my efforts to do anything at all on line or in any aspect of my life.
Somehow I just ended up Anonymous in arriving at the Preview screen, which came up without my direction.
But I wanted to just add that I feel that the time is right for this and I love what John Kerry has to say and what he is doing.
Thanks for the heads up.
I’ll pass the technical error message along.
Thanks, Violet. But isn’t posting it passing it along enough?
This is a great idea. You bet I’ll donate to defeat these Bush enablers, Senator.
Better to spend a couple bucks now than to have Bush and the Republicans continue to rob us blind with this endless debacle.
I hope they get the message. It’s the same one we sent in ‘06, and they’d better start listening.
Here’s my letter:
I’ve just contributed to your Democratic challenger. My plan is to make this a monthly donation for as long as you continue to support Bush’s war in Iraq.
We’ve seen too much death and destruction brought about by Bush’s war based on lies. We’ve seen far too many of our tax dollars wasted in this war when that money is needed here at home, all because the President is too stubborn or too foolish to adjust his course. Is that the kind of leadership you want to be associated with?
Please support the withdrawal efforts voted on by the majority of Congress and the American people by supporting a sensible timeline for withdrawal.
Had you listened to Senators Kerry and Feingold a year ago, you would not be receiving this message from me today.
Remember ‘06 when you make your decision to represent either the will of the people or George Bush, because you can not do both.
The American people are watching, and we will not forget.
Sincerely,
GV
This president is very very good deciving people
He is really dangerous salesman who has high powered ego.
You( john kerry) must do what what ever it takes
to change his course. I wish you all the best
Jb
I have one response for you, GV:
Better than fine!
Awesome! I donated, then I wrote:
You are responsible for prolonging one of the greatest foreign policy messes in U.S. history. The Iraq war is fast becoming a tragedy of historic proportions, and the disgrace of it is that this war was preventable. After four years of deception and stubborn inaction, George W. Bush decides it’s time to delegate his responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief to a War Czar. As if this head-scratching effort wasn’t enough to cause a few more war supporters to jump ship, Bush decides to veto hope. As two retired Generals put it (http://nsnetwork.org/node/143):
We deserve more from our commander-in-chief and his administration.
—Maj. Gen. John Batiste, USA, Ret.
More than ever apparent, only the Army and the Marine Corps are at war - alone, without their President’s support.
—Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, USA, Ret.
Your support for the foolhardy escalation of the war has earned my contempt. Despite repeated warnings from Generals, experts in foreign policy and the Middle East, and critics, including some with ties to the administration, that there is no military solution, you agreed with Bush that sending more American troops into Iraq’s civil war was the best solution. Unfortunately, you were wrong. April 2007 was the sixth deadliest month of the war for U.S. troops and the fourth deadliest month for coalition troops (icasualties.org).
With the situation in Iraq worsening, the cost of the Iraq war surpassing Vietnam and no end to the crisis in sight, acknowledging that the Iraq war is lost isn’t treason, it’s reason.
I support our troops, our Vets and their families, and join with the Generals in saying they deserve better. I join the critics of the war in saying enough, bring the troops home.
I wholeheartedly support Senator Kerry in his efforts to ensure that a Democrat is elected to your seat. I thank him for his leadership in trying to end the war in Iraq.
Senator,
Thanks for standing with the will of Americans on this crucial issue.
I just donated and messaged. Wonderful idea, Senator.
The President is spinning. I would best describe this Administration as that of being a (fictitious) centrifugal force. How can you democratize any other Country in the Middle East when American Democracy has been held hostage and under seige for some seven years?
This is not the repectful Republican Party that reigned during the Nixon/kissinger years. Comparatively speaking, I said respectful only in context of mentioning the current Administration.
It is time to align with Senator kucinesh in initiating Impeachment of Mr. Bush.
He is the first President in American History that has been allowed to Govern a Country while on training wheels.
The training wheels are not supporting him. We the American People are not either.
Respectfully,
DianeT
I never “blog” but do so today in hopes that everyone who reads this will choose to give whatever they possibly can to the “Roadblock Republican” campaign. We need to assure that our message is loud and clear. I’m very distressed by President Bush’s veto, I want this war in Iraq to end and our troops to come home to their families!
I will do my part and hope I can encourage others to respond as well. I’m a retired widow living on Social Security and a very small state pension. With sky-high property taxes and a Home Equity Line of Credit to pay off (double ouch!), a heating system about to “die” in a very old 1800’s house in a cold climate, and other necessities I can’t afford to update to conserve energy or future expenses, and very little savings to back me up in any emergency… it’s obvious I have little cash to spare, yet there are many far worse off than I am.
As a citizen, my town’s Democratic Committee Co-Chair and also a “volunteer” elected official for my State, as soon as I received the “Roadblock Republican” campaign email, I felt compelled to back up my beliefs by immediately making a contribution for “Keeping America’s Promise” and three of the primary Democrat electees to run against their states’ Republican incumbents, plus three times that amount to support whoever becomes the primary U.S Senate Democrat electee in my own state!
I need to express my gratitude to Senator Kerry for the email which prompted me to take this action. I hope that my message will encourage others like me to pinch pennies a bit more and join me by contributing - no matter how small their donation may be!
Our message was heard loud and clear across our nation in the 2006 election. I believe it continues to grow even stronger and that we will win again in 2008 but we must not assume anything and need to put our energy toward that goal even now! Please support the “Roadblock Republican” campaign as generously as you can!
Thank you for all you do!
Joy